EDITORIAL: Grenade Launchers and M16s
SINCE 2006, MICHIGAN police have received $43 million worth of surplus military equipment, including 17 mine-resistant armored fighting vehicles and 1,795 M16 automatic rifles. One of those 17 mine-resistant vehicles is parked in Washtenaw…
Q & A: Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton talks about recent drug busts in the county jail, the socio-economics of crime in the county and "Orange is the New Black."
SHERIFF JERRY Clayton currently oversees a $22 million corrections budget.…
A2POLITICO: When the Koch Bros. Walk, People Listen
by P.D. Lesko
THE KOCH BROS. last week pulled $1.1 million in ads buys in the metro-Detroit marketplace. Well, not the Koch brothers themselves. They work through intermediaries. A powerful group funded by the Koch brothers pulled $1.1…
Questions Surround Ann Arbor Dem Party Chair’s 40+ Cash Withdrawls of Party Funds
MICHAEL HENRY HAS served as the Chair of the Ann Arbor City Democratic Party since 2013. Prior to his 2013 election, he served as a co-Chair for two years. The Ann Arbor Independent was given documents and emails which addressed Michael…
Can Probate Court Candidate Tracy Van den Bergh Unseat Gov. Snyder’s Appointee?
LAWYER TRACY VAN den Bergh raised almost triple the money incumbent Judge Julia B. Owdziej raised for the August primary election. Van den Bergh raised $51,575 in cash contributions and $4,280 in-kind. She spent $38,532 and put in over…
A2POLITICO: Toledo Water Crisis and the Ann Arbor Water Crisis
by P.D. Lesko
I AM AT work on an investigative piece about money allegedly mishandled. I don’t want to give away too much, but suffice it to say the people involved would rather the story not be told. We’re all guilty of wishing we…
Owner of MEDC Media Contractor Gave Late Donation to Democratic Mayoral Candidate Taylor
PAUL SCHUTT IS the co-founder and co-CEO of Issue Media Group—a Detroit based media company which creates a number of online magazines including Ann Arbor’s ConcentrateMedia.com. Schutt gave a late donation to mayoral candidate Christopher…
EDITORIAL: Thank You
ALL OF THE candidates who ran in the August 5 primary election deserve our thanks for putting forth the time and effort to vie for elected office. It takes an enormous amount of work to campaign—from knocking on voters’ doors to attending…
EDITORIAL: AnnArborChronicle.com -30-
WHILE THE ANN Arbor Independent uncovered and reported on inappropriate emails between AnnArborChronicle.com’s editor and publisher and Ward 1 Council member Sabra Briere, the fact remains that the online news site slated to close on…
OP-ED: Community Banks Selling Out Hurts The Communities They Serve
by Stephen Lange Ranzini
THE SALE OF United Bank & Trust to Indiana-based Old National Bancorp worth $173.1 million closed this past Thursday. I am sad that any local community bank would opt to sell out to a mega bank. Something…
