The Ann Arbor Independent - A locally owned newspaper in Ann Arbor

Domestic Violence When we think of domestic violence it is easy to think, “This doesn’t happen in my neighborhood. Domestic violence is a problem that affects only other people.”  However, the reality is very different.  Domestic…

IN MAY 2014, Dexter officials  determined, using a road survey, that streets in that village were rated an average of 5.2 out of a possible ten. The Village Council then issued a ten-year road construction bond for $800,000, to be paid for…

by P.D. Lesko PAT CONLIN HAS pink eye. It couldn’t have come at a more inopportune moment. A candidate running for office naturally wants to shake hands. He can’t. Pink eye is devilishly contagious and he wants to make sure he doesn’t…

by Qing Zhang Despite a slight increase in Michigan’s population, 2013 witnessed a decline of 0.5 percent in solid waste generated in the state, continuing a 10-year  trend, according to a report by the Department of Environmental…

Washtenaw County Bar Association Candidate Survey Nearly 80 percent of the respondents indicated that they did not know me. Yet 52 percent of the respondents felt my technical qualifications (defined as legal ability, legal knowledge,…

by David Alexander THE WATERS WERE right for canoeing and kayaking Sunday afternoon. People from around Washtenaw County flooded Gallup Park with enthusiasm for nature during the 34th annual Huron River Day. The de facto festival,…

ACCORDING TO THE FBI Uniform Crime Reports, between 2012 and 2013, crime in several categories rose in Ann Arbor. The number of reported rapes rose from 15 to 23, an increase of 65 percent. The number of violent crimes rose from 112 to 119.…

by Lynn Stuart Parramore WITH FOURTH OF July firecrackers, lawnmowers and outdoor concerts, summer can bring lots of noise, and some of it can be harmful to your hearing. Trust me, I know. I have had ringing in my right ear for 9 months…

THE LAST TIME the city of Saline had a contested mayor’s race it was 2004. Dean Girbach challenged Gretchen Driskell. Girbach captured 33 percent of the vote. In a statement released to the media announcing his candidacy, mayoral…

THE CITY OF Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) works to protect and restore Ann Arbor’s natural areas. This involves conducting plant and animal inventories, ecological monitoring, and stewardship projects in Ann Arbor parks. These…