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

“DETROIT IS NOT some dying city that nobody wants to be in,” says Eric Oberg, trail development manager in the Midwest Regional Office of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC). “That’s not the narrative on the ground there. We can’t say that…

PROGRAM FACTS SNAP is targeted at the most vulnerable. 76 percent of SNAP households included a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. These vulnerable households receive 83 percent of all SNAP benefits. SNAP eligibility…

THE LIBRARY OF Michigan recently announced the 2014 Michigan Notable Books – 20  books celebrating Michigan people, places and events. “Michigan is rich in talented writers, history, and resources,” said State Superintendent Mike…

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMITTEE records show that as of the December 21, 2013 campaign finance disclosure deadline U.S. 7th District incumbent Tim Walberg had raised $713,195 and former Michigan Representative Pam Byrnes, a Democrat, had raised…

WHILE SOME OPPOSE increasing Michigan’s minimum wage, a new poll shows strong support for raising the rate from $7.40 to $10.10 an hour. Denno Research conducted the poll of 600 likely voters in the state’s general election. “We had…

by Twilight Greenaway IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL book, The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities, we see a different side of MacArthur Genius and urban farmer Will Allen. The book takes readers behind the…

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY and wider use of freelancers has more people working from home, remotely or even from coffee houses. Being away from the rigid hierarchy of office cubes suits many, but some miss collaborating with colleagues. Enter…

by Dean Paton UNTIL ABOUT 1980, America’s public schoolteachers were iconic everyday heroes painted with a kind of Norman Rockwell patina—generally respected because they helped most kids learn to read, write and successfully join…

SO-CALLED FRONT GROUPS are common. The Koch brothers have put together a network of 17 financially interconnected PACs and nonprofits. On the surface, the 17 entities appear independent from each other. It took an investigation by the…

ANN ARBOR’S LOBBYIST Kirk Profit also lobbies for Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County, the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College. According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, Profit’s lobbying…