Flight Delayed or Canceled? Feds Now Require Airlines to Issue Refunds, in Some Cases, Immediately
by Nathaniel Cline
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced new rules that will put refunds quickly back into air travelers’ pockets for canceled or delayed flights.
The agency estimated that the new regulations will save…
School Board Member and Wife Took County Grant Money For Which They Were Ineligible
by P.D. Lesko
County records show Ann Arbor School Board Trustee Ernesto Querijero, through his wife Lisa Querijero, applied for funding from the Washtenaw County Community Priority Fund in 2022. The money, according to the application…
Sheriff Deputy’s Sex Crimes Trial: Politics, Postponements and Missing Evidence
By P.D. Lesko
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Deputy D'Angelo McWilliams.
If Washtenaw County Sheriff's Deputy and alleged rapist D'Angelo McWilliams were a vegetable, he'd be a potato--a very, very hot potato. McWilliams's hiring and…
A2Politico: County Pols Plan to “Protect” the Mental Health Millage. They’re Five Years Late & $35M Short
by P.D. Lesko
The 2016 Mental Health and Public Safety Millage was the brainchild of County Commissioner Andy LaBarre (District 7). It was the perfect way to get voters to pony up tens of additional millions for two of the poorest run…
Alleged Rapist Hired as Deputy; Sheriff Denies Release of Background Check as “Not in the Public’s Interest”
by P.D. Lesko
On March 25, 2024, The Ann Arbor Independent submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the County Sheriff's Dept. to obtain a copy of the background check done on Sheriff's Deputy D'Angelo Ladonn McWilliams prior…
U-M Tickets Student Protesters and Bans Them From Campus Buildings: ACLU Says, “Not So Fast”
by Ann Mullen
According to an article in The Michigan Daily on Mar. 29, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) reported that three students were served citations by police in Ann Arbor “for trespassing at the 101st Honor…
Theater Review: “the ripple, the wave that carried me home”
"the ripple, the wave that carried me home" is at Theatre Nova, 410 West Huron Street, Ann Arbor, through April 14. Visit theatrenova.org for tickets and more info.
by Jenn McKee, Pulp
A social change agent…
An Open Letter to County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi: It’s Time For You to Lead
This is a Open Public Plea to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, specifically, Ann Arbor County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi:
There is an expectation of leadership from the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. At this…
A2Politico: County Commissioners Will Be “Invoiced” For 2023 Overspending; That’s Not Good Enough
by P.D. Lesko
On April 1, I sent an email to County Administrator Greg Dill:
Mr Dill,Have Commissioners Lyte and Sanders been invoiced for their 2023 FlexSpending account overspending yet? Could you please post 2024 spendingto…
Watch: County Commissioners, Pay Back the Money You Owe Us!
The Ann Arbor Independent's "Urban Exile" columnist Shannon McFall lives in Pittsfield Township and vlogs about race, local, county and national politics. He shares commentaries with The Ann Arbor Independent. Tune in to watch a short…