Campaign Finances of Ward 4 Incumbent Show Financial Support Primarily From Ward 4 Residents
by P.D. Lesko
Ann Arbor City Council member Elizabeth Nelson (D-Ward 4) ran as an unknown in 2018 for a four-year term. Nelson is running for re-election in 2022. According to her pre- and post-election campaign finance statements filed…
Ypsilanti Jazz Concert Series Returns this Summer with New Name and Location
by Amy Karbo
Ypsilanti Township will host the 2022 John E. Lawrence Summer Jazz Concert Series on Friday evenings July 1, 2022 - September 2, 2022 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm at Ford Lake Park (9075 S. Huron River Drive). Parking will be $5…
Nothing Radical About Whitmer Fighting the GOP’s Anti-Abortion Extremism
by Susan J. Demas
Ten years ago, I was having a beer with a Michigan GOP consultant who informed me that liberals should stop all the fear-mongering because Republicans would never be dumb enough to outlaw abortion.
“If they did…
Ypsilanti School District to Receive $250,000 State Grant to Beef up Building Security
by Scott McClallen
(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that 150 awards were given to 57 local school districts, 14 intermediate school districts, 40 nonpublic schools, and 39 public school academies for $10 million in…
$431M Waived for UIA in Federal Pandemic Overpayments for 55,000 in Michigan
by Scott McClallen
(The Center Square) – The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency says it will waive about $431 million it overpaid to more than 55,000 Michiganders in federal pandemic unemployment benefits.
About $11 million will…
Few of Ward 4 Council Challenger’s Donors Live in Ward 4
by P.D. Lesko
Library Trustee Dharma Akmon has raised $15,365 for her Ward 4 City Council race, according to public campaign finance records. On April 14, 2022 Akmon Tweeted out a thank you to "***194 individuals***" who have allegedly…
One Man’s Quest to Find the Wild Origins of the Chile Pepper
Wandering the Sonoran Desert in search of the chiltepin—the ancestor to domesticated chile peppers—with MacArthur genius Gary Paul Nabhan
by Ari LeVaux
Since he started hunting for chile peppers, more than 40 years ago, Gary Paul…
Former City Administrator Takes First Step Toward Suing Mayor and Council Members for Defamation
by P.D. Lesko
In August 2021, former Ann Arbor City Administrator Tom Crawford resigned. Seven members of Ann Arbor City Council (Taylor, Disch, Song, Grand, Radina, Eyer and Briggs) had voted to terminate Crawford's employment based on…
The Foodist: Garlic Powder Is Awesome
I missed out on years of enhanced flavor because of foodie prejudice against the dehydrated ingredient.
by Ari LeVaux
Many foodies look down on garlic powder as a stale, cheap substitute for the real thing. It’s a shortcut for lazy…
City Council’s Universal Basic Income Program Could Hurt Low-Income Recipients
by P.D. Lesko
Since Linh Song (D-Ward 2) was elected to Ann Arbor City Council in 2020, the average median household income in the city has risen to $104,000. There are 5,500 people on Ann Arbor's public housing waitlist for 150…
