When Will the COVID-19 Pandemic End? Four Essential Reads on Past Pandemics and What the Future Could Bring
by Maggie Villiger
More than two years after the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed, people are exhausted by the coronavirus pandemic, ready for all this to end. When – if ever – is it realistic to expect SARS-CoV-2 will recede from…
Don’t Let Jokes about Mark Schlissel’s Firing Distract from U-M’s Problems
by Claire Hao
(This column originally appeared in Medium.com, an open-source blog site)
#BREAKING: Mark Schlissel is down horrendous. To quote one of the best jokes I’ve seen floating around, “it started out with a knish, how…
Got Masks? Gov. Whitmer Announces 10M Free KN95 Masks Available
by Anna Gustafson, Michigan Advance
Ten million free KN95 masks are now available to Michiganders as they continue to face the fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday.
The KN95 masks are…
Ann Arbor Kicks off Winter Compost Collection
The City of Ann Arbor began offering monthly winter curbside compost cart collection on Jan. 3, 2022.
The monthly pick-ups will occur the first full week of each month, with curbside compost cart service taking place during the weeks…
A2Politico: How Utterly Pedestrian– The DDA’s State Street “Redesign” is All About Cars
by Patricia Lesko
Ann Arbor and the environment need expanded non-motorized transportation infrastructure. The need is particularly acute on Main St., State St., and Liberty. When the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) came…
Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
Updated 1/24/22 with comments from Nicole Beverly.
by P.D. Lesko
On January 18, 2022, after the results of an independent investigation into allegations of mismanagement were delivered to the SafeHouse Board of Directors, long-time…
SafeHouse Center Sued for Allegedly Violating Michigan’s Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts
by P.D. Lesko
1/22/22: This article has been corrected to include a legal explanation as to why SafeHouse Center is allegedly subject to the Open Meetings Act.
The Ann Arbor Independent filed suit in Washtenaw County's 22nd Circuit…
County Administrator’s Attempt to Charge A2Indy $200+/Hour in FOIA Fees to Release His Own Phone Bills and Emails, Reversed
by P.D. Lesko
The Ann Arbor Independent used the Michigan Freedom of Information Act to obtain eight months of County Administrator Greg Dill's county-owned cell phone bills, as well as emails between Dill and former SafeHouse Executive…
U-M Reaches $490M Settlement with 1,050 Anderson Plaintiffs
The University of Michigan and attorneys for approximately 1,050 claimants who have alleged abuse by the late Dr. Robert Anderson announced they have reached a settlement agreement that would resolve all of those survivors’ claims against…
With Overtime, City Employees Increase Their Take-Home Pay by as Much as 58 Percent
Updated on 1/24/22 with comments from Council member Jeff Hayner.
by P.D. Lesko
The City of Ann Arbor currently employs approximately 840 full-time regular employees and 1,400 part-time and temporary employees. In 2020, taxpayers…
