U-M Didn’t Win the Campus Race to Zero Waste in 2021–Are They (or Ann Arbor) Even Trying?
Kristy Jones
Each year the Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly RecycleMania) program calls for best practice case studies from campuses across the U.S. and Canada to showcase programs and strategies in waste minimization, food…
U.S. Department of Education Names Ann Arbor School One of Thirteen Blue Ribbon Schools in Michigan
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including 13 schools in Michigan. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing…
Alleged Assailant of Survivor Evicted by SafeHouse Jailed on $3M Cash Surety Bond
by P.D. Lesko
Jeffrey Dwayne Smith. Photo | The Ann Arbor Independent
On Sept. 19, Jeffrey Dwayne Smith, 47, of Flatrock, Michigan, was arraigned in 14A-1 District Court before Magistrate Elisha A. Fink. Smith was charged with one…
Ann Arbor Council Member Sends Open Letter to SafeHouse Executive Director Barbara Niess-May
by Council member Katherine J. Griswold, MBA, MSW
Hello Barbara Niess-May,
SafeHouse provides a critical service in our community. Per its mission: to provide safety, support, advocacy and resources for survivors of sexual assault…
SafeHouse Center is a “Dangerous Dump” and Survivors Say, “Enough is Enough”
UPDATE 1/22/22: Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
September 17, 2021: Updated with additional audio clips, video and photos.
Update October 6,…
SafeHouse Exec. Dir. and Staff Retaliated Against Sexual/Physical Assault Survivors Who Spoke Out About Health and Safety Concerns at the Shelter
by P.D. Lesko
SafeHouse staff, interns and residents say it's time for Barbara Niess-May to be replaced.
When asked during a Monday August 30 interview why she'd contacted The Ann Arbor Independent about what multiple SafeHouse…
The Foodist: The Thrill of the Grill
by Ari Levaux
Grilled pizza does not sound like the highest use of a grill or a pizza. Wouldn’t the bottom of the crust burn into a blackened crisp long before the cheese melts? Luckily, nobody told Johanne Killeen and George Germon,…
Federal Railroad Administration Judges Ann Arbor Multi-Modal Train Station Plan Out of Touch With Reality
by P.D. Lesko
On August 11, 2021, in a letter to City Administrator Tom Crawford, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said of the proposed plan to build a $171,410,000 "train station," the feds…
Washtenaw County Renters May Be Eligible for Federal Disaster Relief
Renters in Washtenaw and Wayne counties whose homes and personal property were damaged by the June 25-26 storms and flooding can apply for federal disaster assistance.
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is available to all…
Domestic violence 911 Calls Increased During Lockdown, but Official Police Reports and Arrests Declined
by Jillian Carr
COVID-19 stay-at-home orders surely saved many lives, but a growing number of studies document that lockdowns led to more reports of domestic violence.
Even as 911 calls for police help increased, official…