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

by Lin Sabones COMBATTING GLOBAL climate change requires a psychological approach. We must overcome functional fixedness which is a form of cognitive bias that limits one’s ability to see multiple uses to an object beyond its traditional…

AN INTERACTIVE AREA for the A2SF’s youngest festival-goers, the KidZone tent provides a fun and safe area for children ages 4 to 14 and their parents to discover and explore a wide variety of hands-on activities with dozens of local…

Updated: The review now clarifies ownership of the studio space in which the play was produced. by Christian Usera SHAKESPEARE. A NAME that strikes fear into both the hearts of high school freshman and the teachers who grade their…

A KNIFE COST both Baltimore resident Freddie Gray and Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser their lives. In Gray’s case, Baltimore police officers alleged that the small, spring-assisted pocket knife Gray was carrying was illegal. The debate over…

Update:  The original article stated that John Swantek had been put on leave Dec. 4, 2015. The correct date was Dec. 4, 2014. by John Ball Click here to download a copy of the AFSCME Discipline Report and pay records for John Swantek.…

by John Ball Earlier today, Chief of Police John Seto announced his intention to retire from the City of Ann Arbor Police Department in July. An exact retirement date has not been identified. Seto has worked for the Ann Arbor Police…

SINCE 2009, ANN Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have come under intense criticism for misleading the public concerning the number of new jobs created. From the Detroit Free Press to the Lansing State Journal,…

by Bryan Kelly IT IS OPEN season on the public purse. Budget negotiations for the 2016-2017 fiscal year are nigh. The City Administrator’s plan has been submitted to City Council. In the current forecast, a $1.7 million deficit in the…

by Ari LeVaux THE QUESTION OF how far food should travel between where it is produced and where it is consumed has become a frequent matter of passionate debate. The popular rule of thumb is that the more local the food, the better it…

by Donna Iadipaolo WHAT SETS YPSILANTI’S robotic “Team 66” apart from other robotics teams in the area may not only be its diversity, but also the fact that it comes from a “STEMM” school. Many people may be familiar with the push for…