News

Spring clean-up and community beautification projects will be found throughout Ypsilanti tomorrow. 

Motorists in the Ann Arbor/Pittsfield Township should prepare for some new traffic delays as a new road construction project gets underway. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, work on a new roundabout at the intersection of State Street and Ellsworth Road will get underway in June.  

The new performing arts group Ann Arbor in Concert holds its inaugural performance Saturday night at 8 at the Michigan Theater.  WEMU's Bob Eccles spoke with a couple of the folks involved.

There are new films opening in the are this week, and it is the season for film festivals. In this week's installment of "Cinema Chat"  WEMU's David Fair and Michigan Theater Executive Director Russ Collins cover all of it for you, beginning with discussion of a new, lavish movie musical that's in the works.

A proposal for a 345-million dollar bond sale to pay for Washtenaw County's unfunded liabilities will move forward more deliberately than originally intended. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, The Board of Commissioners Ways and Means Committee last night pulled the item from it's agenda to allow more time for public input. 

Washtenaw County officials report better than expected financial results in the first quarter of the year, but still need to make millions of dollars worth of structural changes next year. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, County Administrator Verna McDaniel last night gave the Board of Commissioners  an update on the fiscal state of the county. 

In this week's installment, WEMU's David Fair looks at how technology will help spare the lives of birds around windmill farms, and better map delicate ecosystems. The guest this week is Russell Conard. Russell is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer for the Washtenaw County start-up company Ornicept.

For more info on Ornicept's work:  ornicept.com

The "Ride of Silence" takes place tonight, locally and around the country. As WEMU's Bob Eccles reports, cyclists from Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor will take part in the event honoring riders who have been hurt and killed.

For more info: RideofSilence.org

In an effort to fully fund pension and retiree health care costs, Washtenaw County will explore the possibility of a significant bond sale.  As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, the first step in the process will be tonight's meeting of the Ways and Means Committee of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners.

On Thursday, listen to Morning Edition with David Fair for a full wrap-up of the meeting.

Ypsilanti City Council held a budget session Tuesday night. As WEMU's Bob Eccles reports, the talk centered on Water Street and the Police and Fire budgets.

One of the songs on Musica Para Un Dragon Dormido by pianist and composer Emilio Teubal is The Constant Reinventor. 

Ann Arbor City Council is moving forward with plans to eliminate the "Percent for Art" program. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, council is also encouraging more public funding for art projects. 

A proposed 14-story development at Huron and Division in Ann Arbor is moving forward, despite the fact no one on Ann Arbor City Council truly likes the plan. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, Council voted 6-5 to five in favor of approving the site plan and development agreement.

May 12th through the 18th is "Bike-Bus-Walk Week" in Ypsilanti.  WEMU's Bob Eccles spoke with Bob Krzewinski, a member of the Ypsilanti Non-Motorized Committee and Bike Ypsi, about the week's events.

The Unified Ypsilanti-Willow Run school board last night talked about setting guidelines for naming Ypsilanti Community Schools facilities.  WEMU's Bob Eccles reports on the details

The process of  unifying the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts into Ypsilanti Community Schools is rolling along.  The new district is officially "born" on July 1.  WEMU's Bob Eccles spoke with Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel about the unification process, and what's left to do before the end of June.

The Great Gatsby  opens in theaters this weekend!  In this week's installment of  Cinema Chat, WEMU's David Fair and  Russ Collins discuss several film options for the weekend and preview the upcoming Cinetopia Film Festival. The conversation began, however, with some sad news out of Hollywood.

There will be three occasions next fiscal year for which the Ann Arbor Public schools will have to borrow money to cover payroll costs. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, the Board of Education last night passed as resolution authorizing establishment of a line of credit of up to 10-million dollars.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) are collecting public feedback on short and long term transportation plans. The proposals are billed as the "2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Plan" and the "2040 Regional Transportation Plan." The first public hearing on the comprehensive measures took place Wednesday at Washtenaw Community College. WEMU's Andrew Cluley was there.