Acts of gun violence and deaths have reached epidemic levels throughout the United States. The group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is focused on reducing gun violence. Rylee Barnsdale speaks with Washtenaw County's chapter lead, Rochelle Igrisan, about the work they are doing in Washtenaw County and to highlight some upcoming events.

As housing and rent costs continue to soar across the country, developers in Ypsilanti are working to address a shortage of affordable new units – and, in one case, open the door to home ownership for residents. City officials are working to ensure that developers not only have sufficient funding, but that their homes and communities meet Ypsi residents’ needs. Rylee Barnsdale talks to Michael Appel from Avalon Housing in Ann Arbor about the development projects that are expected to start this summer.

Officials overseeing the University of Michigan's Ypsilanti Health Center plan to move operations downtown by the end of the year. Not only will it more than triple their square footage and allow for more specialty care, but it could spawn further partnerships and entrepreneurial enterprises to boost economic development in Ypsilanti. Rylee Barnsdale talks with Concentrate Media reporter Sarah Rigg about the certainties and possibilities.

Gardening season is getting underway, and there will be plenty of work to do. Have you ever gone to tend to the garden or lawn and realized you don’t have the right tool? Frustrating, isn’t it? Well, Growing Hope in Ypsilanti is creating a tool-lending library, so you don’t have to run out and buy them. Growing Hope’s Christopher Hallett joined Rylee Barnsdale with a look at the new program aimed at boosting gardening and agriculture in Ypsilanti.

Starting back in 2010, Ypsilanti residents and community leaders all over Washtenaw County began meeting every Monday at the Parkridge Community Center to discuss upcoming events and voice concerns about local issues. The weekly ritual has stayed strong, even through the COVID pandemic. Monday Meeting's founder, Anthony Williamson, joined Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the meeting and its ongoing impacts.

The opioid epidemic is alive and well in Washtenaw County. In addition to prescription medications, fentanyl and heroin continue to claim lives. Fortunately, Narcan is saving lives. The Washtenaw County Health Department has put a focus on harm reduction and recovery when it comes to drug use. through the "It Is Possible" campaign. Communications coordinator Beth Ann Hamilton joined Rylee Barnsdale to discuss educating the efforts.

Student activism on college campuses in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s was at an all-time high. Some students at Eastern Michigan University today are working on two oral history projects to better document life on the Ypsilanti campus in those days. One of them is Kat Haycanyan. She shares more about the project and what current EMU students are taking away from the experience with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.

Studies show that integrated, whole person care provides better health outcomes than traditional medical practices. The Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti has provided such care for many residents who struggle with health and their finances. The Hope Clinic's behavioral health manager, Julie Payne, discusses whole-person treatment services with Rylee Barnsdale.

Learning about art can be exciting and intimidating, whether it's at the elementary level or in college. For the last two years, students from Ypsilanti International Elementary School (YIES) have been mentored by students from the University of Michigan Stamps Schools of Art and Design to develop their skills for their annual International Baccalaureate Exhibition project. YIES fifth-grade teacher Melanie Eccles has helped lead this partnership, and she talks about how it has expanded the heart and minds of both her students and the Stamps students with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.

For quite some time, Ypsilanti went without a brick-and-mortar art supply store. That is no longer the case. Megan Foldenauer opened Ypsi Art Supply & Atelier almost a year ago. She says she couldn’t have done it without the help and mentorship of many in the Ypsilanti small business community. Selling art products and learning about the art of community building—that’s what Megan talks about with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.