Local News

Severe weather season is here, and Washtenaw County Emergency Services is making sure the county is well prepared for any nasty weather.

Emergency Services Director Marc Breckenridge says Washtenaw County is better prepared than most Michigan counties.  He says the county has around 400 trained SkyWarn severe weather spotters, and also works closely with area broadcasters to get the word out about severe weather.

Breckenridge says the county adds outdoor emergency sirens every year.  By the end of this year, he says 75 percent of Washtenaw County will be covered by sirens.

The Washtenaw-Lenawee Chapter of the American Red Cross is preparing for possible deployments to Oklahoma, following Monday's tornado that devastated the city of Moore, just outside Oklahoma City.

Executive Director Donna Duvin says the local chapter hasn't yet received any direct requests for assistance, but stands ready to help.

Duvin says in the event local volunteers are called upon to travel to the tornado-ravaged area, the Washtenaw-Lenawee Chapter will still be ready to offer any help necessary to residents in this area.

There are several items on the Ypsilanti City Council agenda tonight. AS WEMU's Bob Eccles explains, among the more interesting is consideration of a moratorium on licenses for new medical marijuana dispensaries.

Make sure to catch "Morning Edition"  with WEMU's David Fair on Wednesday for a full wrap-up of this evenings Ypsilanti City Council meeting.

Ann Arbor officials are looking to improve economic development efforts in the city. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports, City Council is creating a new task force to better coordinate development strategies.

Ann Arbor City Council will dip into fund balance a bit further next fiscal year to give a boost to affordable housing and human services. As WEMU's Andrew Cluley reports,  early this morning the City Council,  passed an 83.1 million dollar general fund budget for the 2014 fiscal year. 

Washtenaw Community College hosted a hearing of the Michigan House Community College Subcommittee on Appropriations Monday afternoon.

WCC President Rose Bellanca told the subcommittee that it would be helpful if the state would help community colleges pay for developmental programs for students who aren't quite ready for college. 

She also thanked the panel for a proposed two-and-a-half percent increase in funding for community colleges.

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

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.