GOOD MORNING and thank you for being with us for a month of A2 Outlook. We hope your Fourth of July was safe and enjoyable!
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COUNTING ON THE COUNTY: The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners declared a county-wide state of emergency on July 1, following days of heavy rainfall and flooding. The WCBC also urged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to extend her emergency declaration to Washtenaw County to improve disaster response resources in the area.
Some Washtenaw County residents have been displaced due to flood damage, including dozens at the Huron Heights apartment complex in Ypsilanti. Residents have been encouraged to self-report any water damage to Washtenaw County so resources can better be secured … The reporting form
SENT TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE: Ché Anthony Carter was named as the new Huron High School principal on Friday. Carter has been the principal at Clague Middle School since 2013 and is a Huron alum … The press release
Koren Clinkscale was also named as the new principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. Clinkscale was formerly the principal of Beech Elementary School in the Redford Union School District and she taught for more than 17 years prior … The press release
LITIGATION ENSUES: A lawsuit was filed by four families last week against the Michigan Department of Education, Washtenaw Intermediate School District and Ann Arbor Public Schools, alleging their students did not receive suitable special education services through the COVID-19 pandemic under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
FRESH COFFEE: Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, a chain of coffee shops “run by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” is opening a location in Ann Arbor … The announcement video
CYCLISTS CATCH A BRAKE: The Ann Arbor DDA approved more than $2.2 million of contracts to move forward with protected bike lanes on Division Street and Miller Avenue/Catherine Street.
BRUSHING UP ALLEYS: The Ann Arbor Art Center is crowdfunding as a part of their Art in Public Program to raise money for additional downtown murals and immersive alleyways. A2AC’s goal is $50,000 and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will match all donations.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The Ann Arbor District Library received a book return that was about 70 years overdue. The book was a copy of the social studies curriculum for Ann Arbor elementary schoolers, and AADL waived the late fee … AADL’s thread
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Larcom City Hall will be reopening on July 6 to accomodate in-person city services after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic for several months.
“‘We need progressive voices’: County Commissioner Jason Morgan runs for State Representative” … The Michigan Daily
“Woman attacked at Ann Arbor Starbucks shares exciting news” … All About Ann Arbor
“Local Eats: As pandemic subsides, Ann Arbor’s Fleetwood Diner is back 24/7” … MLive
“A bird’s-eye view of Ann Arbor’s north side housing boom” … MLive
We value your opinion! Each week we will pose a question and share reader responses in the following edition.
This week’s prompt: How do you feel about the Ann Arbor DDA approving more than $2.2 million of contracts to move forward with protected bike lanes on Division Street and Miller Avenue/Catherine Street?
Last week’s prompt: How do you feel about City Council’s approval of a more than $900,000 AAPD purchase order for upgraded tasers and body cameras?
The upgraded tasers will be yellow instead of black, and they will automatically trigger body cameras to record when they are drawn by officers. According to AAPD Chief Cox, tasers were deployed by officers twice in 2020 and four times in 2019.
“Spending more money on body cameras and equipment is not what is needed for police reform. Nor is sensitivity training. What we need is to root out police who have demonstrated excessive force or have known white nationalist/neo-Nazi/bigoted tendencies and making sure they can no longer serve on armed forces.” – Alexis, Ypsilanti
“It seems like a lot of money for something that only happened six times in two years.” – Daniel, 26, Pittsfield Township
“Policing the police says it all.” – Barb, 60, Ann Arbor
The Matthaei Botanical Gardens are now open to the general public with reservations … Schedule a visit
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is now accepting entries … The entry criteria
The Michigan Theater is offering several movie series this summer … All About Ann Arbor
Washtenaw County reported 1 new COVID-19 case in the past 24 hours and 35 cases in the past two weeks. More than 68% of Washtenaw County residents aged 16 and over have received at least one vaccine dose.
News tips? Comments? Questions?
A2 Outlook editors Dominick Sokotoff, Shannon Stocking and Sarah Payne can be reached at sokotoff@umich.edu, sstockin@umich.edu and paynesm@umich.edu, respectively.