U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, is getting a lot of press this week as he's poised to set a new record as the longest-serving member in the history of the U.S. Congress.

He was interviewed by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" over the weekend, and tonight he'll appear on "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, at an event in Ann Arbor last year.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

On Friday, Dingell, now serving his 30th term in the House, will eclipse the late Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, having served 57 years and 177 days.

He first took office on Dec. 13, 1955, at the age of 29 after winning a special election to replace his late father, John Dingell Sr., as the representative for Michigan's 15th Congressional District.

In his Sunday interview with Stephanopoulos, Dingell cited "lack of collegiality" and "refusal to compromise" as the biggest change he's seen in Congress over the decades.

• Watch his interview on "This Week"

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a home invasion in Ypsilanti Township where multiple items were stolen from a garage, including a lawnmower and a snow blower.

Deputies were notified of the overnight break-in on June 2 and responded to the home in the 1700 block of Knowles Street. According to investigators, the side door to the garage was forced open to allow entry.

Deputies reported the lawnmower and snow blower were stolen, along with miscellaneous items from a car parked in the garage.

There was no suspect description available from the incident Monday afternoon.

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 734-973-7711 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).

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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Ann Arbor police were called to Skyline High School Monday morning after receiving a report that a student pulled a knife on at least one other student, officials said.

Skyline High School

The Ann Arbor Police Department said an officer was dispatched to the school on North Maple Road at about 8 a.m., upon receiving a call from a Skyline staff member.

Liz Margolis, communications director for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, said the district is investigating the situation. Details were not immediately available.

The incident took place inside the building before school began, she said, adding the confrontation was limited to three students.

One of the students told Skyline staff about the threat with a switchblade immediately after it happened, Margolis said.

Ann Arbor police Sgt. Mauro Cervantes could not confirm whether anyone was taken into custody for questioning.

Unlike adults, juveniles in many cases are not arrested following an incident. They may be brought in for questioning. If a crime is thought to have been committed, a petition — instead of an arrest warrant — with the charges against the juvenile is signed by the county prosecutor's office. Juveniles generally do not remain in custody until their initial court hearing before a referee.

The gender, age and grade of the students involved in the confrontation were not released.

Investigators from the AAPD detective bureau were not available for comment Monday.

Cops and courts reporter John Counts contributed to this report.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Pittsfield Public Safety Director Matt Harshberger confirmed Monday afternoon that police are investigating the armed robberies of two gas stations to see if they are related.

Police arrested a 25-year-old Sebewaing, Mich. man after he reportedly brandished a shotgun during a robbery at a BP gas station near Washtenaw Avenue and Golfside Drive Monday morning, three days after a BP gas station was robbed west on Washtenaw in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

"The circumstances seem to be very, very similar,” Harshberger said.

In both cases, the suspect was a masked white man with a long gun who walked in and demanded money. The suspect escaped on Saturday, fleeing southbound on Yost Boulevard, Ann Arbor police said.

The suspect on Monday wasn't so lucky. He attempted to flee in a vehicle, but quickly got hemmed in by traffic, Harshberger said.

“I think he saw our vehicles arriving on scene,” he added.

The man hopped out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.

“He ended up running by one of our guys,” Harsheberger said.

Officers chased the man down and arrested him without incident. A shotgun was recovered. The man is being held at the Washtenaw County Jail where charges could be forthcoming.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

The Saline High School baseball and softball teams traveled to Monroe High School on Monday for district tournaments which were postponed because of weather on Saturday. The softball team was able to win in extra innings thanks in large part to a no-hitter from pitcher Kristina Zalewski, while the baseball team wasn't so fortunate, losing on a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to Temperance Bedford.

Daniel Brenner is a photographer for AnnArbor.com.

Saline baseball players walk back to the dugout after shaking hands with Bedford on Monday, June 3. Saline lost 1-0 after a walk-off hit in the seventh inning.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

MONROE -- The Saline baseball team had baserunners in every inning against Temperance Bedford standout pitcher Jackson Lamb in Monday afternoon’s district final. But none of them came around to score, and the Kicking Mules got the lone run of the afternoon on a walk-off single in a 1-0 win Monday afternoon at Monroe High School.

More Coverage: Photo Gallery | Boxscore | Bracket

The Hornets loaded the bases three times and stranded 14 baserunners on the day as their season came to an end.

Temperance Bedford had only five baserunners through the first five innings. But Saline pitcher Michael Hendrickson issued a walk to start the seventh, and back-to-back errors loaded the bases.

The Hornets almost escaped after Bedford struck out and was caught in a rundown for the second out. But Bedford’s Jakob Letson notched a single to center field with two outs to bring in the winning run.

Lamb, the Michigan-committed senior, gave up only one hit and struck out seven Hornets, but also issued 10 walks on the day and gave Saline ample chances to score.

Hendrickson countered with a three-hit outing of his own. The Kicking Mules hit a one-out double in the bottom of the fourth and eventually loaded the bases before Hendrickson finished with a strikeout and a groundout. Lamb hit a single in the bottom of the sixth before Hendrickson got another strikeout.

Saline loaded the bases in the first inning on an error and two walks, before ending the inning on a strikeout.

Thomas Miller walked with two outs in the second and advanced to second base on a passed ball. But the inning ended when Bedford center fielder Lucas Mayo caught a line drive that Saline coach Scott Theisen vehemently argued hit the ground before it was caught.

Hendrickson got the Hornets’ lone hit of the day in the top of the third, and the Hornets loaded the bases with one out before a strikeout and a flyout ended the inning.

Saline’s offensive day ended in the top of the seventh, when the Hornets got runners to second and third with one out and loaded the bases with two outs before striking out to end the inning.

Saline advanced to the district final with a 6-0 win over Lincoln earlier in the day. Trent Theisen led the Hornets with three hits in that game, while Hendrickson drove in two.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Saline catcher Katie Alexander, left, and pitcher Kristina Zalewski smile and embrace after defeating Monroe 2-0 in eight innings on Monday, June 3.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

That meant coach Alicia Seegert had little choice but to pitcher her ace, Kristina Zalewski, exclusively in the two-game tournament.

The Michigan State-bound senior was up to the task.

Zalewski pitched 15 innings on the afternoon, including an eight-inning no hitter in a 2-0 win over Monroe in the district final.

More Coverage: Photo Gallery | Boxscore | Bracket

“Phenomenal today, and the scary thing is she hasn’t peaked yet this year,” Seegert said of Zalewski. “We’re still working on a few placements, but it was what she needed today.”

With the win, Saline (31-2) advances to play in the regional tournament at home Saturday. It will face Southgate Anderson in the first semifinal at 10 a.m.

Zalewski gave up five hits and two runs in her team’s 11-2 semifinal game against Lincoln, but she was lights out in the final, giving up only two walks for the game.

“I think I tried harder I guess,” Zalewski said. “It was more exciting so I think that definitely had an effect.

The Hornets scored the first run of the game in the top of the eighth when Laura Vaccaro hit a ground ball with bases loaded to the pitcher. The Trojans got the force out at home, but when Trojans catcher Kyla Smith threw down to try to get Vaccaro at first, Saline's Kaylee Harmon was able to come around and score.

“We just kept the runner going and we just got fortunate,” Seegert said. “She got around on a nice slide.”

The Saline softball team won its first district title since 2010 on Monday, June 3.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

That was all Saline would need, as Zalewski finished the game with a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to finish the game with nine for the game.

Saline was in a similarly close game last year in their district opener against Temperance Bedford, but lost on a few defensive miscues. Seegert said her team was more aggressive on defense their second time out.

“You could see, they were not holding back on anything,” Seegert said.

And the Hornet players didn’t want to have the season end in the same fashion it did last year.

“We wanted it more this year and we were more willing to give it our all,” Zalewski said. “And we all worked together and cheered each other on.”

Zalewski didn’t have the only gutsy performance on the day. Playing second base, Saline’s Alyssa Heren was hit in the face with a ball that was bunted and ricocheted off the runner.

“She’s going to get stitches right now,” Seegert said. “She’s a tough kid.”

After facing a tough SEC opponent that handed Saline one of its two losses on the year, the Hornets now move on with their first district title since 2010.

“We’re going to keep working as a team and hopefully win as much as we can,” Zalewski said.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Michelle Chamuel performs on "The Voice" last week.

NBC

While you can never make guarantees, it sure doesn’t look like Chamuel will be anywhere close to the bottom, thanks to her performances of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” (Usher’s choice) and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” (Chamuel’s choice) on Monday.

In the segment focused on Chamuel's preparations for singing the Keane song, Usher told her, “We should continue to do this, regardless. I really am invested in you as an artist.”

Plus, during another pre-performance interview, Usher said, “I don’t feel like a coach anymore, man, I feel like a friend.”

“I trust Usher,” said Chamuel. “He’s picked incredible songs that I feel very connected to.”

Here’s Chamuel’s performance of “Somewhere Only We Know.”

Shakira said she thought Chamuel and Usher were a “perfect fit,” saying, “You have made so much progress with him.”

Adam Levine praised Chamuel for “carving out your own spot in the universe. I think that’s the sign of a really great artist is when you see them carve out their own spot and exist there, by themselves. That’s beautiful.”

Usher said, “It showed depth. It definitely showed your vocal ability and many different ways of using your tone.”

Later in the show, a segment showcased Chamuel’s rehearsals for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and during an interview, Chamuel explained her song choice by saying, “Taylor Swift is amazing, and I think it would be cool to show how I can fit into the top 40 or straight up pop.”

Then Usher said that there was a surprise at Chamuel's rehearsal, and that “things like this happen on Team Usher.”

Check out the surprise, and Chamuel’s reaction, in this clip.

“Singing a Taylor Swift song to Taylor Swift is crazy,” Chamuel said in an interview.

“That was so emotional,” Swift told Chamuel after hearing a run-through of the song. “All the vocal runs are just amazing.”

“If Taylor Swift loved it, I know America will, too,” said Usher.

Here’s Chamuel’s fantastic live performance of the song. You might want have a fire extinguisher at hand, because this rendition is a full-out scorcher.

The "Voice" audience went absolutely bonkers after the song ended, with an extended ovation that left Levine nearly speechless. “I don’t need to say anything. Listen to these guys. It’s unbelievable. Stop it, already.”

Blake Shelton looked toward Usher and said, “I’m so freakin’ jealous right now.”

Usher said, “At the base of all Taylor Swift’s songs is an incredible emotion, and an opportunity to be able to connect with something real. And that’s what this performance was about.”

Fans can vote for Chamuel up to 10 times through "The Voice"'s website, or by calling 1-855-VOICE-02, or texting 2 to 8642, until Tuesday, June 4 at 10 a.m. Tuesday night's episode of "The Voice" will reveal which 1 of the remaining 6 contestants are eliminated from the competition, by way of earning the fewest votes.

Jenn McKee is an entertainment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

Dave Boutette

“Yeah, there were definitely some big changes in my life leading up to my writing those songs,” says Boutette, the longtime Ann Arbor-area singer-songwriter. “It was really a difficult time—a time of transition,” he adds, although he prefers not to go into the particulars.

But the record was not emotionally monochromatic. “I tried to inject feelings of hope into those songs,” he says. “Even when I was feeling really down, I could always see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I wanted to convey that in the songs.”

Now, fast-forward a couple of years, and Boutette has mostly emerged from that tunnel, and out into the light—and is looking forward to new experiences, new adventures, and making music.

One of those new experiences: He’s getting married in September—to a woman he knew back in junior high school, but who later moved away from the area, and then returned a few years ago.

“Yeah, I remember us going to a dance together in the 8th grade,” says Boutette. “We were always friends, but after high school, I did my thing, and she went off and did her thing”—which at one point included working as a Radio City Rockette.

“And then last year, we found each other, and it’s been great. We had the same childhood experiences, we speak the same language, and we know the same streets,” he adds drily.

“And she’s inspired at least three of my new songs so far.” One of them, Boutette describes, is, simply, “about falling in love with a Rockette.” (She now works as a drama therapist.) ”I was very lucky, that we were in the same place at the same time, and were able to reconnect like that,” says Boutette, 47.

He’s written a handful of new songs for his next album, “and I also have several left over from ‘Mending Time’ that will also go on the next record,” says Boutette, who performs at The Ark on Friday. He plans to go into the studio later this year.

Bouttette is an affable sort, with a talent for writing amusing / good-natured / slightly surreal songs, and one new one that falls into that category is about the “the butter boy at the Manchester Chicken Broil.”

“It’s sort of an epic, but tongue-in-cheek, tall tale, but it has its feet on the ground.”

Hm, sounds like something John Prine would write about.

“Right,” says Boutette in reply. “Prine is definitely one of my songwriting heroes”—with some others being Bob Dylan, Chuck Brodsky and Neil Young. Stylistically, Boutette’s music draws largely on roots-music forms like the blues, folk, roots-rock, vintage country and swing, and he’s a big fan of the Band and the Jayhawks.

Another new song uses the issue of light pollution as a symbol of something more personal, more human.

“I read a story about light pollution, about how the city lights are now so bright that we can’t see the stars any more, which was not the case for previous generations,” ponders Boutette. “So, I got the idea of using the idea of light pollution to say something about how many of the things we long for, the things we are after, are things we have in common. Even though we’re unique individuals, many of us have the same needs and longings. So, I used the idea of us not being able to see the stars as a unifying thread to convey that.”

Local rockers of a certain age may remember that Boutette tore it up as the guitarist for the alt-rock band the Junk Monkeys for about 10 years, until 1993. They’ve had a few reunion shows in the last several years, “and I still do enjoy playing loud, and fast, but the last couple of times we did those reunion shows, we found that it’s not as easy to play that fast, for that long, as it was when we were in our 20s,” he says with a laugh.

The Monkeys made a couple of albums for the Warner Bros./ Metal Blade imprint in the early ‘90s, and toured the nation as opening act for bands like Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie and the Blowfish, “but we kept running into roadblocks when it came to getting to the next level. I was getting ready to turn 30, I didn’t have any money in the bank, so I went back to school (Eastern Michigan University), to get my degree in marketing.”

Boutette had a marketing position with Whole Foods for four years, but decided that office work wasn’t his thing, and turned his focus back to music—but he’s had a day job working the Ann Arbor Whole Foods store for about 10 years now, sometimes full time, sometimes part time.

And he continues to have a strong following in Northern Michigan, and plays many gigs up there during the summer months.

Boutette is happy to make music in any setting. He plays about eight gigs a month - “at libraries, gazebos, folk-music clubs, pubs, listening rooms, senior centers…. I had to learn some of those old standards for the senior center shows, like ‘I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover,’ and ‘Zippity-Do-Dah,’ because those folks really love those old songs.

“And, learning those, I remembered that so many of those old standards had such fabulous, timeless melodies. They’re so universal, and people will still remember them 50 years from now.”

Kevin Ransom is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.

NuStep recently renovated its wellness center at its headquarters in Pittsfield Township. Employees and prospective customers can work out on the company's newest machines.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

• Related coverage: Emerging from the Great Recession: How Ann Arbor area companies bounced back
• Ann Arbor's Espresso Royale eyes careful expansion as coffee competition grows

Even the best-laid plans can be hit with bad timing.

Things were going well for in 2007 for Pittsfield Township-based home exercise equipment manufacturer NuStep, and the company had just released the most recent version of its recumbent trainer that allows low-mobility patients to get a cardiovascular workout.

“We had just launched a brand new product, that we had a very sizable investment in, and the product we launched was a more premier product,” vice president of sales and marketing Steve Sarns said.

Unfortunately, that’s when the floor fell out. In mid-2007, the "Great Recession" hit and the company saw sales drop by a full 50 percent in one month.

“So the timing of that was not ideal,” Sarns said.

“But we made the decision to showcase the new product, but also maintain our original. We had been considering phasing [the older model] out, but we kept it in so now we ended up with a more balanced portfolio of products. We now have both standard and an upper-tier premier level to offer.”

NuStep is competing for market share in the gym-and-exercise-equipment industry that IBIS World estimates was worth $4 billion in 2012. What initially seemed like bad timing actually allowed for further differentiation at a time when consumers and gyms alike were tightening their wallets.

“In hindsight, when we introduced our new product during the recession, we had this new high quality product and our competition did not. It kept us ahead of the game,” Sarns said.

“The length of time for the payback for the products was longer than we expected by about two years, but it’s there now.”

Even with its new product available, it was still a slow climb back for NuStep. Sarns said its sales recovery mimicked the stock market and came back much more slowly than they dropped.

In 2011, the company returned to the peak it had reached in 2007 and had learned some lessons along the way.

“Everything is more crystalized now. When we invest in things we look at return on investment more, and there’s a lot more accountability,” Sarns said.

“If we’re going to be doing something, we have to really tell the whole storyboard and show the justification for it and we’re tracking it more. If we’re going to add something on, it has to be shown that it’s really paying off.”

Vice president of sales and marketing Steve Sarns has been with NuStep since 1991. His father, Dick Sarns, started the company in 1987.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

“A major part of the Affordable Care Act is preventing the revolving door, where patients are somewhat rehabilitated but not much, and then go back to their old habits and end up coming back to the hospital,” Sarns said.

“Bascially, ACA regulations are helping NuStep because we can fill this void to help prevent re-admission by providing institutions with a machine that can really show outcomes.”

NuStep sells to gyms, hospitals and senior living facilities, but also has a growing consumer market for the product. Sarns said that as home prices dropped during the recession, many senior citizens were unable to sell their homes and move so they, or their children, looked at alternative solutions.

Approximately 34 percent of NuStep’s sales are currently in the consumer market, where retail prices for the company’s products range from $3,795 to $5,995. Sarns said that number is growing.

“We’re seeing that regular people and professionals both really want to be able to have measurable outcomes of their workouts and that’s what we’ve been able to focus on,” he said.

“Now we’re doing more investing in innovation to make sure that our products continue to improve and be top of the line in our market.”

It hasn’t been an easy six years, but Sarns is confident that his company’s response to the recession has placed it in a stronger position than it was before it hit.

“I think where we’re at right now, we have a great product and the needs are not going away,” he said.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2.

A man who pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a young man with Asperger’s syndrome will serve between nine and 22 years in prison, a judge ruled Monday.

Dervin Mood

Dervin Mood, 76, was sentenced on one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct Monday. Washtenaw County trial Court Judge Darlene O’Brien gave Mood the same sentence he received in his Oakland County case, where a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting the same man earlier this year.

The victim, who is known to Mood, spoke in court Monday and said he has trouble being alone with men, including his cousin and his father. There are many triggers that cause post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms and the man pointed to the assault as the reason for nightmares.

“It made me feel afraid to go to sleep,” he said.

People with Asperger’s syndrome often have difficulty with social interaction and nonverbal communication. It is on the same spectrum as autism, but people with Apserger’s syndrome typically have a more normal linguistic and cognitive development.

Mood accepted a plea deal that dismissed charges of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges stem from accusations that Mood assaulted the man between 2003 and 2011 when he was 12, 15, 16 and 19 at a home in the 900 block of Pleasant Drive. The charge Mood pleaded no contest to stems from a single incident in 2011.

Mood was convicted in Oakland County for sexual assaults in Orion Township.

When the Oakland and Washtenaw cases came to light, Mood was on federal probation for a receiving child pornography conviction. In July 2010, Mood was sentenced to one day in prison and five years of supervised release after being convicted in January 2009.

Mood was sentenced last week to spend an additional two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release, according to John Shea, his attorney. Mood was not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18 without the permission of the probation department.

While in court Monday, Mood made eye contact with the victim and his mother several times and shook his head. He shook his head again during the sentencing hearing when O’Brien and attorneys read a brief description of the offense.

Mood spoke in a low, soft voice in court Monday when given a chance to speak to O’Brien before his sentence was read out. His words could not be heard by those seated in the gallery.

The victim’s mother said the damage from the case has been overwhelming. She said she and her husband were emotionally distraught because their son wanted to kill himself and they didn’t know why.

“The answer was Dervin Mood sexually assaulted our son,” she said.

AnnArbor.com is not naming the victim or his mother because he is the victim of a sex crime.

O’Brien ruled Mood would be given credit for 456 days of jail time served, in order to match up with the credit he was given in the Oakland County case. Mood will also be required to pay $1,809 in costs and fees.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

The Ypsilanti City Council will consider several proposed budget amendments at Tuesday's meeting, including committing $3.3 million of the fund balance for future Water Street debt repayments.

Council will also consider re-allocating $100,000 from the South Grove Road paving project to North Prospect Street's design engineering plan.

Pete Murdock

City Council Member Pete Murdock submitted the budget amendments for Tuesday's meeting and the council is slated to consider an ordinance to amend budget appropriations by department for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 fiscal years.

Reallocating $100,000 for North Prospect Street design engineering

Murdock said Prospect Street is in terrible shape and is in desperate need of repair. In the 2012-13 budget, council has allocated $100,000 for Grove Road out of the general fund.

"It's a wreck," Murdock said. "It gets a lot of traffic and we've had drainage problems with it. It's getting worse and worse. It's basically close to the condition of Grove Road. It's a mess now."

Murdock said the city no longer needs to allocate the money toward the Grove Road project, which he said is now fully funded.

"We had Grove Street basically scheduled for 2014 or something like that and there was some additional funds that were available that allowed us to push it up. So I've said why don’t we just allocate it to do the design for Prospect in the event that if some money does get freed up, we have a project to get ready to go."

Murdock said he believes to pave Prospect, it would cost around $1 million.

"We don't have any money in the queue to do it at this point," Murdock said.

However, Murdock said in the past, the city has been successful at taking advantage of excess road money that becomes available when other municipalities do not follow through on their projects.

By having projects designed and ready to go, the city took advantage of the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act to accelerate the construction of College Place and East and West Cross streets, as well as other funds to move Grove Road up from 2015 to this year.

Murdock is recommending the city complete the design and engineering plan as soon as possible by adding it on the proposed contract with Orchard, Hiltz and McCliment.

Committing $3.3 million from the fund balance for future Water Street debt repayments

Murdock said during the past several years, the city designated a portion of the fund balance as committed for future Water Street Debt payments. Murdock said this year’s proposal by City Manager Ralph Lange eliminated that.

Murdock is proposing committing $3,300,588 to the debt. Murdock estimates that it will leave the city with about $2,750,281 in unassigned fund balance at the end of fiscal year 2013-14, which is close to double the city's 10 percent requirement.

Ralph Lange

"We didn't know he did that until the last meeting," Murdock said. "The money is still there, it's just unallocated and I think that distorts our financial picture.... We need to restrict it just so people don't think it's a big pot of money. It needs to pay that payment."

The amount the city committed or reserved in the past has always been equal to two or three years payments, Murdock said. On June 30, 2012 there was $2,647,222 of fund balance reserved for the Water Street Debt.

"By committing a portion of the fund balance for Water Street debt, we provide a hedge or cushion to provide for the near term debt without drastically reducing services," Murdock wrote in his budget amendment proposal. "Since our five-year projection contains deficits throughout, there will be a need for fund balance transfers for the debt payments in the foreseeable future."

Murdock is suggesting the city continue that practice and restrict an amount equal to what is needed to keep it solvent through fiscal year 2015-16. At that time, Murdock believes the city will be able to refinance the bonds and re-evaluate and possibly use any unused funds to further reduce future debt payments.

The city will likely pay $24.7 million on the Water Street debt through 2031, unless it refinances the debt. According to the city's debt repayment schedule, it owes 16,550,467.87 in interest through 2031 and $15,740,000 in principal.

The next payment, $435,070, is due Nov. 1.

Reinstating the Downtown Development Area police officer

Murdock said three years ago, the city partnered with the Downtown Development Authority in funding a dedicated police officer to patrol the DDA commercial areas.

The costs of the police officer, a little over $60,000, were split 50-50 between the two.

Murdock is proposing the city reinstate the police officer to provide a visible presence in the commercial areas. Murdock said the city would contribute $30,150.

"The officer who was there was great, we just didn’t have enough boots on the ground to be able to do it," Murdock said. "They’ve (DDA) always allocated their half for it, but we haven’t been able to do it for at least a year."

Murdock said the program was well received by the business owners and residents and was successful in dealing with problem issues, but the reduction in police personnel in the last year has not allowed for the position to be filled.

Murdock said the DDA is still supportive of the program and has budgeted funds in 2013-14 for their share of the costs of the police officer.

A new officer would have to be hired to fill the position, Murdock said. It would be in addition to the three additional road patrol officers that have already been budgeted for in 2013-14.

Halting the drain from the Motor Pool fund

Murdock said the city has been using the motor pool fund, the fund that pays for the city's purchases of vehicles and maintenance, to balance the general fund and other budgets. Murdock estimates the city has used about $1 million each year.

"By doing this, we are eating into the cash reserves that have been set aside for vehicle and equipment replacement," Murdock said. "We’ve been using the motor pool to subsidize other operations. You can only do that for so long."

The recent motor pool report shows that at the end of fiscal year 2013-14, the city should have $4,222,170 available for the replacement of vehicles and equipment, but will only have $2,430,067 available cash for that purpose.

"I would like to set a floor of what we are willing to allow this fund to fall to," Murdock wrote. "I would recommend that we restrict $2.5 million of the fund balance to future vehicle and equipment replacement."

Other proposed amendments:

• $100,000 for Peninsular Dam inspection and repair
• $5,000 for improvements to the electrical system in Riverside Park
• $1,000 contribution to the Washtenaw Health Initiative
• $2,740 to become a “Parkridge Partner” of Parkridge Community Center
• $6,000 for playground equipment at Candy Cane Park and Charles Street Lot

The Ypsilanti City Council will consider Murdock's amendments at the 7 p.m. meeting in City Hall.

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

Water and sewer bills are going up July 1.

The Ann Arbor City Council gave final approval Monday night to new utility rates that provide revenue increases of 3.55 percent in water, 4.25 percent in sewer and 4 percent in stormwater.

The impact on the average single-family customer is estimated at $20.66 per year, a net increase of 3.6 percent if consumption is unchanged from last year.

That's expected to increase revenues in the water, sewer and stormwater funds by $739,244, $955,531 and $233,811, respectively.

According to information from the city, the 3.6 percent increase in Ann Arbor compares to increases of 5 percent in Warren and 4 percent in Ypsilanti, and a decrease of 2.3 percent in Grand Rapids. The city also released the following charts showing the impact of the changes in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor's water and sewer rates have gone up in the 3 to 4 percent range each of the last several years. The rate increases are helping to fund millions of dollars in capital improvements.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

The longest-serving Congressman in American history — as of this Friday — was a guest on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" on Monday.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, who represents Ann Arbor among his southeast Michigan district, took office in 1955.

Host Stephen Colbert asked Dingell, a lifelong Democrat, about the biggest change he's seen in Washington over 57 years.

Dingell's response: "I think loss of collegiality."

Colbert replied: "What is collegiality?"

As they talk further about that, Dingell offers this opinion: "Compromise is an honorable word."

Here's a link to the broadcast.

The Ann Arbor City Council went on record Monday night asking the Downtown Development Authority to fund three new downtown police officers.

The council is asking the DDA's governing board to consider the request at its next meeting, which is this Wednesday at noon.

Ann Arbor City Council members want the DDA to consider funding a stronger police presence downtown.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The resolution — sponsored by Council Members Jane Lumm, Sally Hart Petersen and Sumi Kailasapathy — was approved by council in an 8-2 vote with opposition from Christopher Taylor and Margie Teall.

Chuck Warpehoski was absent.

The sponsors brought forward the resolution as a follow-up to remarks made by Mayor John Hieftje last month.

In last month's city budget deliberations, Hieftje and five other council members blocked an attempt to add three police officer positions to the city's budget. Hieftje said at the time he would instead try to get the DDA to help fund downtown beat cops.

He said there had been talks of adding two downtown beat cops and another community standards officer that would be responsible for patrolling parks downtown, including Liberty Plaza.

"I'm happy to continue discussions at the DDA," Hieftje said again Monday night. "I can't predict how the DDA, though, in light of everything that has gone on, is going to look at this."

Hieftje was referencing the ongoing debate over the DDA's tax revenues and efforts by some council members to slow the growth of those revenues. Taylor said it might not be unreasonable for the DDA to be "gun shy" at this point.

"I think we need to rebuild a relationship of trust and respect with the DDA," he said. "I understand it is useful and good for us to communicate to them, and for them to communicate to us. However, I think this takes place in a larger context."

Lumm, an Independent from the 2nd Ward, noted council members identified public safety as one of five top budget priorities at a retreat in December.

She also noted Police Chief John Seto has indicated the city's police force is largely reactive and expanding proactive policing efforts could go a long way toward improving service.

"For years, the DDA and downtown businesses have identified a need for downtown beat cops," she added, calling a safe downtown an essentially element of a vibrant, growing downtown.

Lumm reminded her colleagues they already set a precedent of advising the DDA how to spend its money when they passed a budget amendment last month encouraging the DDA to allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars toward affordable housing and new light poles on Main Street.

"While we don't control how the DDA spends its money, we can suggest items we believe are priorities and ask the DDA to consider funding them," she said.

Lumm said the DDA budgets for the next two years include grant expenditures of roughly $1.6 million each year, and $400,000 in both years is unassigned and could serve as the funding source for additional officers. The cost of an additional officer is about $90,000 annually.

Council Member Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, cautioned simply adding numbers to the police department's ranks doesn't necessarily assure the quality of police work.

She said quality is what she's most concerned about, and she hopes the council can move the discussion beyond numbers and into policy.

Seto said there aren't any city police officers specifically assigned to the DDA area right now, but the city does generally have about 12 to 14 officers over two shifts assigned to patrol the larger downtown area, which he described as being bound by Huron, Main, Stadium and Packard.

"It's well known Ann Arbor is one of the safer cities in the nation, and I think the downtown is equally a safe place," Hieftje said, suggesting more police officers won't necessarily reduce crime.

"My interest in having more presence downtown is more of the nuisance things that I think people are aware of," he said. "We don't have a lot of crime there, certainly for a city our size."

Hieftje said DDA board members have talked for years about the idea of having downtown ambassadors. He described them as "friendly faces" who could provide directions, assist people with various needs, report things like trash violations, and have direct links to police officers.

"I'm either walking or cycling downtown almost every day, and we do have a police presence down there," Hieftje added.

Petersen, D-2nd Ward, said there has been an increasing number of break-ins in her ward, which extends up to the city's northeast side from downtown.

"I would say that perception of public safety is probably high for someone until they've had a problem, and I think having the presence of beat cops downtown does dissuade problems from happening in the first place," she said.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

The Ann Arbor City Council gave final approval Monday night to a major overhaul of the city's public art program, eliminating the controversial "Percent for Art" funding mechanism.

Instead of automatically setting aside 1 percent of capital project dollars into a pooled public art fund — like the city has done since 2007 — city officials will decide on a case-by-case basis in the future whether certain projects might be enhanced by having art "baked in" from the start.

"There is, of course, uncertainty because it does rely on staff to conceive and propose interesting and useful and appropriate projects," said Council Member Christopher Taylor, D-3rd Ward.

A newly installed hanging sculpture inside the city of Ann Arbor's Justice Center as viewed from outside late Monday night. The $150,000 installation was funded through the city's Percent for Art Program, which is being replaced with a new public art program.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Both supporters and critics of the city's public art program agreed the changes made Monday night represent a step in the right direction.

"We are coming to a better place with our public art program," said Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, who questioned the legality of the old Percent for Art Program because it diverted money away from dedicated millages and utility funds.

"I think originally when we started this process, I was not too confident there was going to be a concerted effort for change," Kunselman said, praising his colleagues Monday night for the compromise and collaboration he witnessed in coming up with a new solution.

From 2007 to 2012, the Percent For Art Program channeled more than $2 million from various city funds to the city's pooled art fund. Some of those funds paid for a bronze sculpture doubling as a water fountain in front of city hall, a hanging sculpture inside the Justice Center, two orange metal trees in West Park, and a mosaic-style mural at Allmendinger Park.

New ordinance language approved by a 10-0 vote with Council Member Chuck Warpehoski absent states: "Funding for public art may come from private donations of cash or collateral (specific objects of art), crowdfunding for specific art projects, as part of a capital improvement project specifically designated as an enhanced project, or other funds that City Council may appropriate."

Council Members Sabra Briere, Sally Hart Petersen, Kunselman, Taylor and Margie Teall served on a task force that worked out the new plan.

The council took action several months ago to temporarily suspend the public art program while it studied the issue following November's voter rejection of a dedicated public art millage.

Council Member Jane Lumm, an Independent from the 2nd Ward, fought unsuccessfully Monday night to get more than $845,000 in uncommitted public art funds returned to their original source funds. Only Council Members Sumi Kailasapathy, D-1st Ward, and Petersen sided with her.

The bulk of the unspent art money — $451,956 — would have gone back to the sewage disposal system, while $237,314 would have gone to streets, $61,358 to the water supply system, $35,529 to solid waste, $28,492 to parks, $20,844 to stormwater, $6,416 to the airport and $3,120 to energy.

"I can't believe that we wouldn't all agree that we could find very good uses for those dollars with all these priorities — sewers, street-related projects that remain unfunded," Lumm said.

Other council members noted there's going to be a transition period between now and the realization of a functioning public art program under the new model and money will be needed to administer the program. It's possible those remaining pooled funds could be spent on art projects, too.

Briere reported that Craig Hupy, the city's public services administrator, has talked frequently about a potential public art project affiliated with the city's new wastewater treatment plant.

"He's got a concept in mind," she said. "He's described it thoroughly, and he's looked at the money for wastewater treatment as one of the funding sources for this piece of public art. I suspect other people also are looking creatively, but I don't know."

Mayor John Hieftje said he sees the $845,000 in uncommitted public art funds as the basis for future funding for art in the city.

"There are projects that may not have come forward yet," he said. "And I thought when we entered into this process in the beginning, we talked about the fact that we were comfortable with these funds staying in there. At least that's what I heard from many council members."

The council voted in May to approve a two-month extension of the employment contract with Aaron Seagraves, the city's part-time public art administrator.

It's still being discussed how the city will fund administration of the art program after July, and whether the city should have a part-time or a full-time art administrator.

"I would like us really to be able to continue to support an administrator," Teall said. "We had experts that came in to these committee meetings and said that's the one thing that a strong public art program needs — they need a full-time administrator."

While there has been some criticism of the city's art program, Hieftje noted each of the projects proposed came from citizen volunteers on the Public Art Commission.

"Some of those people are professionals working in art, local artists themselves, and I think they've done a fine job moving this along and bringing public art to the stage where it is," he said. "There's obviously been some hiccups along the way and some bumps, but I'd like to see our public art program continue and I don't see how we can do that without a funded administrator."

The scene at this year's FestiFools event on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. Some are hoping the city can find a way to find events like this under a new public art program.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"The new ordinance will be at least two years — potentially three years — before it starts bringing projects to fruition," he said. "And that leaves the issue of the ongoing projects that are already identified, administering those, and carrying on planning for art in those three years."

Tom Crawford, the city's chief financial officer, said staff's recommendation would be to tap into the existing uncommitted public art funds to get through a two-year period. Hupy said they might look at crafting a program that uses some general fund money to support the arts administration.

Bob Miller, chairman of the city's Public Art Commission, said he's pleased council members and city staff were able to devise a new strategy for incorporating public art into the future of Ann Arbor's capital improvement plan, which he sees as a significant first step forward.

But he said he doesn't yet see potential for funding artistic endeavors outside of city capital projects — things like the FestiFools and FoolMoon community events in April, the Public Art Commission's mural program, and street-related art like temporary chalk art.

He suggested council explore the possibility of a new requirement that private development and new construction contribute to a public art fund.

While she's concerned there's still a mechanism in place for using capital funds to pay for public art, Lumm said there seems to be a greater recognition and focus on the role that private sources and fundraising can play under the new model.

"I continue to believe that if any community can successfully fund a public art program privately, it would be Ann Arbor," she said.

As part of its move to end the Percent for Art Program, the council voted Monday night to stop $326,464 from being transferred to the public art fund in the upcoming fiscal year budget.

Mark Tucker, who teaches art at the University of Michigan and is known as the creator of FestiFools, said the kind of projects funded by the city's Percent for Art Program were heralded by some as culturally forward-thinking and scorned by others as wasteful spending.

"However, there's another type of public art that is a vibrant part of what makes this city so unique," he said. "These are episodic art experiences that have been created by and for our community for the purpose of enhancing the lives of those of us who live in this community."

Tucker encouraged council members to consider the impact that "unconventional public art" has had on the community.

"By unconventional, I mean art that does not fit neatly into a particular capital improvement project and does not have the kind of value that can be easily depreciated," he said. "And I would challenge this council to find ways to support those types of public art projects — be they murals, outdoor music festivals, street art, or any number of new or unique art forms that could come our way."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

A semi truck struck a tractor on southbound U.S. 23 Tuesday afternoon. The driver of the loader was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

A crash involving a semi truck and loader on southbound U.S. 23 in Ann Arbor left one driver in critical condition and shut down the freeway Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

The driver of the loader was being transported to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in critical condition around 3:30 p.m. as a result of the crash, which occurred just north of Michigan Avenue, said Joyce Williams of Huron Valley Ambulance.

The skid-steer loader hit by a semi truck Tuesday sits damaged on the side of U.S. 23.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Southbound U.S. 23 in that area was closed as of 3:40 p.m., according to officials. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office issued an alert at that time telling motorists to avoid the area of U.S. 23 and I-94 for the next several hours due to the traffic incident.

Debris from what appeared to be a yellow Caterpillar skid-steer loader was visible in the middle of the freeway.

"(The driver) was crossing the expressway with it when it was struck,” said Michigan State Police Sgt. Mark Thompson.

Thompson said the operator of the skid-steer loader was ejected form the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. The operator "failed to yield," Thompson said.

The driver of the semi was also taken to St. Joe's with minor injuries.

Jim Harmon, director of operations for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, said a contractor has been doing mowing work in that area this week.

At 4:15 p.m., traffic on southbound U.S. 23 was backed up from the scene of the accident near I-94 north to Geddes Road with motorists getting out of the vehicles due to the length of the traffic jam.

The freeway was expected to be closed until about 7 p.m., Thompson said. More information on the incident could be released Wednesday.

AnnArbor.com reporters Kyle Feldscher, John Counts and Amy Biolchini contributed to this story.

View Crash June 4 in a larger map

Livonia Builders proposed the purchase of Saline’s former department of public works to turn it into an apartment complex, according to a Saline Reporter report.

On Monday, in a work meeting the Saline City Council , officials discussed the company’s plan to build a complex containing between 50 and 70 two- to three-bedroom apartments. The site is at 600 Maple St.

Danny Veri, co-owner of the company, said he anticipates the complex would be complete in two years if the project is approved, the Saline Reporter says.

• Read the full story in the Saline Reporter.

Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.

Steve Brooks won a regional title in 2013, Ypsilanti's first since 1981.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file

Updated at 6:35 p.m. with comments from Steve Brooks

Steve Brooks has been hired as Ypsilanti Community Schools' varsity basketball coach, the district announced Tuesday.

Brooks has been the head coach at Ypsilanti for nine seasons and and has built one of the area’s most successful programs.

Ypsilanti has won all four SEC White titles since joining the league prior to the 2009-10 season. Last year, the Phoenix went 20-5 and won its first regional title since 1981 before falling to Saginaw High in the state quarterfinals.

Brooks will lead a team formed from Ypsilanti High School and Willow Run High School, after the two districts merge July 1. Tim Cain coached Willow Run to a 10-11 record last year in his first season at the school.

Brooks said he has held open gyms that included Willow Run players and that "everything's been great." He said he plans on going to Willow Run Wednesday to give Flyers players information about summer leagues.

"I think it’s really no different than when you’ve got kids that come from two middle schools that were once rivals and things like that," Brooks said. "But if you’re pretty consistent and your standards are there it should be no issue.”

Brooks’ hiring comes a day after the district hired longtime Willow Run coach Rufus Pipkins as the school’s new football coach.

New YCS athletic director Lamanzer Williams said that while Brooks has established a strong program at Ypsilanti, the merger will bring about change for every YCS athletic team.

“Every job we’ve got is going to take some work,” Williams said. “Nobody’s coming in with a turnkey. The closest thing to that is probably coach Brooks, but hey he’s worked his butt off for over 10 years and you can see the success he’s had. But even he’s got to work.”

While Pipkins has said the topic of the merger often came up during the fall football season and affected his team, Brooks said it wasn't raised once during the basketball season.

Once his team is together, though, he said he will address the topic of each school's history going forward with the merger.

“I think there’s a real fear that that particular school’s history will be eliminated or whatever, but we’ll touch on it a little bit and we’ll just try to move the kids forward," Brooks said.

Brooks said the varsity assistant and sub-varsity basketball coaches interested in positions with YCS teams will go through the same process he did of being interviewed and hired by a YCS committee, and that he hopes to have input on those decisions. He said that of the former Ypsilanti and Willlow Run coaches that "nobody's out of the picture."

“Hopefully I’m allowed to have a say," Brooks said. "Because that’s big, you almost have to be able to have a hand in who you’re working with and things like that.”

Williams said Monday that interviews would continue throughout the week as YCS continues to fill out its coaching staffs.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Matt Altruda, right, fastens a "Crissband" onto the wrist of a fan as Eric Helber, Bank of Ann Arbor vice president, smiles at Liberty Plaza on Tuesday. Sonic Lunch is giving away a total 1,000 bands for their June 13 show featuring "Glee" actor and U-M graduate Darren Criss at The Michigan Theater.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Sonic Lunch organizer Matthew Altruda said about 4,000 people have entered the Facebook giveaway, from all over the world. But the main focus is on local giveaways, to allow the Ann Arbor community the most participation. Giveaways are announced one hour ahead of time via Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday saw a giveaway at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor. Altruda planned to give away 80 wristbands at today's stop.

The concert takes place June 13 at the Michigan Theater. Those who get a "Crissband" must be in line by 10:45 to be guaranteed a spot. Theo Katzman opens the show at 11:30 a.m., followed by Criss.

University of Michigan graduate Criss has become a major performing name, thanks to his starring role on TV's "Glee." He's currently on tour, but the Ann Arbor concert is the only free show.

Watch for an interview with Criss later this week on AnnArbor.com.

The other Sonic Lunch shows are outside at Liberty Plaza and do not require wristbands. The series kicks off this Thursday with a special appearance by Martha Reeves, for which Libery Street will be closed at Division.

Eric Helber, Bank of Ann Arbor vice president, smiles as he high-fives Amanda Belcher, of northern Ohio, who drove up from Ohio in hopes of getting a wristband after seeing the giveaway on social media.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com