• Related coverage: U-M law professor says U.S. Supreme Court's ruling reaffirms status quo on affirmative action

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 7-1 decision Monday morning to send a case that could have affected the University of Michigan's affirmative action polices back to a lower court for reconsideration.

Before the Supreme Court Monday was the Fisher vs. University of Texas affirmative action case.

The case is a challenge to the University of Texas’ admission policy by a white student, Abigail Fisher, who was denied undergraduate admission. The Fifth Circuit court, as well as a lower district court, both upheld the university’s policy.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

Evan Vucci | The Associated Press file photo

“The Fifth Circuit must assess whether the University has offered sufficient evidence to prove that its admissions program is narrowly tailored to obtain the educational benefits of diversity,” according to the written opinion issued by the court Monday.

• Read the opinion

Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the opinion of the court, while Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the sole dissenting opinion. Justice Elena Kagan did not take part in deciding the case.

The University of Texas’ affirmative action policy was possible as a result of the court’s last major ruling on affirmative action -- a 2003 case out of the University of Michigan, Grutter vs. Bollinger.

In Grutter, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that universities could use race as an admissions factor when selecting incoming students.

Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday he would have overturned the court's 2003 ruling, the Associated Press reported.

The University of Texas automatically offers admission to the top 8 percent of Texas high school students per state law, the Associated Press reported.

For students who don't qualify for automatic admission, race is used as one of many factor to evaluate applicants.

University statistics indicate that more than eight in 10 African-American and Latino students who enrolled at the main campus in Austin in 2011 were automatically admitted, the Associated Press reported.

A 2006 voter-approved constitutional amendment, known as Proposal 2 or the Michigan Civil Rights initiative, bans the consideration of race in admissions in Michigan’s 15 public universities.

The Supreme Court is expected to consider the constitutionality of Proposal 2 in its next term in the case Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

State Reps. Jeff Irwin and Adam Zemke, both Democrats from Ann Arbor, have joined other House Democrats in announcing a package of bills to allow same-sex marriage in Michigan.

The announcement came Monday morning with the U.S. Supreme Court due to release a ruling on Proposal 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, two cases dealing with marriage equality.

Jeff Irwin

Adam Zemke

"It's time for Michigan to stop discriminating against the thousands of couples who want to marry and enjoy the same recognition and benefits for themselves and their children that come with marriage, and that my wife, Kathryn, and our kids enjoy," Irwin said. "The legislation that we propose today represents the next step in the fight to ensure all citizens are equal in Michigan."

The first piece in the legislative package is a house joint resolution that amends Michigan's constitution to allow same-sex marriage, which was banned in Michigan in 2004.

The second bill recognizes same-sex marriages that were licensed in other states. The third bill makes other changes directly to Michigan's marriage laws regarding who is allowed to marry, and the final bill calls on the U.S. Congress to repeal DOMA.

Zemke said denying marriage equality is bad for attracting and retaining young talent and sends a message to the rest of the world that Michigan is not a forward-thinking, competitive state.

"That's not the Michigan I know and love, and it's time for a change," said Zemke, emphasizing that younger generations are showing leadership in marriage equality.

"I am a proud millennial, and today, I stand wearing that badge even prouder because more than 70 percent of millennials said that they support the rights of same-sex couples to marry under the law," Zemke said. "Our generation is our nation's leader on this issue."

In May, Zemke introduced House Bill 4742, which would reverse Public Act 297 — the state's ban on extending health benefits to domestic partners of public employees. Many Democrats and gay rights supporters have called the state's ban discriminatory and overreaching, while some Republicans argue it's a matter of fiscal responsibility and it reflects the will of Michigan voters who decided in 2004 to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

State Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, also announced the introduction of legislation in the Senate last month to remove Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage.

The legislation followed a new poll by the Glengariff Group showing 57 percent of Michigan voters now support gay marriage, a 13-point jump from a year ago.

"The people of Michigan have spoken loud and clear, and they are fundamentally supportive of the idea that every person in our state should have the freedom to marry the person they love," Warren said. "This legislation will not only allow all couples to make a lifetime commitment to one another, but also extend important legal protections to them and their children."

The measure to amend the state's Constitution to remove the prohibition on same-sex marriage would require two-thirds support in the House and Senate to make the statewide ballot.

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 break-in at an Ann Arbor Township home Friday afternoon resulted in numerous pairs of shoes being stolen, along with a desktop computer, according to deputies.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office reported the home invasion occurred between 1 and 6 p.m. Friday in the 2600 block of Newport Road. It’s unclear at this point how the home was accessed, according to investigators.

The shoes and desktop computer were the only items reported stolen from the residence, according to deputies.

No suspect description was released Monday morning.

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.

The Michigan Department of Education released 2013 Michigan Merit Exam and ACT scores Monday morning. The results show most districts are making four-year improvements.

MLive.com file photo

However, state education officials said over a four-year period, students' proficiencies have trended upward, with the largest gains occurring on the MME in mathematics and writing.

Since 2010, mathematics saw an average increase in percent proficient of more than 3 percent and writing saw an average increase of nearly 6 percent.

The MME is administered to high school juniors each spring and tests students' proficiency in math, reading, writing, science and social studies. More than 105,000 juniors were tested on both the merit exam and the ACT college entrance exam in the 2012-13 academic year.

Chart showing statewide averages for student proficiencies on the MME and ACT.

From the Michigan Department of Education

"Over the past four years, more high school students are being taught challenging content and are becoming career- and college-ready," State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a news release. "This upward trend is good news for students, educators and our state."

School districts in Washtenaw County largely followed the statewide trend of a slight decrease in performance scores from 2012 to 2013. But it was hit or miss on whether local districts have charted a four-year increase in the percentage of students testing proficient.

On the ACT, the average composite score of students in the Ann Arbor Public Schools increased from 23.1 in 2010 to 23.3 in 2013. Last year's average composite score topped out at 23.5.

Community High School continues to have the highest ACT scores in the Ann Arbor school system — although across all subjects areas CHS' average scores fell by about a point. Community's average composite score was 24.9 in 2013, compared with 26.2 in 2012.

Huron High School did have the highest average score in the district on the math portion of the ACT: a 24.3.

About 41.3 percent of AAPS students met the state's proficiency standards on the ACT this year. That percentage is down slightly from 2010 (41.8) and down about 2 percent from 2012.

Just 4.6 percent of students at Ypsilanti Public Schools tested proficient on the ACT, compared with 8 percent in 2012 and 4.7 percent in 2010.

However, the district's average composite score this year was a 16.7 — the highest average score for Ypsilanti in the past four years.

Dexter Community Schools had 40.1 percent of its students score proficient on the ACT for 2013, about a 2.5 percent increase from 2010. Its average ACT composite score was 23.2.

Saline Area Schools had the highest student proficiency rate in Washtenaw County on the ACT, with 47.9 percent of students meeting state standards. It also had the highest district average composite score (24).

Search the MLive database to see how your child's district and high school fared on the ACT.

On the Michigan Merit Exam, the Ann Arbor Public Schools saw a four-year increase in students testing proficient in all subject areas except for math and reading, which both decreased by a percentage point.

The district saw the greatest gains in writing, an increase of about 5 percent since 2010. Its percent proficient rates for both math and social studies increased by 3 percent.

Saline saw four-year improvements in all subject areas, with dramatic gains of 9 percent in science and social studies. Saline was up 6 percentage points in math, 5 percentage points in writing and 1 percentage point in reading.

Dexter also made significant growth in all subject areas: 8 percentage points in math, 6 percentage points in science and writing, 4 percentage points in social studies and 2 percentage points in reading.

The Ypsilanti Public Schools also saw noteworthy gains in three subject areas and broke even in one, social studies. The percentage of students scoring proficient increased 8 percentage points in reading, 4 percentage points in writing and 3 percentage points in social studies. The district declined 2 percent in math proficiency rates.

Search the MLive database to see how your child's district and high school fared on the MME.

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

• Related coverage: U.S. Supreme Court sends Fisher vs. University of Texas affirmative action case back to lower court

The U.S. Supreme Court's Monday ruling on the first affirmative action case the body has considered in nearly a decade reaffirms the status quo for university policies, according to media reports.

Richard Primus

Courtesy U-M

The Supreme Court in a 7-1 decision passed the case back down to the Fifth Circuit court for reconsideration, asking for the court to apply strict scrutiny to the school's policy and for the University of Texas to prove why the policy is needed to promote diversity in its campus.

Primus said many predicted that the Supreme Court would use the case to eliminate affirmative action altogether -- which would have overturned the landmark 2003 Gutter vs. Bollinger case at the University of Michigan in which the court upheld using race as a factor in the admission process.

Read the full Q & A with Primus in the New York Times

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

Los Gatos

Los Gatos maestro Pete Siers leads this vibe-influenced Latin jazz quintet through boleros, pachangas, fiery mambos, cha cha chas and other Afro-Cuban dance styles. Since they formed in 1997, this Ann Arbor group has embraced the old-school Latin jazz values set forth by Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, and Joe Cuba.

Besides Siers (timbales, coro, percussion), other members are Cary Kocher (vibes, coro), Kurt Krahnke (bass), Brian Di Blassio (piano, coro) and Al Di Blassio (congas, vocals, percussion).

The performance is sponsored by the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti and the Friends of YDL.

Los Gatos performs at the Ypsilanti District Library, 229 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti from 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 28. Free. Moves inside in case of rain. Sponsored by the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti and the Friends of YDL. Details at www.ypsilibrary.org or 734-482-4110 ext. 1385.

Regarding her second-place finish, and what her response was when Danielle Bradbery was announced as winner of "The Voice," Chamuel told Rolling Stone, "I think everything worked out for the best for everybody. For me, I was itching to regroup and process the experience and put my feet back down at home and just figure out my next step."

• Read the interview in Rolling Stone

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.

A bicyclist was sent to the hospital in critical condition Sunday night after being hit by a vehicle on Washtenaw Avenue near the East Stadium Boulevard split in Ann Arbor, officials said.

Authorities were dispatched to the intersection for an automobile-bicycle accident at 10:59 p.m., said Joyce Williams of Huron Valley Ambulance.

A man was found in the street with head trauma, said Ann Arbor Fire Department Battalion Chief Randy Menard.

The patient was transported to University of Michigan Hospital in critical condition, according to Williams.

Menard said the scene was cleared by 11:23 p.m.

Ann Arbor police are investigating the incident. The patient is currently in serious condition, according to a release Monday afternoon from Ann Arbor police.

Further information from Ann Arbor police was not immediately available.

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

Police say a 23-year-old Ypsilanti man faces charges he threw a piece of concrete at a tow truck driver because he was angry his car was being towed Saturday.

Devon Haywood

Courtesy of WCSO

Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said police responded at 1:41 a.m. Saturday for a report of a felonious assault in the 1300 block of Washtenaw Avenue. Court records show Devon Haywood is facing a felony and two misdemeanor charges for the incident.

Bush said Haywood was angry with the driver for towing his vehicle. While the driver was seated in the tow truck, Haywood picked up a large piece of concrete and threw it at the driver, Bush said. A large dent and scratches to the vehicle were reported.

As the driver pulled away, Haywood picked up another rock and threw it, hitting his vehicle and breaking the rear window, Bush said.

Haywood was arrested when he went to pick up his car from the tow yard, Bush said. The tow truck driver was not injured in the incident.

Court records show Haywood faces a felony count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and misdemeanor charges of refusing fingerprinting and malicious destruction of property worth less than $200.

Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said Haywood bonded out of the Washtenaw County Jail on Saturday. He was turned over to the Canton Township police.

Haywood will return to court for a preliminary exam at 8:30 a.m. July 2, Fox said.

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

Pioneer High and U-M grad Pat Stansik — who previously earned online attention for comedy videos such as "Bros vs. Hipsters," "I Love You Denard," "Were You Listening to 'Call Me Maybe'?" and "I'm 24" — has a new offering, called "Local Celebrity," which pokes fun at Stansik's sense of his own fame in the Ann Arbor area.

Watch for a brief cameo appearance by a certain local news website.

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.

Home improvement chain Menards completed its purchase of about 63 acres of land in Scio Township this month.

Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com

The price tag: $7.4 million.

Township records show the sale from Scio Properties LLC — an entity registered to Mel VanderBrug — to Wisconsin-based Menard Inc. was finalized June 6. The vacant property is on the southeast corner of Jackson and Staebler roads.

Menards has been trying to open a store in Washtenaw County since 2010.

Source: Facebook

The deal indicates Menards is one step closer to building a roughly 160,000-square-foot store and lumberyard on the site, which is known as the former Farmer Grant land.

The purchase includes three parcels, with a combined 2013 assessed value of $1,391,100.

Menards, a privately held company that operates about 270 locations in 14 states, has been trying to build a store in Washtenaw County since 2010, when Pittsfield Township Planning Commission voted to deny the company’s rezoning request for a property on Carpenter Road.

The company then targeted the property on Jackson Road in Scio Township, and it was granted a property rezoning and conditional use permit last year. In April, the Scio Township Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Menards’ site plan, subject to several revisions.

Menards still needs site plan approval from the Scio Township Board of Trustees before it can begin construction.

The site plan shows the store and lumberyard would occupy about 1/3 of the 63-acre site, leaving room for about four outlot developments surrounding the store. Menards would be set back from Jackson Road, with a parking lot in the front and a warehouse behind the store.

Plans include two access ways off Jackson Road and one of Staebler. A traffic light is proposed at the westernmost access way on Jackson.

Menards spokeswoman Tom O’Neil said Menards is in the process of resubmitting its site plan, which will go before the Board of Trustees in coming weeks.

The front elevation rendering of the proposed Menards building in Scio Township. Only a portion of the store is shown.

Courtesy of Menards

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Olympian Jake Herbert, pictured above, is wrestling with the decision on whether to continue to pursue his Olympic dream and be an advocate for keeping wrestling in the Olympics or the more lucrative option of becoming a pro mixed martial arts fighter.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Herbert, who competed in freestyle wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics, can work to make the Olympics again in 2016 and also try to save the sport from the chopping block for the 2020 games. Or he can turn in his singlet and try to make a living of beating people up in a cage.

Decisions, decisions.

The ever-growing sport of mixed martial arts at its highest level pays quite well and even lower-tier professional fighters make more money than USA Wrestling offers its Olympians through stipends. Herbert -- who trains with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club at the University of Michigan's Bahna Wrestling Center -- knows this, but there's more to the decision than money.

"If I wanted to make money, I wouldn't be wrestling - I'd be using my degree," Herbert, a Northwestern graduate, recently told USA Today.

There's also the long-term ramifications of getting punched and kicked in the face for a living. Plus, Herbert is still upset with his seventh place finish at the Olympics, and is also very involved with the "Save Olympic Wrestling" movement.

While he wants to take advantage of the opportunity the sport has afforded him, he wants to ensure others will have those same opportunities.

"Wrestling, it's given me options. I could go to Singapore and start fighting right now, or I could call up almost any college in the nation and say, 'Hey, I want to come coach,' and they'd find a way to make it happen. That's all from wrestling, and from being an Olympian."

• Read the full USA Today story here.

The driver of a pickup truck was arrested after taking a ride on an Ann Arbor golf course Sunday morning, according to police.

File photo

Deputies from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office performed a traffic stop on the pickup, the release said. The driver was placed under arrest for malicious destruction of property and turned over to Ann Arbor police.

Further information from Ann Arbor police was not immediately available.

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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 Ann Arbor Connector project is moving ahead with preliminary route alternatives for a new high-capacity transit system — now mapped — and project officials are working to single out a preferred mode. In consideration are a light rail, streetcar or bus rapid transit.

Vote for which option you think would be the most suitable. Prefer the project not proceed? Tell us why in the comments.

Bus rapid transit

• Integrated system of guideway, stations, service and amenities that collectively improves the speed, reliability and identity of bus transit
• Diesel or dual-fuel rubber-tired buses
• Generally operates at grade
• Either in mixed-flow or exclusive guideway

Light rail or streetcar

• Electric-powered transit vehicles operating on standard railroad tracks with single- or multiple-car trains
• Power is provided by overhead wires
• Generally operates at grade
• Either in mixed-flow or exclusive guideway

Improvements to existing bus service

• Operates on city streets with frequent stops
• Diesel or dual-fuel rubber-tired buses
• Operates at grade in mixed-flow with traffic
• Simple stations or stops

The Ann Arbor Connector proposal calls for a transportation system following a boomerang-shaped route from Plymouth Road, through the University of Michigan's North Campus, down past the university medical center and potentially a new train station on Fuller Road, through downtown, past U-M's Central and South campuses, and out to Briarwood Mall.

Left to right: U-M Faculty Group Practice Executive Director Dr. David Spahlinger, MidMichigan Health President and Chief Executive Officer Diane Postler-Slattery; UMHS CEO Dr. Ora Pescovitz, MidMichigan Health Vice President and Chief Quality and Safety Officer Dr. Lydia Watson, U-M Hospital and Health Centers CEO Doug Strong and UMHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Darrell Campbell pose for a photo Monday afternoon at an annual meeting in Midland.

Courtesy of Kara Gavin

In exchange for the use of U-M’s block “M” brand on MidMichigan Health’s logo and for the expertise of UMHS faculty physicians, the MidMichigan has given UMHS minority equity ownership and two seats on its 17-member board of directors.

Doug Strong, CEO of U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, and Dr. David Spahlinger, executive director of the U-M Faculty Group Practice, will be taking those seats.

The agreement is the first in which UMHS has part-ownership of one of its affiliates.

UMHS’ interest in MidMichigan Health begins at less than one percent, but there will be an opportunity for that to grow to as much as 20 percent, officials said.

It also solidifies referral relationships between the Midland, Alma, Clare and Gladwin medical centers that MidMichigan Health encompasses and the specialty care UMHS provides in its Ann Arbor hospitals.

“We are so pleased to finalize this strategic affiliation with MidMichigan Health, which has a proud history of ensuring high-quality care,” said Dr. Ora Pescovitz, UMHS CEO, in a statement Monday. “Working together, we will improve the health of our patients, and find new ways to cooperate for better care.”

MidMichigan Health's new logo as a result of the affiliation agreement.

Courtesy of UMHS

MidMichigan Health is a nonprofit health care system that serves 14 counties in the central and northern parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

It was formed in the early 1980s when MidMichigan Medical Center-Clare joined MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland.

Leaders from both health systems announced their intent to affiliate about a year ago in August, when MidMichigan Health was under the direction of then-president and CEO Richard Reynolds. Reynolds retired in December and Diane Postler-Slattery took his place.

The two organizations previously had struck an agreement in December 2011 for cancer treatment.

MidMichigan Health will retain its local control of its health centers, but the block “M” is now a part of the organization’s logo.

Part of the affiliation means some specialists from UMHS will travel to MidMichigan facilities to see patients, and there is an opportunity to expand telemedicine between doctors and patients, Strong said in a news release.

“Physicians at UMHS and MidMichigan Health are sharing clinical protocols and best practices with one another,” said Dr. Lydia Watson, vice president and chief quality and safety officer of MidMichigan Health. “One of the first advances we are making is physician-to-physician collaboration. Members of our medical staffs have had the opportunity to meet on a number of occasions, and this face-to-face interaction has been very valuable.”

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

A 23-year-old Manitou Beach man was arrested for trampling vehicles in Ann Arbor early Sunday morning, according to police.

Officers observed the man jumping on vehicle hoods in the 700 block of Church Street in Ann Arbor around 1:13 a.m. Sunday, according to a release from the Ann Arbor Police Department.

The man was then seen walking from the front bumper to the back bumper atop the vehicles and causing damage.

Police arrested the man for malicious destruction of property.

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

A 41-year-old Columbus, Ohio man was found naked and bloody on the grounds of Ypsilanti Middle School last week after mutilating his genitals while reportedly high on hallucinogenic mushrooms, police said.

Deputies were called to the school, located at 105 N. Mansfield St. in Ypsilanti Township, around 1 a.m. June 18 for an alarm. Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office said the man broke a window at the school, which set off the alarm.

The 41-year-old was near the school on his knees, naked, with blood all over his legs, Fox said.

“He mutilated his genitals with his bare hands,” Fox said. "He was doing a lot of yelling and screaming."

Police reported that a lot of what the man was saying wasn't coherent. Police subdued the man and took him to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

When the man was well enough to be interviewed, he told police he was in the Ypsilanti area visiting friends and had taken hallucinogenic — or "magic" — mushrooms. He didn't remember much after that, according to police.

“He doesn’t have much recollection about anything that happened,” Fox said.

An initial toxicology report has been performed, but it didn't turn anything up, Fox added. More extensive toxicology testing is being done.

The man does not have a history of mental illness, according to Fox.

Police will seek burglary charges against the man.

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

About one mile of Geddes Road will be closed to westbound traffic between Earhart Road and Huron Parkway beginning Tuesday morning for repair work on the northeast side of Ann Arbor.

The closure will last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for crews from Ann Arbor’s Street Maintenance Department to patch the road with asphalt.

The work must be completed during daytime hours when the asphalt plants are open, said Kirk Pennington, field operations supervisor for the department.

Though that portion of Geddes Road was repaved two years ago, water main leaks have caused significant damage.

The city's utility department is paying for the repairs out of its own budget. Pennington estimated the project will cost less than $10,000.

Small portions of eastbound Geddes Road will have to be repaired as well. Pennington said eastbound traffic might be affected next week if weather conditions are amenable to roadwork.

Drivers routinely using Geddes Road as their main east-to-west route also may encounter a major detour at the Ridge Road intersection in Superior Township, east of Ann Arbor, which is completely closed to all traffic for the construction of a roundabout.

View Westbound Geddes Road closure in a larger map

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

Two people were injured, one of whom required hospitalization, during a grease fire at an Ypsilanti apartment early Tuesday, fire officials said.

Captain Dan Cain said firefighters responded at 1:09 a.m. Tuesday to the 800 block of Green Road for a kitchen fire. Cain said one of the two residents was cooking and put a pan on the stove before walking into another room.

Cain said the resident heard grease in the pan burning and returned to the kitchen, discovering flames coming from the stove. The grease had splattered and the stove, wall and hood vent were all on fire, Cain said.

The residents called 911 and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, Cain said. Firefighters on scene did extensive ventilation of the floors in order to make sure the fire was out.

Cain said one of the residents suffered minor burns when he tried to move the pan and spilled grease onto his arm. The man was treated on scene but refused transport to a hospital. Huron Valley Ambulance took the other resident to a local hospital for smoke inhalation.

It took about 40 minutes for firefighters to clear the scene Tuesday morning, Cain said. The fire was contained to the one apartment, but the building was evacuated.

The residents were not displaced by the blaze and a damage estimate wasn’t immediately available Tuesday.

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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.

Patrons enter a past German Park Picnic.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo

The popular event has been going on since 1938, and attracts thousands to its woodsy location at the German Park Recreation Club, about three miles northeast of Ann Arbor. Traditional German food, like knackwurst, bratwurst and spatzle, plus American fare and kid-friendly food (hot dogs, hamburgers) is served. German dance music comes courtesy the band Die Dorfmusikanten to help work off that last bite of strudel. The German Park Trachtengruppe Dancers also perform.

There will be beer - German beer - available by the cup or by the (gulp) bucket, which means no one under 21 will be admitted without a parent or guardian (photo ID required). Wine drinkers can enjoy a glass of Piesporter. There are lots of shady places to sit if it’s hot and the dance pavilion is covered in case it rains.

If you can’t make this one, the next two German Park picnics this summer are July 27 and Aug. 31. Auf wiedersehen.

Saturday, June 29, 2013. Gate open 4-9 p.m.; park closes at 11 p.m. 5549 Pontiac Trail. Price: $5 per person (12 and under, free). Details: www.germanpark.org.