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Celebrate with Mr. B at his Annual Birthday Bounce

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Ann Arbor favorite Mark Braun, better known as Mr. B., is celebrating another birthday. Celebrate with him at the Mr. B's Annual Birthday Bounce at the Kerrytown Concert House.

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If you live in Ann Arbor, you should be already familiar with the boogie-woogie and blues piano stylings of the ubiquitous Mr. B. He's a regular at large Ann Arbor events like the Art Fair and at venues like The Ark. He's even take his act on the road and biked his piano around the state on a special trailer.

This is a signature event for the artist and sure to be a rollicking good time.

Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. 8 p.m. $15-$30. The Kerrytown Concert House is located at 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. 734-769-2999. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com.


Belleville woman charged in Saline pharmacy break-in returns to court March 4

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The 40-year-old Belleville woman accused of breaking into a Saline pharmacy will return to court on March 4.

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Hopkins was arraigned in January and will return to court on March 4.

Courtesy of WCSO

Tammy Hopkins was one of three suspects accused of breaking into Jensen’s Community Pharmacy, 968 E. Michigan Ave., early on Nov. 17 with two men to steal prescription pills for urinary problems, headaches and anxiety.

She was arraigned on breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime in January.

Hopkins had a pretrial on Monday, but her lawyer, Steven Tramontin, asked Judge Darlene O'Brien to adjourn for three weeks for further investigation.

Hopkins is being held at Washtenaw County Jail with a $25,000 cash bond.

Kody Klein is an intern for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at kklein@mlive.com

Thieves take 8 wheels off vehicles at Ypsilanti car dealership

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Thieves swiped eight wheels from two Ford Explorers at the Gene Butman Ford dealership in Ypsilanti Monday night or early Tuesday morning and likely would have stolen more had they not been interrupted, the business's service director said.

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Gene Butman Ford in Ypsilanti.

From Facebook

Tom Butman, the dealership's service director, said the thieves took the wheels from two 2013 Ford Explorers parked in the overflow lot at the business at 2105 Washtenaw Ave. The vehicles were both damaged. They also removed lugnuts from other vehicles, Butman said, leading him to think that multiple people were involved in the heist.

"These guys were on their third and fourth vehicle," Butman said.

Butman said either police on patrol or the dealership's security guard happened upon the thieves while they were in the parking lot, causing them to flee.

Police were not able to catch the suspects, but Sgt. Brent Yuchasz of the Ypsilanti Police Department said seven of the rims were found in a rental van parked at an apartment complex in Ypsilanti.

Yuchasz said police are looking into who rented the van.

The dealership has surveillance cameras, but Butman said the cameras are near the main lot, too far from the overflow lot to provide any useful information. It's not clear how many people were involved.

Butman said thefts like this are common at car dealerships, because wheels have become so expensive. He said the single wheel that wasn't recovered costs approximately $785.

"It's very disappointing to say that this is something that is common," he said. No estimate of the damage to the vehicles was available. Butman said the cost of the wheel will be reimbursed by the dealership's insurance company.


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R.U.B. BBQ and Pub brings good barbecue to Packard

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A breakfast spot, an organic sandwich shop, a bakery, a coffee shop, and, most recently, a short-lived sports bar all have occupied a potentially promising location at State and Packard. Yet, for the past 10 years, it seems like that convenient campus spot has been dark and shuttered more than it has been open for business. So I was pleased to see lines out the door of R.U.B. BBQ Pub the first weekends after it opened in December.

On a recent Friday night, we walked into a lively, jam-packed restaurant. By 6 p.m., nearly every table was filled, and sports talk hosts from the local radio station WTKA (1050-AM) were broadcasting. WTKA broadcasts live from the restaurant every Friday.

Owners and brothers Randy and Dominic Yono were undeterred from opening here, convinced that the restaurant's barbecue — it smokes all its own meats — would be a draw. They already run R.U.B. BBQs in Warren and Detroit. Craig Quiroga, one of the managers, says that in addition to the barbecue, another selling point is the 32 beers on draft — which eventually will be close to 50, along with 200 bottled beers and happy hour deals.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

R.U.B. BBQ
640 Packard St., Ann Arbor
734-662-7000
rubbbqdetroit.com/
  • Hours: Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-midnight. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight for the full menu; from midnight.-2 a.m. there is a limited menu of appetizers and a late night happy hour with drink specials.
  • Plastic: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.
  • Liquor: Yes
  • Prices: Moderate. Entrees are in the $12-$14 range and include a choice of two side dishes.
  • Noise level: Loud
  • Wheelchair access: Yes
The owners seem to have a successful formula for drawing in the college crowd, with the blasting of flat-screen televisions almost to the point of distraction. Though this was previously a sports bar, the owners gave it a nice makeover. There are far more tables, some elevated far off the ground. A large bar crisscrosses the restaurant. The aesthetically pleasing, quieter basement accommodates dining parties in a more private setting.

R.U.B.'s specialty is barbecue, of course, ranging from pulled pork to chicken, brisket and ribs; and barbecue is where the food shines.

Everything else we tried is almost inconsequential window dressing, including the slightly smoky tasting macaroni, which was on the dry side. It was prepared with rigatoni noodles and doused with cheddar cheese. Still, it's impressive that a meat-focused place has any vegetarian offerings; there is also smoked salmon — which our server dissuaded us from ordering — and a black bean burger. The menu also includes a few gluten-free entrees, some gluten-free pies and five gluten-free beers.

Our server highly recommended the fried pickles appetizer. If you're a fan, R.U.B.'s should hit the spot. The pickles were served warm in a thick batter, made even better by a slightly spicy dipping sauce.

The best appetizer we ordered, however, was the wing dings. I most enjoyed the wings prepared with the sticky Memphis barbecue sauce, succulent when paired with the tender meat. Too large a proportion of mustard in the honey mustard sauce made it a less appealing coating.

The nachos appetizer was mammoth, big enough for several to share. I enjoyed the large variety of ingredients of chili, baked beans, lettuce tomato, jalapeno and sour cream that melded well together. Chili was also hearty, topped with sour cream.

The Michigan Greek salad, big enough for two to easily share, was a healthful offering, full of fresh greens, beets, olives, cranberries and roasted almonds, tossed with a nice balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

On our first visit, all our dishes came out in lightning speed. The appetizer arrived within minutes, followed promptly by the chili, salad and main courses. Even so, there were temperature issues. The chili, sweet potato and french fries we ordered were served lukewarm. The sweet potato fries were thin instead of hearty and seemed like they were frozen. I would suggest the french fries instead, which are more like thick wedges of potatoes, seasoned with a kick. The chicken Caesar wrap was basically limp lettuce in a tortilla shell, unremarkable and worth skipping.

I appreciated the large container of napkins provided on the table. You'll need them if you indulge in the barbecue here. Some of these offerings are so hearty, tender and delicious, they clearly account for quick popularity of the establishment.

The standouts were the Texas beef brisket, tender and served on Texas toast, with a side of wonderful sweet potatoes, seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon and finished off with a dry rub, considered a secret recipe. My delicious Slim Shady consisted of pulled chicken, topped with coleslaw and Memphis sauce, served on a fresh Kaiser roll. It was so massive that the ingredients spilled out and I could barely make a dent in the sandwich. The meat's flavoring combined sweet and spicy for a mouth-watering experience. Tennessee pulled pork was almost as good, though the meat was a bit dry.

The only miss was the baby-back ribs, which were burnt, covered in a black, charred exterior and entirely overcooked. The absence of a sauce didn't help.

The entrees come with a choice of two sides. On my second visit, I opted for the jalapeno cornbread. It was served in a custard dish, topped with melted honey; its sweetness didn't complement the cornbread, which was overly dry. The collard greens that accompanied my son's dish were cooked properly, but were overly salty.

The desserts are good enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, should you have room for them. Though they're not made in house, they're decent. The pastries had a thin crust, but the filling was creamy and delicious. My favorite was the Reese's, a great peanut butter pie. The Hershey's is perfect for chocoholics. Red velvet pie had a bit too much raspberry sauce, which made it overpoweringly sweet.

Servers were very friendly. But on our first visit, they sped our food to us so quickly — the main courses quickly followed the appetizers — that it was, dare I say, almost to the point of feeling rushed, even though the place wasn't yet at capacity. We didn't have that problem the second time, where the food arrived in a reasonable, yet more leisurely, amount of time.

Though not every dish is top notch, there's enough at R.U.B. BBQ Pub to recommend it, especially for the college crowd. And hopefully, that's enough to keep this location from going dark again for quite a while.


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Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.

Lola Jones chronicles important Ann Arbor stories, past and present

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Lola M. Jones

photo courtesy of Lola Jones

Local author Lola M. Jones writes stories that otherwise might not be told.

Much of her work has focused on true stories—the neglected history of the local African-American community, expressed in various "Another Ann Arbor" projects. But her recent book "Children's Choices" took her in two new directions at once: writing fiction, and writing for a young audience.

"Children's Choices"

"There were stories that hadn't been told, and a lot of the culture of African Americans, from a children's point of view," she said of her inspiration for the book. "There were stories that reflect the background and the culture."

The book collects four short stories geared to children aged 6-12, with some real Ann Arbor locations serving as settings. In each story, the main character faces an important choice of some sort.

"My thought with this book was, children were faced with a decision and they came up with a good choice in each case," Jones said.

"Another Ann Arbor"

But "Children's Choices" is just the latest step in Jones' longtime efforts to tell neglected stories of Ann Arbor.

Originally from Boston, Jones moved to Ann Arbor in 1964 to earn a master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan. She helped work for a local open-housing ordinance and founded the Adult Resource Center for nontraditional students at Washtenaw Community College.

Much of her work has centered on the theme of "Another Ann Arbor," chronicling the community's African American history; she found it to be a neglected subject. Starting in the 1980s Jones produced a local television program under that name, highlighting the contributions of African Americans and also interviewing notable figures like Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer.

She also produced three documentaries on specific topics, "A Woman's Town" (about the history of black women in Ann Arbor), "A Change Was in the Air" (a local look at the civil-rights movement), and "Take it to the Top" (a motivational work for junior high schoolers). Excerpts from the first two are available online.

"Another Ann Arbor" would eventually move beyond the TV series, becoming an extensive website, anotherannarbor.org. In 2006 Jones and her daughter Carol Gibson, who had been involved in many of the previous efforts, collaborated on a book of the same title. Telling the story of local African-American history and some of its important figures, the book is still available in stores and from Amazon.com.

Jones said her daughter will likely continue the "Another Ann Arbor" projects indefinitely. "I think it will go on for a long time," she said.

Other projects

Most recently, in collaboration with Jan Collins-Eaglin and the local chapter of The Links Inc., Jones published "Standing Tall, Putting Down Roots," which compiles the stories of 20 local African-American women who strived to improve life in Ann Arbor through projects devoted to education, helping the less fortunate, and so on.

"They all worked in the community to make things better," Jones said.

And she's not done yet. Next up, she plans to write a biography of her husband, Dr. Lee W. Jones. Now retired, he was an important figure at the University of Michigan.

"He was a very early director of minority services at the Dental School and recruited minority students all over the country, and set up a program to orient them," she said.

The stories continue, and thanks to Lola Jones, all of Ann Arbor can learn from them.

"Children's Choices" is available for purchase at Nicola's Books, and for loan at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Ann Arbor independent booksellers say new shop faces big challenges

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While local bookstore owners are welcoming a new player into the downtown area, not all of them are optimistic about Literati Bookstore’s future success.

Bill Gillmore, owner of Dawn Treader Book Shop was blunt in his assessment. “I think they’re doomed,” he told Concentrate Media.

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Literati Bookstore plans to move into Rick Snyder's former Ann Arbor campaign office in March.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

The new owners have been soliciting advice from their soon-to-be fellow booksellers, Aunt Agatha’s and Nicola Rooney, who owns and runs Nicola’s Books in the Westgate Shopping Center, Concentrate reported.

Owners stressed that the key to making Literati successful will be to create a community of book buyers who will come back to the store for their purchases. The increase in Internet sales has made it tough for brick-and-mortar stores to survive, but stores in Ann Arbor have realized some success by specializing and making their stores destinations rather than just shops.

Literati has leased space at the corner of Fourth Avenue and East Washington Street and is currently working on minor renovations to the space and moving in shelving. According to the store’s blog, Literati hopes to open in early March.

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

Thieves steal TVs, coins and jewelry in 2 home invasions

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Thieves stole televisions, jewelry and coins in two separate home invasions in Superior and York Townships Tuesday, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies said.

The first occurred in the 7500 block of Timberwood Court in Superior Township sometime Tuesday.

The thief or thieves forced open a pedestrian garage door and then forced open the entry door into the home from the garage sometime during the day, deputies said in a media summary.

Once inside, the thief ransacked the house before leaving with two TVs. It is unknown whether more items were taken.

The other break-in occurred in the 8000 block of Crane Road of York Township also during the day on Tuesday.

The thief or thieves forced the front door open and began rummaging through rooms, ultimately stealing coins and jewelry, including rings and necklaces.

No suspects have been identified in either incident.


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9 Valentine's Day gifts for Ann Arbor lovers and 1 gift to avoid

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Thursday is Valentine’s Day, and before you complain and click away, I know most of you hate it. Love. Hearts. Expectations. Public displays of affection. Edible Arrangements vans skidding all over the place, the drivers all hopped up on Monster Morning Blend and leftover paczki. It’s gross, but like handshakes in church, a necessary evil.

I'm here to help. I’m no expert romantician, but I do have a Ph.D. in gifts research. Two years ago, I polled Briarwood Mall employees for their Valentine’s Day gift ideas and last year I hot tubbed for your benefit. I’m taking it to the next level this Valentine’s Day.

If you’ve already done chocolate covered strawberries and Build-a-Bear and that Pandora bracelet and you’re stumped, fear not—here are nine ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts and one gift you should be sure to avoid.

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Alley Bar

Two Alley Bar Pickle Backs, please

It’s booze and vegetables. Done. Spring for Jameson and chase it with pickle juice sourced from local pickle purveyors at The Brinery. The pickle juice does some weird things to the palate, unlocking flavors that weren’t there, cooling the whiskey burn and leveling the bad breath playing field for any subsequent makeouts.

A kitten is a commitment

Normally I’d counsel against buying your significant other a baby animal, but I’m getting a lot softer in my old age. Warning: a kitten is a commitment. Be sure that the person you’re buying the animal for is a diehard cat lady for females or misanthropic loser if it’s a guy, ensuring that they will be physically and emotionally unable to abandon the pet should times get tough. Do NOT click this link if you don’t want to add a pet to your life. Seriously. Clicking this link is like opening a bag of chips and not eating some. “Oh, I just want to smell the chips,” you’ll say, just like you’ll think you can look at these animals and not want to love them. I warned you. (Check out Bagpiper and Flo. Oh my god I want to hug them so much, my insides hurt so bad!)

Two tickets to the planetarium-dise

I almost proposed in the planetarium at the Natural History Museum. It’s probably one of the most romantic destinations in Ann Arbor (take that, Melting Pot!). Darkness, stars, planets, narration by Liam Neeson. Just don’t propose in here. If she says no, you’ll permanently scar all the little kids in attendance who until the end of times will feel a weird sense of embarrassment and shame and smell the sweet scent of tears every time they stare at the night sky.

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The Heidelberg

Dinner on the west side of Main Street

You’ve got a lot of romantic dining options on the east side of Main Street, like Raven’s Club and that place with the fondue—but show your unique sense of style, taste and romance this year and take your lieben east to The Heidelberg basement. My argument: How busy will the basement be on Valentine’s Day around supper time? How awesome are those intimate wooden booths? How great are those fake stained glass windows? How excellent does a boot of beer sound right about now? Spatzle, schnitzel, pretzel rolls. Knackwurst is a very sexy food. A jukebox with a limited selection, glass tabletops that you can slip love notes and business cards under. I’m falling in love with myself as I write this. Be different, go German and let those other suckers battle over tables on the east side of Main.

Salvation Army shopping spree

Shopping is fun, but on a tight budget it’s tough to justify splurging on new outfits from Forever 21 and Wet Seal. Fear not, get creative. You each get $25 cash money and 10 minutes at the Salvation Army to select a full outfit that (hopefully) someone didn’t die in. Dresses, T-shirts, slacks, fancy jackets—whatever you find in the allotted time is purchased at checkout and brought home where each of you dress in your new duds (no washing first!) and then settle down for a homemade meal. I suggest pasta with a light salad and a lot of wine. And probably a post-meal shower.

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Cherry Republic hot cherry salsa

Cherry somethingorother from Cherry Republic

Ditch the chocolate-covered strawberries or toffee covered bananas (so 2009!) and go cherries. Cherry Republic offers Valentine’s Day gift boxes full of chocolate-covered cherries and whatever boomchunkas are, but if you’re giving something to a guy, get the salsa. The delicious cherry salsa. A bag of cherry chips and the medium cherry salsa (sorry, I’m a wuss) on Valentine’s Day and I’m putting a ring on that.

Cha-Cha-Cha dance classes

They say you can tell how well a person can parent by how well they dance. OK, maybe that’s not what they actually say, but dancing is an important indicator of things. Rhythm, tempo, grace, fiscal responsibility. Ann Arbor is full of dance studios willing to teach you and a special someone how to dance ballroom, cha-cha-cha, flamenco, hip-hop, jazz, mambo, salsa, swing, tap—heck even jive and the foxtrot. Pick a dance that suits your style the most (I’m more of a krunk guy than a rhumba man) and get busy.

A little slice of Mr. Darcy from Nicola’s

I’m a little embarrassed to say that in nine years of living in Ann Arbor, I’ve only been to Nicola’s Books once. It’s everything that Shaman Drum used to be. Pay them a visit and pick out a romantic book for the one you love. Go old school with "Love Story," give your sweetie permission to lust after Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice," fall into a deep depression after reading "Atonement" or try something really sweet in "Gone Girl." I’m totally kidding on that last one. Do not get that for anyone you care about as a meaningful gift or you will get dumped/divorced/arrested. Stick with Jane Austen.

Warning: Do not get a couples massage

Do not get a couples massage for Valentine’s Day. Unless you are extremely comfortable in your own semi-public sexuality and don’t moan uncontrollably when getting rubbed on. I never understood the appeal of a couple’s massage. Are you supposed to hold hands while two strangers rub your dermis? Is that romantic? I’d be ultra aware of every sound and movement I was making and if the masseuse ever asked me “Is this OK?” I’d be forced to answer, “I’m engaged!” at an inappropriate volume. The ultimate in awkward. Don’t do this folks. Get your massages alone.


Ann Arbor biotech company Lycera makes a second $300 million deal with Merck

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Ann Arbor biotechnology company Lycera announced a collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Merck on Tuesday that could be worth more than $300 million.

The deal will continue Lycera’s research into oral medicines designed to treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. University of Michigan chemistry professor Gary Glick founded Lycera, and the company is housed in the North Campus Research Complex.

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Lycera hired former Merck senior vice president Kathleen Metters as president and chief executive officer in October 2011.

Photo courtesy of WorldHealthSummit.org

Under the terms of the new agreement, announced in a news release, Lycera will receive an upfront payment and research funding to continue its drug development work. Further payments could include research, development and commercial milestone payments.

“There are substantial unmet medical needs and opportunities in autoimmune disorders, and new targets representing attractive opportunities that we are very pleased to pursue through our new collaboration with Lycera,” Merk Research Laboratory senior vice president Rupert Vessey said in a statement.

Merk will be responsible for clinical development of the drug and will have worldwide marketing and commercialization rights. Lycera is entitled to receive royalties on the drug as well as sales milestone payments.

This collaboration is Lycera’s second deal with Merck. In 2011 the companies agreed to a deal that included a $12 million up-front payment and future payments of up to $295 million.

Large pharmaceutical companies often strike deals with smaller innovative companies to fund their development programs. It can take more than a decade and more $1 billion to bring a drug from development to market, and smaller companies do not often have the resources to see that process through.

Before partnering with Merck, Lycera raised a $36 million round of venture capital in 2009 that included investment from Ann Arbor fund EDF Ventures.

'Survivor' and 'Jeopardy' feature contestants with local ties Wednesday

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Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that "Jeopardy!" will be pre-empted in Detroit tonight.

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Erik Reichenbach

CBS

Two people with local ties will be featured on national television today (Feb. 13), though local viewers may miss out on one of them.

Former Pinckney resident Erik Reichenbach comes back for the new season of “Survivor: Caramoan,” premiering at 8 p.m. on CBS. And while Milan’s Stephanie Jass returns to “Jeopardy” for its Tounament of Champions tonight, the show—which normally airs at 7:30 p.m. on channel 4 (WDIV)—is pre-empted tonight due to Mayor Bing's State of the City address.

27-year-old Reichenbach, who now works as a comic book artist and lives in Santa Clarita, California, is most vividly remembered for his bright green running shoes, and for giving away his immunity during “Survivor: Micronesia”—and consequently being voted off just before making it to the final four.

On the CBS website, Reichenbach lists his reason for being on “Survivor” this season as: “To show everyone that I am really not dumb, and in actuality I am a smart, funny guy who just does things in a different way.”

Jass, meanwhile, is an assistant professor of history at Adrian College who was a seven-time champion on “Jeopardy” last year; Jass also set the record for most consecutive wins by a woman on the show, and walked away with $147,570 in winnings, which ranked her among the top 15 all-time “Jeopardy” winners.

Although the show is pre-empted tonight, reportedly the station aired the episode early, at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. The station has not yet announced whether it will rebroadcast the episode.

The Tournament of Champions taped over the course of two-days in mid-January. Five winners from the first week advance to the semifinals, as will four wild-card players.

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

Ann Arbor police investigating 3 sexual assaults by taxi drivers

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Update: Cab driver accused in assault arraigned on misdemeanors

Ann Arbor police Wednesday confirmed there have been three sexual assaults involving cab drivers since Jan. 23 inside city limits, including one in which the driver has been identified.

Detective Lt. Robert Pfannes released a statement Wednesday detailing the allegations from three separate women, including two University of Michigan students. Pfannes said police are exploring the possibility the sexual assaults are related, but the descriptions of the suspects are vague in each case.

Pfannes said prosecutors are reviewing the most recent case from Feb. 10 involving a Blue Cab driver. In that case, the driver allegedly touched a 23-year-old woman’s thigh while driving, then parked and then kissed her, Pfannes said. He said the company immediately began working with police in the case.

“Blue Cab was very cooperative,” Pfannes said.

John Etter, president of Blue Cab, released a statement to AnnArbor.com Tuesday saying the driver denied the allegations. However, he will not be driving the vehicle he leases from the company while the investigation is taking place.

The driver has only been leasing a vehicle from Blue Cab since late January.

Two other cases are still under investigation. The first case was reported on Jan. 23 when a 19-year-old woman who is a student at the University of Michigan said she was assaulted by a cab driver after a ride from downtown Ann Arbor.

The other assault was reported on Feb. 3. In that case, a 21-year-old University of Michigan student reported that she was raped in the 300 block of East Madison Street.

Pfannes said the Jan. 23 incident took place when the woman got in a cab with two other passengers. After being driven from downtown Ann Arbor, the two passengers were dropped off. Pfannes said the driver parked the vehicle and made inappropriate advances toward the woman and attempted to remove her clothing.

The woman told police she kicked the man and got out of the vehicle. The driver was described as a man with a medium-olive complexion. The time and location of the incident were not released Wednesday.

The second incident was reported on Feb. 3 and resulted in a crime alert being sent out by the University of Michigan. A 21-year-old woman said she got in a vehicle she described as a cab at 2 a.m. that morning in the 1200 block of South University Avenue.

The woman reported being driven to a parking lot near her apartment in the 300 block of East Madison Street, where the driver allegedly raped her, Pfannes said. The man is described as white, in his mid to late 20s with short brown hair.

The companies involved in the two open investigations have not been named. It’s unknown whether they are state-licensed limousine services or city-licensed taxi cab companies.

The suspect descriptions in each case are vague, but police are keeping an open mind about whether the incidents are related.

“Police are exploring the possibility that the crimes may or may not be related,” Pfannes 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.

Former Huron High School classmate of man shot dead after police chase: 'He was just a normal kid'

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Eighteen-year-old Gabe Stevenson drove this pickup truck into a house before being shot dead by police Tuesday morning.

John Counts | AnnArbor.com

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Gabriel Stevenson

Huron High School 2011 yearbook

He was a doctor's son and a basketball player at Huron High School.

He was known for being quiet and withdrawn.

How 18-year-old Gabriel "Gabe" Stevenson ended up as an arson suspect shot dead by a Michigan State Police trooper early Tuesday morning after a car chase is a mystery to people who knew him.

“This incident really doesn’t describe the person (Stevenson was)," said Lee Arthur, Stevenson's freshman basketball coach at Huron. "He was not a vicious person. I was very surprised to hear about what happened.”

Arthur said Stevenson played basketball his freshman and sophomore years, but then quit sports altogether. Arthur sensed a change in the young man.

"I think he had some problems," Arthur said. "... Something else took over. He battled personal demons."

Working with school officials, Stevenson's family sought to get him help, Arthur added. While he attended Huron and was supposed to graduate in 2012, Stevenson did not complete high school, said Liz Margolis, spokeswoman of Ann Arbor Public Schools.

“He had fantastic parents,” Arthur said. “They were hurting for a long time. I know they’re just tore up about this.”

A man who answered the phone at the Pittsfield Township home where Stevenson's family lives would not identify himself beyond being a "representative of the family." He told AnnArbor.com this is a very hard time for the family and that they don't want to comment.

"It's an ongoing investigation," the man said.

Stevenson's death also came as a surprise to his former basketball teammate, Jeff Hugan.

“Gabe was a cool, mellow kind of guy,” he said. “He didn’t talk much. He was just a normal kid. He didn't cause any trouble."

Ethan Hines, another former teammate of Stevenson, said former classmates he's spoken with about the incident were "shocked."

“The whole time I knew him, I would have never expected anything like this,” Hines said. “He was always a good kid."

A Michigan State Police trooper shot and killed Stevension early Tuesday morning after he charged officers while wielding a knife, police said. The shooting came after Stevenson led officers on a two-county chase, they said.

Around 2 a.m. Tuesday, Northville Township officers were called to investigate an unoccupied vehicle on Napier Road north of Six Mile Road, according to police. Eighteen minutes later, an explosion was reported in the same area. Officers responding to that call saw the vehicle leaving the area.

Police conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on Six Mile Road, and Stevenson, who was driving, fired shots at police before fleeing west on Six Mile in the truck. Eventually, Stevenson lost control of the car and crashed into a home in the 7900 block of Dixboro Road, where Six Mile takes a jog to the north before continuing on west.

Stevenson attempted to break into the home by breaking a window, but was confronted by Northville Township, Michigan State Police and other police personnel. Police said he advanced toward officers and lunged with a knife. A Michigan State Police trooper fired one shot and killed Stevenson.

The trooper is still on administrative leave pending a standard state police investigation, Lt. Michael McCormick said Wednesday. Investigations of this type generally take about two or three weeks, he added.

Meanwhile, Northville Township police are continuing to investigate the explosion that set in motion the events that led to Stevenson's death.

The township's Director of Public Safety, John Werth, did not return phone calls Wednesday.

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

Cab driver accused in assault arraigned on misdemeanors

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A 33-year-old Ypsilanti man faces two misdemeanor assault and battery charges for allegedly kissing a 23-year-old Ann Arbor woman after driving her home.

Mohamed Ahamok, who leased a minivan from Blue Cab, was arraigned in the 15th District Court by District Court Judge Elizabeth Pollard Hines Wednesday afternoon. The misdemeanor counts carry a maximum sentence of 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Ahamok left court with a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. He’ll return for a pretrial hearing at 9 a.m. Feb. 25.

After the hearing, Ahamok said the incident was a misunderstanding and he did not have any malicious intent toward the woman. He said he picked the woman up and gave her a ride home, making conversation during the trip. He said he gave the woman a friendly “good bye kiss.”

“There was no bad intention,” he said. “I did it in a friendly spirit.”

Ahamok denied forcing the woman to kiss him or trying to touch her in an inappropriate way.

The incident took place early Sunday morning in the 1500 block of Pine Valley Road. Ahamok picked the woman up from the 1200 block of South University Avenue in Ann Arbor.

It was the third alleged sexual assault by a taxi cab driver on a female patron since Jan. 23, according to police. The other alleged incidents reportedly occurred on Jan. 23 and Feb. 3.

Ann Arbor police Detective Lt. Robert Pfannes released information on those two incidents Wednesday afternoon. The suspect descriptions in each incident are vague, but Pfannes said police are investigating whether the alleged sexual assaults are related.

Ahamok stood mute to the charges Wednesday afternoon and Hines appointed Model Cities Legal Services to represent him. Ahamok’s primary language is French and an interpreter will be appointed for his pretrial on Feb. 25.

Ahamok is not allowed to drive his cab while the case is pending, according to Blue Cab president John Etter.

Ann Arbor police Detective Michael Dortch recommended the personal recognizance bond for Ahamok.

“Mr. Ahamok has been very cooperative throughout the investigation,” Dortch told Hines. “I’m confident he will show up for court.”

According to his bond, Ahamok is not allowed to have contact with the victim in the case and he is not allowed to engage in any assaultive behavior. He said he has not tried to contact the woman since the incident and simply was trying to be friendly to a customer.

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

Saline woman among thousands of passengers stuck on board Carnival cruise ship

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A small boat belonging to the Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous patrols near the cruise ship Carnival Triumph Monday in the Gulf of Mexico. The Triumph has been floating aimlessly about 150 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula since a fire erupted in the aft engine room early Sunday, knocking out the ship's propulsion system.

AP Photo | U.S. Coast Guard- Lt. Cmdr. Paul McConnell

A Saline woman is one of about 4,000 people stranded on board a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico, according to media reports.

Eden Davis told WXYZ that her sister Gina is from Saline and is on board the Triumph, which left Galveston, Texas last week for a four-day Caribbean tour.

A weekend engine fire had partially disabled the ship off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

Gina and other passengers have reported poor conditions on the ship -- including trouble getting enough food to eat and sewage in the hallways, according to media reports.

The cruise ship now is being slowly tugged to Alabama.

The incident happened about a year after 32 people died when the Costa Concordia -- a luxury cruise ship operated by Carnival's Costa Cruises brand -- was grounded on rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio in Italy, Reuters reported.

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

Michigan baseball team visits veterans, Chelsea native joins Disney on Ice and more community briefs

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Members of the University of Michigan baseball team visited veterans at the Vetran's Affairs Ann Arbor Medical Center on Monday, Feb. 11.

Photo courtesy of VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System

The University of Michigan baseball team made a visit to the Veteran's Affairs Ann Arbor Medical Center on Monday.

The visit was part of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System National Salute to Veterans Week, which annually is scheduled for the week of Valentine's Day.

The Michigan track team also has a scheduled visit to the hospital as does Eastern Michigan assistant football coach and former Michigan running back Mike Hart and members of the Eagles football team.

Chelsea native to perform with Disney On Ice

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Chelsea native Kendra Moyle, right, will play Rapuzel in the Disney on Ice show "Dare to Dream" at the Palace of Auburn Hills March 14-17.

Photo courtesy of Disney on Ice

The "Disney On Ice" ice dancing show is coming to the Palace of Auburn Hills March 14-17 and Chelsea's Kendra Moyle will be part of the show.

Moyle, who trained at the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, grew up in Chelsea. Moyle is playing Rapunzel in the "Dare to Dream" show which relives moments from Disney movies Tangled, The Princess and the Frog and Cinderella.

Moyle was a junior pairs champion at the 2006 U.S. Championships and placed second in pairs at the 2006 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

For information, visit the Disney On Ice website.

Wolverines great pens first book

Rick Bay began his career in sports as a dual sport athlete at Michigan on the football and wrestling teams. In 1963, Bay was an All-American and Big Ten champion at 157 pounds for the Wolverines and the Big Ten's most outstanding wrestler.

He would later coach the Wolverines on the mat from 1970-74, going undefeated in dual meets and finishing third and second in the country in his final two seasons.

But his time in Ann Arbormerely was a prelude to a long career in sports which includes stints as the athletic director at Ohio State, president of the Cleveland Indians and Chief Operating Officer for the New York Yankees.

Bay talks about his experiences in the world of major college and professional sports in his newly released memoir "From Buckeyes to the Bronx."

For information on the book, visit TheBayWatch.com.

Have a local sports brief to tell us about? Contact us at sports@annarbor.com.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.


Doctor with Ann Arbor ties charged in medical marijuana investigation

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A doctor in the Cadillac area with ties to a former Ann Arbor clinic has been charged with putting false information on medical charts to qualify people for medical marijuana.

Dr. Edward Harwell appeared Wednesday in Wexford County District Court. The case comes five months after the state attorney general's office filed a professional misconduct complaint against him with the Board of Medicine.

The criminal charges are the result of an undercover investigation. The 76-year-old Harwell has operated clinics in Cadillac and Ann Arbor.

Harwell was affiliated with the Liberty Clinic in Ann Arbor, the scene of a dramatic armed robbery in September 2010. The clinic went out of business soon after.

The doctor told AnnArbor.com in June 2010 that he was anti-drug until attending a medical marijuana conference and studying the benefits of cannabis on his own. At the time he was traveling weekly to the nonprofit Liberty Clinic to certify patients.

A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.

The misconduct complaint accuses Harwell of failing to properly evaluate patients who paid to get his approval for medical marijuana. The next hearing in that matter is March 26.

2012 graduation rates a mixed bag: Some Washtenaw County schools improve; others see more dropouts

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The 2012 class of nearly 350 graduating seniors cheer award recipients during the Huron High School graduation ceremony at EMU's Convocation Center in this AnnArbor.com file photo. Graduation/dropout rates released Wednesday by the state show the county's high schools experienced a mix of improvement and decline in 2012.

Joe Sharp | For AnnArbor.com

Michigan's statewide graduation rate increased in 2012 and its dropout rate decreased, according to data shared Wednesday by the state's Center for Educational Performance and Information.

But in Washtenaw County, data was not as conclusive. Most districts saw their graduation rates improve from 2011. However, some on the east side of the county declined or stayed the same. And dropout rates at a few of the county's public school districts also worsened.

CEPI reported the statewide four-year, or "on time," graduation rate for the class of 2012 was 76.24 percent, up from 74.33 percent for the class of 2011.

The state dropout rate for 2012 was reported at 10.71 percent, according to the CEPI data released Wednesday. In 2011, Michigan had a dropout rate of 11.13 percent.

The improvement is worth noting in part because of the tougher graduation requirements that went into effect for the class of 2011. Those students were the first required to take more math and science to receive their high school diplomas.

Ann Arbor Public Schools improved its dropout rate from 2011, which was 7.26 percent. But its 2012 rate of 4.16 percent is about equal to the district's class of 2010 dropout rate, 4.17 percent.

Ann Arbor's districtwide graduation rate increased from 83.57 percent in 2011 to 87.44 percent in 2012.

Community High School consistently has the best graduation rate of Ann Arbor Public Schools' secondary buildings. In 2012, 97.35 percent of its seniors graduated, with 1.77 percent dropping out.

Pioneer and Skyline high schools are close behind with graduation/dropout rates of 95.26/1.58 percent and 94.44/1.59 percent, respectively.

This is the first graduation data available for Skyline High School, which opened its doors in 2008 and had its first class of seniors in 2012.

Huron High School had 88.7 percent of its seniors graduate, with 3.19 percent dropping out.

The only Ann Arbor public high school to see its graduation rate drop from 2011 to 2012 was Ann Arbor Technological High School, one of AAPS' two alternative programs. Last year, 16.28 percent of its seniors graduated on time, compared to 21.57 percent of seniors the year before.

However, in 2011, 25.49 percent of its seniors dropped out of high school, compared to 11.63 percent in 2012. A2 Tech retained more of its students last year as "off-track continuing," which means they're still in school but didn't have the credits to graduate in four years. Less than 10 seniors were reported as dropouts in 2012, whereas 13 kids dropped out the year before.

Ann Arbor's second alternative high school program, the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center, saw its graduation rates increase from 75 percent to 88.24 percent, not far behind Huron. Its dropout rate fell from 20 percent to 11.76 percent.

Saline Area Schools has the best dropout rate in Washtenaw County. Less than 1 percent of its students didn't graduate, while 96.43 percent did graduate in 2012.

Willow Run Community Schools had the lowest 2012 graduation rate in the county, 41.43 percent. This is down almost 5 percent from 2011. The district's dropout rate also increased from 20.14 percent to 24.29 percent.

Ypsilanti Public Schools' dropout rate increased slightly from 2011 to 2012 — 15.43 percent to about 17 percent. It also had fewer students listed as off-track continuing for 2012.

About 63 percent of Ypsilanti's seniors graduated last year, compared to 57.45 percent the year before. However, Ypsilanti also had a smaller graduating class in 2012, with approximately 64 fewer students.

In a report to the Board of Education in October, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Martin explained that Ypsilanti was disputing its 2012 graduation rates as reported by the state. Martin said then that Ypsilanti often graduates students in five years through programs such as Washtenaw International High School (WiHi), Widening Advancement for Youth (WAY), Early College Alliance (ECA), dual enrollment, Forest School and New Tech at Ardis. Some of these programs, WAY and ECA in particular, were not designed to be four-year high-school experiences, Martin said.

Dexter Community Schools' dropout rate also increased, from 3.57 percent in 2011 to 5.63 percent last year. Its graduate rate improved, however, from 89.64 percent to 92.5 percent.

Chelsea School District's graduation rate declined while its dropout rate increased. More than 90 percent of the district's seniors in 2011 graduated, compared to 84.8 percent of seniors in 2012. The dropout rate jumped about 1.2 percent, with 5.2 percent of the class of 2012 not finishing school.

At Lincoln schools, the district's graduation rate stayed about same, at just more than 70 percent. The district improved its dropout rate from 13.55 percent to 8.7 percent.

At Manchester Community Schools, the opposite occurred. The district's dropout rate was consistent, at just greater than 2 percent, while its graduation rate increased, from 87.96 percent to 91.11 percent.

Milan Area Schools saw improvement in both its graduation and dropout rates. Its dropout rate fell from 11.81 percent in 2011 to 6.74 percent in 2012. The district's graduation rate increased from 76.01 percent to 80.15 percent.

Whitmore Lake Public Schools' graduation rate hovered at about 87 percent in both 2011 and 2012. Its dropout rate declined from 6.19 percent to 4 percent.

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

Milan's Stephanie Jass appears on 'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions

Akron extends nation's longest winning streak with 60-52 win over Eastern Michigan

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The Eastern Michigan men's basketball team fell to Akron, 60-52, on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center in front of an announced crown of 672 people.

With the win, Akron (20-4, 11-0 Mid-American Conference) extended its winning streak to 16 games, currently the longest in the country.

Boxscore

Glenn Bryant led Eastern Michigan (11-13, 4-6 MAC) in scoring with 11 points while J.R. Sims and Anthony Strickland had 10 points apiece for the Eagles.

Eastern trailed 29-26 at the half and the score was tied 45-45 late in the second half, but was never able to take the lead as the Zips responded with a 7-0 run.

Eastern will be in action again on Saturday, Feb.16 against Ball State University.

Joseph Tobianski is a photographer for AnnArbor.com.

Chelsea, Manchester and Saline wrestling teams fall short of state finals

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The Chelsea, Manchester and Saline high school wrestling teams competed in regional team tournaments on Wednesday with opportunities to qualify for their respective state tournaments next week in Battle Creek.

All three teams fell short.

Saline and Manchester each fell to perennial powers in the semifinals with Saline losing 46-17 to Temperance Bedford in the Division 1 regional at Westland John Glenn High School and Manchester falling to Dundee 49-18 at the Division 3 regional at Onsted High School.

Both Bedford and Dundee ended up winning their regionals.

Chelsea made it to the finals of the Division 2 regional at Fowlerville High School after beating Eaton Rapids 42-25 in the semifinals. The Bulldogs lost to Mason in the final, 57-23.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

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