Washtenaw County Administrator Verna McDaniel will host a public meeting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday to answer questions regarding a $345 million bond the county will consider issuing to cover long-term pension and health care costs for its retirees.
The meeting will be at the Learning Resource Center at 4135 Washtenaw Ave., in Pittsfield Township.
County administration has also developed a new website full of links with information on the bond issue.
Verna McDaniel
It can be accessed by going to the ewashtenaw.org and clicking on the “Bonding Information” link under the “Of Interest” column on the lower right side of the page.
McDaniel planned the meeting to engage the public prior to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioner’s back-to-back July 10 meetings, during which commissioners will take their first vote on initiating the bonding process.
The July 10 meeting also will include a public hearing on the potential $345 million bond issue at the beginning of the board’s regular meeting — which begins after 6:45 p.m.
A June 6 hearing specifically arranged on the bonding issue was sparsely attended by the public.
McDaniel first introduced the $345 million bond issue to commissioners during labor contract negotiations earlier this year.
Motivated by the impending implementation of Michigan’s new right-to-work law, the majority of the county’s unions negotiated long-term contracts. In exchange, the unions agreed to close retiree health care and pension plans that were costly for the county.
The closing of the plans meant the county could pursue issuing a massive bond to pay off the debt the county already was carrying for its retiree benefits, and to pay off the future estimated debt the county would incur.
Based on a 2011 actuary report of its employees, the county’s bond counsel estimated that figure would be about $340 million.
The county Board of Commissioners is now considering issuing a limited tax bond to pay off those unfunded liabilities. The bond does not require a vote of the people, and would not raise taxes.
The bond investment would pay-off the long-term debt — and the county would be responsible for paying off the bond throughout the next 25 years.
The payment schedule for the bond is something the county is able to manipulate — versus the increasingly large payments the county owes to its pension and health care funds year after year.
However, the success of the bond issue depends on the investment returns being at least the same as or higher than what the county pays for the bonds themselves.
Several commissioners have spoken in favor of issuing the bonds, as the payment schedule would give the county a way to manage its cash-flow issues as it faces nearly $7 million in cuts this budget cycle.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Customers line up outside of Jimmy John's on State Street in Ann Arbor to take advantage of customer appreciation day.
Chelsea Hoedl I AnnArbor.com
People began lining up on State Street outside of Jimmy John’s sandwich shop at 11 a.m. on Thursday to take advantage of the $1 subs being handed out in honor of customer appreciation day.
Subs listed as numbers 1 through 6 on the menu are available for a dollar from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m today at all participating Ann Arbor-area locations. Everything else on the menu can be ordered for full price.
Dollar subs are limited to one per customer and cannot be ordered online or for delivery.
Jimmy John’s sandwich shops offer the $1 special for customer appreciation day, grand openings and shop anniversaries in major markets across the country.
Jimmy John’s offers 8-inch sub sandwiches, plain slims, low carb lettuce wraps, giant club sandwiches and various side items including chips and beverages.
According to the Jimmy John’s website, there are six Jimmy John’s sandwich shops in Ann Arbor. Call or visit your nearest Jimmy John’s to inquire about customer appreciation day.
Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.
Berenson is a Regina, Saskatchewan, native who played for Michigan from 1959-62 before a 17-year NHL career that included 261 goals and 658 points. He has coached the Michigan hockey team since 1984, leading the team to 11 Frozen Fours and two NCAA titles.
The induction ceremony will be held July 27 in Regina.
Ann Arbor junior tennis teams to face off at University of Michigan courts
The second annual Ann Arbor Junior Team Tennis Championships will be held at the University of Michigan's Varsity Tennis Center on Friday, July 12.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo
Club tennis teams from the Ann Arbor area will compete in the second annual Ann Arbor Junior Team Tennis Championships on Friday, July 12, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the University of Michigan Varsity Tennis Center, located at 2250 South State Street. There will be six flights of doubles competition with the finals scheduled to begin around 3 p.m.
Ric Foytik of Chelsea hit a hole-in-one at the Signature Course at Treetops Resort in Gaylord on Wednesday, June 19. Foytik, 58, made the shot on hole No. 2, a 144 yard Par 3, with a 7-iron. It was Foytik's second-ever hole in one.
Michigan swimmers to compete at world championships
Jaeger was very comfortable in his surroundings having won the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle at Indiana to contribute to Michigan's national championship in March.
Jaeger's qualification means Michigan will have four swimmers competing at the FINA World Championships as Sean Ryan, Hassaan Abdel Khalik and Richard Funk had all previously qualified. Abdel Khalik and Funk will compete for Canada.
-- Kyle Austin contributed to this article
Have a local sports brief to tell us about? Contact us at sports@annarbor.com.
George Pariseau, Kevin Jackson, and Eileen Meier’s documentary, “The Flow,” won in the arts and entertainment/cultural affairs category; Brad Tennant’s film, “I’d Live For You” earned an award for directing; and Barb Morrissey won a photography award for “Belle Isle Zoo."
In addition, WCC students Jennifer Gentner and Scott Campbell were each nominated within the music video category.
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.
Tayo Norton was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in the early morning hours of May 12 because he was highly intoxicated, said Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
While he was in the waiting room, police say Norton got up, walked over to a woman, grabbed her breast, and then went and sat back down, Fox said.
Norton was arraigned last week on one charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for the incident and will face a preliminary examination July 2.
He is free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, according to court records.
Four days after the alleged incident at the hospital, Norton pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor vandalism charges in the 15th District Court, records show. Police caught Norton at 12:52 a.m. Dec. 27, 2012 spray-painting and using paint markers in the Library Lane parking garage, AnnArbor.com previously reported.
Norton was initially arraigned on one felony count of malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000 for the graffiti. Court records indicate he eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of property between $200 and $1,000 and was ordered to pay $2,121.53 in restitution.
Fourth-degree CSC is a high-court misdemeanor punishable by incarceration of two years and/or a $500 fine.
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 Trailer Park Boys - the troupe behind a Canadian mockumentary series featured on television and the big screen -Â will bring their Dear Santa Claus Tour to the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor, on Tuesday, December 10 at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) and present an all-ages show.
The show - which has become available in the U.S. via DirectTV and Netflix - focuses on the misadventures of several trailer park residents, and the tour show will feature Ricky, Julian, Bubbles, Rand and Mr. Lahey. Tickets go on sale on June 28, cost $39.50, $49.50 and $55 in advance (all tickets cost $2.50 more on the day of the show) and are available from Ticketmaster.
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.
Huron's Xavier Cochran goes up for a rebound in a district game against Pinckney.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file
As a sophomore, Xavier Cochran was thrown into the starting lineup for a young Huron High School boys basketball team that saw its ups and downs in 2012-13.
In the months following the season, he’s seeing that experience pay dividends.
Cochran said his recruiting has picked up considerably in the last few months, as he’s drawing interest from a few high profile schools like Xavier, Butler and VCU and other mid-majors like Rhode Island, Akron and Buffalo.
“A lot more schools than that,” Cochran said. “I can’t really name them all.”
They all know what's becoming apparent to area basketball followers: that Cochran projects to be one of the area’s top players for the next two seasons.
“He’s one of the top players in the state, and he’s being recruited pretty heavily,” Huron coach Waleed Samaha said. “Some high majors are showing interest, but a lot of the mid-majors are recruiting him hard.”
Cochran was at Pioneer Wednesday night for the annual Ann Arbor Shootout summer basketball tournament. He’s sitting out for now, after suffering a minor knee injury a few weeks ago, but expects to be back to action in time for the summer AAU season in early July, when he will play for Dorian's Pride out of Saginaw.
Huron played a junior varsity lineup in Wednesday’s tournament, which also featured, Pioneer, Skyline and Father Gabriel Richard as teams start to prepare for next year.
“We’re progressing,” Samaha said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but everyone’s got a lot of work to do this summer, but so does everybody else.”
For the River Rats next year, Cochran figures to be a key cog. He averaged 12.6 points per game last year, the only player to start every game on a team that featured just three seniors.
A self-described slasher, Cochran said the experience helped the game slow down for him. Now, he’s trying to improve his strength and speed going into his junior and senior years.
“I’ve been lifting a lot this year, so strength and speed-wise have been the biggest parts I’ve been trying to work on this year,” Cochran said.
Pioneer going young
While Huron is working with a lineup that will be mostly intact, across town, Pioneer is gearing up for a year that could feature its youngest lineup in recent memory.
Ten seniors graduated from Pioneer’s 2012-13 team. Only one rotation player, guard Tre Wallace, will return to next year’s squad.
That’s means summer games this year have been noticeably different than in years past.
“It’s been a test of patience for the coaching staff,” Pioneer coach Rex Stanczak said. “We’re real small, and I think we’re going to be scrappy. We’ll figure it out.”
Stanczak said next year’s team figures to include three sophomores and one freshman. That’s more sophomores and freshmen than he’s fielded on a varsity team in any of his previous eight seasons at Pioneer -- making for an interesting offseason.
“It’s been an up-and-down summer,” Stanczak 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.
The Ann Arbor Board of Education voted to adjust the 2013-14 budget Wednesday, calling for the use of more fund equity. Pictured here in this April file photo, from left, are: Superintendent Patricia Green, Board President Deb Mexicotte, Vice President Christine Stead and Trustee Irene Patalan.
The Ann Arbor Board of Education on Wednesday turned down at least one revenue enhancement option en route to dipping further into its fund equity, or primary savings account, to fix an arithmetic error and re-balance the 2013-14 budget.
The board, in a 4-2 vote, authorized to use $383,000 more from the district's rainy day fund to adjust the budget, after trustees and school officials overestimated on June 13 savings from forthcoming collective bargaining agreements and did not properly account for the savings expected from charging high-schoolers for a seventh class.
Trustees Simone Lightfoot and Christine Stead voted against the motion to use more money from fund equity and Trustee Andy Thomas was absent.
The board now will use $1.56 million from its savings, bringing the remaining account balance down to about $5.31 million — 2.9 percent of the district's $182 million operating budget.
Stead said she feels like one of the greatest risks the district faces is draining down its fund balance, which is why she did not support the motion. She also was the lone trustee to vote against the budget in the initial vote on June 13.
She said draining down the district's fund balance only leads to a host of future problems, including having to borrow more money to make payroll again next year, having to pay more in interest and fees on that money and having zero capacity to absorb any staffing overages or major budget adjustments like the ones the district has seen consistently in its second and third financial quarters the past few years.
But Trustee Irene Patalan took a different, more positive tone: "I choose to be optimistic and think that, perhaps, we won't be having to take money out of fund equity next year. I believe we are really putting some things in place that we have not done (before) and that will pay off
"This is my new theme, that this is the hardest year because we are putting some things in place that will make it not so painful next year," she said.
According to district officials, the Ann Arbor Public Schools must have at least $16 million in fund equity in order to avoid borrowing to make payroll during the summer months.
Aside from adjusting the amount the district would spend from its savings, there were no changes Wednesday to the budget reductions that were approved on June 13.
The board did discuss a few items that individual members wanted to revisit. However, those trustees in favor of altering something were not able to garner the votes to make it happen. The topics discussed were the tuition preschool programs at Thurston and Allen elementaries, the Pioneer Theater Guild technician position and the electronic billboards proposal.
After the school board decided June 13 against erecting three electronic billboards at Wines Elementary and Huron and Pioneer high schools, Adams Outdoor, the company interested in placing the large advertising platforms at the schools, came back with a counter offer.
The board weighed it heavily before the majority of trustees said thanks, but no thanks.
The offer included an extra monetary incentive. It was for one two-sided billboard at Pioneer High School and a 20-year contract. The billboard still would be erected along Stadium Boulevard, near the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's bus stop. One side of the electronic sign would face Stadium, while the other side would face Scio Church Road, said district spokeswoman Liz Margolis.
But instead of the $50,000 in revenue per year for the one billboard, the company offered to pay 10 years up front for a total of $500,000 the district could add in revenue to next year's budget.
Lightfoot said she would consider the billboards, but stressed she was concerned that even if the board voted for the billboard, which most trustees deemed an eyesore, the district likely would be in the same place next year facing tough cuts and then what good is it to rest on their laurels?
Stead was in favor of the billboard, saying one of the largest and brightest signs in the state of Michigan is across the street from the proposed Pioneer billboard site, so the neighborhood already is accustomed to seeing the lights from the University of Michigan Big House.
Patalan and President Deb Mexicotte were of the opinion that the board likely would need to consider the billboards and the advertising revenue in the very near future, but that it didn't have to be now.
"I understand the allure and can see the value of the immediate savings ," Mexicotte said Wednesday. "But I'm not in favor of this for tonight. I don't think we need to rush into it. We can look at adding that revenue at any time."
Patalan agreed and said she also would like to see if any other companies would be interested in this marketing site and see if the board could better maximize the amount of revenue it is able to bring in. She said if the board is not hasty, it may be able to add even more money back into fund equity.
"If I'm really going to sell out, then I want to hear from other people first," she said.
Trustee Susan Baskett first said she would vote for the Pioneer billboard but then changed her mind, saying she would not vote for the billboard if the board was not in favor of keeping the Community Education and Recreation tuition preschools at Thurston and Allen.
Baskett wanted to keep the preschool program for another year and give a plan drafted by parents in the community to increase enrollment a shot. However, she was outvoted 3-4.
A group of parents involved in the preschool programs submitted a proposal to the Board of Education for signage and advertising that would attract more families to what they say is a "wildly successful" program and one of the "best-kept secrets" in Ann Arbor.
These families also went out and found a donor willing to contribute $10,000 toward maintaining the preschool program for fall, which would help offset the approximately $70,000 deficit that Rec and Ed officials project the program would be running on if it stayed open, due to the program continuously being under enrolled.
"With the issues parents already have brought to our attention, ... it seems a lot of opportunity has been missed," Baskett said. "It seems we have a well educated, much intended group of supportive families who can turn this around. ... Who is to say that (the families) will not only come back, but bring others with them?"
Rec and Ed Executive Director Jenna Bacolor said the department already notified the 33 previously enrolled families about the board's June 13 decision to discontinue the preschool programs. Margolis also declined the $10,000 donation.
So Bacolor said if the board were to change its mind now, "we've heard from some (families) who have found other placements for their children, so there is the potential for the deficit to be higher since we already took that step of notifying parents."
Stead said she would like to see the board and the district study this tuition preschool program for a year to come up with a "grand, purposeful plan" for bringing back the preschool program in 2014-15 and increasing revenue and enrollment — "versus trying to pull back families in time for next year."
The board did agree to take up the topic of the preschool programs at its next planning committee meeting, when district officials could be available to go through numbers and projections for the program with trustees and active preschool parents and community members. It will be placed on the planning committee agenda in the near future.
One final motion was made by Mexicotte to strike a compromise with the Pioneer Theater Guild on the theater technician position. She moved that the board consider a new proposal made by district officials to restore $25,000 of general fund money for this position. The board voted on June 13 to cut district funding for the position entirely, to the tune of $50,000, making Pioneer Theater Guild responsible for funding the full amount of the position if PTG wanted to maintain it.
Theater Guild members have argued that this technician is essential to keeping students safe when using the old equipment at the Pioneer theater and that this individual also does all of the scheduling for non-theater events using the Pioneer stage, as well. Mexicotte's motion failed 1-5 with little discussion.
Ann Arbor is ranked as the 15th most intelligent city in United States byLumosity, a cognitive training site, according to Business Insider.
The top three smartest cities of the 479 ranked by the study are Stanford, Calif.; Princeton, N.J.; and Storrs Mansfield, Conn..
College towns were among the highest-scoring cities, Business Insider said.
Cities were ranked by residents’ average brain performance score in speed, attention, flexibility, memory and problem solving, according to Business Insider.
NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website also recently ranked Ann Arbor as the 17th most educated city in America. It was one of two Michigan cities to make the list. East Lansing was ranked 11th on the list.
NerdWallet’s ranking is based on the percentage of the population with a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and professional or doctoral degree.
Belle Tire wants to clear the parking lot east of the Tim Hortons coffee shop to construct an auto service building.
Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com
Michigan-based Belle Tire wants to build a store on Ellsworth Road, just east of State Street.
Belle Tire operates more than 80 stores in southeast Michigan and Ohio.
Courtesy photo
The tire retail chain submitted a proposal to the city of Ann Arbor to construct a 9,735-square-foot, one-story auto service building at 590 E. Ellsworth Road. The architect for the project is Christopher Enright of Birmingham, Mich.
The 0.84-acre site is adjacent to the new Tim Hortons drive-thru coffee shop at 3965 S. State St., on property owned by Ann Arbor’s First Martin Corporation. The former Enzo’s Sports Bar was demolished in September 2012 to make way for Tim Hortons, leaving room for an additional development next to the coffee shop.
City records show the 0.84-acre property has a 2013 assessed value of $121,100. Belle Tire is under contract to purchase the property from First Martin, Belle Tire's Chief Operating Officer James Tyson wrote via email.
Plans show the existing parking lot east of Tim Hortons would be cleared to make room for Belle Tire. Plans call for 47 parking spaces.
Enright said the Tim Hortons and Belle Tire would share an access way off Ellsworth. If approved, he said construction could begin in spring 2014.
Tim Hortons opened earlier this year at 3965 S. State St.
Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com
There will be a public hearing for the plans at the Ann Arbor Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 20.
The first Belle Tire store opened in Detroit in 1922, according to the company’s website. The chain now operates more than 80 stores in southeast Michigan and Ohio, including locations on Jackson Road, Carpenter Road and Washtenaw Avenue.
Two men accused of beating and robbing a man outside Ypsilanti High School in April are now in custody, police said.
A 31-year-old Ypsilanti Township man was arrested Thursday in connection with a brutal assault that left a 36-year-old man unable to move all night on the school's grounds, Sgt. Geoff Fox with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office said.
The man could face charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and armed robbery. He will be named upon arraignment, which will likely come before the end of the week.
The second suspect, Maynor Oliverio Lopez-Requiec, 24, had his case adjourned until July 17 when he appeared Wednesday in the Washtenaw County Trial Court. He is charged with assault with intent to murder, armed robbery and carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, according to court records.
The two men are accused of being in a group of three or four men who approached the 36-year-old Ypsilanti Township man around 10 p.m. April 23 near Ypsilanti High School, located 2095 Packard Road.
“One of the subjects was possibility carrying a bat, or some sort of other object,” Fox said.
Lopez-Requiec is accused of striking the man with the object, Fox said. The victim told police he then fell to the ground and was kicked in the face and robbed of his wallet and cash. The suspects then fled.
“He attempted to get up, but he couldn’t due to the severe head wound," Fox said about the victim. The man laid there overnight.
He was discovered in the morning by someone and taken to the hospital in critical condition from the head injuries and hypothermia, Fox said.
The victim knew some of the suspects, including Lopez-Requiec, who was arrested the next day and arraigned April 26.
Judge Archie Brown granted Lopez-Requiec, who speaks Spanish, an adjournment Wednesday due to translation difficulties. Investigators and attorneys have said the language barrier has created difficulties interviewing both Lopez-Requiec and the suspect arrested Thursday, who also speaks Spanish.
"I'm concerned if Mr. Lopez understands what's going on," Lopez-Requiec's court-appointed attorney, Erika Julien, told Brown when requesting the adjournment Wednesday. "This case is still unfolding."
She was granted a translator and time for at least two meetings in jail to speak with her client.
Both suspects are living in the country illegally and face deportation to Guatemala whether convicted or not, officials said.
Lopez-Requiec remains in the Washtenaw County Jail on a $40,000 cash or surety bond.
The drive will take place at the at the fire station, located at 525 W. Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti Fire Chief Max Anthouard said the need for blood always is greater in the summer months because there is increased trauma. Blood also has a shelf life, so there is a constant need for a fresh supply.
Anthourd said having ample blood on-hand allows a “chain” of emergency responders to complete their job, which in turn saves lives.
“During emergency responses, we’re all part of a chain to save lives. From the person who calls 911 to the rehab after the emergency,” Anthouard said. “When there’s a person with a trauma who needs blood and it’s not there, then the work of everyone on the chain fails. So we all need to work together and make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Anthouard said any kids who come with their parents can get a tour of the fire department while their parents give blood.
A compromise to keep student loan interest rates low proved unwinnable before Monday's deadline and interest rates on new loans are going to double — at least for a while — senators said Thursday.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, discusses a graph and legislation to try to prevent the increase in the interest rates on some student loans during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013.
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Sen. Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Senate education panel, said none of the proposals being circulating among lawmakers could win passage, and he urged lawmakers to extend the current rates for another year when they return from the July 4 recess. Harkin said his colleagues could retroactively lower the rates when they return from the holiday.
"Let's put this off for a year," Harkin, D-Iowa, told reporters.
Interest rates on new subsidized Stafford loans are set to go from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on Monday unless lawmakers take action. Congress' Joint Economic Committee estimates the increase will cost the average student $2,600.
"Neither party wants to see rates rise next week," said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.
But a one-year rate extension isn't an acceptable option, either.
"Last year we kicked the can down the road and passed a one-year extension for only a small group of students. ... Why would we make the same mistake again and just kick the can down the road another year?" said Burr, who was among a group of senators who worked on a competing proposal with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
The Manchin-led proposal would link interest rates to the financial markets. It borrowed heavily from a version House Republicans passed earlier and from principles included in President Barack Obama's budget proposal.
"This agreement is very much like the proposal in the president's budget, it is very much like the proposal passed by the Republican House of Representatives and it will save billions of dollars in interest for all 11 million students taking out loans this year by dropping rates on all student loans," said Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "Some senators this afternoon are going to call for a short-term, political fix for just 40 percent of loans, but that's no fix at all when we have a plan to help all students that we can pass quickly."
Nothing was happening — quickly or not — before July 1, meaning students who take loans would face higher rates. Senators were heading out of town without a deal, and Harkin said his colleagues would consider a retroactive fix on July 10.
"I think we are nowhere between now and July 1," said Rep. George Miller of California, the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "It sounds to me like the Senate is going to leave town without dealing with this."
Severe storms that brought a pre-Fourth of July display of lights in the sky rolled through Ann Arbor Thursday.
Lightning, thunder and heavy rains whipped through the area and were expected to continue until 5 p.m. Several streets were reported flooded in Ann Arbor, and lights flickered downtown.
The National Weather Service issued an urban and small stream flood advisory, effective until 8 p.m. for Washtenaw County. Excessive runoff from this storm will cause minor flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, the weather service said.
The Kline lot at Ashley and William was flooded after the storm Thursday
Photo submitted by Caroline Schuerman
Ann Arbor police were responding to several areas in the city around 4:45 p.m. Sgt. Mike Scherba said the intersection of First and Kingsley streets experienced the worst amount of flooding.
“There’s a lot of water on the ground still,” he said.
Other flooded intersections included Packard and Madison streets, State and Hill streets and Huron Parkway and Washtenaw Avenue. Scherba said cars were getting stuck in the intersections.
There was also extensive flooding reported at the city parking lot at First and William streets.
Depot Street, which was underwater Wednesday due to a water main break, also experienced flooding and a car appeared to have stalled in the street.
The National Weather Service said the Warren Road underpass at U.S. 23 north of Ann Arbor was flooded and closed.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southeastern Washtenaw County effective until 5 p.m.
At 4:08 p.m. a storm moved through in a southeasterly direction at 5 mph, according to the weather service. The storm was capable of bringing quarter size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. Damage to vehicles was possible, the weather service said.
An SUV makes a splash on flooded Fuller Street.
Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com
The DTE Energy Power Outage map showed a few scattered outages in the Ann Arbor area. The largest, affecting about 1,300 customers, straddled parts of Pittsfield, York and Ypsilanti townships. Restoration was expected between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Another stretched across Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor from Pauline Boulevard on the north to roughly Avendale Avenue on the south. That outage was affecting 472 customers. Restoration was expected between 6 and 8 p.m.
Joyce Williams with Huron Valley Ambulance said there were numerous reports of vehicle crashes Thursday evening around the time the storm passed through, including M-14 and Main Street, Interstate 94 and Huron and U.S> 23 at Geddes.
Williams said there were no major injuries.
See a video of flooding on East University between Hill Street and South University below:
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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 grants were given to 18 different community programs and organizations; 11 in Chelsea, six in Manchester and one in Dexter. Every group receiving funds were previously approved as part of the 5H project.
Grants are awarded to interventions that further the CWFs mission within its service area every two months, according to Matt Pegouskie, program and community resource manager for the foundation.
“Each of the five communities we serve — Dexter, Chelsea, Grass Lake, Manchester and Stockbridge — can ask for up to $100,000 for the 2013-14 plan,” Pegouskie said. “If the (programs) requesting grant money are sustainable, work to complete our mission and are feasible, then they will be approved.”
For the 2012-13 plan, communities were able to request up to $200,000 in funding. All grants awarded to Chelsea on Monday were from the 2013-14 plan, whereas those awarded to Dexter and Manchester were from the 2012-2013 plan.
CWF is a tax-exempt, private foundation that aims to create a culture of wellness within the five communities it serves. Their mission is to encourage community members to eat better, move more, avoid unhealthy substances and connect with others in a healthy way.
Nonprofit organizations that serve the CWF service area are eligible to apply for funding.
“For the most part, we don’t have any interventions that aren’t approved,” Pegouskie said. “As long as they can demonstrate that they will use the grant money to further our goals and we have the proper funding, we approve the grant.”
The annual amount of funding available for grants is determined by, and comes from, the returns made on the market investments of CWF assets, Pegouskie said.
CWF has been working to make the cities it serves the healthiest communities in the Midwest since 2009. The foundation launched the 5H project two years ago and has just completed its second wave of awarding grants.
“Since the launch of 5H, I think people are starting to realize and appreciate how important health is,” Pegouskie said.
Pegouskie said he and the foundation’s board of directors are excited to watch the funds go toward creating a healthier community.
“All of the interventions that received grants are great,” Pegouskie said. “We’re very excited about the potential of these grants.”
Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.
Severe thunderstorms flooded streets and knocked out power across Ann Arbor. See photos and video shared on social media, then share your own by uploading it here or with the hashtag #a2photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Photographer Courtney Sacco captured these images. Next Thursday at noon, the series hosts Luke Winslow-King at Liberty Plaza, at the corner of Division and Liberty streets.
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival has announced that today's storms have forced the cancellation of the earlier acts scheduled for Top of the Park today.
Entertainment scheduled at the Grove Stage at 5 and 6 p.m. has been canceled, along with Hullabaloo, the band scheduled to take the main stage at 7 p.m.
At this writing, the festival still hopes to continue with the rest of the night's schedule, including live music from Wild Belle at 8:30 and a screening of "The Hunger Games" at 10.
Learn about beer varietals and the brewing process in a craft beer sampling Tuesday at Top of the Park, part of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. For a $15 tasting fee, attendees can sample multiple beers of each evening's featured microbrews. This week’s Tasting Tuesday highlights beer from west Michigan’s Saugatuck Brewing.
If wine is more your thing, Wind Down Wednesdays might be more tempting. This week’s Wind Down Wednesday pits California versus Michigan wines. When it comes to American wine, California is king, producing 89 percent of all wine in the U.S. Yet states like Michigan, with just over 100 wineries, continue to make steady progress on the national scene with excellent grape and fruit wines.
Can Michigan win? Judge for yourself with samples of quality wines from both states.
No reservations are needed: just show up between 5-9 p.m. in The Grove area of Top of the Park in Ingalls Mall.
The Director’s Cup takes into account a school’s finish in up to 20 sports — 10 men’s and 10 women’s. Two Michigan sports finished their seasons with national titles this year: men’s swimming and diving and men’s gymnastics.
The men’s basketball team also reached the national title game, while volleyball reached the national semifinals and softball reached the Women’s College World Series. The Michigan women’s tennis and women’s soccer teams also reached the Sweet 16 of their respective tournaments.
The Director’s Cup has been awarded every year since 1994. Michigan has finished in the top 15 in 18 of those years, and in the top five 11 times. Stanford, Florida and UCLA finished in the top three spots of this year’s final standings.
