While venture capital funding decreased nationwide last year, funding for Michigan startups increased from $84.7 million in 2011 to $232.31 million in 2012. The investment level was the highest Michigan has seen since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, according to a report from MiBiz.

Tangent Medical Technologies attracted an $8.6 million round of funding in 2012, part of a very successful year startups in the state.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Experts in the MiBiz article said that Michigan’s venture capital community is growing thanks to increased entrepreneurial activity, but it still is in its early stages and small compared to the money available on the coasts.

One coastal fund, Massachusetts based Flagship Ventures, will soon be opening an office in Ann Arbor, according to a story from Concentrate Media. University of Michigan Ross School of Business graduate Dr. Michael Johnson will run the new office.

The fund specializes in early stage investments and has invested in Ann Arbor companies Accuri Cytometers and Tangent Medical Technologies. Flagship expects to open its doors at a soon-to-be leased office in downtown Ann Arbor before the end of February.

Ann Arbor companies that raised significant rounds of funding in the 2012 year include Cytopherx, LLamasoft, Tangent Medical Technologies, and NanoBio.

• Read the full story from MiBiz.

• Read the full story from Concentrate Media.

Attending a concert Sunday could lead to a 14-passenger van for the Community Action Network. It's true. The Northside Community Church's Concerts4aCause will benefit CAN so that they can buy a gently-used van to "transport children and parents to school events, and for field trips during afterschool programs and summer camps," according to the press release.

The concert's theme is "Love Song to American Traditions" and will feature works by Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ives, African American and Puerto Rican composers and jazz artists. Performers include tenor and U-M emeritus professor, George Shirley; Detroit Symphony Orchestra clarinetist, Shannon Orme; pianists Xavier Suarez and Concerts4aCause director, Kathryn Goodson; and students from the U-M Black Arts Council and local high schools.

CAN is an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit that partners with Washtenaw County children and families from under-resourced neighborhoods in order to carve out a better future for themselves and improve their communities.

The concert itself is free, but donations will be taken before and after the event. There will be an on-site reception after the concert.

Sunday, February 17, 2013. 7 p.m. Free. Donations accepted. The Northside Community Church is located at 929 Barton Dr., Ann Arbor. 734-662-6351.

The Saline Police Department will transition from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts to allow more time off for officers and the promotion of two officers to supervisor positions, according to the Saline Reporter.

Chief Larry Hrinik told the Saline Reporter the new plan will allow officers to build up 91 hours of additional non-comp time off and will allow more flexibility in how days off are scheduled.

Advocates said the new scheduling plan is cost-neutral and will boost morale.

• Read the full story at the Saline Reporter

A Community High School journalism student works on an old eMac in one of the school's computer labs in this 2012 AnnArbor.com file photo. Upgrading the district's computer labs is next on school officials' lists for technology bond improvement projects.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

• Previous story: Ann Arbor school board approves first purchases from $45.8 million technology bond

Ann Arbor Public Schools has more technology purchases in the pipeline to put to use its $45.8 million tech bond.

The Board of Education approved Wednesday allocating $27,405 of the district's technology bond money to purchase 35 classroom sound-field amplification systems.

The sound amplifiers are worn around the teacher's neck and help boost his or her voice so all students can receive instruction better.

Up next in tech bond purchases will be 2,800 desktop computers and 400 MacBook Air laptop computers, which will replace the older laptops in the computer carts at the elementary schools.

The desktops will replace the 1,900 iMac computers currently used in the district's computer labs. These will be used for Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing in the fall. The remaining 900 computers will be stored for future tech bond rollouts, such as to replace teachers' iMacs when the time comes, said Executive Director of Physical Properties Randy Trent.

Voters in the Ann Arbor Public Schools district approved the $45.8-million bond for technology improvements in May 2012. The bond began levying an additional .45 mills (or 45 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) from taxpayers in July.

The tech bond passed with 70.35 percent approval from residents.

The desktop and laptop purchases for the district's stationary and mobile computer labs came before the school board Wednesday for a first briefing. The board is expected to approve the proposals at its Feb. 27 meeting.

The district received a 25 percent discount from Apple off the listed price for the MacBook Air laptops. They will cost AAPS $1,069 per unit, totaling $427,600.

The iMac desktops will cost $1,039 per unit or a total cost of $2.9 million.

All of the new computers will use Apple's new operating system, Mountain Lion. This will require the district to replace some of its software in the future, which cannot be purchased using bond money per state law.

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

• Update: Saline woman home from stranded Carnival cruise ship: 'I'm not going camping in the ocean anymore'

A Saline woman who endured five days of deplorable conditions on the Carnival cruise ship Triumph is on the last leg of her journey home Friday.

Tired from a lack of sleep and weak from days without insulin for her diabetes, Gina Howe, 44, of Saline is set to return to Michigan at 4:30 p.m. Friday from her vacation that turned into anything but a vacation.

Gina Howe of Saline speaks to reporters Friday afternoon at the Detroit metro airport in Romulus after arriving home from a cruise that went awry when the ship's engine stalled, leaving passengers stranded for five days.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

A fire in the ship's engine room Sunday stalled the Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico. Howe and Burgess were among the 4,200 people on the Triumph that waited days for the disabled cruise ship to return to port.

Howe slept on the deck of the cruise ship under makeshift tents with many of the other passengers to avoid the conditions in the ship's cabins. Inoperable toilets had spilled sewage in the hallways, and there was no air flow or lights in the rooms from inconsistently-working electricity.

Howe only packed enough insulin to last her the expected duration of the trip — Feb. 7 through Monday. The ship's staff told her there weren't any supplies available. She's eaten mostly fruit, vegetables and bread for the past five days.

Howe disembarked the Triumph at 12:45 a.m. Friday, several hours after the ship reached the emergency port of Mobile, Ala. Howe hasn't slept since she left the ship: By 2 a.m. she had booked a flight home, and boarded a bus to New Orleans.

In New Orleans she was able to shower at a hotel, but immediately went to the airport to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. From there, she boarded a second plane to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus.

Waiting for her Friday afternoon will be her sister Eden Davis of Pinckney and a hot cup of Starbucks, Davis said. Howe's family, including her two children, Layton Howe and Tanner Howe, will be among those greeting her at the airport.

From the airport, she'll go directly to the emergency room, Davis said.

Waiting in an area of the ship that still was damp with overflowed sewage for hours as the passengers prepared to disembark Thursday night, Howe said the stench made it difficult to breathe, Davis said.

At one point, Howe slipped on the wet floor — and at that point the cruise ship's staff put her in a wheel chair and immediately took her off the ship, Davis said.

Howe has since developed a rash on her foot and leg, which she believes came from walking the hallways of the ship and from her fall at the end of the trip, Davis said.

The trip was Howe's first cruise. She works part-time as an orthodontist in Brighton.

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

Jeffrey Arthur Schuh, Jeffrey Aron Schuh, Quang Nguyen, Steven Colwell

The court cases against the trio suspected of breaking into multiple homes in Washtenaw County during the summer continue toward trial despite plea negotiations.

According to court records, Jeffrey Aron Schuh, 20, and his father Jeffrey Arthur Schuh, 54, were in court for a pretrial hearing in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown Wednesday. Both will proceed toward a trial scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. May 6, records show.

They’ll both be back in court for a final pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. April 24, according to court records.

The father and son duo are accused of working with Quang Nguyen, 20, and Steven Colwell, 26, to break into homes in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, Scio Township, Webster Township and Dexter Township during July and August. Colwell was arrested following a home invasion in August and testified against the other three.

According to Colwell’s testimony, he broke into nine houses with the younger Schuh and Nguyen. The elder Schuh served as a lookout on three of those break-ins.

Foreign coins, two-dollar bills, equestrian trophies, jewelry, silver goblets, electronics, cash, a guitar and custom-made brass bullets were among the items reported stolen by the crew.

Nguyen and his attorney, Ronald Gold, also were working on a plea deal at a pretrial hearing last month. He’s scheduled to return to court for another pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. March 13, according to court records.

Colwell pleaded guilty to five counts of second-degree home invasion and is serving between two and 15 years in prison.

Jeffrey Aron Schuh faces 16 counts of second-degree home invasion, two counts of first-degree home invasion, two counts of safe breaking and two counts of stealing a financial transaction device. Nguyen faces all those same crimes and an additional two counts of second-degree home invasion. They both face a maximum of life in prison on the safe breaking charge.

Jeffrey Arthur Schuh faces five counts of second-degree home invasion, one count of first-degree home invasion and two counts of stealing a financial transaction device.

All three are lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail.

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

Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to nearby residential units or other garage spaces.

Kody Klein | AnnArbor.com

Not much remained of the three-stall garage that caught fire Friday afternoon at Earhart Village, 835 Greenhills Drive in Ann Arbor.

"It was burning through the roof," said Kevin Cook, battalion chief for Ann Arbor Fire Department.

Cook said six trucks were called to the scene at 2:28 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters successfully contained the fire, keeping it from spreading to nearby residential units or other garage spaces.

"We got it contained pretty fast," he said.

No one was injured and there were no vehicles in the garage when it caught fire. Among the remains that laid between charred rafters were bicycles and patio furniture.

Cook said it was too soon to say what caused the fire or what the cost of damages will be.

Representatives for Marcus Management, who manage the property, were unable to be reached for comment.

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

Everyone seems to be getting in on the "Harlem Shake" craze. Include the Eastern Michigan women's basketball team among them.

The school uploaded a video of its players dancing to the popular song on Friday. Perhaps it was to stave off boredom during the team's bye week.

As is standard with the popular new dance craze, one individual is dancing all along while the entire Eagles team seems to be unaware or uninterested in what he is doing. But at the 15 second point of the video the entire team joins in.

With a football helmet and sunglasses on, the dance leader is unrecognizable, but a university spokesperson confirmed that it is first-year coach Tory Verdi leading the group.

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

Gina Howe of Saline, right, talks to family and friends at Detroit Metro Airport on Friday. Howe was on the cruise ship Triumph where the engine stalled, leaving passengers stranded for five days.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

But, the reason she made it through being stranded with 4,200 other people on Carnival’s stalled ship shone through.

“I’m not going camping in the ocean anymore,” she said with a smile and sleep-deprived eyes. “You know why? You can go to the bathroom in the woods. You can’t in the ocean.”

Howe, 44, of Saline, and her family all laughed. At the end of such a terrible experience, she was somehow finding the humor in all of it.

Only she knows if the jokes about the filth on board the Triumph will actually make up for living through it.

Howe boarded the ship with her friend, Carrie Mason Burgess of Texas, on Feb. 7 for a cruise that was set to last until Monday. She said everything was great until Sunday morning when a fire in the ship’s engine room brought everything to a halt.

Within days, she said it was impossible to stay in her cabin for three minutes. Her jeweled flip-flops were ruined by the sewage in the ship’s hallways. Piles of urine-soaked tissues piled up next to inoperable toilets.

“That boat was a junk case, it was horrible. It was disgusting,” she said. “There were piles and piles of poop in buckets. In tubs, everywhere, down the halls.”

The piles of human waste scattered throughout the boat would have been enough to put anyone’s health in jeopardy. However, Howe had an extra element of danger: She’s a diabetic and was running out of insulin.

Howe said she packed extra insulin, but went to a nurse on the ship to see if extra supplies would be available. She said the nurse told her to come to the infirmary and see a doctor when she needed some more.

But when the time came, a doctor told Howe there was no such supply of insulin. At that point, she turned elsewhere.

“I have a lot of faith in God. I knew everybody was praying and God had me,” she said, choking up.

She survived by eating mostly fruit, vegetables and bread for the past five days. On the last night, the passengers were served steak and lobster and the crew cleaned up the boat. She called that “a fraud.”

Gina Howe of Saline stands in her room on the Triumph Monday, a day after the ship's engines caught fire and stalled. She put towels on the floor so she wouldn't step in sewage that had spilled from the toilets.

by Gina Howe

For the most part, there was no trouble with fellow passengers, she said. There were a few people she felt she should stay away from on board, but there weren’t any major problems.

The only night she was worried about passenger behavior was the second night after the ship was stalled.

“They gave them beer and wine that second night we were stuck at sea,” she said. “And, it was willy nilly. People were carrying bottles of beer. I was very unsettled with that, it was not comfortable.”

Since departing the Triumph in Mobile, Ala. at 12:45 a.m. Friday, Howe’s taken a bus to New Orleans and a flight to Charlotte before arriving back home. At the airport, she still had't received insulin, let alone any real sleep, since she got off the ship.

It’s unlikely she’ll get a chance to really rest for a few more hours. Howe’s next stop after the airport was the emergency room — a rash developed on her leg after she slipped and fell in the hallways of the boat during departure. She rolled up her pant leg Friday afternoon, revealing a red blotch covering most of her ankle and lower leg.

“I don’t know what it is, it doesn’t hurt,” she said.

Howe said her two main plans when she got back home were to drink some Starbucks — she squealed in delight when she was handed a large cup from the coffee chain — and to go to bed.

Howe and Burgess went on the cruise to honor a childhood friend who recently died. Family members who spoke to AnnArbor.com said it was the second one of Howe’s close childhood friends to die recently, and it stands to reason the nature of Howe’s trip might have put a damper on her spirit.

After all, she went on a cruise in remembrance of a friend and the thing stalled out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Surely she’d feel like the ideals behind the trip were a little tainted?

“Absolutely not. She wanted us there more, she wanted to keep the party going,” Howe said, laughing, “which is what we always did.”

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

When Chris Klein took off from the wall in the 100-yard backstroke, he had his sights set on Huron’s 10-year-old pool record.

When he hit the wall 100 yards later and looked up at the clock, his eyes deceived him for a moment.

“I thought I had it,” Klein, the Pioneer senior, said. “But then I remembered it was faster.”

Klein clocked in at 52.25 seconds, just .11 off putting his name on a record board that features multiple Olympians.

But there’s still time in this senior season to break records, and Klein has his sights set on plenty of them.

On Friday, first place was enough to help his Pioneer team top Huron, 117-69, in a dual meet. Pioneer won eight of 12 events, including diving, and finished its SEC dual meet season with just one blemish, to three-time defending state champions Saline.

More Coverage: Boxscore

“We’re getting ready for league meet, so everybody doesn’t want to swim their events, but it was a good meet,” Pioneer coach Denny Hill said. “Huron came out to swim, and it was a very good meet.”

Klein’s 100-yard backstroke time, his personal best, was one of the highlights of the night for Pioneer. He also won the 100 butterfly.

The Pioneers took first and second place in the 100 freestyle, with Davis Argersinger and Kai Williams. The Pioneers also won all three relays.

Highlights for the River Rats included Andrew Henning and Adam Lewit finishing 1-2 in the 200 freestyle, and sophomores Tamblyn Holden and Will Brenner notching first-place finishes in the 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle, respectively.

“We’re cresting at the right time,” Huron coach Eric Stanczyk said. “Nothing too far off, nothing surprising.”

The dual meet comes as both teams ramp up for the league meet next weekend at Saline, and the state finals March 8-9.

In those two meets, Klein has his eyes set on three records: his own school record in the 200 IM, Pioneer’s 32-year-old school record in the 100 breastroke, and the 100 breastroke state record held by Josh Ehrman of Saline, a friend.

And the performances of he and his teammates Friday night was a good sign.

“I feel the team is really far ahead of where they were last year,” Klein said “There’s a lot more people who have made a state cut, there’s a lot more people who are faster than they were last year. I feel that we’ve filled the gap left behind by the seniors who graduated last year.”

While Hill said his swimmers may have been a little tired in Friday’s meet, he still likes where they are with their training at this point in the season.

“Right now we’re looking pretty good,” Hill said. “And hopefully we’ll go a little faster.”

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.

AnnArbor.com Washtenaw County Scoreboard

Riley McDonald of Dexter dribbles the ball against Huron earlier this season.

Dexter 48, Ypsilanti 43
Boxscore

Jasmine Jones scored 20 points to lead Ypsilanti (12-6, 6-5 SEC White) in the near upset of SEC White leading Dexter (16-2, 10-1 SEC White).

Ypsilanti led 23-19 at half and 35-33 heading into the fourth quarter but the Dreadnaughts outscored the Phoenix 15-8 in the final frame.

With the win, Dexter clinched the SEC White title outright. Dexter was co-champions along with Chelsea last year.

Huron 41, Saline 35
Story | Boxscore

The night after beating the defending Class B state champions, Huron (13-5, 10-1 SEC Red) clinched the SEC Red with a win over Saline (10-8, 6-5 SEC Red)

Sophomore Payton Sims led Ann Arbor Huron with 19 points, knocking down five 3-pointers in the game. Sims also added five rebounds, and three steals. Saline was led by Melissa Needham who scored 18 points, and Caitlin Ellis who finished with 13.

Temperance Bedford 50, Skyline 35
Story | Boxscore

Mia Morris and Janae Sims led Skyline (7-11, 2-9 SEC Red) with 11 points each in a losing effort.

Temperance Bedford’s Nicole Rightnowar had 19 points and four assists.

Pioneer 52, Monroe 43
Story | Boxscore

Pioneer’s Desiree Cougill led with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Emily Turner returned for her first game since being injured on December 18 to add 14 points, and was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line for Pioneer (9-9, 4-7 SEC Red).

Chelsea 43, Tecumseh 25
Story | Boxscore

Chelsea's Bailey Darwin totaled a game-high 16 points, five rebounds, and five steals to help the Bulldogs improve to 12-6 overall, and 8-3 in the Southeastern Conference White Division -- good for second place behind Dexter. Melissa Robards added 12 points.

Lincoln 36, Adrian 26
Story | Boxscore

Arie Cargor scored a game-high 16 points with four 3-pointers as Ypsilanti Lincoln (12-6, 6-5 SEC White) honored its seniors with a victory.

Dominique Foley finished with 10 points, while Nadia Reed pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

Greenhills 46, Lutheran Westland 29
Story | Boxscore

Jackie Oestreich scored a game-high 32 points, surpassing 1,000 points in her high school career, as Ann Arbor Greenhills clinched a share of the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue title, at 8-2 in the league, 11-7 overall.

Trailing 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, Greenhills went on a 14-6 run in the second to go into halftime up 25-19. The second half was all Greenhills as the Gryphons outscored Lutheran Westland 21-10 to cap the win in its regular season finale.

"We switched to a man-to-man defense in the second quarter,” first-year Greenhills coach Rachel Cortis said. “Our goal is to hold the other team to ten points or less and they held them the rest of the game. Our defense won us the game.”

Detroit Community 38, Willow Run 30
Story | Boxscore

Despite a second-half rally, Ypsilanti Willow Run could not overcome a first quarter hole, trailing 21-5 after the first frame and 29-9 at halftime.

Briana Wright led Detroit Community with 12 points, and Micah McCullough added 10 points.

Samaria Gibbs led Willow Run (8-9, 4-3 MMAC) with 12 points.

Sand Creek 61, Whitmore Lake 38
Story | Boxscore

Alyssa Milliman scored 12 points, and Abby Salata added 11 for Whitmore Lake (2-16, 2-12 Tri-Count Conference) in a losing effort.

Washtenaw Christian 38, Monclova Christian Academy 20
Story | Boxscore

Eighth grader Jurnee Tipton had 17 rebounds, nine points, three steals, two assists and a block as Washtenaw Christian (9-6) avenged an early season loss.

Powered by Michaela Donat had 17 points to lead the Wildcats.

“We were looking forward to this game,” Saline Washtenaw Christian coach Bob Trevino said. “We really wanted to put a solid game together.”

Rudolf Steiner 52, Marshall Academy 32
Story | Boxscore

Anika Sproull paced Rudolf Steiner with 17 points, one of four Storm players to score 10 or more as they completed a sweep of the Mid-South Conference.

Rudolf Steiner (12-3, 6-0 Mid-South) jumped to a 14-2 lead after one quarter and put Marshall Academy away with a 25-point third.

Abby Andrews netted 12 points and filled the stat sheet with five steals and three blocks. Georgie Andrews and Tessa Belanger added 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Belanger pulling down 13 rebounds as well.

This file will be updated

AnnArbor.com Washtenaw County Scoreboard

Skylne's Sharath Anand dribbles down the lane Tuesday against Dexter.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

Temperance Bedford 59, Skyline 45
Story | Boxscore

Temperance Bedford's Jackson Lamb scored a game-high 21 points as the Kicking Mules held Skyline (8-8, 5-4 SEC Red) to four points in the final quarter.

Skyline's Peter Arkema-Bakker recorded nine points.

"We got off to a good start," Skyline coach Mike Lovelace said. "Right before the half, it was tied, but Bedford made a couple nice plays and finished up by four."

After a back-and-forth third quarter, Bedford entered the fourth quarter with a 47-41 lead.

"It was pretty much the game in the fourth quarter," Lovelace said. "We missed some key block outs, and they got some put-back baskets.

Huron 59, Saline 50
Details not available

Pioneer 67, Monroe 34
Story | Boxscore

Ethan Spencer's 14 points led the way, and Pioneer (12-4, 7-2 SEC Red) had 12 players scoring in the game.

"We came out with great defensive intensity, but they surprised us coming out in 2-3 zone and it took us a while to get our feet under us," Pioneer coach Rex Stanczak. "But defense set the tone for us and that really got us going."

Aedan York had 13 points and Jibreel Hussein had 11 points including three 3-pointers.

Milan 54, Grosse Ile 35
Story | Boxscore

C.J. Turnage and Stephen Evans scored 23 and 10 points, respectively, to lead Milan to its first win of the season in which it trailed at the half.

"(Grosse Ile) played an extremely good first half with great energy and intensity," Milan coach Josh Tropea said. "They played an extended 2-3 zone that really bothered us."

Milan (16-1, 12-0 Huron League) will travel to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Adrian 37, Lincoln 36
Story | Boxscore

Adrian’s Grant Farrington made the game-winning shot at the buzzer and finished with 10 points along with Brandon Green.

Sherrod Motley-Dismuke led Lincoln (6-10, 3-6 SEC White) with nine, followed by Tyler Hinton and Gary Chambers with seven apiece.

Adrian rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring Lincoln 13-7.

“We scored 15 points in the first off some 3-pointers and we fell in love with the 3-pointer,” Lincoln coach Rich Marion said. “Our ball movement got stagnant and we didn’t get touches in the high post as much as we’d like. In the next three quarter we struggled against the zone.”

Tecumseh 45, Chelsea 33
Story | Boxscore

Tecumseh’s Jacob Britt and Ben Kasper each scored 12 points as the Indians outscored Chelsea 26-14 in the second half.

Luke Hollandsworth led Chelsea (3-13, 2-7 SEC White) with 14 points.

“We executed and got the ball where we wanted it,” Chelsea coach Rourke Skelton said. “We got a lot of looks against their zone; we just couldn’t put it in the hole. We kept battling back, and our defense kept us in it all night.”

Tecumseh was 16 of 30 from the free-throw line, 9 of 21 in the fourth quarter, while Chelsea was 8 of 9.

Willow Run 71, Highland Park 58
Story | Boxscore

Daquanta Brown led Willow Run (8-8, 5-1 MMAC) with 21 points as the Flyers led 23-8 at the end of the first quarter. Jermayne Nathan had 16, and Eric Cunstull had 13.

“We had two really hard and intense practices after our last game and they responded well to it,” Willow Run coach Tim Cain said. “We pressed and ran and took it to them. All of our guards were able to penetrate.”

Hanover Horton 91, Manchester 53
Story | Boxscore

Manchester's Ryan Stiles led the Flying Dutchmen (1-17, 1-11 Cascades) with 22 points, and Nick Cozart added 12.

"We needed a win tonight," said Hanover-Horton coach Chad Mortimer, whose team trails East Jackson by one game. "We need to get better at the things that make us good. That's the fundamentals, and just doing things right. Today was a good start."

Whitmore Lake 65, Sand Creek 55
Story | Boxscore

Devon Kowalewski led Whitmore Lake (5-12, 4-8 Tri-County) with 19 points, followed by Rory Judge with 13, and Dylan St. Charles with 12.

“We got a lead and were able to make our free throws down the stretch,” Whitemore Lake coach Casey Livingston said. “We made 9 of 16 and we shot a high percentage. We scored more transition buckets tonight than we have in the last few games. Rebounding was a big issue tonight, we need to rebound better.”

Greenhills 51, Lutheran Westland 41
Story | Boxscore

Andrew Khouri had 23 points, including going 8 of 12 from the free-throw line for Greenhills, which outscored Lutheran Westland 17-8 in the third quarter.

Lutheran Westland led Greenhills early in the game when the Gryphons made some defensive adjustments.

"We switched to a version of a 2-3 defense and slowed their offense down a little bit," Greenhills coach Andrew Wright said. "That changed the game for us, and we were able to catch back up."

Andikan Archibong had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Greenhills and Emmet Kulka had five steals.

Greenhills (15-1) clinched the Michigan Independent Athletic Red conference title on Tuesday and finished 14-0.

"This is only our fourth year playing in the conference, so I was proud of us for accomplishing this," Wright said. "You can't do any better than we did this year.

"We played hard all year, and finished it out with a solid win."

Adrian Lenawee Christian 62, Arbor Prep 27
Details not available

Rudolf Steiner 68, Marshall Academy 45
Story | Boxscore

Ben Hadlock and Steven Molitor scored 27 and 14 points, respectively, to lead Rudolf Steiner to its first Mid-South Conference title, at 7-1 in the league and 11-7 overall. Steiner outscored Marshall Academy 25-5 in the first quarter.

"We knew what to expect against Marshall heading into the game, so we tried to keep Evans in front of us," Steiner second-year coach Nick Sherwood said. "Everybody was involved in the first (quarter) early. We were getting the ball into the breaks and hitting open shots."

Washtenaw Christian 64, Monclova Christian Academy 40
Story | Boxscore

AnnArbor.com Coverage

Ypsilanti 66, Dexter 46
Story | Boxscore | Photo Gallery

The Dexter boys basketball team was winning 22-21 at halftime against Ypsilanti on Friday night, but Ypsilanti used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to pull away in the 66-46 win.

Daniel Brenner is a photographer for AnnArbor.com.

The Ypsilanti High School boys basketball team hasn’t lost to an Southeastern Conference White Division team since joining the league in 2009. So when the Phoenix trailed Dexter 22-21 at halftime on Friday on the road, Ypsilanti coach Steve Brooks employed some unorthodox motivational tactics.

“I threatened them with their life,” said Brooks of his halftime speech.

Whatever the threat, Brooks must have made his players believe it as they responded by scoring 28 points while only allowing 11 in the third quarter en route to a 66-46 win.

Dexter junior Brandon Bednarz and Ypsilanti senior Justin Bernard reach for a rebound in the first half on Friday, Feb. 15.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

More coverage: Boxscore | Photo Gallery | Friday night roundup

Brooks was joking about the threat, laughing at the suggestion in the locker room after the win. What he said he actually stressed to his team was controlling tempo on offense and not letting Dexter’s shooters have open looks on the other end.

Dexter started the second quarter by sinking a pair of uncontested 3-pointers. By the third quarter Dexter’s shooters couldn’t go anywhere on the court without hands in their face.

“They have some great shooters, so in the second half we were able to get hands in their face, even in the passing lanes,” Brooks said.

Ypsilanti senior center LaVonte Davis did plenty to make Dexter’s shooters uncomfortable in the lane with five blocks on the night to go along with his team-high 15 points.

“He has been having an All-State year and it doesn’t always show in the scoring column, but we would never have the record that we have if not for him,” Brooks said of Davis’ play.

Adding the scoring touch is something Brooks is happy to see from Davis, who has been in double digits in less than half of Ypsilanti’s games.

“We’re trying to get him accustomed to scoring,” Brooks said. “He’s an unselfish big, doesn’t have a problem sharing the ball and that’s good, but he does a real good job with his back to the basket.”

Ypsilanti (12-4, 8-1 SEC White) looked like it might just roll past Dexter (7-9, 4-5 SEC White), ending the first quarter on a 9-2 run after the team’s were tied at 4-4. But London Truman and Derek Seidl hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Dexter controlled the second quarter, finally taking the lead with a scoop and score from Andy McWilliams inside the final minute of the quarter.

“We kind of came out a little flat in the first half,” Davis said. “We kind of just wanted to come out with a lot more intensity (in the second half).”

That they did start the third quarter on a 7-0 run to take the lead back for good.

But Dexter wouldn't go away just yet as Seidl scored seven of his game-high 20 points in the first four minutes of the third quarter as Dexter trailed 32-30 with 4:05 left in the third.

But the second half of the third quarter wasn’t as kind to the Dreadnughts as Ypsilanti went on a 17-0 run to pull away for good.

“In high school basketball any team can beat any team on any night,” Davis said. “Don’t get me wrong Dexter’s a really good team but I think when we came out and played how we’re supposed to play, it totally turned it around.”

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

A Tuesday Water Street redevelopment work session will give city officials a glimpse into how the Family Dollar and Eastside Recreation Center projects are progressing.

Ypsilanti residents look at the model for the proposed Water Street Recreation Center.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Arthur Itkis, an associate from CBRE and primary contact for the city on the Water Street redevelopment area, will present an update Tuesday on recent marketing efforts.

Itkis also is expected to present on development trends in the area and how the market is responding post-recession.

Family Dollar update

The city is moving forward to meet the letter of intent timeline to bring revised concept plans and a purchase agreement to council on March 5. At that time, a public hearing will be held and a decision is expected to be made by council.

The 90-day purchase agreement was set to expire March 10.

City Planner Teresa Gillotti told AnnArbor.com in January that the city has been in regular communications with Core Resources, the company who does the development for Family Dollar and that talks were going well.

City staff has been working with Family Dollar on some possible design changes to the building. Staff is seeking the following changes:

• Windows along the Michigan Avenue frontage.
• Addition of street trees along Michigan Avenue and Park Street.
• Possible relocation of Dumpster enclosure.
• Consideration of the use of swales for stormwater management.

Staff also has discussed the potential construction of the building to possibly support a second-story addition. Some city council members previously expressed concern regarding whether the building would be limited in its future use to similar one-story stores like Family Dollar.

The store will be about 8,320 square feet and on the northeast corner of the Water Street site, at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Park Street.

The property is owned by the city and Core will pay $210,000 to purchase the land. The property was removed from the market for three months, after the development agreement was signed Dec. 10.

Eastside Recreation Center update

The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission has requested Ypsilanti consider a resolution Tuesday acknowledging its partnership with the city to design, build and operate a community recreation center on Water Street.

"As the next steps for the project will require direct expense on the part of the WCPRC to pay for formal design and estimates, the WCPRC is asking its partners to reaffirm their commitment to the project and to the previously adopted letter of intent," Gillotti wrote.

The original letter of intent was approved Jan. 10, 2012.

The Ann Arbor YMCA, which is expected to provide the management of the center, has formed a committee and has requested development of a marketing study.

Bob Tetens, director of WCPRC, will be in attendance Tuesday to provide additional information on where the project stands.

The city assembled the 38-acre Water Street property about nine years ago with a plan to create a mixed-use residential project. But it hasn't been able to find developers for the property. Officials hope the center will attract more interested parties.

The center would occupy eight of the 38 acres on Water Street. The center is expected to be nearly 60,000 square feet and would be much like the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center that opened in 1991 in Ann Arbor, officials have said.

The center would be nearly 60,000 square feet and will cost roughly between $12 million and $14 million. Officials were expecting construction to begin late 2014 or early 2015.

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

Three state lawmakers from Ann Arbor went on record this week raising concerns about global warming and together issued a call for action on climate change.

Their comments came as dozens of climate change experts gathered for the National Climate Assessment town hall at the University of Michigan.

"The science is clear: global warming is a growing problem, and it's not going away," said state Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor.

Adam Zemke

Rebekah Warren

Jeff Irwin

As a new state legislator beginning his first term of office, Zemke said he's committed to doing everything in his power to support President Barack Obama and other national leaders in protecting future generations from "the innumerable effects of global warming."

Obama used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to propose a plan for tackling climate change, pointing out the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the past 15.

The National Climate Assessment draft report shows the Midwest and Michigan experiencing increased heat wave intensity and frequency, exacerbated public health problems, heightened risks to the Great Lakes such as invasive species, and extreme weather events that harm agriculture crops.

The report was coordinated by 13 federal government agencies under the U.S. Global Change Research Program, and was written by an advisory committee consisting of 60 scientists and other experts. The last National Climate Assessment report was released in 2009.

"The message is clear: With per capita greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent higher in the Midwest than the national average, we need to act quickly and responsibly to mitigate the negative consequences to our environment, our economy and our public health, or we will pay later," said Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, Democratic vice chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes, and a member of the Great Lakes Commission.

"The good news is that we have an amazing opportunity at both the state and federal level to address this critical issue while also creating new clean energy jobs for our people," Warren said.

Statewide environmental activists are calling for stronger clean air safeguards to protect public health, the Great Lakes and agriculture in Michigan.

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency is in the process of finalizing a rule to limit carbon emissions from new power plants. Groups like the Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Clean Water Action and Environment Michigan support further limits on carbon pollution from power plants.

"Whether we seize the moment and reinvent our systems of energy, transportation and agriculture practices or whether we fail to act and suffer the worsening consequences of climate change, we are facing fundamental changes to how we eat, move and live," said Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor. "That’s why it's so important that, here in Michigan, we act immediately to shape this change, and it's the reason I’m committed to support clean energy, public transportation and green chemistry."

Obama said Tuesday night that if Congress won't act soon, he will direct his cabinet to come up with executive actions to take now and in the future to reduce pollution, prepare communities for the consequences of climate change and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.

"Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods — all are now more frequent and intense," the president said. "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science — and act before it's too late."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who gave the Republican response to Obama's State of the Union, dismissed the idea that the U.S. government could do anything to combat climate change, saying passing a bunch of laws could destroy the economy, but it isn't going to change the weather.

The Ann Arbor City Council took action in December to adopt a Climate Action Plan, a 188-page document that outlines dozens of ways to reduce the community's carbon footprint.

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.

With spring on the horizon, the Friends of the Rutherford Pool is inching closer to raising enough funds to complete the rebuild of Ypsilanti’s community pool.

The Friends group thought it reached its original fundraising goal of $750,000 last year, but found it would need to raise at least an additional $200,000 for the pool to be built. The group needs another $35,000 to $40,000 to make the project happen.

The Friends of the Rutherford Pool has raised more than $900,000 for a complete rebuild of the pool.

Tom Perkins | AnnArbor.com file photo

That bumped the cost of the pool up from $120 per square foot to $150 per square foot.

To date, the group has raised just more $900,000, said its chairman John Wiess. But plans are being reviewed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which is awarding a $300,000 grant toward the project upon approval. The city of Ypsilanti will be the recipient of the grant money. Once the plans are approved the project will go out for bids.

Weiss said he is hopeful the Friends will have a contract with a builder by early March and construction can begin by late March. That means the pool wouldn’t be open by Memorial Day, but likely by the Fourth of July, Weiss said.

“I think we’re in a good shape but I think we have to have a big final push,” he said.

“I’m a little bit nervous. I don’t know where the bids are going to come in at,” he added, and explained that the estimates are based on architects’ estimates, so the exact cost isn’t known.

If the Friends group doesn't have enough money to cover the costs in March, Weiss said it may consider a loan or see if anyone else in the community can help.

Since learning of the new target, the Friends has received $75,000 from individual donors who wish to remain anonymous. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation donated an additional $25,000 after previously donating $45,000, and the Buhr Family Foundation contributed another $15,000.

Ypsilanti Township, the Community Foundation Ypsilanti Fund, Bank of Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Gene Butman Ford all donated $5,000 each. The Rocket and Ypsilanti electrician Amy donated $1,000, and the Minister’s Alliance of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor raised more than $2,000 through collections from their congregations.

The city of Ypsilanti also is contributing $25,000. Weiss said City Manager Ralph Lange insisted on helping the project with financial support instead of only in-kind support as was previously planned.

Weiss said the group is grateful for all the financial support.

“Everyone is stepping up and it's heartening to see that they care about this project,” he said.

Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com.

An artist's rendering of a new three-story, 44,000-square-foot medical center that will be built by EP2 Investments for lease by IHA at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Township.

Courtesy of IHA

The new medical center will allow IHA to consolidate a number of its physicians that practice in other Ann Arbor facilities that IHA leases — including the eight doctors and licensed practitioners that work at IHA Internal Medicine on Commonwealth Boulevard in Ann Arbor.

“We’re always excited to bring a number of practices together in one location,” said Lowell Sprague, vice president of finance and CFO of IHA. “It creates synergies between providers.”

Sprague is also the managing director of EP2 Investment Holdings LLC, the developer that has built eight other buildings for IHA.

The Ann Arbor Township Planning Commission has approved a three-story, 44,000-square-foot facility, which is being built by a developer for lease by IHA. It’s located in the southeast corner of the intersection of Whitehall Drive and Earhart Road.

Construction will begin in April, and is expected to last from 12 to 14 months. The new medical center will open in 2014.

The new building will house multiple services: internal medicine, pediatrics, imaging, neurology, after-hours care and obstetrics and gynecology.

IHA is a medical service provider owned by Trinity Health and is operated by St. Joseph Mercy Health System. It encompasses 310 doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives in 36 practices across southeast Michigan.

IHA will be one of four tenants with lease agreements for space in the new facility. The others are a St. Joseph Mercy Health System lab on the first floor; Clinsite Research on the second floor, which will provide clinical lab and physical therapy services; and a tenant on the third floor that will provide physical therapy services.

The new facility will house IHA doctors and other providers that the organization is relocating from four other practices in the Ann Arbor area.

Sprague said IHA will be ending its leases for its IHA Internal Medicine services at 2090 Commonwealth Blvd., IHA Primary Pediatrics at 3055 Plymouth Road and neurology services at Domino’s Farms. Additionally, IHA will be moving its obstetricians and gynecologists from IHA Ann Arbor OB/GYN - Arbor Park at 4940 W. Clark Roard in Ypsilanti, to the new medical center.

Arbor Park is owned by EP2 Investments.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission recently approved a road improvement agreement with Domino’s Farms Land Development.

EP2 and Domino’s Farms will fund the addition of a turn lane on Plymouth Road at the Earhart Road intersection, Sprague said.

After the construction of the medical center building, the Earhart Road and Whitehall Drive intersection may receive a traffic signal if the developer deems it necessary.

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

• Related: Construction preview: 15 of Washtenaw County's busiest roads that will see orange barrels this year

In order to leverage $10.7 million of federal grant money for construction projects on Washtenaw County's busiest roads, preventative maintenance program may go unfunded this year.

Revenues from the state excise tax on gasoline allocated to Washtenaw County are used to provide a required 20 percent match to federal projects. The revenues are generated by a $0.19 tax per gallon of gasoline, a $0.15 tax per gallon of diesel fuel, and from vehicle license and registration fees.

Between the money allocated for township roads and the funds dedicated to match federal dollars for major projects, no tax revenues are left for the preventative program that seals roads in order to prolong their lifespan.

“We used to do $1 million in overlay five to six years ago,” said Roy Townsend, managing director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

The preventative maintenance program was underfunded last year as well, Townsend said, noting the road commission was only able to put about $300,000 into the preventative maintenance program in 2012.

The longer the preventative maintenance program goes unfunded, the more the county’s roads will deteriorate, Townsend said.

After the first quarter of 2013, the road commission may be able to put some funding into its overlay and seal coat preventive maintenance program, Townsend said.

“Every day it doesn’t snow, money is potentially being saved and being put in to the roads for resurfacing,” Townsend said. “We’re trying to make our dollars as far as possible.”

The last time the Michigan tax revenue was raised was in 1997, Townsend said. The rate was adjusted in 2003 as a result of the census, Townsend said.

Talks at the state level of changing the Michigan gas tax to $0.33 wholesale tax on fuel sales would make a big difference locally, Townsend said.

The county received about $16.5 million this year from the gas tax revenues, and about $500,000 of it is dedicated in pre-set contribution amounts to each of the county’s 20 townships for local and gravel road projects.

The allocation is determined by the number of road miles and population size. Ypsilanti Township has the largest allocation.

• View a list of the 2013 allocation to townships from Michigan's excise tax on gas

The road commission is in talks with each township to determine which of the local and gravel roads will see work this year. Public meetings are being conducted on a set schedule, and the finalized list of projects will be announced in May.

The $10.7 million in federal funds mean 15 mill and overlay projects will be completed this year on major across Washtenaw County, as well as intersection and traffic signal improvements.

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

• Related: Major Washtenaw County road construction projects leave no funds for maintenance programs

About $10.7 million in federally distributed funds mean 15 mill and overlay projects will be completed this year on major roads by the Washtenaw County Road Commission, as well as intersection and traffic signal improvements.

The two largest projects using much of the federal funding have already been announced: The Ford Boulevard Bridge reconstruction project in Ypsilanti Township, as well as the roundabout planned for South State Street and Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township.

Federal dollars also will be funding about 80 percent of the following intersection projects:

• A roundabout for Geddes and Ridge roads in Superior Township, including the replacement of a culvert on Ridge Road over Fowler Creek
• Converting the intersection on East Austin Road to Eisman Road from a “Y” to a “T” configuration in Bridgewater Township just east of Manchester
• Adding a small raised median on Carpenter Road just south of Packard Road in Pittsfield Township
• Adding a center left turn lane from North Territorial Road to Whitmore Lake Road in Northfield Township
• Adding a traffic signal to the intersection of Martz and Rawsonville roads in Ypsilanti Township, as well as a center left turn lane on Rawsonville Road

The following mill and overlay projects on major roads will be funded by the federal funds this year:

• 1.4 miles of Dexter-Chelsea Road to the west of Dexter from Wylie Road in Lima Township to Ann Arbor Street in Scio Township
• 1 mile of Ann Arbor-Saline Road from Textile Road to the Saline city limits in Lodi Township
• 2.8 miles of Austin Road from Boettner Road in Bridgewater Township to just east of Grass Road in Saline Township
• 2.9 miles of Stony Creek Road from Saline Milan Road to Carpenter Road in York Township
• About 1 mile of Packard Road from Golfside to Ypsilanti city limits in Ypsilanti Township
• 1.1 miles of West Michigan Avenue from the Interstate 94 overpass to the Ypsilanti city limits in Ypsilanti Township
• Fixing crack in the center line of 1 mile of Ellsworth Road from Carpenter to Golfside roads in Pittsfield Township
• 1.1 miles of South Grove Street from Ypsilanti city limits to South Harris Road in Ypsilanti Township
• 0.6 miles of Tyler Road from Dorset Avenue to Wiard Road in Ypsilanti Township
• 1.7 miles of Holmes Road from North Prospect Road to Spencer Lane in Ypsilanti Township
• 3 miles of Geddes Road from North Prospect Street to the county line in Superior Township
• 0.6 miles of Plymouth Road from Whitehall Drive to North Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor Township
• 3.7 miles of Pontiac Trail from North Dixboro Road to just south of Seven Mile Road in Salem Township
• 1 mile of Gottfriedson Road from North Territorial Road to just south of M-14 in Salem Township
• 1 mile of Gottfriedson Road from just south of M-14 to Plymouth Ann Arbor Road in Salem Township

The Road Commission is continuing to coordinate a reconstruction effort for Ann Arbor-Saline Road, which was pushed back to 2014 after the Michigan Department of Transportation did not come through with its portion of the funding for this year.

MDOT is planning to resurface portions of Interstate 94 and M-14 around Ann Arbor this summer, and the city of Ann Arbor has announced eight major road construction projects as well.

View 2013 Washtenaw County Road Commission projects 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.