Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

One problem that cats can have that they can't hide — feline acne — is one that needs a proper diagnosis by a clinician and could even be avoided altogether with one simple change in their daily schedule.

Chin acne in cats? Yes.

It manifests as seemingly benign bumps — yes, blackheads — on the chin, to noticeably inflamed pustules. In the latter case, these can be especially itchy, painful and stubborn to treat. Hair loss may accompany the condition.

It's important to have it diagnosed properly by your veterinarian so that prompt treatment can be started. You will want to have other possible causes of other skin issues ruled out, like a fungal and bacterial infection, fleas, mites — and to assess general overall health. A suppressed immune system can be indicated by changes in the skin. Stress, poor grooming, abnormal sebum (skin oil) production or contact sensitivity/dermatitis can also be causes of feline acne.

Once feline acne has been established as a cause of the the symptoms, a treatment plan can be put in place to get it under control, as a stubborn secondary infection can set in. Your vet may prescribe a course of antibiotics (oral or topical) or a corticosteroid to reign in any accompanying inflammation.

An at-home regimen may be recommended, like warm water or tea compresses to soothe the area or an over-the-counter wash like chlorhexidine to cleanse the area daily.

Your vet may prescribe a clinical-strength cleanser to reduce the amount of bacteria in the chin area — a common contributor to feline acne.

Bacterial exposure commonly seems to stem from one source: the dish that an affected cat dines from.

Plastic dishes have been long-thought to be the culprit, because of their porous nature: they trap bacteria easily, and as your pet eats and their chin touches the dish, bacteria is transferred.

An easy remedy to this is to switch to wide-mouthed, ceramic, glass or stainless steel dishes, and to wash them well and often, no matter if you feed wet food or kibble.

Click here to read more on feline acne.

Lorrie Shaw leads the pets section for AnnArbor.com and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

A German university student who studied at the University of Michigan for a semester died while interning at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch London office.

Unconfirmed reports on social media suggested 21-year-old Moritz Erhardt worked through the night three consecutive times due to his demanding internship, according to a New York Times report.

The death is not being treated as suspicious, the Times reported.

“He was popular amongst his peers and was a highly diligent intern at our company with a promising future,” Bank of America said in its statement, according to the Times. “Our first thoughts are with his family and we send our condolences to them at this difficult time.”

Erhardt was finishing a degree in business administration at the Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. During the Winter 2013 semester, he participated in an exchange program with the U-M Stephen M. Ross School of Business and studied in Ann Arbor.

• Read the full New York Times report.

Though prolific, Detroit-based crime (and western) writer Elmore Leonard - who died Tuesday morning at his Bloomfield Township home at age 87 - carved out a legacy by writing about bad guys, he seems, from all accounts, to have been the consummate good guy.

Elmore Leonard

Jamie Agnew, co-owner of Ann Arbor’s mystery bookstore Aunt Agatha’s, had tried to bring Leonard in for an event for many years. (“If you sell mystery books in this area, you want to do an event with Elmore Leonard,” said Agnew. “We tried to in different ways, but we’re so small, and we weren’t plugged in to his publisher.”)

But after Aunt Agatha’s hosted a book event for Leonard’s son, Peter, Agnew ran into Peter Leonard and said the store would love to host an event for his second book.

“And Peter said, ‘Can I bring along Elmore?’” said Agnew. “I said, ‘Well, OK. You can drag the old guy along if you want.’ The event ended up at the library, with Elmore and Peter, and Loren Estleman acting as moderator, asking questions, and it was definitely the highlight of our career. He was an unfailingly gracious and nice guy. … There was this long line (of people waiting for his autograph), and he stayed until the line was gone, even though, at the end, you could tell he was worn out.”

Estleman and Leonard shared a mutual love of movies.

“They had a great influence on our writing,” said Estleman. “I think, if Raymond Chandler created the language of crime film in the ‘40s, Leonard did the same for crime films in the early 20th century. You hear echoes of his dialogue everywhere.”

You may also, of course, witness the way the city of Detroit was an important character in many of his works.

“He was definitely prescient about the direction that Detroit was going in, but he also captured the humanity of its people, and the gritty courage of Detroit,” said Agnew. “You look at something like (the Detroit-set AMC series) ‘Low Winter Sun’ and you definitely see his influence.”

“He always had an upbeat attitude toward Detroit, which I always admired,” said Estleman. “Mine is more downbeat, and our styles are very different, but I learned a lot about dialogue from his books.”

Estleman last saw Leonard a couple of years ago, after accepting a lifetime achievement award on his behalf, and then delivering it to him. “He paused to grin over that,” said Estleman, who also admired Leonard’s lesser-known work in the western genre. “ … He changed western writing, though that’s not celebrated as often.”

But why and how, in a sea of published mystery writers, did Leonard distinguish himself from the crowd?

“He really cut to the chase,” said Agnew. “And I think people respected his craft, the simplicity of his writing, and his intelligence. He was uncompromising. He wrote what he wanted to write. He didn’t follow trends or worry about political correctness. He did what he did, and he did it really well.”

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.

There will be a single lane closure on Interstate 94 for paving starting at 9 p.m. Tuesday in Ann Arbor.

The right lane of eastbound I-94 near Jackson Avenue and the right lane of westbound I-94 near the U.S. 23 interchange will be closed as a part of the paving project.

All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Wednesday.

There have been a series of lane closures on I-94 in Ann Arbor due to construction. Westbound I-94 in Ann Arbor was temporarily closed as a part of a reconstruction project.

View Lane closures in a larger map

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

The United States imported $225 billion more in manufactured goods than it exported in the first half of 2013.

That may not seem like great news, but according to a Wall Street Journal report, the number is down from $227 billion a year ago, a small but meaningful improvement.

Much of Michigan's manufacturing economy is tied to the success of the automotive industry, which has been experiencing a rebound of its own recently.

Robert Chase | Ann Arbor News

The extremely optimistic Boston Consulting Group report released Tuesday said that returning manufacturing jobs could reduce the 7.4 percent national unemployment rate by as much as two to three percentage points.

An Information Technology & Innovation Foundation report released in June found that after losing 46.7 of its manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2010, Michigan has led the nation in manufacturing job creation this decade.

Washtenaw County is home to approximately 14,000 manufacturing jobs, and an economic forecast prepared by University of Michigan economists Donald Grimes and George Fulton predicted a 712 job increase in the sector through 2015.

• Read the full story in the Wall Street Journal.

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

The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously confirmed the appointment of Underground Printing co-owner Rishi Narayan to the Downtown Development Authority board.

Narayan replaces Leah Gunn, who had served on the DDA board for many years until stepping down recently.

Narayan will serve a three-year term through Aug. 18, 2016.

Mayor John Hieftje said he's particularly happy to have nominated to the DDA board two entrepreneurs who are in their 30s are care a lot about the future of Ann Arbor. "If you take a look around at city boards, it's unavoidable — they tend to be older residents of the city, people who have more time," he said. "So I'm happy to get people at a younger age involved."

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

There still are two vacant seats on the DDA board. Hieftje said Monday night he's nominating Al McWilliams, president of Quack!Media on Main Street, to replace Newcombe Clark.

"He's on Main Street. I heard good reviews of him down there," Hieftje said. "He's also another entrepreneur and someone who has a cutting-edge business. He wants to make downtown a place that can attract the talented people he needs to run his business."

Hieftje said when he became mayor over a decade ago, there were developers on the DDA board and he has made a point of replacing them with small business owners.

As with most boards and commissions in Ann Arbor, the mayor nominates prospective appointees. It takes at least six votes from council to confirm the appointments.

Council Members Stephen Kunselman and Christopher Taylor, both 3rd Ward Democrats, were absent Monday night, so the vote was 9-0.

The council also voted 9-0 to appoint Ann Arbor resident Jack Bernard to a vacant seat on the newly expanded Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority board.

The makeup of the transit authority recently changed to include Ypsilanti. The board was expanded from seven to nine members, giving Ypsilanti one seat and Ann Arbor one more seat.

The city of Ypsilanti already appointed Gillian Ream as its representative, and Bernard now will fill the additional Ann Arbor seat.

Bernard is an attorney for the University of Michigan and a lecturer. Legally blind, he is chairman of the U-M Council for Disability Concerns.

"He's very highly regarded," Hieftje said. "And he has a disability himself. He's a bus rider. He depends on the bus and doesn't drive."

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

A coalition of religious leaders from across Washtenaw County is calling on the Ann Arbor City Council to take a stand against weekly anti-Israel protests outside a local synagogue.

The Rev. James Rhodenhiser of the St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church, 2309 Packard St., appeared before council members Monday night and submitted a letter signed by him and supported by 31 other religious leaders of various faiths in Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti.

The Rev. James Rhodenhiser of the St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church appears before the Ann Arbor City Council Monday night.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

• Download the letter

Sept. 13 marks the 10th anniversary of protests outside the Beth Israel Congregation on Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor.

Since the fall of 2003, a group called Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends has demonstrated each Saturday morning, carrying signs protesting what the group describes as "Israel's brutal and illegal military occupation of Palestinian lands and the suffering of the Palestinian people."

Rhodenhiser said the group has a right to free speech but it's wrong to target Beth Israel for the actions of a foreign government, and the city should mark the 10th anniversary of the protests by publicly denouncing the group's behavior.

"This is the same sort of marginalizing, demonizing of a minority we have seen attempted recently against Michigan Muslims in Dearborn," states the letter Rhodenhiser submitted to the council, concluding: "This is not the kind of action that is welcomed in our town."

The letter is dated September 2011 because that's when Rhodenhiser began the process of gathering signatures of support from the 31 other religious leaders. In late 2012, the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice also called for an end to the protests.

Mayor John Hieftje and other council members said Monday night they share many of the same concerns and they wish the protests would stop, but they agreed it's a matter of free speech. Still, they said they're going to continue looking to see what the city can do about the issue.

"Anything new we could do, I think, would be good," Hieftje said. "Council did pass a resolution a long time ago and we've taken some more recent actions, but it's a very tough problem. Attorneys have worked on it. We've been talking about it for a very long time."

Henry Herskovitz, founder of Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends, said he'd agree to stop the protests if the synagogue would take down the Israeli flag inside its sanctuary and go on record promoting full equal rights for Palestinians in the state of Israel.

In solidarity with Beth Israel, Rhodenhiser and other religious leaders are asking the protesters to find another public venue to protest.

If they won't stop targeting worshippers, they argue, the protesters at the very least should "spread the blame around" and target different congregations — and give Beth Israel a break.

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

A suspect broke into an Ypsilanti Township gas station early Tuesday morning and snatched a bagful of smokes, police said.

Deputies from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office were called to the Michigan Pantry Gas Station, located 215 Ecorse Road, at 5:15 a.m. for an alarm going off, according to a release.

A suspect used an unknown object, possibly a hammer, to break out the front glass door, according to police.

"Once inside the suspect filled a garbage bag with cigarettes before fleeing the scene," the release stated. "It is unknown exactly how many were taken."

There are no suspects at this time. Police continued to investigate.

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

Nader Nassif

Courtesy of WCSO

More details emerged in court Tuesday concerning Nader Nassif, the former Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board member and 15th District Court defense attorney charged with sexual assault.

Attorneys alluded that Nassif is still being investigated and that drugs were seized during the execution of three warrants on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

One of Nasiff's lawyers, Jill Schinske, was arguing against the prosecution using information obtained from her client's cellphone and computer and said the prosecutors were going through the communications while investigating "other crimes."

Shinske also referred to drugs that were seized at the time the warrants were executed.

Ann Arbor police did not want to comment on any further charges.

Shinske and Nassif's other attorney, Joe Simon, argued that because there was correspondence between Nassif and clients on his phone and computer, prosecutors would be violating the attorney-client privilege.

The law firm where Nassif is a partner, Model Cities Legal Services, is contracted to provide representation to indigent clients in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court. Nassif is no longer being appointed to cases, officials told AnnArbor.com last week.

Schinske and J. Cedric Simpson, the district court judge in the case, locked horns on what argument the defense was trying to make, whether or not the search warrants were "over broad" and "defective," the way the defense put it in a motion, or if the evidence itself — the emails and text messages — violated the attorney-client privilege.

"Do not play games with me," Simpson said at one point. "I'm not going to get into the wordsmithing with you."

Washtenaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steven Hiller pointed out that the search warrants were properly issued by a magistrate.

Simpson eventually ruled that the defense needed to clarify this point for the next hearing, set for Sept. 5. At that time, the judge could rule if the evidence obtained from the search warrants is admissible for the preliminary examination.

Another issue argued at Tuesday's hearing is also related to Nassif's standing in the local legal community. Simon said that there might be a conflict of interest for the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office — and specifically Assistant Prosecutor J. Samuel Holtz, who has been assigned to the case.

Simon said there is a conflict with the prosecutor's office because there are still active cases Nassif was once assigned to that the prosector's office is prosecuting. He also said that there is a " social, personal relationship between the accused and the prosecutor."

Simon has yet to file an official motion on the matter, but it could be raised again at the Sept. 5 hearing.

Hiller protested the claim.

"We have prosecuted other attorneys from this community," Hiller said. "There is no reason for our office to be disqualified from this case."

Getting all the information in a timely manner to all parties involved was another issue Tuesday and Simpson ordered that all motions needed to be filed by noon Aug. 26. Responses to the motion need to be filed by midnight Aug. 30. Simpson said he could rule on any motions Sept. 6, a day after hearing the oral arguments.

Nassif is facing a third-degree criminal sexual conduct count. The charge indicates the alleged victim in the case was incapacitated and sexual penetration took place, according to the complaint. Nassif knew or had “reason to know that the victim was mentally incapacitated and/or physically helpless,” according to the complaint.

The alleged incident took place July 31 in his apartment in the 200 block of South Fourth Avenue. Nassif resigned from the DDA this month.

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

Seven people were taken to the hospital, including one child who was in critical condition, after a large crash in Ypsilanti Township Tuesday afternoon.

Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman Joyce Williams said emergency crews were sent at 3:58 p.m. Tuesday to the intersection of Bemis and Whittaker roads for a crash. At least three vehicles were involved in the incident, Williams said.

One person was transported to University of Michigan C.S. Motts Children’s Hospital in critical condition, Williams said. Children under the age of 18 are taken to Mott, Williams said.

The child was the only person in critical condition Tuesday. Two other people were taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township in stable condition. Four others to University of Michigan Hospital in stable condition, Williams said.

Three people refused medical treatment on scene, she said.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office sent out a Nixle alert asking drivers to stay away from the area Tuesday afternoon. A second alert was sent out 20 minutes later announcing the intersection was not blocked.

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said he didn’t immediately have any information about the incident. More information could come later.

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

Alice Walker was uninvited from speaking at a University of Michigan event and faculty are concerned about the school's reputation.

AP Photo

University of Michigan faculty governance unanimously passed a resolution expressing concern over how the school uninvited Alice Walker from speaking at its Center for the Education of Women's 50th anniversary celebration.

Walker, the Pulitzer Prize winning author who penned "The Color Purple," was originally asked to speak at the event, but the CEW later rescinded that invitation.

During a meeting Monday, the Faculty Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs unanimously approved the following statement:

"SACUA expresses concern about the potential damage done to the reputation of the University of Michigan and its faculty by the appearance of insensitivity to principles of academic freedom stemming from the disinvitation of Alice Walker as speaker for the CEW."

Karen Staller, a U-M social work professor who chairs the committee, declined to elaborate on the resolution via email.

The exact reason for Walker's dis-invitation is unclear.

Walker said U-M told her agent that she was uninvited because a donor objected to the author's views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the university provost and the center director said Walker's views had no bearing on her invitation. Instead, CEW director Gloria Thomas decided Walker was not the best speaker to convey the "celebratory nature" of the event.

After U-M received national attention for uninviting Walker, the school extended another speaking invitation to the author, this time for a different event. On Aug. 19 Walker posted the following on her blog:

"In times of war, Truth, it is said, is the first casualty. But that won’t remain a truism if we sincerely seek to know what the truth of a situation actually is. It has been interesting to see the various spins put on my book... as well as that surrounding the withdrawal of an invitation to speak at a school in Michigan. Imagine my surprise this morning when I opened my computer news to find I’ve been re-invited. Nobody alerted me to this. Right beside this news (to me) is a photo of myself in which I seem to be gloating over a triumph."

Walker did not elaborate on whether she would be willing to speak at U-M for a different event.

A representative of the CEW did not return requests for comment.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Federal authorities raided People’s Choice Alternative Medicine, a medical marijuana dispensary on Ann Arbor’s west side, Tuesday afternoon.

The DEA raided this medical marijuana dispensary Tuesday afternoon.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

“It’s an ongoing investigation and I can’t comment further,” Isaacson said.

No one from People’s Choice was available to comment about the raid when an AnnArbor.com reporter went to the dispensary Tuesday afternoon. A sign on the door said "People's Choice is closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience."

It’s the second such raid by the DEA in Washtenaw County in a month. On July 30, a search warrant was executed at The Shop — a medical marijuana dispensary in Ypsilanti.

After the raid, city officials suspended the license of the Cross Street dispensary after the raid because city inspectors found roaches, rolling papers and loose marijuana in and around an ashtray.

Isaacson would not comment on whether the two raids were related.

Ann Arbor police officials said they were not aware of the Tuesday raid at People’s Choice.

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Intern reporter Chelsea Hoedl contributed to this report.

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

Emergency crews work on an a woman injured in a bicycle accident in Depot Town on Wednesday afternoon.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

The intersection of Cross and River streets in Ypsilanti's Depot Town was shut down for around 45 minutes late this afternoon after a bicyclist struck a moving car.

A woman that an Ypsilanti police officer on the scene said was in her mid-20s was transported by Huron Valley Ambulance to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in unstable condition with a head injury.

The officer said the woman on the bicycle was traveling west down the hill on West Cross Street and did not stop at a red light at the intersection with River.

The bicyclist hit an SUV traveling north on River, breaking out its back rear window. The officer said the bicyclist was at fault in the accident.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m.

Further information was not immediately available.

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Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter.

The route for the Lite Bike night ride through Ann Arbor on Sept. 15.

City of Ann Arbor

The event is being hosted by a nonprofit group called Bike A2. Participants are encouraged to dress their bicycles in lights and come out for a "critical-mass style" ride from 7-9 p.m.

Riders will then embark on a ride through the city and return to a beer garden sponsored by Arbor Brewing Co.

The Ann Arbor City Council approved a resolution Monday night to close a portion of East Washington Street for the event.

The plan is to close half a block of Washington in front of Arbor Brewing between Main Street and Fourth Avenue, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m.

The intersection of Main and Washington will remain open during the event.

The mission of Lite Bike is to inspire leaders, business owners and citizens of Ann Arbor to support initiatives that will enable more people to ride bikes more often. The ride also is designed to create awareness around the issue of bike safety, especially at night.

Though there will be a four-mile bike ride through the city, city officials said no street closures are required for that part of the event.

The ride is open to cyclists of all skill levels. Marshals are expected to ensure that riders are compliant with all traffic laws — obeying traffic lights, and only riding two abreast.

The cost to register is $12.

• Go here to register

A special liquor license for the post-ride event is being approved by the city, contingent upon approval from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Musical enjoyment is being provided by The Finer Things and Light Out for the Territory, who will take the stage outside Arbor Brewing. Tree Town Sound's Matt Altruda is the emcee.

There also will be a raffle with prizes from Joshua Tree Products, Moosejaw, Planet Rock, REI, Sonic Lunch and more.

In addition to the Lite Bike event on Sept. 15, the City Council approved requests from Arbor Brewing, Grizzly Peak and Blue Tractor to close portions of Washington between Ashley and Fourth Avenue for Oktoberfest, which starts Sept. 20 and runs through midnight the following night.

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.

Belle Tire's plan to construct a new auto service building on Ellsworth Road won approval Tuesday night from the Ann Arbor Planning Commission.

The proposal now heads to the Ann Arbor City Council.

The Michigan-based company wants to construct a 9,735-square-foot, one-story building at 590 W. Ellsworth Road, just east of State Street and next to a new Tim Hortons coffee shop.

The proposed Belle Tire location on Ellsworth Road.

City of Ann Arbor

According to Belle Tire's plans, the estimated cost of building construction is $1.1 million.

City planners said the property was annexed into the city in 1973 and zoned as a Planned Unit Development in 1977 to allow a restaurant building and a two-story office or business service building. The restaurant building was built in 1978 and the office building was never constructed.

In 2008, the site was rezoned to C3 — a fringe commercial district — to allow uses other than a restaurant for the existing building.

In 2012, the site was divided into two parcels and Tim Hortons was constructed on the western parcel, and the restaurant building on the eastern parcel was demolished.

Belle Tire and Tim Hortons would share an existing access way off Ellsworth Road and a new public sidewalk is proposed along the frontage of the site. Plans call for 49 parking spaces.

City planners said a stormwater management system is located underground at the western portion of the site and meets 100-year stormwater detention requirements.

Belle Tire operates more than 80 stores in southeast Michigan and Ohio, including locations on Jackson Road, Carpenter Road and Washtenaw Avenue.

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

The Ann Arbor Planning Commission weighed in Tuesday night on the future of the downtown Y Lot, giving the City Council some guidance on a possible sale of the city-owned property.

The Y Lot is generating $250,000 a year in parking revenues. After subtracting expenses, including nearly $100,000 in payments that go to the city, the lot generated a profit of about $80,000 for the DDA last year, records show.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The goal, according to commissioners, should be "to obtain a long-term, ongoing and growing economic benefit for the residents of the city."

The former YMCA site at the corner of Fifth Avenue and William Street — directly across from the downtown library — has been a surface parking lot for years.

The city bought the land in 2003. Now it has hired a commercial real estate broker as city officials give serious thought to selling the property for private redevelopment.

The Planning Commission laid out a list of recommendations, drawing inspiration from the Downtown Development Authority's recent Connecting William Street Plan.

Commissioners said they'd like to see the property sold with an RFP that contains some or all of the following conditions:

• A building that generates foot traffic, provides a human scale at the ground floor and creates visual appeal.
• A mixed-use development.
• Any vehicular access and parking be accessed via the city's Fifth Avenue underground parking garage.
• An entry plaza or open space that's scaled and located to be activated by adjacent building uses and to be maintained by the developer.
• Generous landscaping incorporated in the entry plaza or open space.
• Mandatory adherence to the city's design guidelines.
• A third-party certification for the building's energy and environmental performance (e.g. LEED Gold or LEED Platinum certification).

Commissioners expressed interest in seeing a building that creates the kind of active sidewalk experience that's lacking along William Street. There was talk about using the upper stories for large floor plate office or lodging and residential uses, with other active uses on the first floor.

They're discouraging any future surface parking on the site or any more curb cuts, instead encouraging all vehicular access via the nearby underground parking garage.

The Ann Arbor DDA's Connecting William Street plan suggests office or hotel development on the Y Lot, with secondary consideration given to workforce housing. The property sits directly south of the Blake Transit Center.

Ann Arbor DDA

Council Member Sabra Briere, who also serves on the Planning Commission, reported Tuesday night that council members seem to be getting conflicting recommendations.

She said the Planning Commission is telling them the Y Lot is a valuable community asset and how it gets developed should be handled with great care — and conditions should be imposed.

"I think council members would listen carefully to that recommendation," Briere said. "I will say that I don't think that's the recommendation they're getting from the broker. The broker is suggesting that council put as few stipulations on this land sale as possible."

She added, "The broker is not suggesting to council that there's a lot of revenue to be acquired through this land sale, and the more limitations and restrictions on property use and appearance, the more difficult it would be to generate the revenue that both pays for the debt and provides additional funding for affordable housing."

The city acquired the property in 2003 for about $3.5 million. The city eventually demolished the old YMCA building on the site, including 100 units of affordable housing.

The city has a $3.5 million balloon payment due on the property in December after years of interest-only payments. It's one of four sites that are now surface parking lots that the city is considering selling for redevelopment as part of the Connecting William Street initiative led by the DDA.

The Y Lot is about 0.82 acres or 35,879 square feet. Net proceeds from the eventual sale — after the city's debt is paid off — is expected to go toward an affordable housing fund.

Briere noted the council has directed the city administrator to issue RFPs for redevelopment of downtown properties in the past and they haven't been successful. She said the council never gave direction on what to include in those RFPs, and maybe it's time it did that.

She said council members who have discussed the Y Lot with her feel very strongly that there should be mixed-use development.

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.

It’s hard to follow the leader when there is none, but that doesn’t seem to bother the members of the jazz quintet Manner Effect. The members play beautifully together anyway.

Manner Effect - Sarah Elizabeth Charles (vocals), Caleb Curtis (sax), Logan Thomas (piano) PJ Roberts (bass) and Josh Davis (drums) - are at the Kerrytown Concert House Sunday.

“We do not have a leader,” says Davis, in regards to their collaborative nature. “We have five leaders.”

Their debut CD, “Abundance,” includes covers of artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chick Corea, however each band member also contributed at least one original piece to the disc.

Even though Charles is the only woman, only non-Michigander, and only vocalist in the group, she is an essential part of Manner Effect’s sound. Roberts believes that she allows the band to take on many personalities because she can “sing in ways reminiscent of pop music (or) in an equal capacity with the saxophone.”

In an age where jazz groups, from the Bad Plus to Kneebody to Robert Glasper and Esperanza Spalding, habitually expand the repertoire and aesthetics of the genre, no group is doing it quite like Manner Effect.

Manner Effect plays Sunday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Tickets are $25-$5. Details at www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com or 734-769-2999.

An investigator examines a gun on Tyler Road in the West Willow area of Ypsilanti Township Wednesday morning as police conduct a search for a suspect who fled as officers were investigating a report of shots fired.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

• Updated article: Police catch 4 suspects after shots were fired at house and deputy

12:30 p.m. update: Police still had Greenlawn Avenue blocked off early Wednesday afternoon. A helicopter used in the search Wednesday morning had left and some officers had left the area as well, although several were still on the scene.

Police were scouring the West Willow area of Ypsilanti Township Wednesday morning for a third suspect who fled from officers called to the area for shots fired.

A helicopter searches for a suspect who fled from police after shots were fired in Ypsilanti Township.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Two suspects were in police custody and were being questioned, said Derrick Jackson of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were called to Greenlawn Avenue south of Ecorse Road in Ypsilanti Township just before 7 a.m. for shots fired. Jackson said the shots were reportedly fired at a residence on the street. The three men fled in a vehicle and were involved in a crash nearby, Jackson said.

The men attempted to flee on foot. Officers caught two of them, but a third got away, Jackson said. The third suspect was believed to be a teenager or pre-teen boy, an advisory sent out by the sheriff's department said.

Search efforts were in full swing all around Interstate 94 near West Willow Wednesday morning, with Michigan State Police, Ypsilanti police and Van Buren township police all participating.

“They’re doing a track of the area,” Jackson said. “They’re searching this whole area,” Details on the shots fired weren't immediately available this early in the investigation, Jackson said.

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

The Blue Nile is an ethnic restaurant with staying power. Specializing in Ethiopian cuisine, it started out in Kerrytown more than two decades ago before it moved to its current downtown location.

Habte Dadi purchased it 10 years ago, interested in owning a restaurant that served the food of his native country. He says it's managed to remain successful because of the good food and service it provides, and it helps that it's the only restaurant in Ann Arbor providing an authentic Ethiopian dining experience.

The Blue Nile is a cheery spot, with light streaming through the front windows. Large suns are painted on the yellow walls, while calming Ethiopian music plays in the background. Servers are dressed in traditional Ethiopian garb, with long skirts and cotton blouses.

I enjoyed the spiced Ethiopian tea, which had an abundance of cinnamon, along with rose hips, orange and lemon peel and cloves—a winning, sweet combination. We tried it served both hot and cold, and it was great either way. Refills of beverages are free, and we had our tea refilled several times.

The most popular option for dinner is the Ethiopian feast, which is $18.90 for an all-you-can-eat extravaganza and includes most items on the menu. There are both vegetarian and meat versions. The ultimate in family-style dining, the food is served on one large, circular platter that everyone shares. You use your hands to rip the Injera bread, then put the various food on top of it. The server will refill any one of your dishes when you want more.

The meat is placed in the center of the platter, with numerous vegetarian dishes surrounding it. This is a great place to frequent if you're vegetarian, since it has a plethora of hearty choices; none contain any dairy products. In fact, I preferred the vegetarian options to the meat choices we sampled.

These included vegetables that I often find bland — collard greens as well as cabbage that had the consistency of Thai drunken noodles. Both of these vegetables were prepared with onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers and were flavorful and delicious. However, in both these dishes and the mixed vegetables, jalapeno peppers advertised on the menu as part of the entree didn't provide any kick. That didn't stop me from enjoying the mixed vegetables, perfect comfort food made up of potatoes, carrots and green beans.

Other dishes were spicier, including the red lentils and the spicy split peas. As someone who prefers milder food, I appreciated that there were also non-spicy versions of both dishes. The mild split peas were roasted in a sauce made of onions, oil and tumeric. They were thick, creamy and addicting.

The feast comes with two types of chicken, spicy and mild, with drumsticks for each version. This reminded me slightly of the Indian tandoor chicken, due to the berbere sauce. Cooked with butter and marinated in lemon juice overnight, the chicken was moist, tasty and slid off the bone. The only dish that I disliked was the spicy beef, which I found overcooked and bitter.

Though we were stuffed from feasting, we ordered a refreshing palate cleanser, the raspberry sorbet. The chocolate cake resembled German chocolate cake, as it contained coconut. Condensed and evaporated milk, along with heavy cream, made it moist and delicious. Cheesecake had a thin consistency and could have used more spices or sugar. It was fine, though not outstanding.

We were one of only a handful of parties dining on a weeknight. While the server initially appeared quickly and delivered the feasts in a reasonable amount of time, she took quite some time to bring food refills. Still, all servers were extremely pleasant.

I've often been surprised that The Blue Nile dinner menu has stayed the same for all the years the restaurant has been in operation. I would welcome the chance to try some other types of Ethiopian dishes; that's been my only issue with this restaurant. But there is clearly a reason for its longevity. Blue Nile continues to add to the diversity of Ann Arbor's quality dining scene.

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Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.

Opponents of Michigan's gun laws discuss their position with Ypsilanti's City Council on Aug. 20.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

At Tuesday’s regular Ypsilanti City Council meeting, Council Member Ricky Jefferson recalled a confrontation in which he found himself “looking down a barrel of a gun" belonging to a man whose car had just been vandalized.

Jefferson said he was minding his own business and walking over to his sister’s house in Ypsilanti Township, but the man with the gun assumed Jefferson was responsible for the vandalism.

The man held Jefferson there until police came, and he was detained for several hours until it was found his finger prints didn’t match those on the car.

Jefferson said he is fully in support of residents’ right to defend themselves, but said that incident haunts him and forced him to reconsider his initial support Michigan’s stand your ground law.

Jefferson said he could have easily been shot and those pulling trigger could have claimed he was a threat.

"I'm also a person who believes in the right to protect yourself from great bodily harm if approached by someone, but since this law was passed in 2006 it must be reviewed ... because of tragic abuses," he said.

Jefferson related his story minutes prior to the Ypsilanti City Council approving a resolution asking the state legislature to repeal Michigan's Self Defense Act of 2006, which is similar to Folrida’s “stand your ground law”, and Public Act 319 of 1990.

He questioned whether someone involved in the heat of a confrontation has the ability to determine what is a true threat to one's life. And he added the law puts jurors in a tough position.

"It also gives opportunity for people who have malice in their heart," Jefferson said.

The council approved the measure by a 6-1 vote.

Council Member Lois Richardson brought the resolution to council with Jefferson.

Lois Richardson

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

She said the law is a race issue and the city needs to begin having a conversation about it.

“We have to deal with underlying racism in this city, and if we don’t it's going to keep us from being the great city we can be,” she said.

The resolution cited a Texas A&M study that found states with stand your ground laws “saw no drop in robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults, and an increase in murders."

It also cited a study that found white-on-black shootings were more likely to be justified than black-on-white shootings.

It further reads that stand your ground laws “threaten to lead to unnecessary use of deadly force by eliminating the common law duty to retreat and break off a confrontation where that can be accomplished with reasonable safety.”

The resolution also highlighted a Tampa Bay Times review that found that of the 192 times there was a death and the stand your ground law was used to free the killer in Florida, the victim was unarmed 70 percent of the time.

Council Member Brian Robb voted against the resolution. He said he didn't like that it also called for the repeal of Public Act 319 of 1990, which prohibits local governments from imposing its own firearms restrictions.

He also questioned why the city was voting on a verbatim copy of a resolution the Ann Arbor City Council passed. He added that he was voting against the resolution for those reasons even if the vote wasn't "politically expedient."

Mayor Paul Schreiber, who is part of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, said he believes there are too many guns on the street and said Jefferson's story illustrate some of the issues with the stand your ground law.

Several residents spoke in support of the resolution.

“What we are here to do is urge you to support us as we go from one municipality to another as we seek support to repeal the stand your ground law,” said Lefiest Galimore, who was with a group of supporters mostly from Ann Arbor. They were also at a recent Ann Arbor City Council meeting where that government approved the same resolution.

“It’s a draconian law that needs to be repealed. We don’t need to lose a young person to anyone’s imagination about what could happen,” Galimore said.

Ypsilanti resident Stephen Taylor said he had been threatened before and was safer for possessing a firearm.

“I say to ‘Shame on you' for attempting to limit or eliminate my right to self-defense,” Taylor said before threatening to work to unseat any council member supporting the resolution.

Council Member Dan Vogt said he was disturbed by the lack of rationality and "negative, unintended consequences" of the Michigan Self Defense Act of 2006.

“There is a complete irrationality to changing the well-established, well-tested rule that we used to have that the stand your ground law overruled,” Vogt said. “For centuries we had legal tests that were reasonable and rational that allowed self defense for people who legitimately needed self defense.”