Washtenaw County had already declared an official climate emergency, and it has set a goal of getting the entire county carbon neutral by the year 2035. The "Climate Action Planning Team" has been formed, and the next steps are being taken. Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners chair Sue Shink joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the work ahead.  

This week for "On the Ground Ypsi," our weekly conversation with Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg and WEMU's Lisa Barry, they talk with Melisa Tasker, the program coordinator for the Washtenaw County "CARES team," about the mental health services they provide to the community funded by a 2018 county public safety and mental health preservation millage.

Since June 2021, two Black Lives Matter murals adorned downtown Ypsilanti and Riverside Park. The idea was to inspire community unity in the call for an end to racism and  injustice for people of color. Over the weekend, vandals splashed white paint all over the Riverside Park BLM mural. "Survivors Speak" founder and executive director Trische' Duckworth helped bring those murals to life. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the process of moving forward. 

Straight from Broadway, after roles in "Mamma Mia," "Bonnie and Clyde," "9 to 5," and "Les Misérables," Michigan native Dan Cooney wanted to put on his own show(s). He decided Dexter was the right place, and he opened The Encore Theatre. Hear his story when he joins Deb Polich of Creative Washtenaw and WEMU’s David Fair on this edition of "creative:impact."

The seasons are changing. The moon is telling us it's time to harvest the crops, and fall officially begins on Wednesday, September 22nd. Also, the annual "Astronomy at the Beach" event is coming up later this week, still virtual due to the pandemic.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with local amateur astronomer Dr. Brian Ottum about what to expect from all of the sky watching events now taking place.

To overcome inequity and injustice, there are systemic issues that must be remedied. Part of what it takes is adequately addressing racism, poverty, and trauma, particularly in communities of color. Those individual and collective issues will be the subject of a virtual forum this week. WEMU's David Fair spoke with a member of the team sponsoring the event. United Way of Washtenaw County's director of corporate giving, Ebony Robinson, discusses how these issues are impacting the entirety of the county, what is being done about it, and where we go from here. 

Rick Steves travels around the world with the philosophy that travel can help shape your worldview with the mission of getting to know your neighbors.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks to Steves about his NPR radio show "Travel With Rick Steves," which will soon be heard on 89.1 WEMU.

After nearly 22 years with the Ann Arbor District Library, director Josie Parker announced that she is retiring next February.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Parker about her decision as she looks back at several decades working in the Ann Arbor District Library system and what she sees moving forward.

University of Michigan law professor and network TV legal analyst Barbara McQuade says the Constitution still holds up as a guidebook for how we are going to live true to our values more than 200 years after it was signed in 1787.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with McQuade, who shares many thoughts on the September 17th federal holiday "Constitution Day" about the importance of the Constitution and why it still matters now.

This week, "Art and Soul" is about the art of well being. WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with local teacher, author, and ecotherapist Barbra White, who has written several books and teaches about self-acceptance. She explains how "what we accept transforms and what we resist persists" and how self-acceptance empowers choices to improve our lives.