Rhonda Bouma
July is National Park and Recreation Month, and as Washtenaw County honors its 200th anniversary, its park system—which celebrated its own 50th anniversary in 2023—is showcasing how public spaces serve as vital community infrastructure rather than just places for leisure. Rhonda Bouma is Deputy Director of Operations for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. She joined Rebekah Warren to talk about what the county's park service has achieved and what it has planned for the future.
NPR News
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Ypsi Pride, a celebration of the local LGBTQ community, takes place on Saturday, July 18 in Depot Town. For this year's celebration, organizers are expanding with a new date, a longer schedule and additional programming that they say reflects years of community feedback. Lee Van Roth provides more details on the festivities in a conversation with Ypsi Pride's logistics chair, Britt Barron. -
Saline Area Schools has a pair of millage renewals on the August Primary ballot. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report. -
A team of botanists at the University of Michigan developed a phone app capable of identifying native plants that works without an internet connection or cell service. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story. -
A new proposal before the state Legislature would ask voters if higher-income Michiganders should pay more in taxes. Colin Jackson has more. -
A federal judge has temporarily barred enforcement of a provision in Michigan’s main civil rights law. We have more from Rick Pluta. -
The Huron Valley Area Labor Federation (HVALF) is calling for a moratorium on new large-scale data centers. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports. -
The City of Ypsilanti is conducting its first tree inventory in 15 years to help guide future tree management. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details. -
The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan now stands at 3,309. That’s an increase of 700 cases over Monday's numbers and double Friday’s count which stood at 1,562 cases. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor reports. -
A proposal to renew the Ann Arbor Township public safety millage for police and fire protection services will go before voters August 4th. WEMU’s Caroine MacGregor reports. -
Voters in the Chelsea School District are being asked to renew two millages on the August primary ballot. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports. -
The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case from Grand Rapids on how quickly local governments must comply with public records requests. We have more from Rick Pluta. -
There’s a new challenge to the signatures for a petition to limit political donations from Michigan’s public utilities and large government contractors. Colin Jackson has more
