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For some, Memorial Day is a day away from work in which, maybe a little time is spent reflecting upon those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. For family, friends and fellow soldiers, it is much more. On a Memorial Day edition of "Washtenaw United," WEMU’s David Fair explored the very personal nature of honoring the fallen with a man who has lived it. Today, Derrick Miller helps Washtenaw County through his work as executive director of the Ann Arbor-based non-profit, Community Action Network. He is also a former Marine who brutally lost some of his fellow soldiers in Iraq. Yet, he recently jumped back into the war-torn fray and traveled to Ukraine to help with its refugee crisis. We pay tribute to his story on this Memorial Day.

We are a society becoming increasingly dependent on disposable consumer products and it has a devastating impact on our environment. On "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair discusses the upcoming Zero Waste Challenge in Ann Arbor, with Live Zero Waste executive director Samuel McMullen. Find out what we can learn and how to make a difference.

Summer blockbusters, summer classics, and maybe some jazz tunes as well. That what's the movies are all about right now. WEMU's David Fair talks about what's coming to the big screen this weekend with Michigan Theater Foundation executive director Russ Collins.

More than 230 environmental organizations and public interest groups have signed on to a petition asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the utility industry for harming the public by putting up barriers to rooftop solar and renewable energy expansion. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, took a deeper dive into the effort to reign in the power of America’s utility industry with Matt Kasper. Matt is deputy director at the Energy and Policy Institute.

There's still a little bit of summer left, so why not catch a good movie in in the cool of a theater? WEMU's David Fair and Russ Collins got together to offer a preview of what the world of cinema has to offer in our area this week.

There is a significant immigrant community in Washtenaw County, and the process of arriving, getting settled, and creating a future can be difficult. That's where Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County (JFS) gets to work. Learn about the entirety of the process, the challenges and successes and how the more than 10,000 who have resettled here are contributing to greater cultural awareness and opportunity for everyone. JFS Resettlement director Shrina Eadeh joined WEMU's David Fair to shine a light on an under-recognized portion of our community.

As the climate crisis worsens, the drive to more quickly create sustainable, renewable energy systems is picking up steam. But there are barriers slowing things down. For example, Manchester Township recently denied a permit that would have allowed for a 159-acre solar farm. State House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski represents that part of Washtenaw County, and she shares her perspective with WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak.

Reccently, Ashanti Allona Harris fell short in her effort to fill a 3rd Ward vacancy by winning appointment to Ypsilanti City Council. Now, she'll try and earn that seat in the November general election. WEMU's Josh Hakala explains.

We talk a lot about equity and inclusion in our community. It's about access to opportunity. For those with disabilities, gaining full access can still prove difficult. Alex Gossage has used his personal experience with disability to guide the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living to a brighter and more accessible future. He talks about some new programs and initiatives underway to change that in our area with WEMU's David Fair.

The same Wixom company that dumped PFAs into the Huron River may be causing more damage with the release of a carcinogenic chemical into the sewer system. Monitoring continues to see if the contamination will reach Washtenaw County. Huron River Watershed Council executive director, Rebecca Esselman, joined WEMU's David Fair with the latest on the health of the Huron River.