Sarah Rigg

Getting an education as an adult can be challenging and costly. But for the last 25 years in Washtenaw County, the organization “Adult Transitions” has been helping adults get their GED, take English as a Second Language classes, and much more. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale talk about this path to education with Bonnie Truhn, the program director of Adult Transitions.

The Michigan Avenue branch of the Ypsilanti District Library flooded during a severe rainstorm back in July. Its closing has been a big loss to the community, but plans are in the works to come back bigger and better. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale caught up with downtown branch manager Joy Cichewicz for the latest.

The Ypsilanti District Library and Eastern Michigan University are working to make menstruation products more accessible. In fact, the tampons and pads are available free of charge. As you’ll learn on WEMU’s 'On the Ground Ypsi,' the hope is to reduce the financial burden of these essential items while also getting rid of the stigma of menstruation. WEMU’s Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media’s Sarah Rigg get all the details in a conversation with Jesse John from EMU’s ‘Changing the Cycle’ program.

The Community Leadership Revolution, or CLR Academy, is a youth sports sampling program. It's expanding through the Ypsilanti area, and beyond. But sports are just a vehicle for the organization’s efforts to help kids live healthier lives. Among other things, it teaches them about nutrition, mental health, and building positive relationships. Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper program director Jamall Bufford is one of the founders of CLR. He joined WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the program and its growth.

Eastern Michigan University is helping some incarcerated people earn a degree while behind bars. It's an effort to reduce recidivism and help participants become productive members of society once released. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale talk about EMU's College in Prison program with its director, Meghan Lechner.

The Ypsilanti District Library (YDL) won a grant from the American Library Association (ALA) to create a "Great Stories" Book Club. It is a reading and discussion program for underserved teens with books specially chosen by the ALA. The YDL staff will work with a small group of teens to read and discuss stories that explore questions of race, identity, and more. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale dig deeper into this exciting, new program with YDL teen librarian, Kelly Scott.

There are efforts within city government to develop Water Street along the Huron River. Heather Wysor is an herbalist founder of the online shop Heathers on Earth. It focuses on foraged, natural medicines. She would like to "re-wild" the downtown property. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg speak with Wysor about her proposal to preserve the area's natural state.

Disc golf is a sport that received a boost in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to grow. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale take a look at how to play and where to play in the Ypsilanti area with Jen Trombley. She's a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association and head of the Grit and Grace Ladies League.

The Rutherford Pool in Ypsilanti is truly a community pool. It has become more accessible and has now partnered with Washtenaw County to help teach people of all ages to swim. WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale learned all about it in this conversation with Rutherford Pool program director, Cathy Thorburn.

WEMU's Josh Hakala and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale learn more about the group SURE Moms from its founder, Florence Roberson. SURE stands for Sisters United Resilient and Empowered and is aimed at improving the lives of individuals and the community. It defines itself as a "peer support group for mothers of youth within the juvenile justice system".