Sarah Rigg

Eastern Michigan University's Halle Library is receiving a makeover thanks to a donation from its namesake. With this move, the university's oral history program will soon grow into a center of its own. EMU Archivist and Library Department head, Alexis Braun Marks, joined Rylee Barnsdale for a conversation on what this will mean to the school and community-at-large.

It was a sad day when Go! Ice Cream closed its doors in Ypsilanti. Now, there is some happier news to report. Four new business will occupy that building, Rylee Barnsdale spoke with one them. Colleen Kennedy is the owner of Investors Realty Group, which will also serve as the new property manager for the building on North Washington Street.

Whether you know it or not, many believe Ypsilanti is a hotbed for hauntings and supernatural experiences. Exploring the stories and haunted places is the focus of a new book called, "Ypsilanti Ghosts and Legends. Kay Gray is one of the co-authors and co-hosts the podcast "Haunted Mitten." She shares her journey to the beyond and back in a conversation with Rylee Barnsdale.

More businesses in Ypsilanti are working to become more sustainable in their practices. A Prospect Park business called "We Adore Flowers" is among them. It focuses on organically grown, local blooms and have gone to great lengths to institute sustainable practices in creating their fragrant offerings. Rylee Barnsdale talked all about the "We Adore Flowers" establishment with its founder/owner, Ginny Blades.

Acts of gun violence and deaths have reached epidemic levels throughout the United States. The group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is focused on reducing gun violence. Rylee Barnsdale speaks with Washtenaw County's chapter lead, Rochelle Igrisan, about the work they are doing in Washtenaw County and to highlight some upcoming events.

Officials overseeing the University of Michigan's Ypsilanti Health Center plan to move operations downtown by the end of the year. Not only will it more than triple their square footage and allow for more specialty care, but it could spawn further partnerships and entrepreneurial enterprises to boost economic development in Ypsilanti. Rylee Barnsdale talks with Concentrate Media reporter Sarah Rigg about the certainties and possibilities.

Starting back in 2010, Ypsilanti residents and community leaders all over Washtenaw County began meeting every Monday at the Parkridge Community Center to discuss upcoming events and voice concerns about local issues. The weekly ritual has stayed strong, even through the COVID pandemic. Monday Meeting's founder, Anthony Williamson, joined Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the meeting and its ongoing impacts.

Student activism on college campuses in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s was at an all-time high. Some students at Eastern Michigan University today are working on two oral history projects to better document life on the Ypsilanti campus in those days. One of them is Kat Haycanyan. She shares more about the project and what current EMU students are taking away from the experience with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.

Learning about art can be exciting and intimidating, whether it's at the elementary level or in college. For the last two years, students from Ypsilanti International Elementary School (YIES) have been mentored by students from the University of Michigan Stamps Schools of Art and Design to develop their skills for their annual International Baccalaureate Exhibition project. YIES fifth-grade teacher Melanie Eccles has helped lead this partnership, and she talks about how it has expanded the heart and minds of both her students and the Stamps students with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.

Food and housing insecurity continue to grow in our community. For the unhoused, it is a constant struggle to stay warm and fed. That's where FedUp Ministries steps in. During the summer, it provides food to those in need with a mobile food truck, while in the winters, it visits area warming centers to provide food. Now, FedUp is providing its WashUp services with a mobile shower vehicle to provide hygiene and dignity to the unhoused. FedUp Ministries board president Tajalli Hodge joins Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale to discuss new services and the plan for more in the near future.