west willow neighborhood

Flooding in the West Willow neighborhood in Ypsilanti Township has been a problem and the search for solutions has been under study. A 500-year storm in 2023 caused damage to over 1,000 homes. Residents are frustrated with the slow pace of progress in addressing outdated water infrastructure, so Washtenaw County hired an engineering and consulting firm to look into solutions. WEMU's David Fair talked with Brandon Ellefson of Livonia-based OHM Advisors about what solutions the study has found.

The father/son-led nonprofit, Odindi Youth Action Village (OYA), has been actively working in and alongside the West Willow neighborhood community since 2022. And as their numerous successful initiatives and programs continue to evolve and grow, the support from the community members and local partners grows as well. Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale speaks with OYA co-founder Akin Oluwadare about his and his father's organization and their unwavering commitment to the community that they serve for this week's "On the Ground Ypsi."

All too many in the greater Ypsilanti community go without preventative health care because services are either inaccessible or unaffordable. A new partnership between Packard Health, University of Michigan School of Nursing, and a local church plan to change that. Clinical services will soon be provided to residents of Ypsilanti Township's West Willow neighborhood. WEMU's Cathy Shafran and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale were joined by Dr. Raymond Rion and Becca Fleming from Packard Health to discuss plans for the new clinic.

In this edition of "On the Ground Ypsi," WEMU's Cathy Shafran and Concentrate Media reporter Rylee Barnsdale take a look at a new concept for youth in Ypsilanti Township. It is called a "makerspace". It is intended to give area youth a purpose and some income at the same time. They discuss the makerspace further with community activist Elisa Guyton, who has been a driving force in this project.

There are some who describe Ypsilanti Township as a "food desert", where access to healthy and affordable food is difficult to those without transportation. But businesses and government officials are working to address the lack of food access in Ypsilanti Township. In today's edition of "On The Ground Ypsi," WEMU's Cathy Shafran talks with Concentrate Media Reporter Rylee Barnsdale about her site's reporting on efforts to bring fresh food opportunities closer to the community, along with one of the community members working to make this possible, 2Marines co-founder Josh McAllister.

When Kaiser Elementary School in Ypsilanti Township shut down as a result of the Willow Run/Ypsilanti schools merger, the nearby West Willow neighborhood…

Habitats for Humanity of Huron Valley (HHHV) has been helping out Washtenaw County residents for years. While the organization is mostly known for…