Ypsilanti

Each month, we partner with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber to look at how the news of the day impacts the local business community. For this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by Andy LaBarre, Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for the Chamber, and Destination Ann Arbor Director of Community Engagement Jennifer Chizek to talk about the upcoming tourism season and what Destination Ann Arbor predicts for this summer and fall.

The Ypsilanti Fire Department has received an evaluation from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), ranking it among the top 2% of departments in Michigan. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Ypsilanti will have its own unarmed crisis response team. The City Council has approved a previously tabled resolution now that a funding source has been identified. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Starting a new business—even a small business—takes a lot of work and resources. Fortunately, Ann Arbor SPARK East in Ypsilanti is there to provide such resources with its Small Business Support Hub. Lee Van Roth talked all about what the program does for budding entrepreneurs with Ann Arbor SPARK's director of entrepreneurial services, Kristine Nash-Wong.

The Ypsilanti City Council will get a look at the next proposed budget this evening. It includes dipping into the General Fund for some needed infrastructure improvements. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

A couple of parking lots and alleyways in Ypsilanti are being resurfaced by city workers to make them safer for residents and visitors. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

With the approval of the City of Ypsilanti, the owners of Arbor One will transition to a new property management company to restore remaining condemned apartment units at the facility. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

A dual language program at Ypsilanti Puentes Multilingual School is dedicated to language development in early childhood. “Bridging Language, Honoring Identity: The Impact of Scaffolded Bilingual Bridging on Spanish Language Development" is a new project that will explore how Spanish–English instructional strategies on vocabulary retention affects students in a Spanish-immersion setting. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor discussed the project with YCS kindergarten teacher Viviana Iturbe and professional learning consultant Melissa Brooks-Yip.

Today is Arbor Day, and students from Ypsilanti International Elementary School got their hands dirty. They participated in tree plantings next door in Prospect Park. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Ann Arbor Public Schools and Ypsilanti Community Schools are now part of a new academic program with Eastern Michigan University. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.