washtenaw county

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.

A vote by Washtenaw County Commissioners to approve the Arbor South brownfield proposal will have to wait a few weeks. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Are you familiar with pocket forests? These are dense plantings of native trees and shrubs that can influence water movement and soil conditions and improve the environment and ecosystem in a targeted area. There are already some in Washtenaw County, and more are coming. WEMU's David Fair talked about the growing number of small-scale ecological projects with Dr. Heather Chen-Yost, who is a volunteer with the Tree Town Urban Forest Team.

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 Washtenaw County Health Department is releasing its 2025 annual report. This report summarizes local public health efforts to protect the community’s health and well-being in 2025. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor spoke health department spokesperson, Beth Ann Hamilton, and discussed environmental health services, WIC, and community health data reporting.

Environmental concerns continue to surround data centers, and there are a number either approved or planned in Washtenaw County. Supporters of these centers contend there are ways to ensure environmental health while improving the local economy. We’ve explored environmental concerns on WEMU’s "Issues of the Environment." This time around, we’ll get a business perspective on it. Phil Santer is Chief Operating Officer for Ann Arbor SPARK, and he joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the economics of these data centers.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) has secured funding for its plan to build a roundabout in Scio Township. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

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.

It is 2026, and all too often, we continue to see incidents of discrimination in housing. In fact, because of increasing complaints, the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County had to rebrand as the Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan about 10 years ago. Why is this still happening? WEMU's David Fair talked it over with the Fair Housing Center’s executive director, Kristen Cuhran.

Lyme disease cases continue to jump round the state, including here in Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.