Ypsilanti Township

The coronavirus pandemic has forced Ypsilanti's city council to meet online instead of in-person. 

As the rate of COVID-19 cases continues to increase locally, Washtenaw County health officials have broken down the number of cases by zip code and race.  89.1 WEMU's Lisa Barry reports it has highlighted some disparaties in the county.

An Ypsilanti Township event intended to help African American men feel comfortable with their emotions and communication has become more popular than expected.  WEMU’s Lisa Barry talks with Nate Frazier and Keyon Purite in a conversation that touches on many important topics including how emotions impact your overall life experience and what that life experience is like for a black man in 2020.

The 2020 Census will take place in just a few months.  In the meantime, residents of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township may need to prepare for how the results may affect their respective communities.  Peter Lindeman, who is a communications and policy specialist for the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, discusses these potential challenges with WEMU's Lisa Barry and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg for this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi."

The New Year is officially underway, and the United Way of Washtenaw County has now kicked off its 21-Day Equity Challenge.  Ann Arbor YMCA President/CEO Toni Kayumi and Ypsilanti Township trustee Monica Ross-Williams talk to WEMU's David Fair about how they hope to improve equity, particularly on the Eastern side of the county, through partnership, development and increased opportunity. 

When Kaiser Elementary School in Ypsilanti Township shut down as a result of the Willow Run/Ypsilanti schools merger, the nearby West Willow neighborhood received a serious blow.  It wasn't long before the Greater Faith Transition Center took control of the old school building.  From there, a lot of charitable action took place, such as providing a food pantry to offering clothes for job interviews.  The center's founders, Pastor Robert Ford and his wife Dorothy Ford, talk about their work with WEMU's Lisa Barry and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg in this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi."

The Washtenaw County Democratic Party hosted a watch party Tuesday night for the first of two presidential democratic debates that will be hosted in Detroit.  89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan attended the gathering and has the story.

Buying a home can be one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking moments in a person's life.  Fortunately, there are a number of real estate programs in the Ypsilanti area that can make the whole experience worthwhile.  WEMU's Patrick Campion and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg hear about such programs from Candye Hinton and Kayia Robinson, a local, mother-daughter real estate team, in this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi."

The New West Willow Neighborhood Association was formed in 2015 and, ever since, the future of the Ypsilanti Township neighborhood has become brighter.  Long-time resident, association member, and neighbohood watch activist Janice Williams provides a look at living in West Willow and building to something greater. 

Over the last few years, the craft beer business has booming in Michigan.  Among the many breweries that have popped up across the state is Unity Vibration in Ypsilanti Township.  This particular brewery specializes in a fermented tea called kombucha.  Unity Vibration co-founder and owner Rachel Kanaan talks about her amazing work with WEMU's Lisa Barry and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg in this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi."

An Ypsilanti Township military veteran received a new roof Monday, thanks to the national Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project.  89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan was there and has the story.
 

Ypsilanti Township has joined over 300 communities in Michigan that have opted out of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act.  That’s the new law that will allow recreational marijuana dispensaries to operate across the state.  89.1 WEMU’s Jorge Avellan tells us why the township took this action and if it’s permanent.

In the years following the Great Recession, Ypsilanti neighborhoods have rebounded from economic and housing problems.  However, Ypsilanti's Sugarbrook neighborhood has seen a slower upswing.  So, the Huron Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity decided to step in.  In this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi," WEMU's Patrick Campion and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg learn all about this redevelopment project from Sugarbrook neighborhood watch coordinator Glenn Fitzhugh and Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley representative Ceara Murtagh.

When someone's a roofer, plumber, or carpenter, some negative stereotypes come out of it.  So, local handyman Tyrone Bridges decided to change all of that.  In fact, he wanted to show young people that good values can come out of an honest day's work.  In this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi," Bridges talks about his mentoring program with WEMU's Patrick Campion and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg.  Plus, we hear from members of the Snowdon family and their friend Jared Taylor, who benefited from Bridges's guidance.

Car enthusiasts will peruse new and future vehicles at the North American International Auto Show over the next week. But, there is more to look at than just cars, SUV’s and trucks.  As 89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan discovered, Washtenaw County is helping lead the way and is on prominent display.  

When Concentrate Media reporter Sarah Rigg was writing about Ypsilanti Township's master plan for 2040, she learned that there are nearly 30 neighborhood watch associations currently operating in the area.  So, she dug a little deeper into this fact for this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi."  Sarah and WEMU's Patrick Campion talk about the association with local neighborhood watch leaders Jo Ann McCollum and Maurice Stovall.

Like many municipalities in Washtenaw County, Ypsilanti Township is looking for ways to improve traffic safety.  Residents and community leaders in the township are concerned over the increases in neighborhood traffic caused by changes made to accommodate the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run.  89.1 WEMU’s Jorge Avellan takes a closer look. 

The road to recovery from drug abuse is never easy.  Recently, Ypsilanti Township introduced a new program designed to make the road a little easier and a lot prettier.  In this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi," WEMU's Patrick Campion and Concentrate Media's Brianna Kelly talk to Chelsea Brodfuehrer and Kristen Shea, who are involved in the new sobriety program appropriately named "A Fresh Start."

Traffic safety was the focus of a communtiy meeting held last night by the New West Willow Neighborhood Association in Ypsilanti Township.  89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan attended the meeting and has the story. 

The Ypsilanti Township corridors of Michigan Avenue and Ecorse Road has been struggling to keep local businesses up and running.  Now, the township has pledged to revitalize the areas.  In this week's "On the Ground-Ypsi," WEMU's Patrick Campion and Concentrate Media's Brianna Kelly talk to Clyde and Brandan Montgomery, co-owners of C&B Mortgage Solutions, and Khadija Wallace, who runs Joyful Treats Catering, about the revitalization effort.

When you hear the term “Student-Athlete,” we think about the full-out effort it takes to succeed in the classroom and on the field.  Those endeavors are easily recognized.  At Eastern Michigan University, the football team continues to improve on both fronts.  But, there are efforts the players are putting forth that aren’t quite as public. Many are making indelible marks on the wider community.  As 89.1 WEMU’s Jorge Avellan reports, that component in the life of a student-athlete is “Hidden in Plain Sight.” 

Victims of certain crimes in Michigan could become harder to track down – and advocates say that’s for their own safety.  Legislation that passed the state Senate would let victims keep their addresses confidential.

Voters in Ypsilanti Township will be among those hitting the ballot boxes next Tuesday, May 8th.  As WEMU's Taylor Pinson reports, the township is asking voters to approve a new millage on to help pay for the community's fire department.

Have you ever played with a toy, remote-controlled car?  Would you want to do it if the vehicle was the size and weight of the vehicle you drive? And, you were riding in it?  People are doing that right now, right around the corner from you. What they learn may determine our transportation future. By now, you’ve likely heard of the American Center for Mobility. The testing site in Ypsilanti Township once housed the historic Willow Run bomber plant in the World WAR II era.  It later served as home to The General Motors Power Train plant from the 1950’s until it was closed in 2010.  89.1 WEMU’s Jorge Avellan has taken a peak behind the curtain to get a look at what may, one day, be considered history-making technology. 

The American Center for Mobility is officially open for business in Ypsilanti Township.

The 2018 North American International Auto Show is hosting its media days in Detroit, and this is the role Washtenaw County is playing at the show.

On this week's "On the Ground Ypsi," Patrick Campion leads a discussion on the potential impact the American Center for Mobility could have on Ypsilanti Township's West Willow Neighborhood.  Brianna Kelly from Concentrate Media and Alex Thomas, a West Willow resident, join him to talk about the past, present, and possible future of the neighborhood that sits just outside the ongoing construction at the ACM.

Governor Rick Snyder was joined by representatives from 15 Michigan colleges and universities today at the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti Township.  They gathered to make an announcement.