Ann Arbor's downtown beat officers; PFAS grant approved; Messi not coming to Michigan Stadium

Officers Murdock and Van Alstine patrol the Ann Arbor Art Fair on July 19, 2019. (Credit: Meredith Bruckner)

Happy Friday!

Football is returning to Michigan Stadium on Saturday. No, the Wolverines' season isn't starting up again so soon. Soccer teams FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli will be facing off in a LaLiga-Serie A Cup friendly. Sadly, star Barca forward Lionel Messi announced on Monday he will not be traveling to the U.S. due to a calf injury.

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Some good news? Destination Ann Arbor is throwing a free outdoor concert on Main Street tonight ahead of the big event. Also, the same road closures and parking restrictions will apply as home football game days, so be sure to check ahead of time if you plan to drive in the area.

What does any of this have to do with the officers in the picture? They're our feature interview of the week -- more on their story below.

Have a great weekend.

- Meredith (@meredith_A4)

What's been happening:

🚰 Ann Arbor City Council approved this week a $1.3 million state grant to help address toxic PFAS chemicals in the city's drinking water. (MLive)

🥫 Hope Clinic has raised more than five tons of food for the hungry in cooperation with 25 Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti churches this summer. (A4)

🏎 C.S. Mott Children's Hospital held its annual Caden's Car Show to help its young patients forget about their illnesses for a day of fun. Sarah covered the heartwarming event. (A4)

👕 A 19-year-old University of Michigan student started a clothing line made from recycled plastic waste from the Great Lakes. (A4)

👟 Speaking of U-M, its Robotics Institute has partnered with another lab to build an open-source prosthetic leg and it's pretty amazing. Watch the video. (A4

Fun to know:

🍵 Instagram hotspot and former "Shark Tank" contestant Teaspressa just celebrated one year in Ann Arbor. (A4)

🖼 Check out these upcoming exhibits at UMMA and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology on the practice of copying art in Asia and ancient graffiti in Sudan, respectively. (A4)

🌸 I'm pretty sure you've never seen anything like this before. Check out the work of local florist Susan McLeary who appeared on Live in the D this week with her floral wearables. (Live in the D)

Feature interview of the week:

"Our goal is accessibility, especially to business owners. Everybody downtown has got my cellphone. I always tell people: If it’s an emergency, you call 911. If you’re like, 'Should I call somebody, but I don’t want to call 911,' they can call us."

- Jordan Murdock, downtown beat officer with the Ann Arbor Police

✉️ Have something to share? Write us anytime at allaboutannarbor@wdiv.com.

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About the Author

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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