Fatal crash into Walgreens; Michigan football fires ‘Dr. Blitz’; northside mom brings Santa to town

Santa Joe Eadie rides in a "sleigh" through Ann Arbor's Glacier Highlands neighborhood on Dec. 19, 2020. (Carly Ly)

Happy Friday!

... and Merry Christmas to our readers who celebrate. 🎄

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It’s hard to believe this is the last newsletter of 2020. This year has been unlike any other in recent memory. The pandemic hit in March. Life as we knew it changed and forced us away from others, even our own families. This was felt the most during missed milestones: birthdays, holidays and even weddings. And now here we are, with 2021 and the COVID-19 vaccine within our grasp. I hope you, your family and friends are healthy and staying connected.

Have a great long weekend.

- Meredith (@meredith_A4)

What’s been happening:

💔 An 82-year-old man was killed when he “vaulted” his vehicle from a ditch into Walgreens on Huron Parkway and Washtenaw Avenue on Wednesday. It took firefighters 45 minutes to extract a 77-year-old female passenger who was pinned in the vehicle. (A4)

🏈 Michigan football let defensive coordinator Don Brown go this week following the team’s worst showing during his five-year tenure. Known as “Dr. Blitz,” he orchestrated some extremely talented defenses in Ann Arbor, writes Derick Hutchinson. (A4)

🗣 University of Michigan students are speaking out against the teaching appointment of Jason Mars, the former CEO of Clinc who stepped down after he was accused of sexual harassment and verbal abuse by employees, clients and former students. (Michigan Daily | A4)

🚨 Police are searching for an armed man who robbed the Main Street Party Store on Tuesday morning. (A4)

☎️ Feeling overwhelmed this time of year? A University of Michigan psychologist provides tips on managing holiday stress. (A4)

🎁 Watch: Pediatric patients and their families had their spirits lifted at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital with the annual “bedside toy store” experience. (A4)

🎸 Here’s the complete lineup of the 44th Ann Arbor Folk Festival, which streams live next month. (A4)

Good to know:

🎄 What does one oversized Christmas tree and no clear means to install it on Palio’s rooftop give you? A hilarious situation. Here’s the backstory of that glorious -- and very large -- tree. (A4)

🤷 If you are on Twitter -- especially if you follow City Council -- it’s likely you’ve come across Julie Weatherbee’s tweets. But have you seen her “Lost Things” series? It’s pretty great. (A4)

🎂 Sixth grade Forsythe student Nemo Tsai is a contestant on Food Network’s “Kids Baking Championship.” The ninth season premieres on Monday. You know who we’ll be rooting for. (A4)

🎦 The State Theatre is now offering private movie screenings of any film of your choosing. (A4)

Feature interview of the week:

“It’s something that’s incredibly meaningful to me in terms of just bringing people together and really building community.”

- Carly Ly, a local mom who organized a visit from Santa in her northside neighborhood

🗨 Have something to share? Write me anytime at mbruckner@wdiv.com.

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