RICKY JEFFERSON

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - A current Ypsilanti City Council member hopes to unseat a three-term incumbent in the Democratic primary race for a seat on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners covering all of the City of Ypsilanti and parts of neighboring townships. Information on other state, county and local primary races is available at Vote411.org. Every day I have the honor of helping people in Washtenaw County at the local and state level. Somerville:The most serious problems facing Washtenaw County are the housing crisis, economic segregation, and health disparities. Read more Washtenaw County election coverage here.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Baristas and other Starbucks workers seeking to unionize in the Ann Arbor area have the backing of Washtenaw County’s top elected body. “I do think this is a historic opportunity for labor,” said Washtenaw County Commissioner Jason Morgan, whose central Ann Arbor district includes several unionizing Starbucks stores. Washtenaw County leaders say the labor efforts are about more than just local the coffee shops. “The Board of Commissioners believes that this unionization drive will benefit not only Starbucks workers but all workers in our community,” reads part of the resolution passed on Wednesday. County leaders lined up to profess their support for the service workers and declare Washtenaw County’s commitment to labor.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Help the communities hardest hit by COVID-19. Washtenaw County leaders have repeatedly heard that call as they mull how to spend millions in federal coronavirus stimulus dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Read more: Washtenaw County OKs $24.7M in COVID stimulus spending. The plan OK’d on Wednesday powers $2.6 million in investments to the county Health Department and nearly $730,000 to launch a new “mobile services” project. The Washtenaw County Health Department will use $1.2 million toward bringing its Ypsilanti headquarters up to date with modern accessibility laws, while improving signage to ease navigation in the building.

It was an all hands on deck effort this past weekend to repair a Black Lives Matter mural that was defaced in September in Ypsilanti.

YPSILANTI, MI -- The annual Parkridge Summer Festival and Joe Dulin Community Day is returning to an in-person celebration this year. The event will also feature a resource tent, open from noon to 2:30 p.m., with more than 60 nonprofits, social service agencies and community organizations available. Dulin also served as an adviser to former Vice President Al Gore, was the subject of the documentary “Bridging the Gap” and created National African American Parent Involvement Day, which was designed to encourage Black parents to stay involved with their children’s education. Dulin and his wife also established a $500 scholarship that goes to an African American student who lives in and attends high school in Washtenaw County. “It’s a great opportunity for families to get connected to community resources in the area,” Teresa Gillotti, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development director, said in a statement.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners approved the creation of a special revenue fund to support the long-term maintenance of non-motorized trails. The resolution, brought by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission in partnership with Washtenaw County Treasurer Catherine McClary, passed unanimously at the board’s regular meeting March 3. In 2018, Washtenaw County approved a similar special revenue fund to cover costs for the ongoing stewardship of Washtenaw County nature preserves. The organization has been working in partnership with the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission to complete the Border-to-Border Trail, a 40-mile pathway that connects cities and parks throughout Washtenaw County. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Tens of millions of dollars in stimulus money expected to pour into Washtenaw County9,000 newly eligible Washtenaw County residents waiting for COVID vaccination appointmentsToo early to link vaccines to drop in Washtenaw County COVID cases, health officials say

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Dec. 2 approved a resolution to request a federal Superfund cleanup of the Gelman dioxane plume. The county board joins the city of Ann Arbor in asking for federal intervention. For decades, the county and local municipalities have attempted to require Gelman to clean up dioxane contamination that originated at Gelman Sciences’ Wagner Road facility. Last month, the city voted in favor of petitioning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a Superfund cleanup and soliciting Gov. Officials at the county and city both argued that the proposed plan for more monitoring and cleanup of the decades-old pollution wasn’t enough for an effective cleanup.