ANN ARBOR, MI – From an Ann Arbor restaurant suing its insurance company for losses suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to a former Ann Arbor city council member dying at age 69, a lot has been going on in the Ann Arbor area.
Here are some headlines you might have missed this week.
Facing losses from COVID-19, Ann Arbor bar and restaurant sue insurance company
An Ann Arbor bar and restaurant owner is suing an Ohio-based insurance company for business losses due to the coronavirus.
The owner of The Brown Jug and Backroom Pizza, Perry Porikos, filed a complaint in federal court alleging the Cincinnati Insurance Company is denying a claim for business interruption and property damage, according to the restaurant and bar’s attorney Larry Buckfire.
Larry Hunter, former Ann Arbor council member and Black Panther, dies at 69
Larry Hunter, a social activist who served 12 years on Ann Arbor’s City Council and advocated for human rights and affordable housing and fought racial discrimination and segregation, died Nov. 12.
He was 69.
Hunter was a Democratic 1st Ward representative from 1982 to 1994 and served as mayor pro tem under both Democratic and Republican mayors.
Police searching for suspects who stole $10,000 worth of jewelry
Police are searching for two suspects who broke into a Berlin Township home in Monroe County Friday afternoon and stole upwards of $10,000 worth of jewelry.
The Michigan State Police released photos from surveillance footage captured at at 3:16 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 showing a white Dodge Ram pickup with two suspects pulling into the driveway of a home along Haggerman Road.
The two suspects exited the vehicle and entered the home through a rear door where they stole a black Samsung tablet and a jewelry cabinet containing the $10,000 worth of jewelry items, police said.
State regulators have dropped a suspension case against an Ann Arbor pharmacist accused of assisting in a man’s suicide attempt a year ago as prosecutors move forward on criminal drug charges.
The suspension case against Ann Arbor pharmacist Dr. Xavier Tato, owner of Stadium Pharmacy, 1930 W. Stadium Blvd., was dismissed Thursday, Nov. 19, at the request of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, according to an order signed by Administrative Law Judge Thomas Halick who was overseeing the regulatory matter.
Coronavirus on campus: How Michigan colleges handled it and what the winter semester holds
In-person learning is all but over at Michigan colleges and universities, with students studying and taking exams online from home to wrap up the last bit of a tumultuous and unprecedented fall semester brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many students already home or heading that way before Thanksgiving, colleges and universities are looking ahead to a winter semester that, as of now, could be much like fall or very different. One thing that remains constant is having to act quickly as coronavirus cases impact communities.
Concerns raised after contractor creates cloudy plume in Ann Arbor-area creek
As construction continued on a new Miller Road bridge over Honey Creek on Friday, Nov. 20, some residents grew concerned as the water turned murky.
Peter Baker, whose home sits along the Huron River tributary just outside Ann Arbor, documented cloudy discharges where the Washtenaw County Road Commission’s contractor was pumping unknown material into the creek.
Ann Arbor establishments battle COVID-19 restrictions on biggest bar night of the year
The night before Thanksgiving is typically a popular bar night, but restrictions on indoor seating due to the COVID-19 pandemic is putting a damper on the festivities.
Some Ann Arbor-area bars set up heaters and chairs to accommodate guests during the colder season. Good Time Charley’s, a popular bar near the University of Michigan campus, has six tables and heaters set up for the season.
Rising dioxane levels west of downtown Ann Arbor spark concerns
As the Gelman dioxane plume continues to creep through Ann Arbor’s groundwater, rising levels of the toxic chemical west of downtown are sparking concerns.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy shared new test results this week for water samples it collected in October, showing a jump in dioxane levels in the Allen Creek drain system in the West Park area.
University of Michigan student named 2021 Rhodes Scholar
Amytess Girgis was overpowered with intense, competing emotions when she received word she had been named a Rhodes Scholar.
Girgis, a senior at the University of Michigan, was one of 32 Americans to be awarded as a prestigious Rhodes Scholar, becoming part of a diverse class that includes 22 students of color - the most ever elected in one year in the United States.
Michigan Medicine tightens visitor restrictions as hospitalizations continue to rise
No visitors will be allowed with adult patients in Michigan Medicine hospitals, except when medically necessary, as the health system tries to minimize COVID-19 spread.
Michigan Medicine announced the changes that will go into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Information on exceptions, including end-of-life care, labor and delivery and other situations, can be found here.
Zingerman’s Deli to take sweet pies and potpies on statewide tour in December
A popular Ann Arbor sandwich joint is gearing up to bring its food to customers across the state in an effort to support safe holiday shopping.
Zingerman’s Delicatessen is hitting the road this December to bring its Pie Pickup Truck to Toledo, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Troy and Oak Park, the eatery announced in a news release Tuesday.