Fourth of July in Ann Arbor 2013

Disclaimer: These photos were shot with an iPhone.

Sending Out An SOS

Since moving to Ann Arbor from his home state of Alabama four years ago, Chris Hewett says one thing has consistently disappointed him: the level of aggressive driving here. "You know, I can't turn in my driveway without someone having road rage and honking their horn and cussing at me." Hewett, who lives with his wife on Seventh Street on Ann Arbor's Old West Side, believes the problem is particularly bad on his street. He's spent months gathering videos and photos to document the speeding and aggressive driving that happens on Seventh Street. And in early April, he launched a Facebook page for a new group called SOS: Safety on Seventh. Read the story.

Argo

A pair of kayakers enters the Argo Cascades on Saturday on the Huron River in Ann Arbor. The city of Ann Arbor is planning a $115,000 public art project at the site of the Cascades and wants input from the public. Go here to chime in.

Train Whistle

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje says Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail can happen in three years with regional support. One of the demonstration railcars was on display Friday in downtown Ann Arbor. Read the story.

State Of The City

Mayor John Hieftje delivered an unofficial "state of the city" address to the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor on Wednesday afternoon, touching on topics ranging from the condition of city streets to transit and job growth. Read the story.

Dynamic Duo

A pair of street musicians performs on the University of Michigan Diag on a recent afternoon in downtown Ann Arbor. Mayor John Hieftje is proposing a stipend program to encourage more street performances around town. Read the story.

South U Makeover?

Large concrete tree planters that double as benches have been part of South University Avenue's characteristic look and feel for roughly a quarter of a century. But what might have been good urban design in the late 1980s doesn't work well anymore, said Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. The DDA is thinking it might be time to get rid of those planters — and replace them with much smaller ones — as it looks to give South U a makeover. Read the story.

The Forge

Ann Arbor is among dozens of cities across the country gearing up to celebrate the first National Day of Civic Hacking, a call to action for those who proudly call themselves hackers. Over the course of two days in the lower level of the Tech Brewery at 1327 Jones Drive — a creative work space known as The Forge — software developers, technologists, entrepreneurs and other interested citizens are expected to put their minds together to harness public data and code to create innovative solutions for challenges facing neighborhoods and communities. Read the story.

Radius

A new hanging sculpture can be found inside the lobby of Ann Arbor's Justice Center after Portland-based artist Ed Carpenter completed the installation during the holiday weekend. The city's latest piece of public art — titled "Radius" — measures 40 feet by 20 feet by 12 feet and is made of dichroic glass, aluminum and stainless steel, with integral LED lighting. Read the story.

My View Of Ann Arbor

Labor Of Love

When Sindi Keesan enlisted her partner Jim Deigert's help in building a house at 512 Felch St. in Ann Arbor in 1986, she never imagined it'd still be a work in progress three decades later. Read the story.

Here's an audio slideshow I made to go with the story: