Last House Down

The last of seven houses on South Fifth Avenue in Ann Arbor was demolished today to make way for City Place student apartments. Several passersby stopped to watch as the house was reduced to rubble, all in agreement it was a sad day. Read the story.

Cain Train

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was greeted with roaring cheers from a crowd of several dozen supporters today at the Big Sky Diner in Ypsilanti Township. Cain was all smiles and only briefly mentioned the sexual harassment allegations against him to assure the crowd he wasn't letting it get him down. "As you can tell, they're starting to come after me," he said. "They're starting to attack me any and every way they can. Since they can't kill the ideas, they're trying to attack my integrity and my character, but the American people are not buying that — they are sick of gutter politics." Read the story.

Ganesh Commands You

My friend brought back these statues for me from a trip to Thailand. They're rad.

Angry Birds

I feel like you can tell a lot about somebody by his or her keychain. Here's mine.

Lumm Wins

With all precincts reporting, Independent challenger Jane Lumm defeated Democratic incumbent Stephen Rapundalo in the 2nd Ward race for the Ann Arbor City Council on Tuesday. The vote count was 2,079 to 1,359, giving Lumm a solid edge over Rapundalo. Cheers erupted shortly before 8:30 p.m. at her election night party at Paesano on Washtenaw Avenue where Lumm later gave a victory speech to a crowd of several dozen supporters. Read the story.

Library Lot

Salvage This

It's been debated over the past few years whether the seven century-old houses that stand in the way of the City Place student apartments project are worth salvaging. Apparently at least pieces of them are. Crews from Ypsilanti-based Materials Unlimited are on site today, beginning the process of gutting the seven houses piece by piece. Meanwhile, crews from Michigan Pipe & Valve are continuing the installation of new underground water and sewer pipes along Fifth Avenue. Read the story.

Preparation

Construction equipment, including at least two excavators, a bulldozer, and a backhoe, has appeared on the proposed site of the controversial City Place apartments project in Ann Arbor. Read the story.

Road Closed

Several downtown business leaders gave the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority an earful Wednesday about proposed parking rate increases and a $50 million underground parking structure project that's partly driving them. Herb David Guitar Studio, at the corner of Liberty and Fifth Avenue, and Jerusalem Garden, next door on Fifth Avenue, are reporting declines in business from the construction, which has kept Fifth Avenue closed for some time now. Read the story.