A judge has dropped the obstruction of justice charges faced by Chris Webber, although he will still face trial for perjury.

The Business Direct Weekly (local business paper) follows up on the Ann Arbor News article last week about the artists displaced from the future site of the YMCA moving to Ypsilanti with this story: “Vacant Ypsi buildings lurer Ann Arbor artists” However, the story includes this kicker: the new building they’re moving into is slated for demolition as part of Ypsi’s “redevelopment” effort. A question for Ypsi civic leaders: why not save the old warehouses, and embrace the artist community? I’m sure the answer is that while that’s a quaint idea, it won’t boost property values, and hence property taxes. To me, it’s obvious building a vibrant city is the best way to boost property values, not arrogantly charging forward with the destruction of buildings utilized by city residents, but that’s not generally the way things work in American planning circles.

Site updates: Place classified ads on this website for less than a dollar a day – look farther down the page on the left-hand column or click here.