Latest news with #Ypsilanti
CBS News
8 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Court order protects Ypsilanti renters living in condemned apartment complex
Tenants at Arbor One apartment complex in Ypsilanti are finally getting some relief after living in condemned units for months. It comes in the form of a court order forcing the landlords to get units back into livable condition while also keeping them from collecting any more rent from those living in them. The landlords are also barred from renting any condemned units out to new tenants before they receive a new certificate of occupancy. The order doesn't require tenants to leave, but it gives them good reason to do so. Tenants can request to be relocated to a new complex at the expense of Arbor One, and they can also terminate their rental agreements entirely. If they choose the latter, Arbor One must pay them any security deposit or rent payments made since Sept. 17, 2024, when the complex lost its certificate of compliance. "I feel like finally, we have the city and the county behind us. We need stuff to get done, and we need people to get relocated to safe and fair housing," said Arbor One Tenant Union member Roy Finny. The goal of this preliminary injunction is to require Arbor One to make the apartments safe and up to code before any new tenants can move in. It also bars the apartment complex from asking for any rent from anyone who wants to stay and wait out the repairs, but one tenant says she's still being asked. "Despite the court order, I got a text message yesterday asking me to pay for my rent, and that I have a past due in my ledger. So they are not complying, they refuse to comply. I don't know what to say," said one tenant who wished not to be identified for fear of retaliation. Others on the property said the office is dragging its feet when tenants try to end their rental agreement. The order gives tenants this right and also requires Arbor One to return any security deposits or rent paid since they lost their certificate of compliance in September. "It provides them their rent back starting when these certificate of compliances were revoked back in September," said Andrew Hellenga, Ypsilanti City Manager. "It also provides movement assistance, so if they determine they would like to leave, then the owner of Arbor One must pay for those expenses." CBS News Detroit has reached out to Arbor One for comment. Any tenants who feel Arbor One is not complying with the court order are asked to take their claims to Legal Services of South Central Michigan for help.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Eastern Michigan ending partnerships with two Chinese universities after security concerns from Congress
Eastern Michigan University said Wednesday it is severing partnerships with two Chinese universities after concerns from Congress. The university, located in Ypsilanti, said it received a letter in February from U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg and John Moolenaar, urging EMU to cut engineering teaching partnerships with Beibu Gulf University and Guangxi University. The congressmen claimed the partnerships present a national security risk. "The PRC (People's Republic of China) systematically exploits the open research environment in the United States, actively engaging in theft, espionage, and other hostile actions against U.S. universities perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)," the congressmen said in the letter. EMU said it provided Moolenaar and Wahlberg with plans to terminate the partnerships. In a statement on Wednesday, EMU President James Smith said: "EMU takes seriously the importance of protecting U.S. national security. We are proud of our longstanding designation by the U.S. National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense education. EMU fully complies with U.S. foreign disclosure requirements. "Neither the BGU nor the GU partnership involves any research or technology transfer. These are exclusively teaching programs that do not teach cyber security. The course content for all offered classes is widely available in the public domain." Smith added, "EMU's teaching partnership with GU does not currently enroll any students and we are working with our partner to dissolve the program. After careful review, we have also elected to terminate our teaching partnership with BGU. We are working with BGU to ensure that the students who are currently enrolled in the program are able to complete their academic studies in an orderly manner." The congressmen also sent a letter to Oakland University and the University of Detroit Mercy to end programs with Chinese universities. CBS News Detroit contacted Oakland University. A Detroit Mercy spokesperson said they have "nothing to announce at this point." In January, the University of Michigan announced it was ending a program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley, also said they were terminating their partnerships in China. In the letter to EMU, Walberg and Moolenaar also pointed to the specific partnership with Beibu Gulf University and the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, in which faculty spend a year in the People's Republic of China for research. The lawmakers claimed the arrangement "effectively transfers U.S. national security resources and expertise to an adversary nation, directly contradicting the intended purpose of EMU's federal cybersecurity funding." They also pointed to the university hiring Yifei Chu, who was previously charged with making false statements to obtain a security clearance for work within the United States Embassy in Singapore. Chu pleaded guilty in 2023. "This raises serious concerns about EMU's vetting procedures and the potential for the transfer of dangerous technology that could be used against the United States by the PRC," the congressmen said.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Authorities respond to house fire in Ypsilanti
Crews responded to a house fire on Monday at a house in Ypsilanti, Michigan. According to Huron Valley EMS, the fire happened on Maplelawn Drive. Authorities say no injuries or fatalities were reported. The fire is under investigation; however, investigators suspect the fire was related to a barbecue grill. Authorities did not release any additional information. This story is developing.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Two teenagers seriously injured after rollover crash in Washtenaw County
Two teenagers were injured in the aftermath of a rollover crash early Sunday near Ann Arbor, Michigan. The crash happened about 3 a.m. on northbound US-23 near Geddes Road in Washtenaw County's Ann Arbor Township, according to a report from the Michigan State Police, Brighton post. The driver, a 17-year-old male from Ypsilanti, was taken to Trinity Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he was listed in critical condition. He was ejected from the 2018 Nissan Rogue during the crash. The passenger, a 16-year-old female, was trapped in the SUV when first responders arrived. She was also taken to Trinity Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. Troopers said the preliminary investigation showed the Nissan was southbound on US-23 when the driver lost control, crossed the median and rolled several times. Northbound US-23 near Geddes Road was closed from about 3 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. as a result of the crash, according to Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports. The investigation is continuing. Troopers ask that anyone who has information to share about the crash contact the Brighton Post at 810-227-1051.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Warren man struck and killed on Interstate 94 in Ypsilanti Township
A man who was walking without clothing amid Interstate 94 traffic was struck and killed early Sunday, the Michigan State Police reported. The hit-and-run crash happened about 2:25 a.m. in Washtenaw County's Ypsilanti Township. About that time, a call was made of an "unclothed male" who was walking eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-94 near the US-12 bypass. A Huron Valley Ambulance crew arrived on scene just before state troopers did. But before the medics could make contact with the man, a passing black sedan struck the man and did not stop. First responders performed life-saving efforts, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as a 52-year-old man from Warren. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and Ypsilanti Fire Department also assisted on the call. The investigation is still in progress. Troopers ask that the driver of the vehicle "please come forward and contact MSP." The vehicle involved may have damage to the passenger side of its vehicle, troopers reported. Anyone who has information on the crash can call the MSP Brighton Post at 810-227-1051.
