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Ann Arbor Hosting Competition To Design New City Flag

Ann Arbor Hosting Competition To Design New City Flag

Monday, September 11: Competition to design new city flag, friend speed dating, ranking local high schools, MSU coach suspended, and a Michigander on Survivor

September 11, 2023

Morning, Ann Arbor! We’ve officially made it. After passing the 1,200 subscriber mark, 1% of Ann Arbor is officially reading the Michigander. Let the good times roll. Next up, 10% of Tree Town.

Read Time: 3 minutes

Reader Count: 1,207 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 1.01%

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ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

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🏳 New City Flag: To create more community pride, Ann Arbor is calling on its residents to design a new city flag. The contest is open to all ages, with six finalists earning $200 and the winner an additional $500. Designs must be submitted by November 3 and adhere to criteria such as simplicity, unique symbolism, and use of limited colors. A panel led by Mayor Christopher Taylor will select finalists, whose designs will be displayed for community feedback starting November 10. The winning design will be announced in January 2024 and will become a permanent city emblem.

📧 UMich Email Password Reset: U of M is requiring all UMich (Level-1) email account holders to reset their passwords by September 12 (tomorrow). The directive applies to faculty, staff, and students across its Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, as well as Michigan Medicine. Failing to meet the deadline will necessitate a complicated account-recovery process. Users are advised not to reuse old passwords. Alumni and retirees are able to follow suit at this time, but a formal communication will be sent to these groups at a later date.

☕️ Friend Speed Dating: Vertex Coffee (1335 S University Ave) is hosting a free friend speed dating event this Thursday night. With conversation questions provided, locals are invited to meet new friends over a cup of coffee. To sign up for the 7 - 8:30 p.m. or 8:30 - 10 p.m. slot, use this link.

📚 Ranking Ann Arbor High Schools: U.S. News & World Report ranked the top high schools in the country. How local high schools ranked in the state and country:

Washtenaw International High School (#4 in state and #119 in U.S.)
Skyline High School (#6 in Michigan and #293 in the U.S.)
Pioneer High School (#9 in Michigan and #433 in the U.S.)
Huron High School (#27 in Michigan and #940 in the U.S.)
Saline High School (#28 in Michigan and #946 in the U.S.)

🏈 Michigan Football Tracker: Week 2 of 13

Current Record: 2-0
Current Rank: #2 in the country
Last Saturday: Michigan beat UNLV 35-7.
This Saturday: Michigan plays a 7:30 p.m. night game at home against Bowling Green (1-1). The Wolverines are 40-point favorites.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

🏈 MSU Coach Suspended: Michigan State's head football coach, Mel Tucker, has been suspended without pay amid an ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations. The claims were made by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault awareness speaker who had been hired to address the team. Tucker admits to the behavior but claims it was consensual. Interim head coach Harlon Barnett will lead the team during Tucker's absence. A formal decision on Tucker's future and his remaining $77 million contract will follow a hearing set for the week of October 5.

💧 Lake Michigan Drinking Water: Joliet, Illinois, just 30 miles from Lake Michigan, faces an impending water crisis as its groundwater supplies deplete. To address the issue, the city is partnering with neighboring communities for a $1.4 billion project to source water from Lake Michigan via a 65-mile pipeline. Slated for completion by 2030, the initiative is the largest public works project in Joliet's history. The situation highlights growing concerns around water security, even in regions seemingly abundant in freshwater resources.

🔌 State Power: Michigan had the sixth-highest power outage rate in the U.S. last year, with residents experiencing an average of 14.6 hours without electricity. This rate is double the national average of 7.3 hours.