Perhaps you've seen the Arbor and Fox River brands on the local liquor store shelves. They are brands of Vodka, gin and bourbon that have a worldly taste, but a hometown heritage. You see, these spirits are produced and distributed from a facility right in Ann Arbor. As 89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan reports, the Ann Arbor Distilling Company is another local treasure practically hidden in plain sight.

Ann Arbor’s “foodie” enthusiasts are looking forward to the start of Restaurant Week on Sunday, January 14th and runs through the 19th. 57 restaurants will be participating in the twice-yearly event featuring one week of one-price dining. 89.1 WEMU’s Lisa Barry spoke with Maura Thomson, the executive director of the Ann Arbor Main Street Association , which organized the event.

Students, staff and faculty will honor an historic civil rights event today. It is the kick-off to a series of events celebrating the the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme for this year's MLK Day celebrations at EMU is "Live the Legacy: Look Back, Be Present, Move Forward."

This week, Art and Soul is about the visual arts scene in Washtenaw County. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry is joined by CultureSource executive director and Chair of the Michigan Arts Council Omari Rush, and special guest Srimoyee Mitra director of the Stamps Gallery , part of the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art and Design.

Dozens of Ypsilanti High School and Middle School students will be treated to a special film opening next month thanks to a local fundraising campaign that exceeded expectations.

The Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission will meet tonight and possible creation of a community police review board will be up for discussion.

The arts community around southeast Michigan is excited about new leadership in Lansing. Omari Rush has been named chair of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Rush also serves as executive director of CultureSource after years as Vice President at the Ann Arbor Art Center. Rush discusses his plans for the council with WEMU's David Fair and Deb Polich, president and CEO of The Arts Alliance, in this week's edition of 'creative:impact'.

Every Monday morning, the executive director of the CivCity Initiative will join WEMU's David Fair for a conversation on topics pertinent to the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. Mary Morgan provides news, analysis, commentary and explains the various ways residents can become more engaged.

The City of Ann Arbor will begin deer culls at seventeen parks and nature areas today. This is the lethal part of the city's 2018 Deer Management program that will help control the deer population.

The new year brings a number of environmental challenges in Michigan. Governor Rick Snyder is in his lame duck year, and mid-term elections could impact legislative priorities. In this month's edition of "1st Friday Focus on the Environment," you'll get a sense of where we're headed.