The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department first issued an alert that a cow was on the loose in a residential neighborhood in Ann Arbor Township Thursday afternoon. It turned out to be two steers, headed to be butchered that escaped from the vehicle in which they were being transported.

Nearly 4 million people visited Washtenaw County in 2016, according to data collected for that year by a Michigan-based research and consulting firm. That translates into $1.1 billion dollars in total economic output and nearly 9,000 jobs. 89.1 WEMU’S Lisa Barry spoke with the marketing director for the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Laura Berarducci , about the economic impact of tourism on the county.

With even colder weather upon us, local government officials are offering tips on what to do to stay warm-and out of danger-during this cold snap.

The executive director of CultureSource and co-host of the monthly visual arts feature "Art and Soul" on 89.1 WEMU, Omari Rush has been appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to chair the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs .

Citizens and business owners concerned about the future of Ypsilanti are getting together this coming weekend for an Unconference to share ideas about the future of the community. The Unconference is the idea of local businessman and blogger Mark Maynard who says it’s a get-together with no set agenda and no guaranteed outcome. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry spoke to Maynard about the upcoming event.

Ever notice the volume level of music being played at a local restaurant or coffee shop? There's an effort underway in Ann Arbor to reduce that noise level and make the city a quieter and more peaceful place.

The end of a calendar year is typically a time of deep personal reflection for a lot of people. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry spoke to a local psychologist about the mentally healthiest way to look back but keep moving forward into the New Year.

2017 was a special year for the University of Michigan--it was the school's 200th birthday ! 89.1 WEMU's Lisa Barry talked to the director of the Michigan bicentennial celebration, Gary Krenz , about the yearlong celebration which just recently wrapped up.

It's Christmas! And as much as times have changed, it's the holiday traditions that many people celebrate today. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry shares what that means to local Congresswoman Debbie Dingell .

This week, Art and Soul is about the performing arts in our area. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry is joined by local arts journalist and blogger at A2 Arts Addict Jenn McKee as they look back at some of the performing arts highlights from the past year and talk about upcoming performance events.