Like many states, Michigan began observing the Labor Day holiday in 1894 . Washtenaw County played a role in developing the movement before it became a holiday.

It was a 240-mile, 29 1/2 hour, people-powered tricycle ride from Flint to Mackinaw City . Then, it was a swim from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island , with a 50-foot barge in tow. It concluded with Mr. B and His Band performing at the Grand Hotel as part of the annual Labor Day Jazz Weekend . Renowned Ann Arbor boogie-woogie pianist Mr. B, Mark Braun, stopped by the WEMU studio's early labor day morning to share the experience and discuss what the charitable ' Joybox Express-Sprint 4 Flint ' will

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

Eastern Michigan University students will start moving into their dorms this morning as the new school year gets underway.

A full nine months after work began, Stadium Boulevard has re-opened near Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Recovery and relief efforts continue in southeast Texas. Harsh environmental issues will have to be dealt with in Hurricane Harvey 's aftermath. 89.1 WEMU's David Fair and the MLCV 's Lisa Wozniak also explores the Lake Erie Algae Bloom and Nestle's desire to withdraw more water in Osceola County for its bottled water operations. It's all part of the monthly series, "1st Friday Focus on the Environment."

A special "comic-con" type event is being planned in Ypsilanti called "Hero Nation-Ypsilanti." Organizer Jermaine Dickerson says it's an event designed to give a voice to those who might not feel heard. It celebrates superheroes and diversity with the mission that everyone has a hero inside of themselves that deserves to be celebrated. Dickerson joined 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry for a conversation about the free, family-friendly event taking place on September 9th at the Parkridge Community Center

89.1 WEMU has forged a new partnership with Concentrate Ann Arbor to highlight some of the positive things taking place in Ypsilanti. The sponsored news and feature series from SecondWave Media is called, "On the Ground Ypsi."

The start of the school year can be exciting for students, their parents, and educators, but it also brings a lot of uncertainty and change. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry spoke with Dr. Dayna LePlatte , a Michigan Medicine psychiatrist and medical school instructor, for some tips on dealing with the "back to school blues."

Eastern Michigan University has spent over $40 million this summer on construction projects.