To help the victims of Hurricane Harvey , the American Red Cross Michigan Region is sending volunteers to the affected areas.

12th District Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) is co-sponsor of a measure aimed at creating greater support for the creative industries, including artists. The legislation is known as the CREATE Act. In this week's edition of creative:impact, WEMU's David Fair and President and CEO of The Arts Alliance, Deb Polich, learn kmore about what passage of the bill would mean, locally.

We’ve created a new feature here on 89.1 WEMU we’re calling “Hidden In Plain Sight.” It focuses on some of the people or places in our community that you may not have known about or were familiar with. 89.1 WEMU’S Lisa Barry takes you to a secret garden that you may actually have eaten from – but perhaps didn’t know even existed!

Several elected officials will update the public and listen to concerns this week on the ongoing 1.4 dioxane contamination plume int he Ann Arbor area. Changes in parking enforcement are under discussion. How can you participate? Find out in this week's "Civic Matters" with WEMU's David Fair and Mary Morgan of the CivCity Initiative.

A charitable 240-mile trike ride, swim across the Straits of Mackinac, and a performance at the Grand Hotel. "Ride, Swim, Play, Give." Boogie-Woogie piano legend Mr. B (Mark Braun) , and a Joybox Express team of dozens launch the "Sprint 4 Flint" on Friday morning in a fundraising effort to benefit the Youthquest program in the city of Flint. WEMU will be following the progress all along the way!

This week’s Art and Soul is about the performing arts in our community. 89.1 WEMU’s Lisa Barry is joined by local journalist and A2 Arts Addict blogger Jenn McKee and the new president of the University Musical Society , Matthew Van Besien, to discuss the upcoming season... his first in the position at the University of Michigan.

Michigan author, poet, actor, director, and teacher B.G. Bradley talks about his new fiction book that provides a glimpse of life in the state's Upper Peninsula. 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry talks to Bradley about Winter Heart .

It was a week ago that racist graffiti was discovered at the Ann Arbor Skate Park . 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry reports police are getting citizen assistance in finding a suspect through financial contributions.

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."

To address the opioid crisis in Washtenaw County, the Sheriff's Office , along with U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and U.S. Congressman Tim Walberg , hosted a forum on the issue. It attracted over 200 people to Saline High School where it was held.