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🌱 How one first-gen student is engineering his path to Ann Arbor
Hi Ann Arbor! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How one first-gen student is engineering his path to Ann Arbor
- What led to a plea deal in this Saline knifepoint robbery?
- How worried should Ann Arbor families be about rising norovirus cases?
Also on today's calendar: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and 1 more event.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Ann Arbor? Post it to Ann Arbor photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Tuesday: Not as cold with high clouds, with a high of 33 and low of 29 degrees.
- Wednesday: Areas of morning fog, temps: high: 37, low: 26.
- Thursday: Breezy with rain, with a high of 47 and low of 22 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. How Christopher Serrano gained confidence to excel in engineering and chemistry (hfcc.edu) — A Henry Ford College student is heading to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to continue his studies in mechanical engineering after earning a pre-engineering degree. He credits supportive faculty, research opportunities, and challenging coursework with building his confidence in physics and chemistry. His story highlights the path from community college to Ann Arbor’s engineering programs for first-generation students. 
2. Man, 60, pleads guilty to robbing Saline restaurant at knifepoint (mlive.com) — A 60-year-old man has pleaded guilty in Washtenaw County Trial Court to assault and larceny charges after robbing a Subway restaurant in nearby Saline, with sentencing set for January 20, 2026. The case, handled in Ann Arbor’s county court system, stems from a February knifepoint robbery and highlights ongoing public safety concerns in the broader Ann Arbor area.
3. Norovirus hits Michigan families hard, spreads early this season (clickondetroit.com) — Ann Arbor’s wastewater currently shows the lowest norovirus levels among six monitored Michigan sites, placing the city in the medium-risk category while most others are high. Doctors are warning families statewide that stomach flu cases are rising earlier than usual, urging strict handwashing, careful cleaning, and close attention to children’s hydration as symptoms spread quickly through households.
4. How life changes when you start embracing mystery (bigthink.com) — A Hollywood screenwriter who grew up in Ann Arbor reflects on how childhood adventures at the edge of local woods and a mysterious black panther sighting on Parkway helped steer him toward filmmaking. He weaves those Ann Arbor memories together with uncanny experiences in Israel and Tibet to argue that embracing awe and mystery can reshape a life’s direction and creative work.
5. Here's why ‘Neighborhood Crime Watch' signs in Ann Arbor are going away (mlive.com) — Ann Arbor is removing more than 600 “Neighborhood Crime Watch” signs citywide by July 15 after City Council unanimously decided they send an unwelcoming, racially charged message. Council members say the decades-old program is defunct and out of step with the city’s evidence-based, relationship-focused approach to public safety, and they hope future signage will emphasize inclusion and trust instead of surveillance.
📸 Around Ann Arbor
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Ann Arbor
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
CHS Jazz Arctic Blast Concert at the Ark
Community High School Ann Arbor, MI 48104
6:00 pm -
Winter Choir Concert
Pioneer High School Ann Arbor, MI 48104
7:30 pm -
5th grade Winter Survival
Freeman Environmental Education Center , 3540 Dixboro Ln , Ann Arbor
9:30 am -
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Ann Arbor Baptist Church , 2150 S Wagner Rd , Ann Arbor
7:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Friday December 19
Wednesday December 24
📣 Ann Arbor Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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Tween Book Club
Dexter District Library , Youth Program Room (1st floor) , Dexter
4:30 pm -
.Registration Toddler Small Group Story Time – Wednesdays at 10:00AM
Dexter District Library Dexter, MI 48130 -
Registration Preschool Small Group Story Time - Wednesdays at 11:00 AM
Dexter District Library Dexter, MI 48130 -
Music and Movement with Dancer's Edge
Dexter District Library Dexter, MI 48130
10:00 am -
Boys 7th Blue Basketball vs Beach Middle at Saline
Saline Middle School Saline, MI 48176
4:15 pm -
Boys 7th Gold Basketball vs Beach Middle at Chelsea High School
Chelsea High School Saline, MI 48176
4:15 pm -
Boys 8th Blue Basketball vs Beach Middle School at Saline
Saline Middle School Saline, MI 48176
5:30 pm -
Boys 8th Gold Basketball vs Beach Middle at Chelsea High School
Chelsea High School Saline, MI 48176
5:30 pm
Tuesday December 16
Wednesday December 17
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Ann Arbor PatchAM possible:
- The Crack Medics - Concrete Crack Repair Specialist — (248) 248-5888
“Basement Wall Crack/Leak? Text a Photo for Fast Price.
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Finally coaxed a very hungry skinny black kitty (6-8 months old?
) in from the cold. Observed it hunting for the last few weeks around Hollow Oak Dr and Scio Church Rd. It had a large collar wrapped around its neck… (Nextdoor West Lodi) - Hello!
We just saw a small black and white kitten on Ravenwood. It looked very young and did not seem to have outdoor skills (running back and forth in… (Nextdoor Abbot)
- Workbox Staffing posted a job opening for 2nd Shift - Custodian (East AA) in Ann Arbor. Apply here.
- Lithia posted a job opening for Porter in Ann Arbor. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Ann Arbor here.
Ok Ann Arbor! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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