Mayor welcomes 33 new firefighters-in-training;  Station #8 expected to reopen
Feb20

Mayor welcomes 33 new firefighters-in-training; Station #8 expected to reopen

By Jan Worth-Nelson Thirty-three firefighters-in-training  made a surprise stop at City Hall today as Mayor Karen Weaver conducted a press conference in the lobby about water credits. The prospective addition of the firefighters– thirty-one male, two female —  whose training is expected to be completed in June, offers good news to the city as the mayor and Governor Rick Snyder continue to wrangle over the potential end of...

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Flint Charter Revision proposes ethics, finance changes:  Feb. 25 public meeting set
Feb19

Flint Charter Revision proposes ethics, finance changes: Feb. 25 public meeting set

by Harold C. Ford A draft of the first Flint city charter revision in 43 years is ready for public scrutiny after two years of work, according to Charter Commission member Jim Richardson. The revised charter, produced by a nine-member Charter Review Commission, would establish a board to enforce ethical standards and set in place a financial overhaul requiring clear budget timelines and a ban on raiding restricting funds, he said....

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Longstanding “systemic racism” implicated in Flint water crisis, Civil Rights Commission asserts
Feb18

Longstanding “systemic racism” implicated in Flint water crisis, Civil Rights Commission asserts

By Jan Worth-Nelson While asserting that there were no “overt racist actions” that created the Flint water crisis, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission stated Friday that if the question is “Was race a factor in the Flint Water Crisis,” the answer would be “an unreserved and undeniable – yes.” Would it have happened in Birmingham, Ann Arbor, or Grand Rapids — relatively wealthy cities...

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Governor’s spokesman Baird defends end of water credits, highlights ongoing state assistance
Feb17

Governor’s spokesman Baird defends end of water credits, highlights ongoing state assistance

By Jan Worth-Nelson Water credits for Flint residents may be ending Feb. 28, but several other key elements of the state’s response will continue, according to Richard Baird, senior advisor to Governor Rick Snyder.  Services which will not end, he affirmed, include bottled water availability, operation of the water distribution sites called PODS,  lead line replacement, and a program to replace in-house faucets damaged by the...

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State won’t bend on end to water credits, Weaver says, adding tap water still not safe
Feb15

State won’t bend on end to water credits, Weaver says, adding tap water still not safe

By Jan Worth-Nelson Note:  This story has been corrected to clarify that the proposal to hire Aonie Gilcreast has not yet come before the Flint City Council–Ed. A disagreement on what constitutes acceptable water quality between city officials and Governor Rick Snyder is at the heart of Mayor Karen Weaver’s unsuccessful effort to forestall the end of water credits for Flint residents. And in another piece of bad news, city...

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