Flint City Bucks kick off 2026 season against Forward Madison FC in U.S. Open Cup match-up
By Harold C. Ford The Flint City Bucks begin their 2026 season with a non-league contest at 6:30 p.m. today at Don Batchelor Stadium in Grand Blanc. The Bucks will host Forward Madison FC, a Wisconsin-based member of United States League One (USL1). The Flint-Madison...
Education Beat: Flint Schools in February saw revised plan for Flint Central, new playgrounds, and investigation into ‘felony charges’
By Harold C. Ford The February 18, 2026 meeting of the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) featured a revised plan for the long-abandoned Central-Whittier campus that retains more elements of its original architecture; a playground initiative funded by the C. S. Mott...
Commentary: ‘To my Republican friends’ in Trump’s second term
By Paul Rozycki A little over six years ago, I penned an appeal to Republicans as President Donald Trump entered the last year of his first term – a time at which he was facing several impeachments. Today, Trump is now a little over a year into his second term, and...
The East Village Magazine – March 2026
The March issue of The East Village Magazine is coming to newsstands and homes soon! Can't wait for your issue? Click below for a digital copy now. Happy reading! [pdfjs-viewer attachment_id=50155...
‘Only the understood can understand’: Meet the Flint family behind a budding fashion brand
By Canisha Norris In 2023, Shareka Howard, along with her two daughters Shiann, 28, and Patrice, 16, started their Flint-based, eco-friendly and sustainable fashion label, Understand the Brand. Their motto, “Only the understood can understand,” captures their...
Education Beat: Months-long church-state controversy leads to unanimous adoption of unifying statement by Mott College board
By Harold C. Ford A church-state controversy lasting four months at Mott Community College (MCC) – centering on charges of religious proselytizing by its president, Shaunda Richardson-Snell – morphed into a unifying statement unanimously adopted by the MCC Board of...
City of Flint requests continued reporting of potholes, water main breaks
EVM Staff Given ongoing fluctuations in temperature, the City of Flint has experienced a number of water main breaks and pothole issues this winter season. In acknowledgement, the City issued a press release on Friday, citing its "sincere thanks to residents for...
Commentary: Want to make a difference in Flint? Run for office.
By Paul Rozycki As we begin 2026, most of the political attention has been on the national level and, to some extent, the state level. Will the Democrats be able to gain a majority in the U.S. Congress? Who will win Michigan’s gubernatorial nominations? What party...
Councilwoman Lewis teams up with Flint poet laureate for Black History Month celebration
By Kate Stockrahm Flint City Councilwoman Ladel Lewis and Flint Poet Laureate Semaj Brown are inviting the community out to an evening of inspiration in honor of Black History Month on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The event will feature presentations on Brown’s poem,...
Personal Essay: Interview with a chatbot
By Christina Collie By now most of us have heard the stories: people falling in love with artificial intelligence (AI) bots, AI pushing people to self-harm or commit violence toward others, AI offering answers as fact although there’s no truth to them at all....
Opinion: What it means to be an American
by Laurence E. MacDonald As an American born and raised in the United States, I have long tried to pay attention to important social, economic, and political issues. What has been happening since Donald J. Trump took office as President greatly concerns me, because...
Education Beat: Familiar leadership team for Flint Board of Education in 2026
Harold C. Ford There were no surprises at the annual organizational meeting of the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) on Jan. 21, 2026. The four executive officers that presided over the FBOE in 2025 will continue in their leadership roles into 2026. Joyce...
The East Village Magazine – February 2026
The February issue of The East Village Magazine is coming to newsstands and homes soon! Can't wait for your issue? Click below for a digital copy now. Happy reading! [pdfjs-viewer attachment_id=49911...
Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame announces the Class of 2026 inductees, new partnership
EVM Staff The Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame (GFAASHOF) yesterday announced both its 2026 inductees and a new partnership with Flint Community Schools. Inductees include Flint Northern High School’s three 1995 state champion teams -- boys'...
Councilwoman Mushatt calls for infrastructure projects in Flint’s Seventh Ward
By Kate Stockrahm Flint City Councilwoman Candice Mushatt is asking Seventh Ward residents to reach out to her with infrastructure requests in their neighborhoods. “It's an opportunity for both neighborhood associations and individual residents, because everyone may...
Flint artists offer free screen printing as part of nationwide ‘ICE Out’ strike
By Kate Stockrahm While many stayed home on Friday in observance of the national “ICE Out” strike, local artist Jewel Brown was hard at work. “On Thursday, I was considering what ways [we] could support the community through the blackout,” Brown, whose day job is at...
FIM Flint Repertory Theatre announces New Works Festival lineup
By EVM Staff The Flint Rep has announced the lineup for its 2026 New Works Festival with plays by Larissa FastHorse, Shannon TL Kearns, James Anthony Tyler, and Lina Patel. The annual festival, scheduled for February 13 to 15, 2026, is a three-day event of staged...
Safety tips, Flint warming center locations for extreme winter weather
By EVM Staff With yet more snow today and temperatures dipping into the negatives again later this week, Consumers Energy has shared safety tips for extreme winter cold. Per a press release this Friday, the energy company offered the following advice around heating...
Commentary: What to look for in Michigan, Flint elections and more in 2026
By Paul Rozycki If 2025 offered any guidance, 2026 will be a year of challenging and unpredictable events. While there are a number of things that are sure to draw our attention in national politics this year, it’s worth taking a look at what we might face on the...
Education Beat: Flint Schools continue to face student enrollment, test score challenges
By Harold C. Ford Heading into the new year, Flint Community Schools (FCS) remains troubled by declining student enrollment and low standardized test scores. Student enrollment “We’re going to have to look at enrollment,” said a chagrined Joyce...
Mott Foundation invites Flint residents to apply for neighborhood grants
By EVM Staff As part of its centennial celebration, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has granted $600,000 to Genesee County Habitat for Humanity to support projects that Flint residents propose and lead to strengthen their neighborhoods. According to a Mott...
Village Life: A little post-holiday magic?
By Kate Stockrahm If it were up to me, our holiday lights would be down already. Maybe that makes me sound like old Ebenezer (before the ghosts), but so be it. We’re just two days into January as I write this, and all I want to do as I look out onto our snow-dusted...
Opinion: Demolishing our past isn’t the only way to move Flint Central forward
By Ashly Harris and Ezekiel Harris Since the closure of Flint Central High School in 2009, our community has discussed what it would take to bring this site back to life — the beating heart of a reviving public school district. As parents of two young children...
What’s going on with that $645 million in cancelled State funding?
By Kate Stockrahm A lot has happened since East Village Magazine (EVM) first reported on the Michigan House Appropriations Committee vote to cancel roughly $645 million in funding from last year's budget in December. The State Senate requested an opinion from Attorney...
Flint Bucks alum Donovan Phillip wins highest individual honor in NCAA soccer
By EVM Staff Flint City Bucks alumnus Donavan “Gusto” Phillip has won the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the NCAA Division I (D1) men’s soccer player of the year. The award, based on voting by D1 coaches, is considered the highest individual honor in college...
