City Ethics and Accountability Board plods through formative stages: no ombudsman yet
By Meghan Christian The Flint Ethics and Accountability Board (EAB) has passed another month since it was established by the new City Charter 18 months ago without hiring an ombudsman, one of the group’s main jobs. But the group did welcome a new member, addressed...
Flint City Council January update: Struggling for civility, council ousts Mays as finance committee chair
By Meghan Christian As 2018 ended, some members of Flint City Council (FCC) expressed hope that the new year would bring a new attitude to the city's governing body and that they would be able to leave many of their divisions behind. But it became clear by the...
No waste collection in Flint Wednesday, Thursday Jan. 30-31 due to frigid temps
Just received from Candice Mushatt, City of Flint Communications Director Waste Collection Suspended for Wednesday Jan.30 and Thursday Jan. 31 Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather conditions waste services for Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 and Thursday, Jan,...
Feb. 23 “Unity in Diversity” celebration offers interfaith artistry to increase understanding
“Unity In Diversity,” an interfaith and intercultural festival, will celebrate diversity in Flint beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Insight Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, 4800 Saginaw St. The 4th annual event features local artists and performers....
News Brief: Gustin, Crawford to discuss “giants of Flint history” at rescheduled event Feb. 6
By Jan Worth-Nelson Two venerable former Flint Journal journalists, Lawrence Gustin and Kim Crawford, will join forces to talk about some of the giants of Flint history at 5 p.m. Feb. 6 at Totem Bookstore, 620 W. Court St. The free event was rescheduled from November,...
Flint’s Katie Stanley Band launches new EP at Soggy Bottom, with Grantham, Glover
By Jeffery L. Carey Jr. On a cold January evening at Flint’s Soggy Bottom Bar, the Katie Stanley Band released its new extended play (EP) album titled Lake Superior to a very warm audience. The band, comprised of singer/songwriter Katie Stanley; bassist Tammy...
Heating bill assistance available now through Consumers Energy CARE program
Consumers Energy encourages residents having difficulty paying heating bills to ask for assistance, and has contributed $10 million since October to defray those costs in southeast Michigan. Consumers Energy’s CARE program allows customers to establish a payment plan...
News Brief: MCC receives $2.1 million gift for student support from Robinson Trust
Mott Community College has received a $2.1 million gift from the Dewaine V. and Jana B. Robinson Trust, which will provide support for students, according to Lennetta Coney, president of the Foundation for Mott Community College. The gift will establish a perpetual...
News Brief: Watershed Coalition gearing up for Jan. 31 “Voice of the River” celebration
The Flint River Watershed Coalition's annual "Voice of the River" celebration is set for 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 at Factory One, 303 W. Water St. The public is invited. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at www.FlintRiver.org, by calling 810-767-6490,...
“New Works Festival” brings five playwrights to The Rep’s Elgood Theater
By Patsy Isenberg Five playwrights and musicians from various places in the U.S. and one from Ireland came to the Flint Repertory Theatre (The Rep) Jan. 18--20 to offer staged readings of their new unpublished works in front of a live audience. The free event included...
News Brief: Mott Park Rec Area open house Feb. 19 at Kettering
Mott Park Recreation Area open house is 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Kettering’s Campus Center, 1700 University Drive, at Chevrolet Ave. For a decade, the Mott Park Recreation Association has worked to repurpose the former municipal golf course, 70 acres on the Flint River, and...
CCNA hears about Buick City PFAS, stray animal trapping, council dysfunction
By Patsy Isenberg At an agenda-rich College Cultural Neighborhood Association meeting Jan. 17, a turnout of about 30 residents heard from RACER Trust about the chemical contaminant PFAS at Buick City, learned about the organization All About Animals, received a...
News Briefs: Flint Roller Derby tryouts scheduled Feb. 10
Flint Roller Derby, entering its first full season in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, invites women 18 and older to an off-skates tryout 5-6 p.m. Feb. 10 at By Any Means Crossfit, 4501 E Hill Rd., Grand Blanc. “Do not worry if you do not see yourself as fit...
Colorful art of Jenny Thornton continues through Jan. 31 at Good Beans Cafe
By Jeffery L. Carey, Jr. The paintings of artist Jenny Thornton kick off the new year of art exhibits at Flint's Good Beans Cafe. Her solo show opened Jan. 4 to a gathering of more than 30 people, and will be on exhibit until the end of the month. Born June 11, 1993...
Flint Registry “goes live” with Farmers’ Market launch; goal is 150,000 signups for water crisis data
By Jan Worth-Nelson The Flint Registry, a four-year, federally-funded program designed to locate people exposed to the Flint water crisis, document and monitor their experience, and connect them with services and programs to promote health and wellness, launched...
Public Affairs Forum panel probes civility in the era of social media
By Jeffery L. Carey Jr. Though no one offered any hard-and-fast answers to the country's current rash of harsh rhetoric, a panel of communication experts at the Flint Public Library Jan. 15 suggested at the least it pays to listen well and try to understand opposing...
Public invited to “New Works Festival” this weekend at Flint Repertory Theatre
Flint Repertory Theatre, formerly Flint Youth Theatre, announces its New Works Festival, a series of staged readings of new plays and musicals, this Friday through Sunday, 1220 E. Kearsley St. Shows include: The Wayward Bunny by Greg Kotis, 7 p.m. Friday. It’s...
Flint’s Buckham Gallery reinvents itself with move to new space, accessible at last
By Jeffery L. Carey Jr. Flint’s Buckham Gallery launched a much-anticipated second chapter Jan. 12, ending its 34-year tenure atop the steep stairs of 134 ½ W. Second Street, into a ground-level, bright new space in the former Perry Drug Store just steps across the...
Governor Whitmer’s “Winter Warm-up” draws huge crowds at Flint Farmers’ Market
By Paul Rozycki On Saturday newly inaugurated Governor Gretchen Whitmer met with her Flint area supporters at the Flint Farmers Market. The event was part of a state-wide tour where the governor and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilcrist planned to meet with constituents in...
Highsmith: Flint “starkly segregated, racially unequal” even in its “drive toward renewal”
By Jan Worth-Nelson This story was updated Jan. 13 to add more of Highsmith's comments and a link to an EVM review of Demolition Means Progress, available here. At first blush, historian and author Andrew Highsmith told a responsive and appreciative audience of 70 at...
Flint Board of Education wrestles with ACLU lawsuit, staffing concerns
By Harold C. Ford At its first meeting of the 2019 calendar year, the Flint Community Schools (FCS) Board of Education wrestled with ongoing concerns about a lawsuit by the Michigan American Civil Liberties Union (MACLU) and continuing resignations by FCS staff. It...
Land Bank presents updated property sales method to Flint Neighborhoods United
By Luther Houle Highlights from the meeting of Flint Neighborhoods United Jan. 5 included a presentation by Dawn Everett of the Genesee County Land Bank Authority (GCLBA), and elections for the position of FNU President and Secretary. About 35 community...
Village Life: A tale of two signs on the “Eastside” of Flint
By Gary Fisher They’re just metal street signs. Been there for years, decades, a very long time, after all. There they are perched at the top of a standard street sign pole. Nothing to see here, folks. Or maybe there is. Well at least for me there is. That’s because...
Whitmer coming to Flint Farmers’ Market Saturday
Newly inaugurated Gov. Gretchen Witmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will greet Flint residents during the “Witmer Winter Warm-up Flint,” 2-4 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Flint Farmers Market, 300 E. First St. The event, sponsored by Michigan Transition, includes special...
News Brief: Public Affairs Forum to probe “Bringing Back Civility” Jan. 15
The Flint Area Public Affairs Forum convenes “Bringing Back Civility: Engaging in an Era of Social Media” 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Flint Public Library, 1026 E. Kearsley St. Moderated by Jan Worth-Nelson, editor of East Village Magazine, the panel will include author...
