Opinion: A new offense – water settlement objections denied by federal judge
Dec14

Opinion: A new offense – water settlement objections denied by federal judge

By Rev. Deborah D Conrad A new offense has insulted Flint this week, in the form of a court ruling — this time from District Judge Judith Levy. At issue was the Flint Water Settlement, the financial compensation for the residents of this city of 90,000 poisoned by state action in 2014, finally acknowledged in 2015, and yet to be reconciled. People died. Pregnant people miscarried. Children experienced neurological damage — the...

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“Please don’t divide our neighborhood up,” residents plead in discussion about redrawn Flint city ward boundary map
Dec08

“Please don’t divide our neighborhood up,” residents plead in discussion about redrawn Flint city ward boundary map

By Tom Travis “Please don’t divide our neighborhood up. We are a strong neighborhood. Please don’t do it,” pleaded Seventh Ward and College-Cultural Neighborhood resident Chris Gardner. She was one of about 10 residents, mostly from the Seventh Ward College Cultural Neighborhood, who gathered  Wednesday at Flint City Hall for an Elections Commission meeting to discuss the proposed redrawn ward map. EVM...

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Caring for some of the world’s finest art at the Flint Institute of Arts: magnifying glass, flashlight and tablet are tools of the trade
Dec07

Caring for some of the world’s finest art at the Flint Institute of Arts: magnifying glass, flashlight and tablet are tools of the trade

By Tom Travis In the deafening silence of the dimly lit Johnson Gallery at the Flint Institute of Arts,  Heather Jackson bends over a late-19th century painting, Albert-Emile Artigue’s Spring Flowers. She holds a magnifying glass in one hand and a flashlight in the other,  closely peering at the painting. She is conducting a “condition report,” a ritual she completes annually on every piece of art in FIA’s...

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Public meeting on city ward redistricting set for 1 p.m. Wed Dec. 8 by Flint Election Commission
Dec06

Public meeting on city ward redistricting set for 1 p.m. Wed Dec. 8 by Flint Election Commission

By Tom Travis The Flint Election Commission will hold a public meeting regarding the redrawing/redistricting of Flint’s nine wards at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8  in the City Council Committee room on the third floor of City Hall,  1101 S. Saginaw St.  according to a press release from City Clerk Inez Brown. EVM reported previously on Nov. 11, 2021 concerning the redrawing of the wards: The Flint city council and community members...

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Commentary:  Looking back and looking ahead — Will 2022 be better than 2021?
Dec06

Commentary: Looking back and looking ahead — Will 2022 be better than 2021?

By Paul Rozycki Looking back This past year was supposed to be the year when we put the COVID pandemic, the 2020 election, and the turmoil in the Flint city council behind us. So far only one of those three things might be true, and even that remains to be seen.  The Jan. 6 insurrection and the inauguration After the 2020 election, the year began with traditional plans for the formal certification and inauguration of the new...

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