Author: Tom Travis
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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
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…
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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…
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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…
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Genesee Health Plan receives grant for $219,492 to help people enroll in health care
By Tom Travis Genesee Health Plan (GHP) has received a three-year federal Navigator Cooperative Agreement Award of $219,492 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The grant will fund what are called Support Navigators in Federally-facilitated Exchanges to help people access a variety of federally-funded health care services, including Obamacare and Medicare during open…
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Council aims to hold “community listening meetings” for ARP funds, as rules for use emerge
By Tom Travis In a 5-0 vote Wednesday city council voted to hold four community listening meetings throughout the city for residents to say how they think the $94 million federal stimulus American Rescue Plan allocated to the city should be spent. The first half of the allocation already has arrived, with the second half…
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Education Beat: Pontiac School District officials share their fiscal recovery story with Flint Board of Education
“It doesn’t look good when you’re divided … it makes you look dysfunctional.” –Shaquana Davis-Smith, treasurer, Pontiac Board of Education “We’re not going to present a united front as if everything is OK, because it’s not OK.” –Laura MacIntyre, treasurer, Flint Board of Education By Harold Ford At a special meeting of the Flint Board…
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Council votes to establish a Revenue Estimation Commission
By Tom Travis The Flint City Council passed a resolution, on a 8-0 vote Monday night to establish a Revenue Estimation Commission (REC). The REC is required by the city’s charter (Section 7-104). The REC’s responsibilities include, “reporting to the public, the Mayor and City Council on the anticipated revenue for the City of Flint.…
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City considers spending $3.9 million for “compliance and implementation” consultant for American Rescue Plan stimulus funds
By Tom Travis The City of Flint is considering contracting with compliance consultant Ernst & Young of Detroit for compliance and implementation of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) stimulus money. According to a pending resolution by the Flint City Council, the contract would not exceed $3,994,074 for budget years FY2022 to FY2027. Meeting as the…
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Ward boundaries redrawn for all nine of Flint’s wards; public review open over the next 90 days
By Tom Travis The Flint city council and community members have 90 days to discuss and review the city’s redrawn ward boundaries, according to City Attorney Angela Wheeler. The city council will give final approval to the new boundaries. The city’s nine wards are being redrawn based on new Census 2020 data and as required…
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Education Beat : Flint School Board selects Kevelin Jones as superintendent
By Harold C. Ford This article has been updated to show the correct date Anita Stewart became FCS Superintendent which was June 2020 and not as we originally reported as being January 2021. EVM Editors. The Flint Board of Education (FBOE) named Kevelin Jones superintendent of the Flint Community Schools (FCS) at its Nov. 17 meeting.…
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