Blog
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The Board of Review’s revised rules set to be put in place at its next regular meeting
By Tom Travis After nearly an hour and a half of disruptions with Flint residents and a Council member being removed the city council got back to business with a public hearing. The public hearing was required to be held before a new set of revised rules could be implemented by The Board of Review.…
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Mays removed and censured from attending City Council meetings until April 8
By Tom Travis Upheaval and mayhem described the special city council meeting on Wednesday night. Within 20 minutes of the special city council meeting. a motion was made to remove Councilperson Eric Mays (1st Ward). Almost simultaneously, a resident, Wilbert Jarrett, was removed after being called out of order. Mays was handcuffed and removed out…
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Village Life: “Tree City” a sweet place to tap for syrup–here’s how
By Jeffery L Carey Jr. This year marks the fifth year my family has been making maple syrup out in our yard. It started with just a bit of curiosity and now it is something we look forward to every year. There is something incredible about getting outside and feeling the energy of the trees,…
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Neighborhood revitalization and blight removal are goals in Durant-Tuuri-Mott target area
By Tom Travis Dreaming, re-imagining and visioning for neighborhoods were at the center of a recent discussion of the University Avenue Corridor Coalition (UACC). Focused on neighborhood revitalization and blight removal, a project funded by a small federal grant is being directed toward envisioning possibilities for a historic neighborhood in the heart of Flint.…
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“Zero layoffs” and “no more raiding the Water and Sewer fund” in Mayor Neeley’s 2021 city budget
By Tom Travis Mayor Sheldon Neeley presented a balanced 2021 budget to the Flint City Council Monday that calls for total revenues of $56.9 million and total expenditures of $71.3 million, using city savings from its previous general fund balance to make up the difference. Neeley vowed to stop budget practices used by previous administrations…
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Freeman Elementary’s “Live Museum” celebrates Black History Month
By Harold C. Ford A group of about 42 sixth-grade students made Black History Month come alive with a “Live Museum” at Flint’s Freeman Elementary School on Feb. 25. Students dressed up as Barack Obama, Serena Williams, Bernie Mac, Nelson Mandela, Langston Hughes, Alicia Keys, Guion Bluford and many other well-known persons. For 90 minutes,…
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Analysis: Citizens speak up and votes are swayed, as City Council turns down tax abatement in Carriage Town
By Tom Travis On Monday, Feb. 24, Flint City Council voted 5 to 4 against a proposed tax abatement for a property development in the neighborhood that birthed General Motors. The decision may mean the end of the project, which has been vigorously protested by a group of its neighbors. The property, formerly a Hamady…
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“Hair on fire!” FPL Director Kay Schwartz, staff synchronizing complex library moves, “working our hearts out”
By Zach Neithercut “Is my hair on fire?” That’s what Flint Public Library Director Kay Schwartz says she blurts out these days to anybody asking how things are going. Schwartz is at the helm of a complicated–and extremely rewarding–set of maneuvers as the 60-year-old library on Kearsley Street begins preparations for its massive makeover —…
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Bucks’ success continues into off season
By Harold C. Ford The 2019 on-field success of the Flint City Bucks during their first season in The Vehicle City—including a national championship in the United Soccer League Two (USL2)—has continued into the off-season. Top honors for the club’s executives and the ascension of three former players into Major League Soccer (MLS) accentuated the…
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Education Beat: Flint Community Schools move toward March 10 millage renewal, no closures in sight
By Harold C. Ford Editor’s note: This story was updated March 1 to include a statement from Supt. Derick Lopez (see below) regarding school closures. At the Feb. 19 meeting of the Flint Community Schools’ (FCS) Board of Education, Superintendent Derrick Lopez announced a public information campaign that seeks voter approval for a March 10…
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