Category: Features
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Flint water crisis “a shocking denial of what should be a right,” NRDC expert tells visiting scribes
By Jan Worth-Nelson At the heart of the Flint water crisis is “a failure and a shocking denial of what should be a right…a failure at every level of government,” an attorney for the Natural Resource Defense Council told a group of environmental journalists meeting in Flint July 22. What has happened in Flint is…
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Keep the heat on the Flint story, UM-Flint Chancellor and residents tell national journalists
By Jan Worth-Nelson Don’t let the “Flint story” drop out of view, UM – Flint Chancellor Susan Borrego and local residents implored a panel of national environmental journalists meeting in Flint last weekend. What’s at stake is not abandoning a city whose struggles are of national significance, Borrego said. “Flint was important in the history…
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The black church and the civil rights movement: 11 a.m. Sunday “the most segregated hour”
By Robert R. Thomas The July 21 Tendaji Talk at Flint Public Library featured Rev. Dr. Kim DeWayne Yarber, Pastor of Flint’s Mount Hermon Baptist Church for the past 20 years. Yarber opened the talk before an audience of 25 by stating his focus would be on racism and religion. He then reiterated Martin Luther…
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Effects of “that question” still echo: Denise Ghattas on her appearance at the CNN Debate
By Jan Worth-Nelson Since the night of March 6, when Denise Ghattas stood up in Whiting Auditorium at the CNN Democratic Debate and asked Bernie Sanders, “Do you believe that God is relevant?” she has been lambasted and mocked on Google, slandered on an extremist left-wing misogynist website, stalked by a Florida imposter, accused of being a Hillary…
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Village Life: When you need to turn to art, how satisfying to find it here
By Jan Worth-Nelson Maybe it feels like we have to, but we can’t think about water all the time. We can’t worry about water all the time. We can’t be depressed about politics all the time. We can’t be sad about Orlando — and now Baton Rouge, and now Minneapolis, and now Dallas, and now…
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Major FIA expansion includes glass studios, metal casting
By Nic Custer The Flint Institute of Arts began construction this month on a major expansion of its art school and galleries. The project includes a $5 million Contemporary Craft Wing and a $3.5 million artist’s makerspace with glass studios and a metal casting foundry. FIA staff, and local dignitaries and donors broke ground on…
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Former Dort Motor Car Company factory eyed for “makerspace”
By Stacie Scherman A former factory of the Dort Motor Car Company, built a hundred years ago for the budding auto industry, soon could be the home for making things again, this time on a very 21st century model. That might include people repairing small machines, people repairing bicycles, and even people making custom ballet tutus. The…
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National environmental journalists coming to Flint, public invited
By Robert Thomas and Jan Worth-Nelson A national association of environmental journalists is considering holding its annual conference in Flint, a representative of the group told the Flint Water Recovery Group partners at their regular meeting under the dome at City Hall last week. Board members of the Society of Environmental Journalists are scheduled to…
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Pipe replacements hitting stumbling blocks, water safety guarantees uncertain, city and state officials report
By Robert R. Thomas The Flint city administration’s goal of removing lead service lines paid for by $2 million in state money has been jeopardized by unexpectedly high contractor bids, Steve Branch, Mayor Karen Weaver’s chief of staff, explained to about 70 partners in the Flint Water Recovery Group meeting last week under the dome at…
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