Category: Local News
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Flint residents report increased behavioral, physical woes since water crisis, CASPER survey confirms
By Megan Ockert People in many Flint households have been experiencing worsening of their behavioral health, including trouble concentrating, signs of depression and increased anxiety or stress since the Flint water crisis began, according to a recent survey of 182 randomly selected households conducted by a consortium of local, state and federal health officials. The survey…
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Montessori classroom offers new learning options for Flint public schools
By Jan Worth-Nelson Can a classroom that allows students to learn at their own pace, help one another, and follow their natural curiosities actually work in a public school system? And could such a teaching approach enrich options for Flint students and help convince reluctant parents to bring their children back to the public schools?…
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MADD “Vigil of Remembrance and Hope” set for Dec. 10
By Megan Ockert MADD Genesee County will host its annual “Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope” at 7 p.m. Saturday Dec. 10. The event will be held at the First Baptist Church of Grand Blanc on Saginaw Road in Grand Blanc Township. Family members and others affected by alcohol-related accidents are invited to light a…
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Village Life: Buckle up for the pursuit of truth
Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. By Jan Worth-Nelson There’s a room in our…
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Opposing “the language of hate,” requires listening, attention to history, Tendaji Talk speakers suggest
By Robert R. Thomas Language is very intentional and entails active listening, according to Dr. Traci Currie, a UM-Flint lecturer in communications, who also labels herself “an artist/activist.” And those elements are relevant to understanding and replacing “the language of hate,” she said in a recent round-table at the Flint Public Library. Currie said her work comes…
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With PepsiCo Foundation grant, community groups launch two water crisis “help centers”
By Jan Worth-Nelson A $570,000 grant from the PepsiCo Foundation was put to work this week with the launch of two Food Bank-managed community “help centers” aimed at continuing recovery efforts from the Flint water crisis. In a chilly parking lot under sunny skies at Bethel United Methodist Church, officials from PepsiCo, along with city officials…
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Shigella update: bacteria not spread through Flint-area drinking water, CDC officials suggest
By Jan Worth-Nelson An outbreak of shigella bacteria in Genesee and Saginaw counties over the past eight months does not appear to have been caused by Flint’s drinking water system, a team of researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Flint Recovery Group by phone in a presentation at City Hall Thursday. A…
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Longtime architectural and community landmark, Woodside Church up for sale
By Jan Worth-Nelson Woodside Church, designed by internationally-known Finnish architect Eero Saarinen and built by his brother-in-law Robert F. Swanson in 1952, has been put up for sale by the congregation, who voted on it at an Oct. 30 congregational meeting. A press release issued Tuesday said the congregation is beginning its search for a…
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Racism’s roots in capitalism, education as cultural imperialism topics of latest Tendaji Talk
By Robert R. Thomas The effects of capitalism and how racism is perpetuated in schools were topics explored in a recent Tendaji Talk at the Flint Public Library by Dorinda Carter Andrews, an associate professor from the Michigan State University Department of Teacher Education. Drawing on the work of critical race theorist Derrick Bell, Andrews suggested to a…
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Village Life: Getting on the bus might help alleviate community’s “toxic stress”
By Jan Worth-Nelson The water crisis has taken its toll on more than our pipes. As Elizabeth Burtch, a supervisor at Genesee Health System puts it, “There is a lot of anxiety out there, a lot.” And there’s what she calls “toxic stress,” leading to understandable but troubling reactions such as obsessive water hoarding, exacerbated…
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