By Brad Emons
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver (middle) is all smiles with Michigan Bucks President Costa Papista (left) and Chairman Dan Duggan.
The City of Flint (click here) has found a new tenant for its newly renovated Atwood Stadium.
Welcomed with open arms, the two-time North American Premier Development League champion Michigan Bucks (2007 and 2016), is leaving the northern suburbs of Detroit to relocate its storied Under-23 United Soccer League 2 franchise following a press conference held Wednesday afternoon at Kettering University's Campus Center.
The Bucks, who played the past decade at Pontiac's Ultimate Soccer Arenas, an indoor venue, will be going back outdoors after the announcement was made by Livonia native Dan Duggan, the Bucks' Chairman and CEO.
Kettering University, which took over and renovated the historic Atwood Stadium through community donations, has now formed a partnership with the Bucks, which has a PDL record 249 wins (1996-2018) to go along with five PDL regular season, seven Central Conference and 14 Great Lakes Division titles....
Just some blastedly good luck.
October 31, 2018
By Madeline Ciak
Flint--Someone in Flint is waking up $2 million richer this morning! (click here)
The winning ticket was sold at US Energy Distributions LLC, which is located at G4005 Clio Road in Flint.
See the winning lottery numbers for Tuesday, Oct. 30.
Reflection on laws that kill.
October 31, 2018
By Caitlin Devitt
Outgoing Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's legacy (click here) will forever be shadowed by the lead poisoning crisis in Flint. The disaster will carry ramifications for decades, not only for Flint citizens, but for cash-strapped cities and counties across the state. Because the Flint disaster unfolded during a full state takeover and amid an effort to cut costs, the state's future intervention into local governments will come at a heavy political cost.
Since Flint, the state has dropped its oversight law like a hot potato and for the first time in decades does not manage any local governments. Have the cities, counties and school districts that suffer from falling revenue and rising retirement obligations suddenly become healthy? Not likely, based on a review of the state’s newly required local pension and retiree health care obligation reports....
Rebuilding democracy in Flint.November 1, 2018
By Roberto Acosta
Flint -- The Flint Board of Education (click here) is seeking applications for a vacant seat following a recent resignation on the governing body.
Applications are being taken until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5 after school board member Kenyatta Dotson announced at the Oct. 17 meeting that she was stepping down.
Her move comes due to plans on moving out of the boundaries for the school district, according to a district statement. She served on the board for approximately four years.
Dotson was recently recognized by the Michigan Community Service Commission, which named her Volunteer of the Year at the 2018 Governor's Service Awards....
A way forward for children with incarcerated parents.
November 1, 2018
By Jasmyn Durham
Flint — A Flint woman (click here) has made it her mission to support Genesee County children whose parents are behind bars.
Shirley Cochran runs a nonprofit called Motherly Intercession.
The goal is giving the children a strong support system but also helping those mothers and fathers to be better parents from a distance.
"I pass the jail everyday going to work," says Cochran.
She says the development of this organization stemmed from a stop to the jail when she wanted to help a family at Christmas time.
"I just turned in one day thinking I could find one mother there and I found 23 mothers and 58 children who wouldn't be together at Christmas," says Cochran.
She says that's when she found her calling, naming it Motherly Intercession.
"We found a need and we tried to respond to it, never really anticipating it being a nonprofit"....
November 2, 2018
By Amanda Chodnicki
Flint — In 2015, 678 children in Michigan (click here) exited foster care, according to the non-profit Samaritas.
But before the kids are able to transition and be on their own, many of them first go through programs that help them to learn how to make it in the real world.
FOX66/ NBC25's Amanda Chodnicki went inside a home that recently opened in Flint for young women working on that transition.
She talked with one young woman, who is currently in the program....
A revitalized search of a missing woman.
November 2, 2018
By Cole Waterman
Flint -- Two decades (click here) since a Flint woman disappeared, a reward is being offered in hopes of bringing closure to the case.
CrimeStoppers of Flint & Genesee County is offering a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to answers in the disappearance of Christina Levonne Schutz.
Schutz was last seen on Nov. 2, 1998, in the 2000 block of North Vernon Avenue in Flint. She was 24 at the time, weighed 110 to 120 pounds, stood 5 feet 2 inches tall, and had several tattoos.
According The Charley Project, a database that publicizes missing persons cases, Schutz had argued with her boyfriend, the father of her children. Before disappearing, she said goodbye to her grandmother, who was caring for her 3-year-old son and infant daughter.
She has not been seen or heard from since....
And people that care while being movers and shakers.
November 3, 2018By Carol Cain
...On Thursday, Mathis, (click here) working with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Kroger, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 876, Teamsters 299, Teamsters Joint Council 43 and others, he sponsored gathered, and delivered hundreds of thousands of bottles of water to Flint. He appeared last Monday on ABC’s “The View” and other national shows as well as “Michigan Matters” (11:30 a.m. this Sunday on CBS 62) to make it clear he will not rest until this tragedy is fully remedied.
Mathis first reached out to help Flint in 2016 and got some heat from the media over it. But it was after hearing the state had stopped distributing bottled water to residents still in need that sent him over the edge. He mentioned it to Franklin during their last monthly phone call before her death, and the Queen of Soul issued one final directive:
“She told me, ‘Greg you have to go back. You have to help. You’re from Detroit. You’ve got to sock it to ‘em,’” he told me....
