Flint

Flint residents are getting extra help dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through a program set up after the city’s water crisis.

The program was created to help people affected by Flint’s lead tainted drinking water. 

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha discovered evidence that the change of Flint’s drinking water source led to a spike in blood lead levels in Flint children in 2015.     She also played a significant role in creating the Flint registry.

A letter is fueling a dispute over how the city of Flint handles elections.

After the August primary, Genesee County Election Supervisor Doreen Fulcher sent a letter to Flint City Clerk Inez Brown outlining problems with how the city processed votes. The letter was sent from County Clerk John Gleason’s office. 

Flint religious leaders plan on taking to streets on Saturday to pray, after a recent spike in violent crime.

Flint’s mayor is decrying a Saturday night “pop-up party” that drew hundreds of people and ended with six wounded by gunfire.

Police had broken up two previous attempts to hold the event, which attracted up to a thousand people. 

The city of Flint is looking at ways to get illegal guns off the streets, either by seizing them or buying them.

Flint officials say the city has seen a 17% increase in violent crime this year over last year, including an increase in murders.

For Mayor Sheldon Neeley, the violence is close to home.

“There have been a few shootings on my street where I live,” Neeley told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s no fun not being able to sit out on my deck and worry about what might happen in my neighborhood.”

The American Civil Liberties Union claims Flint voters may be denied their right to vote absentee in the August primary.

The ACLU suit finds fault with how the Flint city clerk's office processes absentee ballot applications and other issues.  

Over the past three months Flint has restored water service to hundreds of homes.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley ordered the city to start reconnecting water service to occupied homes on March 12, a few weeks before Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered all Michigan cities to end water shutoffs and restore service.

This week, Flint marks the sixth anniversary of the drinking water switch that led to the city’s water crisis.

Improperly treated water drawn from the Flint River exposed city residents to lead and other contaminants.

Starting Thursday, the city of Flint is imposing a curfew to try to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.   

Two weeks ago, Flint was untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. As of Wednesday, Flint and Genesee County have recorded 249 positive COVID-19 cases and eight deaths.  

A pair of storm sewers are being rerouted around Flint’s former Buick City site to try and keep PFAS out of the Flint River.

“We have on the site some storm water lines, old ones, that when they’re below the groundwater table, contaminated groundwater can leak into those storm sewers and migrate to the river,” says Grant Trigger. He's the cleanup manager for the former General Motors properties in Michigan. 

Trigger says they’ll spend the next three to four months replacing more than 3,600 feet of storm sewer lines.

Flint voters on Tuesday are being asked to support a change in how their school taxes are spent.

Voters are being asked to approve extending a current millage that raises money for capital expenses. But school officials are asking voters to allow the millage to be used to pay down the district's debt more quickly.

Flint mayor Sheldon Neeley admits his new budget proposal is “not perfect.”

Neeley presented his $55.6 million budget proposal to the city council on Monday.

The mayor says rising property values are increasing city revenues. But he says Flint is also facing significant legacy costs. 

He hopes Flint city council members don’t make major changes to the budget blueprint.

Flint Community Schools Superintendent Derrick Lopez filed a formal complaint earlier this month with the Genesee Intermediate School District over special education funding.

Flint gets less money from the county compared to other districts, even though it has more kids who qualify for special education services. 

Children in Flint faced a myriad of problems well before the city’s water crisis raised new fears of potential negative health effects from lead tainted drinking water.

The challenges faced by Flint kids and the progress that’s been made since the water crisis was the subject of a conference Friday.

The Michigan State Police are investigating an alleged bar fight between two Flint city officials.  

The fight between councilman Eric Mays and Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s Deputy Chief of Staff allegedly took place at a Flint bar last week. City police turned the investigation over to the MSP.

Eric Mays told reporters Monday night that he’s scheduled to meet with the state police Tuesday morning. 

Mays accuses the mayor of protecting his aide.

Flint residents surprised by a recent big water bill are getting some relief.

In the past, aging meters forced the city to estimate how much water people were using.

The city of Flint is using $9.2 million in federal money from the city’s water crisis to install 26,000 new water meters. About 5,000 meters have been replaced so far.

The city of Flint is launching a coordinated campaign to attack blight.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley says illegal dumping is a prime target.

Crossing Water, an advocacy group founded to provide outreach in Flint during the water crisis, will be headed to Newark, New Jersey this week. Newark has recorded elevated of lead in its water for several years.

Flint’s mayor admits his city should have started preparing for this year’s census a year ago. But he says the city is trying to catch up.

Liane Shekter-Smith sat quietly in court Wednesday as the Michigan Solicitor General railed against the plea deal that was about to lead to the dismissal of the case against her.

Updated January 3, 2020: A spokesperson for Flint Community Schools sent the following statement, attributed to FCS Superintendent Derrick Lopez:   “The Flint Community Schools District is deeply committed to the well-being and success of all students. In keeping with District policy, we will not be commenting on pending litigation.” Requests for comment to the Michigan Department of Education were directed to the Attorney General's office, which has not yet responded at this time. 

State prosecutors are still not saying when to expect new criminal charges in the Flint water crisis probe.

Thursday evening, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley in cutting a ribbon officially opening the department’s new office in Flint. The office will handle multiple jobs. But its highest profile mission is related to the investigation into Flint’s water crisis.

Flint's newly-elected mayor, Sheldon Neeley, says it appears the city's water fund doesn't have a deficit, as previously projected. Rather, there's a $20 million balance for the 2020 fiscal year. 

With less than a month on the job, newly elected Mayor Sheldon Neeley says it's pretty clear the previous financial department was, as he puts it, "anemic, to say the least. They really had no capacity...no quality control element."

He says it looks like they just used estimates and projections for years, rather than what money was actually coming in and going out. 

Flint school district officials are putting off decisions on closing some district schools.

Flint Community Schools are facing a multi-million dollar deficit. Earlier this month, district officials floated a proposal to eliminate the debt, that included closing some schools in January.

Flint’s former city spokeswoman is joining a crowded field of candidates to fill a vacant state House seat.

Sheldon Neeley resigned from his State House 34th District seat, after winning this month's Flint mayoral election.

An effort is underway to improve property values in some Flint neighborhoods.

Driving through Flint’s north side, it’s not uncommon to see nicely kept single family homes sitting next door to vacant and blighted homes.

A new program hopes to rehab those blighted homes, and in turn bring in first time homebuyers and improve property values around the entire neighborhood.

“I do solemnly swear or affirm…” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley repeated as he took his oath of office on Monday, before an overflow crowd at Flint City Hall.

Neeley defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver last week in a very close election.

In his address, Neeley repeatedly stressed the need for unity going forward.

Neeley also urged Flint residents to take a similar oath.