BROWSING:  Special Section

Scam artists are constantly changing tactics to steal your personal identifiable information (PII), including account usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, birth dates, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) or other sensitive information. With this information, they can carry out crimes like financial fraud that can be difficult and frustrating for victims to remedy.

As the 2023-2024 high school athletics schedules wrapped up for the year, we invited the 25 Genesee County high schools to choose two athletes – one each from their men’s and women’s sports teams – who excelled in both athletics and academics. The responding schools took care in selecting young people who worked hard throughout their high school careers to earn accolades for their accomplishments. We thank them all for their participation.

Resolving conflicts outside of a courtroom may seem like an impossible task, so much so that it is often better to get a third-party mediator involved to assist individuals and families with negotiating successful solutions.

As he reached the midpoint of a 14-year sentence for kidnapping – the result of a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong – John Johnson was languishing in a prison cell, mulling the mistakes, missteps and regrets of his life.

“Jury Duty? UGH!”

Erin Caudell, Owner of The Local Grocer in Flint, has discovered the root of what people want – locally-grown, fresh produce to feed their families. Not only is she a successful small business owner, Caudell and her partner, Franklin Pleasant, also own and operate Flint Ingredient Co. (FIC) and the Weekly Greens CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

Master Gardeners are known for their passion for gardening and volunteering through community garden education. Founded in 1978, the Master Gardener Association of Genesee County (MGAGC) is organized exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes, specifically to instruct adults and youth in horticulture science, to educate communities about environmentally sound practices through horticulture-based activities, to promote food security and to improve the aesthetic of our community.

For most homeowners, springtime awakens the motivation to make their living spaces fresh and new. While it may not be a great time to make significant monetary investments in interior renovations, there are many affordable and DIY-able updates to consider.

In a couple’s life together, their wedding is typically one of the most joyous occasions. The day is filled with sheer happiness and excitement, celebrating with friends and family, and the promise of building a life of countless, wonderful years together. So happy are they that the few short words of their marriage vows, “‘til death do us part” are spoken, but very quickly overlooked and forgotten – that is, until that parting actually happens.

In November 2022, Kent Key, MPH, PhD and his academy students stepped off the plane in Boston, MA into a world full of open possibilities. The Flint Public Health Youth Academy (FPHYA) was there on big-time business. They were invited to give a series of presentations at the annual American Public Health Association (APHA) Meeting & Expo – an honor usually reserved for distinguished health professionals and graduate students. The FPHYA members were an anomaly at the convention – something new and different in the realm of public health. The students were young, most still in high school, and they were there to deliver a youth perspective on racism as a public health crisis to public health advocates across the country. They made an instant splash! They were rock stars and the impact of the moment wasn’t lost on Dr. Key. “For many of our students, it was the first time they had ever left Michigan or even the city of Flint,” he relates. “They were new to the situation. I was nervous for them but, as always, they blew me away! It was a great opportunity and what they have accomplished is something that not very many people in the world are able to do at any level.”

In Genesee County, there are nearly 15,000 young people ages 16-to-24 who are not enrolled in school and are unemployed, also known as Opportunity Youth (OY). It is estimated that the pandemic lockdown increased these numbers by a minimum of 25%.

What if I told you that there is one simple thing every community can do to increase the mental health, positive social interactions, feelings of safety, empathy, and good nature of its members? Would you believe me? It’s true. All it takes is a little bit of time, effort, trust and participation. All anyone has to do is install a Little Free Library®.