Flint Twp. Fire Chief Brett Beckley belongs in unemployment line!

His request to rescind resignation voted down 5-2

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Mundy Twp board may consider ending ambulance contract over death in Flint

BY MELISSA MARTIN

CCCN Staff Writer

MUNDY TWP. (CCN) — A man's controversial death reported exclusively by CCN on its Metro Flint News/Talk Radio and at theDailyGazette.net last month has led to at least one public official taking notice.

In fact, Mundy Township Trustee Kyle Ward made a motion Monday night (Jan. 13, 2025) to end his towns

BY MELISSA MARTIN

CCCN Staff Writer

In fact, Mundy Township Trustee Kyle Ward made a motion Monday night (Jan. 13, 2025) to end his township's contract with Medstar.

Trustee Leah Davis supported the motion but the board voted it down 5-to-2.

Supervisor Jennifer Arrand Stainton made an alternative motion approved 7-0 to re-visit the issue in February.

Medstar serves multiple communities across the Metro Flint regional area that have exclusive contracts with the company for ambulance service.

Medstar's web site describes the ambulance serve as "southeast Michigan’s largest and most integrated EMS and mobile health provider .. serving more than 190,000 patients annually throughout Bay, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Ingham, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties."

A request for comment from Medstar has not yet been responded to by any company officials.

Mundy Township has been using Medstar since May 2022 when CEO Kolby Miller gave board members a "guarantee" that they would respond within nine minutes at least 90 percent of the time.

“When you staff on a demand model, you place your vehicles where the highest probability of a call is going to be for a safe response and during the peak times, we staff for peak volume," CEO MIller had told Mundy Township board members prior to winning the contract.

Miller said at the time that she was aware that concerns had been raised in Genesee County about potential lawsuits, liability issues, or longer response times in the case that an ambulance from another company might be closer to the 911 call. “I think that when you design vehicles so that you’re preventing 35 and 40- and 50-minute response times that some of the periphery in the county is seeing, and managing all of the response times, you ultimately improve the response time for the system. Rather than just focusing on a 45 second or 50 second difference between one or two of the individual calls and using that as some sort of scare tactic.”

Trustee Ward stressed that if another ambulance is closer to a 911 call, it should be sent out to save lives.

The case reported by CCN involved a Grand Blanc man who needed an ambulance but one wasn't available because of fears of not getting paid in Flint where his vehicle accident occurred. The man was transported to the hospital via a private vehicle and died.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is a photo of Mundy Township Trustee Kyle Ward.

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Mott Foundation donates $10 million to refurbish, re-open old Beecher High School building

FLINT (CCN) — A $10 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation will help re-open the shuttered old Beecher High School building.

The announcement was made via a post on the Mott Foundation's web site.

“The Mott Foundation wants to help young people in our community succeed in school and life, and we continue to look for ways to

FLINT (CCN) — A $10 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation will help re-open the shuttered old Beecher High School building.

The announcement was made via a post on the Mott Foundation's web site.

“The Mott Foundation wants to help young people in our community succeed in school and life, and we continue to look for ways to reach and support them — no matter where they attend school,” said Ridgway White, President & CEO of the Mott Foundation. “This is a great opportunity to help one of our local school districts improve outcomes and strengthen the educational ecosystem in our community.”

The Beecher district’s shuttered its old high school building in 2004 to address a significant fiscal deficit and relocated all high school students to the middle school building, where it has since operated both schools in the same space. The fully renovated high school building will feature 20 classrooms with innovative spaces that could serve up to 500 students. There are currently about 250 high school students enrolled in the Beecher district.

The old high school building has about 49,000 square feet of room inside it.

The renovation is estimated to cost about $18 million and will include: demolishing small buildings on the site; replacing the roof, windows, flooring and doors; and relocating the gym and cafeteria. The building also will receive a new entrance and HVAC system, as well as new lockers. All that is according to Richard Klee who just retired after serving as Beecher superintendent since July 2021. He said the district has achieved financial stabilization, allowing it to develop a vision for both enhanced facilities and academic offerings that will better meet the needs of today’s students and families.

“This is about more than just a new building for our students,” Klee said. “The new high school and a re-imagined curriculum will create an opportunity for students to focus on career pathways and the soft skills required to advance in the world of work beyond graduation.”

Klee said the new curriculum will include early access to career and technical education and precollege programming while offering other programming in fine arts and performing arts, health care, as well as in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

Klee noted that the comprehensive high school model also will include community education and afterschool programming, and the district plans to increase social work support and enhance social-emotional programming.

In addition to the Mott Foundation, the state of Michigan and local philanthropist Matt Rizik have contributed significant support to the renovation project. Rizik, a Flint area native and chief executive officer at Detroit-based ROCK which serves the Dan Gilbert family and its companies, kicked off a capital campaign for the new high school in 2022 with a personal donation and then publicly rallied more support for the project.

“Ever since I had the privilege of meeting the students and families of Beecher High, my passion for this project has only grown,” Rizik said. “The Beecher community is rich in resilience and resourcefulness, but like so many, it has needed meaningful investment to unlock its full potential. In just the short time I’ve been working with the school, I’ve witnessed the students’ passion for learning and their drive to succeed. The Mott Foundation’s grant will provide the students with the environment they deserve to build a strong foundation for lifelong success.”

Work to renovate the school already has begun, and the district hopes to welcome ninth through 12th grade students to the building by early 2026.

“As a 1983 Beecher High School graduate, I’m proud to see that a piece of Beecher’s history is being restored and will soon be a welcoming place for students once again,” said Marvin Smoot who is Presiden to the Beecher Board of Education.

He added: “Our students and the community deserve to be proud of what this district has to offer, and I’m excited for the future. We will continue to work together with teachers, staff and the community to focus on great outcomes for our kids.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is a photo of the old Beecher High School building.

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Guide to Today's Edition of The Daily Gazette & About Our News & Sports Team at CCN

Our team of journalists and editors are passionate about their work and committed to delivering the highest standards of journalism. We believe in the power of storytelling and investigative work.

Crusader Communications Network Inc. (CCN) operates The Daily Gazette, FAME NEWSPAPERS, CCN TV and Metro Flint News/Talk Radio.

This online daily

Our team of journalists and editors are passionate about their work and committed to delivering the highest standards of journalism. We believe in the power of storytelling and investigative work.

Crusader Communications Network Inc. (CCN) operates The Daily Gazette, FAME NEWSPAPERS, CCN TV and Metro Flint News/Talk Radio.

This online daily newspaper is best read from a laptop or PC but does utilize mobile optimization for smart phones and tablets.

Here's a quick peek at other headlines inside today's edition of The Daily Gazette:

METRO SECTION:

59-year-old pedestrian killed in Flint Twp on Beecher Road near Glen Ellyn Drive; Speed, alcohol not suspected

Multiple sources say meteorologists lose jobs at ABC TV 12 as media giant Allen Media continues cuts

Tom Sumner announces Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley to appear Saturday on his 1420 AM radio show

LIFE STYLES SECTION

Crim Festival of Races issues Facebook post honoring Clio's 'Drubbler'

Local entertainer, talented musician, teacher Dave Kimber of Burton passes away

LOCAL SPORTS SECTION HEADLINES:

Flint's Trey McKenney picks Michigan Wolverines to continue his basketball career next year