METRO SECTION ⚫ NEWS AROUND METRO FLINT

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BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

FLINT (CCN) — Flint's 6th Ward City Councilwoman Tonya Burns made a terse statement on social media earlier today (Dec. 29, 2025) about a resident who was critical of the elected official earlier this month on a Facebook post.

Councilwoman Burns went on the Facebook page of Flint community activist Art Woodson and issued the statement about the woman who recently blasted Burns on social media over involving her in the criminal case and address controversy of 1st Ward Flint City Councilman Leon El-Alamin.

Woodson made a post asking how El-Alamin continues to serve on Flint's council (See related story on today's front page) despite so much evidence showing he lives in Mt Morris Township. (See another related story on today's front page)

He's also out on bail, awaiting a criminal trial on March 11 for allegedly beating up his former girlfriend who has told police and made statements on social media and to Councilwoman Burns that she lived off and on with El-Alamin for the past 10 years at the Sherman Avenue address in Mt. Morris Township where police say the alleged beating incident took place.

Rolland Sizemore, an attorney representing El-Alamin, asked a judge last week to allow his client to be able to return to that Sherman Avenue address because he said the ex-girlfriend has not been there in weeks.

Councilwoman Burns said the house there has had three recent fires and nobody can live there now. She said the tether on El-Alamin's ankle is registered to an address in the 6th Ward.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton has charged El-Alamin with misdemeanor domestic violence and a felony for Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder by Strangulation. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, or both, if convicted on the  felony count. He's also a convicted felon on parole after being arrested shortly after high school on drug and weapons charges.

El-Alamin started a non-profit after his parole to help felons return to society after being released from prison. Councilwoman Burns, and others, have questioned how El-Alamin (who went to prison as Leon Wilson) has received more than a million dollars in grants since joining the Flint City Council as a strong supporter of Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley.

Prosecutor Leyton's Chief Deputy Prosecutor John Potbury has not yet returned a telephone call asking for clarification on El-Alamin's bond status, tether restrictions or why the city councilman has not been charged for not living in Flint's 1st Ward. Candidates sign under penalty of perjury about their address when filing to run for office.

Woodson announced in a recent Facebook Live video that "we need to turn the heat up" on getting El-Alamin arrested for not living in the 1st Ward. His most recent post repeated the nearly month-old post by Lori Rogers that drew no reaction when the Flint resident initially posted it on her own Facebook page.

 Rogers is a convicted sex offender, according to court records.

Councilwoman Burns said in her post on the community activist's Facebook page: "She needs to take her misplaced aggression and place it with Councilman Leon El-Alamin. He has included her residential address in 10 PPO’s, Friend of the Court documents, District and Circuit Court documents. If it took her to get brave enough to admit he doesn’t live there then she needs to go to the City Clerk with a signed affidavit stating he doesn’t live there.  If she’s not having or had a relationship with her she also needs to tell him to stop putting that information in public court documents. And if that’s not enough she needs to tell the person Leon El-Alamin who stated his visitation at her residence with his minor child is putting her in a predicament. And if that’s not enough, she needs to tell him that since he (Leon El-Alamin) was charged with a felony less than murder but with strangulation to keep his damn hands off of women. And yes I saw the bruise marks as I was at the hospital with her and her mother as well as the multiple recordings of the abuse."

The statement by Rogers came after a story by a local social media news source that calls itself 810 Media.

Her statement earlier this month on Dec. 2 said: "So, not everyone knows my background. Also, not everyone deserves to know my story. They already have their minds made up about me and that's fine. It is what it is. But let me set the record straight on this since people want to take a title and run with it. Leon DOES NOT and NEVER has lived at this address!!! That man is strictly my landlord! We are no couple and definitely no partners in crime. So Tonya Burns, Ms councilwoman.... you can keep my name out of your mouth! You are suppose to be someone trying to build up the community, yet here you are dragging a citizen through the mud because of your personal vendetta against another council member. Whatever legal issues El-alamin has going on I have absolutely NOTHING to do with it! I am just a tenant and a resident of your POS city. It is good to know that as a council person you would rather take a person's background and use it against them before finding out the facts. Because of all this I have had the cops and CPS knocking at my door. There are NO children in this house and NEVER will be!!! The sad part is that she already knew all of this and yet, still decided to throw me into this mess. She knew it because she decided to post the receipts from the rent I paid all over Facebook. She sent cops to my house asking questions about Leon. You had enough evidence to show what you needed to show, but yet you support throwing me under the bus over my background for what? Because if you did your homework l, you would know that I am not a menace. I literally work and come home. I am literally just working on me. Needless to say, JUST LEAVE ME THE F*** ALONE!!! I DON'T BOTHER ANYONE!!!" 

The Daily Gazette has learned that Rogers also told CPS workers and Flint police that El-Alamin is her landlord and that she has never lived at her home with him. Police visited on the day after his first court appearance when the grandmother of El-Alamin's child heard him to tell a judge that he lived at the address where Rogers lives. The grandmother complained to authorities because she did not want the child there since Rogers is on the state sex offender list and can't be around children.

.  Councilman El-Alamin has not issued any comments to The Daily Gazette since the July 10 incident when CCN first exclusively reported the incident before charges were handed down.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Flint City Councilwoman Tonya Burns of the 6th Ward.

(CCN) — Here's a look at news briefs around the Metro Flint regional area during recent days:

MICHAEL DOAN, Executive Director of Flint's Brighter Futures for America, posted a tribute to Martin Luther King today (Jan. 19, 2026) on Facebook and said his dream reminds us that progress is built through service, unity and the belief that we all have a role to play. Doan added, "His life reminds us that when God places a vision on your heart, it's our responsibility to act, standing for justice, unity and compassion even when it's not easy. I'm incredibly thankful for the journey and what's unfolding. I'll be making a big announcement later today, and I truly believe this next step is divinely aligned." Brighter Futures for America did a fundraiser last year to help inner city young people with school supplies. Doan is a Flint businessman who has twice made unsuccessful runs for the 4th Ward Flint City Council seat. He has also hinted at thinking about a run for Mayor in his city.

DALE WEIGHILL of Flint Township was named Wednesday as the new Chairman of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners. He becomes the first openly gay person to be elected as Chairman. He was a Flint city councilman before taking a job as a Vice President at Mott Community College, and later returning to politics on the county board. He succeeds Delrico Lloyd of Flint as the board's chairman.

ELECtED AS VICE CHAIR of the county board was Gary Goetzinger of Burton. He becomes the second Republican in a row as Vice Chair after Fenton's Shawn Shumaker was named to that post a year ago. Shumaker was only the second Republican elected as Vice Chairman of the county board this century

A VIDEO HAS GONE VIRAL on social media of a man in a City of Flint Police Department uniform being awakened by Mt. Morris Township police officers and climbing out of the vehicle in what appeared to be a drunken state. He was reported sleeping in the back seat on the morning after Christmas in the parking lot of Discount Tire on Pierson Road. (See today's Editor's Notebook in the Viewpoints Section)

ROAD RAGE has landed a 36-year-old Clio man a six-count felony arrest after pulling a gun on a Livingston County family and ramming into their vehicle on I-75 in  Vienna Township. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced the arrest in a press conference. (See today's County Line Press)

A CANDIDATE FOR JUDGE has made it official that he is the first to declare he wants the Genesee County 67th District Court seat being vacated by Mark McCabe of Fenton. Judge McCabe must step down because state law does not allow judges to seek re-election after reaching age 70. K.C. Baran of Fenton is the first to throw his hat into the ring to replace him  (See story in today's Tri-County News)

AN UPDATE ON THE HOLLY HOTEL construction project was posted by owners  Chrissy and George Kutlenios on social media, and they say "quiet" does not translate into "stopped" on their project to make repairs from the 2022 fire and ensuing court battle with the owner of a neighboring empty lot. The restaurant is currently up for sale.    (See story in today's Tri-County News)

BY MIKE KILLBFREATH

CCN Executive Editor

CLIO (CCN) — A 36-year-old Clio man has been charged with six felony counts for a road rage incident by the the office of Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced the arrest in a press conference.

Charged is Tony Lesperance. He faces two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of flawless assault and two counts of felony firearm for pulling a pistol in the road rage incident.

Sheriff Swanson said it happed while Lesperance was driving northbound on US 23 to I-75 in Vienna Township.

He said: "A Livingston County couple with their young kids are traveling northbound. They're in the right lane. Lesperance comes up and tailgates ... Lesperance pulls out a handgun, sticks it out the window, multiple witnesses to this mother and father and their two young kids, and that wasn't enough. As they continue to slow down, Lesperance takes his SUV and hits the front. It's what's called like a pit maneuver, and throws that vehicle into the median and totals the vehicle. Multiple witnesses are called on 9-1-1."

Sheriff Swanson said Deputy Jackson took Lesperance into custody at the scene and Lieutenant Snyder subsequently put the six-count felony case together after talking with multiple witnesses.

Sheriff Swanson added: "Here's why I'm telling the story, is that with today and the weather and the travel people have, do not let your emotions overcome common sense. Do not pull out a handgun to threaten people, just because you may be angry at how people drive if they drive slower, if they're more cautious. Road rage is something we can all understand. We've been experiencing that as we drive, but if that happens to you, you call 9-1-1. If you have to get off at the exit to disengage, do that. And if you are like Lesperance and want to pull a pistol out on an innocent family of four, this is what happens. Six count felony warrant, on tether, on a bond, and you're gonna be held accountable."

Court records show that Lesperance was arrested by Genesee County Sheriff's Department deputies in late July of 2024 and was found responsible on a careless driving charge. He was sentenced to time served after the arrest and ordered by Genesee County 67th District Court Judge David Goggins to perform community service. 

He had originally faced an additional charge of reckless driving but prosecutors agreed to dismiss that misdemeanor count when reaching the plea deal with Lesperance in the 2024 Vienna Township case. 

Court records also show Lesperance entered a guilty plea to a 2019 disorderly person charge in the City of Clio. He spent two days in jail. Other than that, court records show only a speeding ticket issued by State Police and other various civil cases for owing money to creditors.

CCN has learned that another road rage arrest was made on Christmas night in Flint Township where witnesses say the road was temporarily blocked off near Gordon's Food Center after a chase that originated at the McDonald's on Linden Road when a customer there said he was chased by a vehicle waiting in the parking lot when he came out of the restaurant at about 7:30 pm. The victim told CCN that two guns were found in the vehicle and State Police responded with Flint Township officers. He said the woman was arrested and taken to jail while her vehicle was towed away.

State Police and Flint Township police have not yet released any information on the incident but the victim said the same woman was ticketed and released by Flint Township police despite a video he produced with two guns being pulled on him in a similar road rage incident six days earlier.

PHOTO CAPION: Pictured above this story is Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson holding a booking photo of a Clio man charged with six felonies in a road rage incident.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

FLINT TWP. CCN) —  Flint Township police have not yet confirmed it but witnesses say a dead body was discovered in a vehicle on Saturday morning (Dec. 27, 2025).

They say that was the reason for the road closing at Beecher Road and Mill Road.

A social media post by the Flint Township Police Department only said that an investigation was taking place.

A witness told The Daily Gazette that he found a deceased individual in a vehicle.

A few hours later, an "update" post was made on the Facebook page of the Flint Township Police Department that the road had been re-opened.

The earlier post only said: "This morning Flint Township Officers were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle near Beecher Road east of Mill Road. Beecher Road will be closed for a period of time to allow officers to conduct a thorough investigation. Please plan accordingly."

 BY GARY JACKSON

CCN Staff Writer

(CCN) —  A legendary figure at the old Flint Central High School has passed away. Popular teacher and coach Joe Eufinger lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday (Nov. 25, 2025), according to The Daily Gazette columnist Marty Embry. (See his column on today's Sports Section)

A funeral service will be held at noon on Saturday, Dec 6, 2025 at Swartz Funeral Home on West Hill Road in Mundy Township with Pastor Matthw Hogue-Smith officiating. Visitations will be from 10 am on Saturday till the time of service
and then continuing until 2:30 pm after the service at the funeral home.

Your condolences may be shared with the family at swartzfuneralhomeinc.com 

An obituary for Eufinger described him as a "towering figure in his community both figuratively and literally."

 He moved to Flint in 1950 at the age of 5 and graduated from Flint Central High School in 1963.
He attended Purdue University on a full-ride football scholarship where he graduated with a degree in history. He returned to Flint in 1967 to teach social studies and humanities at his alma mater high school.

He was also the assistant coach for wrestling and football. He became the head wrestling coach at Central from 1970 until 1974 then became the head football coach in 1976. 

Eufinger is survived by his wife of 56 years, Laura and daughters Liza and Erica (David Steinweg), his granddaughters Jessica and Elizabeth Wilder, and Sophia Steinweg, his brother John (Charlotte), and his sister Karen (the late Arnold Klein).