THE LATEST TOP HEADLINES

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BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

(CCN) — Residents opposed to a proposed advanced manufacturing plant in Mundy Township are organizing a series of boycotts against businesses who wrote letters of support to state officials for the Flint & Genesee Group to get funding from our tax dollars.

CEO Tim Herman's group collected more than $10 million in grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation before another $250 million package was approved last month by the Michigan Strategic Fund. Both chambers of the Michigan legislature approved it last week and it became part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's budget on Monday (July 1, 2024).

Jennifer Arrand Stainton, who led a picket protest outside a political fundraiser for Mundy Township Supervisor Tonya Ketzler on June 20 outside Redwood Lodge, told The Daily Gazette that a "boycott may be the best way to get the attention of businesses" who gave the Flint & Genesee Group letters of support for their project. Herman's non-profit organization used the letters to get state funds for a proposed development on a 1,200-acre site bordered by Linden Road, Jennings Road, Elms Road and Maple Road.

Flint's Mott Community College Board of Trustees withdrew the institution's support on Monday night (July 1, 2024) after hearing from residents opposed to the project in Mundy Township, as well as from Flint community activist Art Woodson.

 See RElated Story on Today's Front Page of The Daily Gazette 

Woodson and others questioned why officials are trying to put the project in area where citizens are opposed to it. Woodson has also gone on record blasting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for sending $260 million to Mundy Township for support of her electric vehicle push while ignoring  Flint residents still suffering from the impact of the Flint water crisis 10 years ago. More than 1,900 still do not have their pipes replaced. 

Don Ludwig, one of the administrators for a Facebook page with 2,100 opponents of the proposed development at Mundy Township's Mega Site, quickly posted a message for Herman's representative (Tyler  Rossmaessler who is Executive Director of the Flint & Genesee Group's Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance) who lobbied for support from Mott's trustees.

Ludwig posted: "Hey tyler! Next!! Mott Community College has (withdrawn) their letter of support for the advanced manufacturing district of Mundy Township (otherwise) known as the Mega Site. As soon as Tyler gave his speech he headed out the door! Sue Joanne, Marjorie Steele and Arthur Woodson gave a great presentations and the board voted unanimously to reject their letter of support. MY HOME MY CHOICE!!!!"

Ludwig also praised a resident who reported that he cancelled a new car order from Randy Wise which was listed as a supporter by Herman's non-profit organization.

"Wise choice," Ludwig reacted after a post by Frank Millay revealed: "The truck I currently have was bought at Randy Wise. They sent me an e-mail saying they had the same truck and wanted to know if I was interested in trading in for it. I responded the truth, that I was ready to upgrade. I then said that due to them endorsing the Mega Site that they just lost my business. They weren't happy with me. "

Lloyd Derby responded by writing: "Too bad for them. Maybe the next time they will think twice about being a part of something that is so controversial."

Kim Raubinger Matus posted: "If a person is going to hold out on a business because they have different views than yours…that’s very unfortunate. That's like throwing your friends and family away because they have differing political beliefs. This attitude is exactly why the United States is so divided. God please help us."

Rossmessler presented a slide show to Mott's trustees — showing logos of 23 supporters for his organization's proposed development. Randy Wise's dealerships was not included on the slide show but remains listed on a Web Site for the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance as a supporter who signed a letter of support for the proposed project. 

The University of Michigan-Flint and Kettering University were listed with Mott.

Others listed as supporters were non-profit groups that included the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the Hurley Foundation and Hamilton Community Health Network of Flint Consumers Energy was also listed as a supporter along with UA Local 370, the state's Michigan Works organization.

Local businesses listed as supporters on the slide show presented by Rossmessler included Koegels, Cooper Commercial, Rolls Mechanical, North Gate, Dee Cramer, Lurvey Construction. Sorenson Gross Construction, E & L Construction, Lewis & Knoph CPA's, Genesee Packaging, McLaren Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center and Goyette Mechanical.

Not listed on the slide show but still appearing on a web site for the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance are the Flint Cultural Center, Flint's Bishop Airport and the Flint & Genesee Group.

Management Diversified, Inc.

Mass Transportation Authority

(CCN) —  No intersections across the Metro Flint regional area made an annual list of the top 20 most dangerous ones in Michigan, and none in the West Valley Voice coverage area cracked Genesee County's top 10.

(See Story in State News of My Am Advantage)

(See Another Related Story in Today's Metro Section of The Daily Gazette)

 Michigan Auto Law of Farmington Hills compiled a top 10 list of the most dangerous intersections in Genesee County based on crash data reported to the Michigan State Police, and found that Corunna Road and I-75 in Flint Township to be No. 1. State Police data showed 55 crashes there in 2023 that resulted in 16 injuries.

Thursday, June 27, 2024 Column

My recent Editor's Notebook columns are getting some national attention.

The New York Times has called. So, too, have Detroit media outlets. Local TV stations have reported the story although only WJRT ABC 12 TV featured comments by the organizer of the picket demonstration (Jennifer Arrand Stainton) last week outside a political fundraiser for Mundy Township Supervisor Tonya Ketzler 

Nothing but crickets out of MLive and The Flint Journal though. We will see how later today how View Newspapers reports on the controversial picket demonstration last week by protesters angry about the proposed development at the Mega Site location in Mundy Township on a 1,200-acre location bordering Linden Road, Jennings Road, Elms Road and Maple Road.

Michigan News Source quoted by column in a story today about a proposed $250 million gift of our state tax dollars to the Flint Genesee Group to build something on the Mega Site. No details. They need the money first before they tell us what the plan is out there.

It's nice to see some statewide attention focused on Governor Gretchen Whitmer's budget. I don't like my tax dollars going to support building plants to support the electric vehicle industry. Gretchen's current TV commercials make me sick.

They're paid for by a climate change PAC out of California. They admitted to me there was a major donor out of our area to make the TV commercials happen on our local TV air waves.

Any guess on who the donor may have been?

By the way, Gretchen proclaims that Michigan is leading the charge with battery plants across out state employing thousands. Um, no battery plants have been built yet.

Gretchen should also check with the Battery Plant Manufacturers Association of the United States. The average battery plant in our country employs an average of 92 people.

If it's a chip building factory headed to Mundy Township, the numbers are worse for jobs. They average 48 employees. Comments from CEO Tim Herman's representative on all this garbage have led us to believe thousands of jobs are coming.

Why not locate them at vacant old GM plants in Flint? Or is all the pollution that comes with them too much for a city where its water was poisoned 10 years ago? Time to poison people around the Mega Site location out in Mundy Township?

A battery plant or chip building plant would produce thousands of gallons worth of toxins. Do they just drain them into the groundwater to ruin the properties of neighbors?

There are environmental experts warning that extensive use of ultra pure water would lead to draining Lake Huron and eventually end its use as a water supply for so many Michigan communities. Ask Atlanta how the impact from similar plants has destroyed their water supply.

 and contaminated nearby properties.

Are we ready for another Flint water crisis? Are we ready for another Berlin & Farro catastrophe?

See Related Stories in our

Mega Site Special Section

READ THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

READ TODAY'S EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

READ OLD EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK COLUMNS

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Mike Killbreath appears on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio via The Morning Gazette Radio Show weekday mornings from 8 am until 9:30 am. He's an award-winning newspaper columnist and investigative reporter who is the former long-time owner of the local Metro Flint area chain of 14 community newspapers. This fall will be his 50th year as a journalist. He also hosts a new weekly national TV show known as The American Crusaders on cable TV and various OTT TV live streaming platforms.

LANSING (CCN)  —  Both chambers of Michigan's State Legislature have now approved a proposal by the Michigan Strategic Fund to fund a $250 million project by the Flint Genesee Group — a Flint-based non-profit organization headed by CEO Tim Herman.

The Flint Genesee's Group's Flint Genesee Economic Alliance wants to attract developers for manufacturing plants at a Mega Site in Mundy Township on a 1,200-acre location bordering Linden Road, Jennings Road, Elms Road and Maple Road.

The House Appropriations Committee sent the funding bill to the floor of the State House of Representatives last week and the State Senate's Appropriations Committee did the same thing on Wednesday night. Both full chambers eventually approved the plan by Herman's organization. He had already been given more than$10 million in two earlier moves by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and all that remains for another $250 million is approval of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's proposed state budget.

The state budget needs to be approved by July 1.

The process is for both chambers of the State Legislature to approve the budget before it then goes to the governor for her signature.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

(CCN) — Flushing's Trinity Baptist Church is getting a new pastor in early August.

Pastor James Brabson  takes over for Pastor Ron Scott who has been working as interim pastor at Trinity which is located at 4222 Elms Road in Flushing Township.

 Trinity Baptist is an independent Baptist church where you will find practical Bible teaching and preaching, exciting youth and children's ministries, adult programs that are a blessing, and an emphasis on discipleship and evangelism, according to the church's web site,

Pastor Brabson took to Facebook today (June 27, 2024) to inform his congregation at North County Baptist Church in xxxxx of the decision. "This post will undoubtedly catch some people by surprise (which is not our intention, and no this isn’t a “joke”) however, this morning at North Country, we notified the church family that we will be finishing out our ministry at North Country this coming July and moving to Flushing, MI this coming August. Words cannot express our heart of gratitude to the church there at NCBC."

 The Brabson family moved to Millersburg in 2004. He and wife Bonnie have four sons —  Josiah, Ben, Jonas and Clayton. The family will move into the Flushing community and the boys will go to Genesee Christian school in Burton.

Pastor Brabson began his ministry as an Assistant/Youth Pastor in Northern Michigan. The church voted in 2011 to make Pastor Brabson the lead pastor at North Country.  

He added in today's Facebook post: "I’ve tried in so many ways how to express our thoughts and feelings, and all I can say at this point is 'Thank You.'   God has been so good in giving us 20 years here, and we leave the church here with no disagreement and no dissension. We are deeply indebted to so many of you in the church who have loved on our family and your lives are the living testimony of our ministry here. Seeing so many of our church family 'grow up' spiritually before our eyes has been one of the greatest blessings that I have experienced in my life. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your spiritual growth and really being a family away from our family.   It also means we are leaving the Millersburg/Onaway/Rogers City community. We are thankful for the 'fun' place this has been to raise a family and how so many of you have been friends to our family as well. I’m sure the streets of Millersburg, will be quieter. Even though NCBC will be looking for a pastor, the pulpit will be filled by a variety of good men ... "

 Outside the ministry at NCBC, Pastor Brabson has served on the advisory board for Camp CanaanLand and he has been a guest speaker, for a wide variety of ministry opportunities such as family and youth camps, father/son retreats, pastors' conferences and wild game dinners. He has also stayed busy coaching both in the community and in a school for baseball and basketball. 

 His Facebook post to his long-time church family at NCBC concluded by saying: "What’s next for us? We are excited to be moving into the Flushing, MI area to become the Lead Pastor for Trinity Baptist Church of Flushing at the start of August. Many of you know of Trinity through their ministry of Harvest Fest, and we are excited for this next chapter of ministry for our lives. Working with their deacons/pulpit committee along with their staff members has been a joy and blessing over these last (three) months. Along with coming on board at Trinity, the boys are excited to join the school family of Genesee Christian School this fall. The church people have been so welcoming to our family, and we look forward to getting to know so many of them and see God grow all of us together in the coming years.   In the end, we are simply trusting Him to direct our steps, knowing He is always good and that He works all things for good."

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Pastor James Brabson who will join Flushing's Trinity Baptist Church as its new leader of its ministry.

(CCN) — The Tri-County Times reported that a 94-year-old woman from Swartz Creek was killed in an Argentine Township car crash on Wednesday (July 10, 2024).

The newspaper reported in its onlin edition that the woman's 70-year-old daughter from Swartz Creek is hospitalized in critical condition.

The report said a 46-year-old Byron man sustained non-life threatening injuries when also injured in the crash.

 (CCN) — Summer office hours have been established for buildings in the New Lothrop school district. They will be closed during the 4th of July week but re-open on Monday, July 8.

Parents can contact the high school office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am until 2 pm, and Wednesdays from 11:30 am until 4:30 pm.

Parents can contact the elementary school office Monday through Thursday from 9 am until 3 pm.

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