This is another one of those tough conversations I mentioned we needed to have a Come to Jesus moment, if you will. David Toborowsky and Annie Suwan are one of the successful "90 Day Fianc" couples. A Flint resident stops Mayor Sheldon Neeley for a selfie on March 5, 2020. She believes the state vastly underplayed, and therefore worsened, that outbreak at the time. By the time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notified Michigan in early 2015 that there were dangerous levels of lead in Flints water, its residents had complained for months of mysterious illnesses. We need to hold our educators, lawmakers, and other civil servants accountable for the services they are paid to provide. Self - Field Training Officer, Flint 1 . New lines ensure fewer lead-related issues will arise, and now, the pipes abide by the federal Lead and Copper Rule. When scientists analyzed that water, they discovered to their horror that the citys treatment of it was woefully inadequate to reduce its levels of harmful bacteria and acidand that the latter had begun to corrode Flints antiquated pipes from the inside, delivering tiny bits of lead through peoples faucets. And if you listen to those have seen it all before, all too recently, in Flint, theres little reason to expect a new era of good feelings on the horizon. For those unaware, Flint has the distinction of being one of the most violent cities in the US, which unfortunately saw the strength of its police force decrease from 300 to 98 for 100,000 people. We will update this section as soon as we hear more. With market analyses, stakeholder engagement, and program economics, we have envisioned a bold, strategic and transformative future that is like nothing this university has ever experienced before here at the University of Michigan - Flint. He has been charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree,. The film is filming under the pseudo-name "Perfect Imprints." Though Flint's water, which once tested dangerously high for lead, is now within federal safety standards, microbiologists, infectious disease experts and officials worry that harmful elements . The Flint water crisis begins On April 25, 2014 officials from Flint, Michigan switched the city's water supply to the Flint River as a cost-cutting measure for the struggling city. In this series, filmmakers embed with FPD officers as they face infrastructure issues and decreasing resources while risking their lives to protect and serve the community of around 100,000. "My city is on fire. Flint Town United FC vs. Both sides of my family are here. Flint police battle with a store that's a magnet for criminal activity; Dion has his first shift on the job; the officers react to tragedy in Dallas. It offered a raw view into the humanity and vulnerabilities of both police officers and the residents of the communities in which they serve. Christie's condition was upgraded to "fair" Tuesday, and he was expected to recover. His father, David, thinks his eldest son was poisoned by lead in their drinking water. In fairness to Mayor Weaver, I do think the citizens of the city deserved to see [pipe excavation] done in different parts of the city, Walling said. However, the conflict at city hall, like many other issues the city faces, cannot be resolved by supplemented funds alone. People just want a government that works, Neeley said. U.S. District Judge Judith Levy granted preliminary approval to a $641 million settlement deal for Flint residents, though the planned distribution of the settlement between lawyers and residents isnt decided. The documentary follows the Flint Police Department over the course of one trying year filled with budget cuts, local and presidential elections, and, of course, a water crisis. There are plenty of ways to tell the story of what went wrong in Flint leading to that moment. A native of Boston who now lives between New York and the Bay Area, he has been documenting life in Flint since 2012, including the water crisis that poisoned the city's residents; an. But that flip of a switch isn't when the city's water crisis began. The court cases continue to unfold, and the city slowly replaces its lead lines. Flint Town television series is an American documentary television show which was released on the Netflix channel on 2nd March 2018. We still dont consume it, said Walker-Smith, whose tap water has tested negative for lead. It seems everyone has something different to say about the eight-episode series. Election Day arrives. Stay connected with Flint news, public notices, and city meetings. The . Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States Of America. "Sundown towns" like Anna were places where Black people were allowed in during the day to work or shop but . If giving money to poor countries that present these same struggles hasnt helped to pull them out of poverty, what makes us think it will do so for us? At its worst, Flint Town is a profanity-laced Trump endorsement where white police officers, most of whom do not reside in the city, play Robocop. Its water quality has undeniably recovered, and despite concerns about equity, the new developments that dot the citys downtown are striking when compared with its trajectory just half a decade ago. Flint is a majority-African American city, where over 40% of the residents live in poverty, and some suggested that authorities' indifference to the community led to the crisis. Being a documentary show, Flint Town features real-life people, and in particular, features several members of the Flint Police Department. Despite a parade of presidential contenders through the city in 2019 and 2020, eager to prove their bona fides on environmental and racial justice, Flint residents are skeptical that their salvation will come through the ballot box. So, hear me out. A historic village where they make or do crafts, a train ride and a even steamboat. Some of us just dont want to leave. Chandra Walker-Smith is among them. Angry resident after angry resident stepped up to the podium to question the investigators about grievances new and old, physical and psychic. A team of researchers reported that Flints homeseven the ones at the highest risk for undrinkable, lead-poisoned tap waterfinally had clean water running through their pipes. City and state officials denied for. People are weary, Pauli said. People think were just poor and have no means to leave. FLINT, Mich. In a city synonymous for half a decade with disaster, something remarkable happened in February 2019. Balasko and Frost ponder their future together. Equally wary was Jim Ananich, a lifelong Flint resident and outgoing leader of the Democratic minority in the Michigan State Senate. By giving its audience a view of Flint though this lens, the show gives viewers an insight into the state of policing in America and documents the struggles of Flint Police Department as they put their lives on the line to protect the community while simultaneously struggling to gain the trust of the community. In April, he told Flints local East Village Magazine that he was certain there were other crimes, and that there were plenty of opportunities for misconduct after April 25.. It seems everyone has something different to say about the eight-episode series. (AECOM defends its work, telling POLITICO in a statement that the company is very satisfied with the results delivered, and noting it exceeded expectations set by the citys pipe replacement program.). Flint Police Detectives like Scott Watson and Keith Urquhart feel passionately about doing the job that they have committed in earnest to do, but also acknowledge that there is a great mistrust of . If I know anything about the citizens of Flint, I know we are a resilient bunch. As the evening wore on, Flint resident Elizabeth Taylor needled them for their perceived eagerness to draw the proceedings to a close: How can we trust you when you look at the clock and say you want to leave? Hopefully, the scope of those challenges will at some point begin to narrow, but I dont think were at that point.. Those questions touch on not only the crisis far-reaching medical consequences but its roots in a decades-long divestment of power from the people the crisis hurt the most, as well as the extent to which government might endanger lives to evade blame or embarrassment for such a scandal. I get reelected in 2011, and then we get the sequence of [four] emergency managers, who under state law effectively become the mayor and the city council, even though they dont take that title, Walling told me. We need to hold ourselves accountable for the roles we play in making/keeping Flint what it is, whether good or bad. With, As far as reception is concerned, Season 1 of Flint Town boasts a, While we wait for Netflix to make an announcement on the future of the show, here is the trailer for Season 1 to give you a glimpse into how the documentary explores the state of policing in the city of Flint. And so its commodified, packaged and sold.. Their cases are pending. But you fix bumps, right? She became mired not only in controversies over the water crisis complicated infrastructural fix, but accusations she used her office to reward friends and family and boost her own profile. In April 2014, during a budget crisis, Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River. Apart from police personnel, the show also features others like former Democratic Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, current US President Donald Trump, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, and ABC12 news reporter Jessica Dupnack, among others. Your email address will not be published. Director of the Flint and Genesee CVB, Alaina Wiens shared, "The CVB thought what better way to make residents aware of what is happening with all the development downtown and throughout the county than by having a day where they can see a bunch of new buildings, attractions, and historical venues, while providing the transportation to them all Since then, fans and critics have been waiting for a second season, which is yet to be confirmed. Flint, Michigan, changed its water system in 2014, resulting in water so toxic that residents got sick. Some of us just dont want to leave., There are some people who say, you know, Im looking for a ticket out of here. But theres a much larger percentage of people who love this place, Walling said. And with the gravity of that loss comes the possibility that no number of promises kept, and no amount of empirically-provable repair, can bring it back. Comments. 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