Flint replaces most lead pipes, 10 years after the Michigan water crisis
State officials submitted a progress report in court on Tuesday showing that they replaced 11,000 lead pipes in the city and restored more than 28,000 affected properties.
"Thanks to the persistence of the people of Flint and our partners, we are finally at the end of the lead pipe replacement project," said Pastor Allen C. Overton of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action, one of the lawsuit's plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit against officials over the scandal. "While this milestone is not all the justice our community deserves, it is a huge achievement."
The Michigan Attorney General's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.
In 2013, officials stopped buying water from Detroit and created a pipeline to Lake Huron as a cost-cutting measure. Until the pipeline's completion, the city's primary water source came from the Flint River in 2014.
Quickly, residents reported a murky, foamy quality of the water coming from their pipes. After testing positive for high levels of trihalomethanes — a disinfectant byproduct — E. coli bacteria, and lead, city officials lamented that the water was still safe for consumption. It wasn't until October 2015 that the majority-Black city switched back to Detroit water.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the water crisis exposed nearly 100,000 residents of Flint to lead due to the crisis.
Criminal charges were brought for several deaths related to the contamination, but were later dismissed.
The 2017 lawsuit was settled in 2021 for $626 million, which included an agreement to replace the lead pipes free of charge.
"We would not have reached this day without the work of so many Flint residents who worked to hold our leaders accountable," Overton said. "I have never been prouder to be a member of the Flint community."
The report says that roughly 4,000 homes still have lead pipes. Those homes were likely either vacant or homes that belonged to Flint residents who opted out of having the pipes replaced, according to a spokesperson for the advocacy group that led the lawsuit, the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Press and Journal
2 days ago
- Press and Journal
Alcohol-free Aberdeen bar inspired by owner's two kidney transplants to open on Thistle Street
A bar that serves no alcohol will open on Aberdeen's Thistle Street later this year. After a lifetime of health issues due to kidney failure at just three years old, owner Kate Kenyon is keen to bring an alcohol-free space to Aberdeen. The new bar, called Sobr, will offer 'functional' health-boosting mocktails, and other alcohol-free drinks, including coffee. Kate told The Press and Journal she's had two kidney transplants in her life because of kidney failure at a young age. Just before her third birthday, she contracted a strain of E. coli that led to septicaemia and chronic kidney disease. At seven, she had a kidney transplant from her mum — but 12 years later, at the age of 19, the transplant failed. 'It failed partly because of alcohol,' explains Kate. 'I was just a normal teenager: I was a student, I went out and partied like everybody else. 'A lot of other kids that age, their bodies can handle going out four days a week and drinking, and not having a lot of water. 'However, because of my kidney, I couldn't do that. 'After a year and a half of being a normal student, it took its toll.' Kate was on dialysis for four years before she got her second transplant. 'Then my health took a nosedive again last August,' she continues. 'I got really, really poorly with two strains of the flu and a chest infection at the same time. 'The doctors were talking about the surgery I'm going to need, talking about putting me on the transplant list, and back on dialysis. 'Now I want to live every day as though it's my first and don't have any regrets. 'I knew if someone did this before me, I would so regret it — it would haunt me. 'So I had to just go for it.' The sober Aberdeen bar — the first of its kind in Scotland — will open this October on 39 Thistle Street. It will seat around 22 people, with a cosy 'lover's nook' for two set along one wall. There will also be a large table near the window for groups of seven to eight, and a bar is being built for the venue. Sobr will be open Wednesday-Saturday 2-10pm, led by general manager Hayden Geraghty. 'It will be quite an intimate space, but it will give that cosy, welcoming, homely vibe,' adds Kate. When asked if she is worried the bar won't succeed, Kate says 'no'. 'The vision we have is that if the bar doesn't work, there is such a huge market in Aberdeen for this kind of business. 'Even if the bar doesn't necessarily take off, that doesn't mean that it's not successful. 'We will be doing so many other things: corporate and private events, festivals and things like that.' Kate, who currently volunteers with Aberdeen Inspired, says she hopes to open a second Sobr bar in Aberdeen in time. The Scots, says Kate, have a 'stereotype as drunken redheads wearing kilts'. 'That's not who we are,' she says, 'but we do have a little bit of a drinking issue. 'I think there is definitely a social shift that needs to happen, and it's great that the younger generation are thinking more about their health and stepping away from the binge drinking that my generation did.' Inspired by sober events and pop-ups in other locations, Kate, 33, wanted to bring an entirely alcohol-free space to Aberdeen. She's also seen the benefits going sober has had on her close friend, Isla Nicoll. 'I'd seen sober events in LA, New York and London, and I really thought Aberdeen could use a place like this,' continues Kate. 'I want to give something back to Aberdeen. 'I want to create something that is inclusive for all, where people can come and not feel pressured into drinking.' So why is Aberdeen the best place for a sober bar? Kate, originally from Turriff, admits 'I really used to hate Aberdeen'. She moved away from the Granite City at 18, and during the pandemic she settled in Edinburgh. However, she returned to Aberdeen due to her ill health. 'When I came back, I realised how many amazing independent businesses we have in the city,' she adds. 'You have to look a little bit harder than you do in Edinburgh, but there are some absolutely phenomenal places in Aberdeen. 'Aberdeen is a really thriving city on the brink of something incredible, and I think Thistle Street is the perfect place for something new and exciting.' The 33-year-old — who says she is sober the majority of the time — says she has experienced a limited alcohol-free offering when out for drinks with her friends. 'It's an afterthought,' says Kate. 'It is either juice, or there isn't a huge variety. 'I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of going out and the theatre that comes with cocktails. 'At Sobr people will have these amazing, nice, aesthetic drinks that taste good and have a benefit to them as well.' The menu at the sober bar in Aberdeen, which will feature alcohol-free wine, beer and gin, will also include a range of what Kate calls 'functional' mocktails. 'These will boost you up, calm you down, or detox you,' she adds. 'It will have a health benefit as well. 'You will wake up the next morning feeling a lot better than you would have if you'd gone out drinking.' These health drinks could include ingredients such as lion's mane and activated charcoal. Sobr will also offer a menu of rotating snacks for customers to enjoy with their drinks, including treats from nearby patisserie Almondine.
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
I just wanted my smear test when the nurse touched my hair
It was supposed to be a routine appointment. I was at my cervical screening. I know this is something most people find uncomfortable, but I went in feeling somewhat calm. The nurse was chatty, warm and inviting. We'd made small talk about the weather, kids and holidays. We got through the horrid bit, where the cells are removed from the cervix, and I got myself dressed. I was OK. It felt safe. Until it didn't. As I was putting my other foot into my flip flop, getting ready to leave, the nurse ran all four of her fingers through my hair. Just like that. No warning. No 'Can I?'. Just a hand fondling my braids, while she cooed about how lovely they were, literally moments after her hands had been in my nether regions. I froze. My body tensed in a way it hadn't even during the screening. I literally crumbled inside. I'd been made to feel small, and different, made to feel like an 'attraction'. But the nurse carried on like it was normal. Like it was her right. 'What the hell just happened?', I thought. A medical professional had just petted me like an animal, completely overstepping the mark in thrusting herself into my personal space – and she'd disregarded any cultural differences that we had. I felt deeply exposed. Someone had crossed a line I hadn't even known needed defending in that setting. Let me be clear: my hair is not public property. The unsolicited touching of Black hair is not new, but it is persistent and exhausting. It is a microaggression wrapped in curiosity, often delivered with a smile, but its impact lands heavy every time. Like the time I was taking my son to school and one of the mums stroked my son's newly cut head like he was a puppy. My son looked up at me, confused and uncomfortable. He didn't have the words yet, but I could see it in his eyes: 'Why did she do that?'. (He's now vehemently against people touching his head). Another time, I was heading into a potential funders meeting at work, hair newly washed and coils set, and a colleague walked past. 'Oh, I love the new hair', she said, and then reached out and ran her hands through my curls. It was as if the 'compliment' gave her permission to cross a boundary. And then there was the business event, when I was dressed up and feeling fly, where a fellow speaker told me my hair looked 'so fun' and reached out to touch it before I could step back. I left that event feeling small – like no matter what I wore, how well I spoke or how I carried myself, I would always be seen as 'other.' But perhaps the most jarring moment was when someone literally reached through the open window of my car and stroked my daughter's curls. Let me repeat that: a stranger put her hand through my window and touched my child. I was speechless. My daughter was terrified. We were both violated. But this isn't just about hair. It never was. Unsolicited touching of Black hair is rooted in entitlement. It reinforces the belief, whether conscious or not, that Black bodies are curiosities, existing for consumption and commentary. That we are 'exotic.' It teaches our children that their boundaries don't matter. That their discomfort isn't valid. That their autonomy is optional. And that is dangerous. Because when you grow up constantly having parts of yourself touched, questioned, or commented on without consent, it chips away at your sense of safety. It teaches you to tolerate intrusion. To question whether you're being too sensitive. To wonder if you're the problem for not wanting to be handled like a museum exhibit. The day the nurse touched my hair, I didn't say anything. I wish I had addressed it in the moment. But I'd been caught off guard, yet again. If I could do it again I'd say: It is not okay to touch someone's hair without their permission. Not ever. Not because 'it looks soft'. Not because 'it's just so different'. Not because 'I've never seen curls like that before'. The solution is simple: just ask. Or, better yet, resist the urge altogether. Respect is silent, consensual, and deeply felt. It doesn't require explanation or negotiation. It is enough to know that, if the answer might be no, maybe the question shouldn't be asked at all. To learn more about Regina and her work visit her website here. Regina runs The NETwork – a growing networking organisation with inclusivity, authenticity and community at the core. For me, this is about raising my kids in a world where their boundaries are honoured. It's about making space for Black people to exist without being touched, commented on, or reduced to 'inspiration'. We are whole. We are human. We deserve to feel safe in our bodies, and in our hair. More Trending That's why I complained to the surgery. Thankfully some good came out of me speaking up. All surgery staff will now be required to complete EDI and cultural sensitivity training in the hope that this never happens again. This feels like a ripple effect of being vocal about my experience-and taking something that was a very negative situation for me and turning it into an opportunity to create change. For that I'm grateful… despite it being a smear test I'd much rather have never had! Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
STV News
5 days ago
- STV News
First Minister meets Sir Chris Hoy to discuss prostate cancer testing
First Minister John Swinney has met with Sir Chris Hoy and his wife to discuss tackling prostate cancer. The champion cyclist was diagnosed with the disease last year, before finding out it was terminal. He spoke to the First Minister – along with health secretary Neil Gray – in a roundtable at Swinney's official residence Bute House in Edinburgh on Friday, along with his wife Lady Sarra Hoy and others who have experience of living with prostate cancer. The Olympic gold medallist has swapped the track for activism since his diagnosis was made public, pushing both the UK and Scottish governments to do more to fight the disease, and raising awareness among men of the signs of the condition. Earlier this year, Sir Chris urged ministers to change NHS guidance on the testing for prostate cancer. Currently, men over the age of 50 are considered to be at the highest risk, with the health service urging them to get tested. But Sir Chris has called for GPs to proactively contact men known to be at higher risk – for instance, due to a family history of prostate cancer – earlier to offer a test. 'I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer at 47. By this age, my prostate cancer was advanced and could have been progressing from when I was 45 or even younger,' he said. 'With prostate cancer, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. We need the system to change to enable more men to get diagnosed earlier and stop them getting the news I got.' Speaking after the meeting, Laura Kerby, chief executive officer of Prostate Cancer UK, said the charity was 'delighted to be working with Sir Chris Hoy and the Scottish Government'. 'In the months after Sir Chris shared his story, we saw a huge increase in men using our online risk checker and the number of men in Scotland starting treatment for prostate cancer reached an all-time high,' she added. 'We're so grateful for the lifesaving impact he's making and continues to make with events like his upcoming Tour De Four cycling challenge. 'But, today, men in Scotland are still more likely to get a late prostate cancer diagnosis than anywhere else in the UK, so it's incredibly important that we do not take our feet off the pedals. 'We're grateful to the Scottish Government and First Minister John Swinney MSP for assembling such a talented group of experts and leaders in this space today to continue the vital work to change this unacceptable situation.' Alison Wright, chief executive officer of Prostate Scotland, said the meeting was an 'important first conversation'. 'We hope it leads to ongoing collaboration and concrete steps to close detection gaps, so no man at risk is left behind,' she said. 'Far too many men – especially those with a family history, black African or Caribbean heritage, or inherited genetic mutations – are diagnosed late because testing was only prompted by symptoms. 'We advise that clear prompts for GPs be introduced to consider PSA testing based on risk factors alone, not just symptoms. Acting early will save lives.' STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
