(With map) City’s former health leader charges that officials considered health concerns a ‘nuisance,’ and focused solely on tearing down blighted homes fast.
Joel Kurth
As Executive Editor of Impact, Joel oversees newsgathering, investigations, partnerships and coverage strategy at Bridge Michigan. He joined Bridge in 2017 after 17 years as an investigative reporter and editor at The Detroit News. Over his career, he has led or produced investigations that led to numerous reforms in government and health care, including policy changes about water shutoffs and surgical instrument sterilization, as well as criminal charges of government officials. In addition to authoring Bridge’s popular weekly News Quiz, he and his teams have won more than 60 state and national awards. During his 30-year career in Michigan, he also has worked at newspapers in the Upper Peninsula and Saginaw. He lives in West Bloomfield with his wife and two children. You can reach him at jkurth@bridgemi.com
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit election issues (surprise!) could prompt recount
Clerk candidate Garlin Gilchrist says he’s concerned about reports of irregularities and may seek a recount in his narrow loss Tuesday.
Posted inMichigan Government
Water crisis hits Michigan suburbs. ‘We’ve been sounding alarms for years’
Aging infrastructure and delayed repairs are an increasing alarm in Michigan. More than $60 billion in fixes may be necessary.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Is Detroit coming back? It depends on the neighborhood.
Bridge Magazine examines four corners of Detroit. The numbers say the city is improving. The people sometimes tell another story.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Islandview: New development, fears of displacement
Detroit is planning big changes to a little neighborhood near Belle Isle. Some wonder who will benefit.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Bagley: New residents, more investment, old worries
In one of city’s most self-reliant neighborhoods, City Hall plans improvements as old brick homes get new owners.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Q&A: Meet the man reimagining Detroit, one vacant lot at a time
Maurice Cox’s plan for the city: Make its biggest weakness a strength.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Poor in Michigan with no ID. “I am somebody. I just can’t prove it.”
Laws passed to prevent terrorism and identity theft have made it harder to get the state-issued ID needed to escape poverty. A peek inside the poverty trap.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Slideshow: Gorgeous postcards offer valentine to bygone Detroit
Architecture buff turns postcard collection into picture book. Take a peek at the fabulous and familiar with 11 images from Detroit’s colorful past.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Are there two Detroits? A new report says yes, but…
Downtown and Midtown Detroit get more tax breaks and investment than neighborhoods. Why? That’s where the good jobs are.