It’s money intended for drug treatment, prevention and recovery. But Flint’s mayor defends buying ambulances because some emergency calls ‘involve overdoses.’
Ron French
Ron reports on a variety of subjects across the state. Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he’s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. You can reach him at rfrench@bridgemi.com or 517-214-3636.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan elections FAQ: How to find information about local candidates
A Bridge Michigan reader asks how voters can educate themselves about office seekers in the absence of newspapers. It takes a bit of work, but there are several ways to be informed before you fill in your ballot
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan town adjusts to life with ‘ghost newsroom,’ as local papers wither
Cheboygan has a newspaper, but no news reporters. A renaissance supply shop is now occupying its newsroom. So if there’s news in Cheboygan, it’s news to residents.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Flint water crisis: Did ‘myth’ of lead harm become self-fulfilling prophecy?
At the height of the water crisis, Flint children had lower lead levels than many others in Michigan. But low expectations, trauma and constant anxiety did more harm than lead. ‘Instead of scaring families, we should be reassuring them.’
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
For children of Flint water crisis, stigma lives on: ‘I feel like a lab rat’
Ten years after the beginning of the Flint water crisis, the city’s youth are scarred as much by low expectations as by the lead-tainted water. ‘People had already decided who we were. They had ideas about IQ and behavior.’
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Blood lead levels continue to fall in Michigan: Look up your ZIP code
In a major public-health success story, lead exposure in Michigan children has plummeted in recent decades, including in Flint.
Posted inTalent & Education
Flint water crisis still crippling kids’ futures. But not because of lead
Ten years later, a growing body of research suggests fears of permanent brain damage are a ‘myth.’ That’s good news for children, but some say trauma from the crisis is now worse than lead.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan opioid settlement dollars sit unspent as crisis rages
Less than a quarter of the money Michigan’s state government has received to fight the opioid crisis has been spent, more than a year after the funds began flowing into state coffers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
In drug-ravaged northern Michigan, there’s money for help. But few counselors
Michigan is receiving $1.5 billion from an opioid settlement. Up North, experts worry that housing and worker shortages will make it hard to put the money to good use and help users.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Providers: Rollout of $1.5B opioid settlement a ‘huge disaster’ in Michigan
Clinics that treat drug addiction say they’re confused about how to access money flowing into the state from a lawsuit settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.