Flint Water Crisis: Curt Guyette Named Michigan Journalist of the Year

Investigative journalist Curt Guyette, who ran the news department at Detroit Metro Times for nearly two decades, was named "Journalist of the Year" by the Michigan Press Association for his work at the ACLU of Michigan exposing the Flint water crisis.

Michael Jackman of the Metro Times reports:

"While the city and state were still insisting that the city’s analyses of the water supply showed the water to be safe, Guyette began to uncover evidence to the contrary. After a draft EPA memo was given to Guyette exclusively by a resident, Guyette became the first to break news that water tests conducted by an independent expert, Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech, showed that the water quality in one Flint family’s home was so contaminated that it met federal qualifications for toxic waste. 

"Guyette and the ACLU of Michigan then joined with a coalition of Flint residents, Edwards and his team to collect nearly 300 water samples from homes throughout the city. As Guyette reported, Edwards’ tests proved that the lead contamination in Flint was severe and potentially widespread, posing an especially significant threat to the city’s children. 

"Combing through reams of public documents, Guyette also broke news of flaws in the city’s testing protocols, which produced misleading results that were reported to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Moreover, Guyette’s efforts also raised concerns about the MDEQ’s oversight of the water tests and the US Environmental Protection Agency ‘s response to the burgeoning crisis."

Flint falling behind on the baggy pants patrol

Flint Expatriate and Haskell Community Center bowling champion Jim Holbel writes:

"So have you heard if Flint has any baggy pants arrests yet? Those bastards in Riviera Beach, Florida are Stealing Flint's thunder. The Smoking Gun reports:

Meet Kenneth Smith. The Florida man, 29, was arrested yesterday for wearing baggy pants. Smith was busted by Riviera Beach cops for violating a city ordinance governing low-slung trousers (or, legally speaking, 'exposure of undergarment in public').

"I double checked the Flint chart though, and exposure of 2" of undies is only a warning in F-Town. Maybe they just don't have anyone to enforce the law. Or it could just be a forward looking strategy to avoid the first round of civil liberties litigation, thus allowing Riviera Beach to be the trial case and saving Flint unnecessary legal exposure.

"Or maybe not."

Suing to speak

Oh wait...suddenly the Flint cop who got canned after he spoke to the media is back on the job. I guess it was all a big misunderstanding, not retribution by city hall for an officer exercising his right to free speech.

Dana DeFever of The Flint Journal reports:

"A Flint police officer who claimed he was fired Thursday for talking to the media has his job back, according to the officer's attorney.

"Sgt. Rick Hetherington received a hand-delivered letter Saturday saying that the decision to terminate him had been rescinded, said his attorney Gregory T. Gibbs in a message Saturday night.

"No other details are available.

"When contacted Sunday, Mayor Don Williamson said he didn't know anything about the situation."

Meanwhile, the Journal's Bryn Mickle reports:

"The American Civil Liberties Union is taking the City of Flint to court over its ban on police officers talking to the media.

"The lawsuit was filed in federal court Wednesday and asks a federal judge to strike down the ban.

"The ACLU will seek an injunction if the city doesn't drop the ban immediately.

"The suit names three police officers as plaintiffs: Sgt. Rick Hetherington, Sgt. Lee Ann Gaspar and Lt. David Winch.

"In addition to asking a judge to rule the speech ban unconstitutional, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for Hetherington and Winch."