The Vistas of Flint

Expatriates who return to Flint can sometimes find the physical changes to the city a little startling. This is a photo from the Hurley Hospital parking lot near Fifth and Begole, which now offers an uninterrupted view of Atwood Stadium in the distance.

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A Google Map of the area as it looked not long ago, including the big red house on Fifth Avenue once owned by the Airgood family. (Note the same yellow fire hydrant in the first photo and the Google Map.)

And here's the view from Atwood looking back at Hurley.

An aging tree that used to be in backyard of a house that no longer exists on Begole Street.

The lights at Atwood Stadium.

A view of the Atwood Stadium field with the remnants of Chevy in the Hole in the background.

The Hurley Hospital Community Garden.

Tracey Kemp, R.I.P.

Shannon Murphy of The Flint Journal reports:

"Flint police are investigating the stabbing death of a 41-year-old woman this morning.

"Police responded to King Avenue near Stockdale Street about 1:30 a.m. on reports of a stabbing.

"Tracey Kemp was taken to Hurley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead of a chest wound. It was unknown what she was stabbed with.

"Police have arrested a woman in connection with the stabbing. No other details have been released."

The Flint Murder Map tracks homicides in The Vehicle City throughout the year.

Tyrone C. Robertson, R.I.P.

Dana DeFever of The Flint Journal reports:

"A 23-year-old man is dead after he was shot about 9 a.m. Saturday.

"Police were called to East Jamieson Street near North Saginaw Street for a shooting and found Tyrone C. Robertson, who was transported to Hurley Medical Center and pronounced dead.

"No information is available about the suspect or suspects."

For a map of Flint homicides, go to the Flint Murder Map.

George Edward Green, Jr., R.I.P.

ABC12 News is reporting that George Edward Green, Jr., a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head on July 26 while a passenger in a car near Jane and Iowa Streets, has been removed from life support at Hurley Medical Center.

For a map of Flint homicides, go to the Flint Murder Map.

Calvin J. Sibley, R.I.P.

Flint's third homicide of 2008, reported by The Flint Journal:

"A man was shot about 5:50 p.m. Saturday on King Avenue near North Home Avenue.

"The man, identified as Calvin J. Sibley, 30, Flint, was exiting his car when he was shot several times, Flint police said.

"Sibley was taken to Hurley Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, police said.

"The suspect is a male in his 20s. He was seen getting out of a burgundy full-size pickup shortly before the shooting, police said.

"The suspect last was seen running and firing a gun, police said."

Walking to the bank

Take a spill on one of Flint's sidewalks and you can expect a decent payout from the city, according to Joe Lawlor of The Flint Journal:

City of Flint payouts for defective sidewalk claims

1999: $359,543
2000: $18,000
2001: $242,500
2002: $74,500
2003: $170,300
2004: $147,000
2005: $59,500
2006: $89,157
2007: $138,500
2008 (year-to-date): $15,000

Just don't assume you can just stroll into a local hospital to get medical care if you need it after the fall:

The county's three hospitals have been closed to incoming ambulances for more than 384 hours combined since Feb. 1, according to Genesee County Medical Control Authority statistics.

Hurley Medical Center and McLaren Regional Medical Center both shut their doors to ambulances early last week due to a packed ER.

And for about 2 1/2 hours last week, all three hospitals were reported closed to incoming ambulances -- at which point patients were transported to the nearest hospital available, despite overflowing ERs.