Lindsey Smith

Many of the patients picked up at the North Lake Processing Center in an emergency medical call are taken to the nearby emergency room at Reed City Hospital.

Here's what some of the 911 calls out of North Lake immigration detention center sound like

As the population of detainees at North Lake Processing Center topped a thousand people late last year, dozens of emergency calls came into the county emergency dispatch center. Audio from these 911 calls give us a small window into what's happening inside.

In an August habeas petition ruling, Eastern District Judge Brandy R. McMillion wrote "the recent shift to use the mandatory detention framework … is not only wrong but also fundamentally unfair." Other judges have repeatedly referenced that language as they grant hundreds of habeas petitions coming out of the North Lake Processing Center.

Judges rule hundreds of immigrants ‘unlawfully detained’ at ICE center in Northern Michigan

Adam Yahya Rayes, Michelle Jokisch Polo, Lindsey Smith

As the population in the privately-run North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin grew in September 2025, habeas corpus petitions started to show up in Michigan's federal District Courts. Judges granted most of the hundreds of petitions they've ruled on.

Benton Harbor drinking water lead level slowly improving

Lindsey Smith, Steve Carmody

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said the 90th percentile value of lead in the city's drinking water was 14 parts per billion, just within the federal action level.

Joellen and Jennifer (right) Gilchrist at their home in Beverly Hills, MI.

Michigan Environment

Detroit suburb says it’s “paying for the sins” of MDEQ in Flint water crisis, sues state

Lindsey Smith

Jennifer Gilchrist moved from New York City back home to the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills in 2016. She moved to help take care of her mom Joellen, a...

In this 1992 document, Battle Creek's former water operator claims the city has no homes with lead lines "as defined" by the state. Battle Creek has an estimated 4,000 homes with lead lines.

Michigan Environment

Because of Flint, Battle Creek now tests water at homes with lead pipes

Lindsey Smith

One of the things Flint’s water operators got in trouble for was falsifying records; for saying the city was testing homes at the highest risk of having...

Michigan Pushes To Have Nation's Toughest Lead Water Rules

Lindsey Smith

After the Flint crisis, GOP Gov. Snyder wants to adopt stricter rules regarding lead in water. He's pushing state regulators to change the federal rule because Republican state lawmakers won't do it.

Col. Eric Oswald, retired commander of the 110th Mission Support, speaking at his retirement party in June 2017.

Michigan Environment

New "commander" of MDEQ's beleaguered drinking water division hopes to boost morale

Lindsey Smith

There’s a new guy running the drinking water division at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Eric Oswald served 12 years of active duty in...

Mothers Shawndryka Moore, Jacquetta Sims, and IKeshia Quinn address the Grand Rapids City Commission on April 12, 2017.

Around Michigan & State Government

Community, police relations "at a boiling point," say parents of Grand Rapids boys stopped by cops

Lindsey Smith

The parents of five young, unarmed black boys that Grand Rapids police held at gunpoint last month want police officers involved in the incident to...

Carolyn Schannon worries that senior citizens haven't been as big of a priority as they should be during the response to the Flint water crisis.

Skeptical Flint residents “grateful” for legal settlement, but say justice is far off

Lindsey Smith

People in Flint are still digesting the terms of this week’s legal settlement and what it’ll mean for them. Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Lawson...

Even As Levels Improve, Flint Residents Choose Bottled Water Over Tap

Lindsey Smith

Tests show the water is improving overall, but officials aren't ready to publicly declare the water safe again. And even when they do, many residents say they will have a hard time believing it.