BELIEVED TO HAVE DONE TO HIS
EX-GIRLFRIEND'S MOTHER BACK IN
1991.
Devin: BIG NEWS IN THE FLINT
WATER CRISIS.
THE FIRST PIPES WERE DUG UP
USING PUBLIC FUNDING, A SMALL
STEP IN WHAT WILL BE A LENGTHY
PROCESS, BUT IT'S A START.
AS IT WAS HAPPENING,
PREPARATIONS ARE WELL UNDER WAY
FOR SUNDAY'S DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
IN FLINT.
AND NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
WERE IN THE CITY TO GET A
FIRSTHAND LOOK AT THE CRISIS.
OUR CONSUMER EXPERT HANK
WINCHESTER BACK IN FLINT WITH A
BUSY DAY.
Hank: THE BIG NEWS WAS THE
REMOVAL OF THE FIRST LEAD PIPE,
PART OF THE MAYOR'S PLAN.
I ASKED CREWS IF WE COULD SHOW
IT TO YOU.
THIS IS A PORTION OF THE PIPE
REMOVED FROM THE GROUND,
OBVIOUSLY THE DANGER IS THE LEAD
COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THIS
PIPE.
THE WORK IS DONE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST HOMES
IN FLINT WHERE THE HOME CORNER
CAN SAY FOR SURE HIS WATER IS
SAFE!
YOU ARE WITNESSING HISTORY RIGHT
NOW IN FLINT.
THE FIRST LEAD PIPE REMOVED BY
THE CITY UNEARTHED TODAY.
AND IT'S DAY ONE OF THE FAST
START PROGRAM, AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO
CONTINUE.
I WANT TO SAY THAT THE GOAL, MY
MISSION, IS TO TOTALLY GET THE
LEAD OUT OF FLINT.
Hank: THIS IS THE FIRST OF 30
ACROSS THE CITY, TAKING OUT THE
OLD, PUTTING IN THE NEW.
THIS HOMEOWNER SELECTED BECAUSE
LEAD LEVELS ARE HIGH AND HE HAS
A SMALL CHILD, AND HIS
GIRLFRIEND WHO ALSO LIVES HERE,
IS PREGNANT.
I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WEAVER
FOR STARTING THIS PROGRAM FOR
GETTING ME AND MY PREGNANT
FIANCEE AND DAUGHTER FRESH CLEAN
WATER.
Hank: ONLY ENOUGH FUNDING FOR
30 HOMES.
THE MAYOR HOPING THE GOVERNOR
AND THE FEDS WILL FREE UP MORE
MONEY.
MORE THAN 20 MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, INCLUDING HOUSE
MINORITY LEADER NANCY PELOSI.
THEY MET WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
AFFECTED BY THIS CRISIS
DIRECTLY, SEEING FIRSTHAND THE
PROBLEMS HERE IN FLINT.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FLINT
CHALLENGES THE CONSCIENCE OF OUR
NATION.
THIS IS A TRAGEDY OF SUCH
MAGNITUDE BECAUSE IT BREAKS THE
BOND THAT PEOPLE HAVE WITH THE
GOVERNMENT.
Hank: BACK OUT HERE LIVE.
THIS IS JUST A PORTION OF THE
PIPE THAT WAS PULLED OUT ABOUT
50 FEET ALL TOGETHER.
HOMES NEED TO HAVE THE PIPES
REMOVED, BUT ONLY FUNDING FOR
ROUGHLY 30-35 HOMES.
THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING.
AND THE MAYOR KNOWS SHE IS GONNA
NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE
AND ALSO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO KEEP PUSHING THIS ALONG.
LIVE HERE IN FLINT, HANK
WINCHESTER, "HELP ME HANK," BACK
TO YOU.
Devin: BUT YOU COULD FEEL
JUST THE CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE
THERE, PEOPLE WATCHING SOME WORK
GETTING DONE TODAY, RIGHT?
Hank: I MEAN, DEVIN, THE
ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS COMING
DOWN HERE TO WATCH THIS PIPE
BEING REMOVED FROM THE GROUND.
IT WAS A BIG EVENT!
AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAYOR
TO SEE THIS AS THE RIGHT STEP
FORWARD, AT LEAST FOR HER PLANS.
Devin: A NEWFOUND RESPECT FOR
MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING AND
CONSTRUCTION, NO DOUBT.
HERE AT LOCAL 4, WE SPENT
MONTHS REPORTING ON THE
SITUATION IN FLINT.
Kim: TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE HAVE REACHED OUT TO HELP.
AND WE'RE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE A
WAY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE
CHILDREN OF FLINT.
Devin: A STATEWIDE TELETHON
BENEFITING FLINT.
WDIV AND FOUR OTHER TELEVISION
STATIONS FROM ACROSS THE STATE
ARE JOINING FORCES WITH ART VAN
FURNITURE FOR FLINT WATER CRISIS
4 OUR FAMILIES TELETHON.
Kim: IT WILL PROVIDE
LONG-TERM CARE FOR THE CHILDREN
OF FLINT AND WILL HELP WITH
THINGS LIKE EDUCATION,
NUTRITION, AND MEDICAL
INTERVENTION.
Devin: YOU'LL BE HEAR MORE
ABOUT IT.
IT'S A WEEK FROM TUESDAY, MARCH
15th, ALL DAY FROM OUR STUDIOS
HERE AND AT THE ART VAN
FURNITURE STORE IN FLINT.
Kim: WE'RE HOPING FOR
DONATIONS, LARGE AND SMALL.
IT'S AN ALL-DAY TELETHON TUESDAY