The Flint Journal

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/jyyhkh Slim Chickens has opened its first full-service Michigan location in the Ann Arbor area. They're serving their full range of chicken classics, including chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, salads, mac and cheese, and chicken and waffles, with dine-in and drive-thru options available. 🎥: Jacob Hamilton | MLive #ChickenLover #annarboreats

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/0nlep5 Caro senior Austin Bennett had dreams of playing football and basketball in high school, but an accident that paralyzed him from the waist down changed everything. Last Friday, Bennett dressed, started and scored the first basket for Caro, knocking in his first attempt from his wheelchair to tie the game at 2-2. (Nico Mendoza/MLive.com)

Flint’s “This Is Me” fashion show highlighted the beauty of individuality, giving people with special needs a platform to showcase their confidence and personality. This year’s event embraced a new direction with a superhero theme, allowing participants to channel their inner strength and creativity. Capes, masks, and vibrant costumes transformed the runway into a celebration of courage and uniqueness.

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/eb62ja For over 50 years, the streets of downtown Holly have filled with locals and visitors alike to celebrate the Dickens Festival. On Saturday, Dec. 14, hundreds gathered in Historic Battle Alley, strolling through streets and the surrounding area to celebrate the festival. Even through the bitter cold, the second to last day of the festival was filled with holiday cheer and nods to Charles Dickens’ Victorian London. (MLive.com | Nico Mendoza)

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/zcu689 Bay City’s Santa House is one of mid-Michigan’s hidden Christmas gems. Filled with elves, toys and holiday decorations, the Nate & Mary Ida Doan Santa House has served the Bay City community for decades. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed. Visitors can stop by the festive house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends through December 22. (Nico Mendoza/MLive.com)

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/kmv4y7 Pine Knob Music Theatre’s parking area is decked for the holidays at the 5th annual Magic of Lights drive-through display. The light show runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 30. Hours are 5:30–10 p.m. daily, with holiday hours of 5:30–9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. (Nico Mendoza/MLive.com)

Climate, COVID and civil unrest: Gen Z Michiganders take it to the ballot box

Hundreds of thousands of Gen Z Michiganders will be old enough to vote for president for the first time this Election Day. They came of age in an era of school shootings, pandemic shutdowns and social unrest. They're even too young to remember Donald Trump as anything other than a politician. MLive sat down for video interviews with three Michigan college students to get a sense of what motivates this next generation of voters.

During Vice President Kamala Harris' stop to Flint on Friday, Oct. 4, she addressed a number of issues on the top of the minds of many voters in the area, including the current state of Michigan’s automotive industry. “Contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive, but what I will do, I will invest in communities like Flint,” Harris said referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that she wants to ban gas-powered vehicles. 🎥: Associated Press

🔗:https://l.mlive.com/s64996 The world-famous Twiggy, The Waterskiing Squirrel showed off in front of crowds of hundreds of spectators throughout the week at the Genesee County Fair. With their being more than one Twiggy trained at the same time, that opens the show up for new, exciting possibilities like two waterskiing squirrels at the same time. 🎥: Jake May | MLive.com #squirrel #waterskiing #twiggy

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/dyc6uf Through a long rain delay, boxing brothers Joey Spencer and Kel Spencer made their homecoming celebration with a six man card night of boxing on Sunday on the Linden High School football field. 🎥: Josh Boland | MLive #boxing #homecoming

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/pp05sn For thrills on the midway, carnival food, grandstand events and farm animals, the Saginaw County Fair is the place to be this week. The fair is underway in Chesaning and runs through Saturday. (Kaytie Boomer/MLive.com)

Great Lakes whitefish threatened by climate change, invasive species

🔗: https://l.mlive.com/418p5u Whitefish are a commercial mainstay on the Great Lakes and are culturally significant to Michigan's indigenous tribes. The fish are already threatened by invasive species. Now evidence indicates whitefish, which lay eggs on shallow reefs that rely on winter ice cover, are also being squeezed by shifting temperatures.