Blondie’s Food & Spirits will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) in the coming months. The national media and marketing company will visit Blondies Sept. 27 to shoot footage for an upcoming episode for its ABR Roadshow. The episode will air on ABR’s social media channels. The filming will focus on the restaurant, its dishes, and the behind-the-scenes story. In the past, ABR has featured Fenton’s Corner Bar & Grill.
Communications Technologies, Inc (CTI) has named Michael Proctor as its new operations manager. In this role, he will work with clients and facilitate customer service.
Dort Financial Credit Union has made a major gift to the YMCA of Greater Flint’s Livewell on Harrison project. This donation will fund the construction of the Dort Financial Credit Union Community Room, which will be a hub for social interaction, workshops, and cultural events. There, Dort Financial Credit Union will also offer the community financial literacy workshops, seminars, and one-on-one consultations.
Kettering University has received $398,946 from the National Science Foundation to help with Enabling Meaningful External Research Growth in Emergent Technologies (EMERGE). This new project is aimed at increasing research engagement and to establish an internship program for graduate students. This will also strengthen partnerships with local industry. Kettering will be partnering with three other universities on this – the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, the University of Northen Colorado, and Western Carolina University.
Additionally, Kettering has earned top spots in several categories in the annual U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges rankings. Kettering was ranked No. 6 among Most Innovative Schools – Regional Universities Midwest and Np. 9 among Regional Universities Midwest. Nationally, they were No. 14 for Best Undergraduate Engineering – Non-Doctorate and No. 18 for Co-ops/Internships.
Genesee Early College has a new home at the University of Michigan-Flint. Now located on the fourth floor of David M. French Hall, GEC is a five-year program that offers students the opportunity to start taking university courses by their sophomore year in high school. It allows them to earn up to 60 transferable college credits at no cost before they enter their post-secondary education.
LaFontaine Automotive Group has been honored as GST Michigan Works!’ September Employer in their Employer Showcase. LaFontaine has committed itself to customer service, civic engagement, and has become leaders in their industry since being founded in 1980. Part of what makes the business so successful is their dedication to their employees and encouraging and promoting from within.
Lear Corporation has received four first-place J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Seat Quality and Satisfaction awards and finished within the top three of the vehicle segments of the study. The study was based on responses from purchasers and lessees of 2023 model-year vehicles surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership. The study was gathered between February to May 2023.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has granted the Greater Flint Arts Council $1.25 million to renovate its building in downtown Flint. The grant will be used to update the building, adding an elevator to aid accessibility, and will expand the usable space to the second and third floors.
The University of Michigan-Flint is now offering Master of Science in Cybersecurity and a Master of Science in Data Science degrees through its College of Innovation & Technology. Both programs offer students the flexibility to pursue their graduate degree as well as holding a job. These are both part of the growing demand in cybersecurity and data collection.
Additionally, the University of Michigan-Flint has seen an increase in fall enrollment for the first time in nearly a decade. Total enrollment for the fall has risen to 6,130 students, an increase of 154 over 2022.