Flint Jefferson School was rescued from foreclosure. Now pastor with deep ties wants second chance to save it
Updated Feb 08, 2021;
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FLINT, MI Nearly 100 years after Jefferson Elementary School was built on North Street, the city of Flint must decide whether the property can be reborn and whether a pastor who has seen it operate in the best and worst of times can be part of any turnaround.
The Rev. Derrick Aldridge, pastor of 2nd Chance Church, wants the city to honor a commitment by the Flint City Council to sell the building at 5306 North St., to him for $1,000 a move that comes more than 40 years after the church led by his father, the late Rev. Avery Aldridge, first purchased the building from the Flint Community Schools and established the Foss Avenue Christian School there.
Pandemic exacerbates internet access crisis in Midwestern US
The US is experiencing a crisis of internet access in rural and urban communities. The continued lack of high-speed internet for millions of people well into the 21st century is called the “digital divide.” This divide was starkly exposed this year as school districts nationwide were forced to implement online instruction programs some or all of the time, and a significant portion of routine health evaluations were also moved online as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nationwide, around 95 percent of urban areas have broadband access, but less than 60 percent of rural areas do. The Pew Research Center published that nationwide, one in four residents in rural areas does not have access to high-speed internet.