FLINT, Michigan — This year's "On the Ground" series by Flintside focuses on the Ballenger Highway area for its fifth installment of neighborhood-based reporting.

Flintside has previously covered Brownell-Holmes, Civic Park, Eastside Franklin Park, and Sarvis Park. The coverage will last several months and aims to provide in-depth community coverage.

The series will follow the Ballenger Hwy area — a community-defined region between Welch Blvd., North Ballenger Hwy., Flushing Rd., and Eldorado/Janet Higgins Dr. — and provide in-depth coverage that aims to gain new insight and highlight the area's businesses, community members, and events.

The Ballenger Hwy Neighborhood encourages residents to live an active lifestyle. (Xzavier Simon | Flintside)Managing Editor of Flintside Tia Scott, a Flint native, will oversee On the Ground – Ballenger Hwy. Scott has led Flintside for two years, covering the music industry and writing blogs, bios, and mission statements through personal endeavors. The series will have articles written and photographed by multiple Flintside contributors.

Flintside intends to host several Ballenger Hwy community forums to introduce the publication to the community, collect local history, and gather residents' ideas for future stories. Flintside will also recruit, train, and publish stories by selected community members during its later months. Expect weekly coverage in our newsletter under "On The Ground - Ballenger Hwy" going forward.

Two one-mile walking routes allow Ballenger Hwy Neighborhood residents to get fit and see the sights. (Xzavier Simon | Flintside)Issue Media Group, Flintside's parent company, has been running On The Ground projects in communities nationwide for ten years. The program launched in four Philadelphia and New Jersey neighborhoods in May 2012 as a pilot project. It has since expanded to other areas, including Memphis, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti.

The Ruth Mott Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint support Flintside's On the Ground series and serve as the project's fiscal sponsors.

Ballenger Highway residents with story ideas can send an email to: [email protected]