RCOC settles case of man killed by falling tree on township road

Three years after a tree fell on a truck traveling Sherwood Road in Brandon Township, killing a man, the Road Commission for Oakland County has settled a lawsuit filed by the victim’s family. RCOC Public Information Officer Craig Bryson said $25,000 has been paid to the estate of David Aaron Allen, killed when a dead […]

‘Township can’t wait any longer,? 1913 barn in jeopardy

Brandon Twp.- Jason Muz wants to save the nearly 100-year-old barn that sits on a 2.5 acre lot at 2233 Hummer Lake Road, but time is running out. Muz bought the property about four years ago, unaware that it was not in compliance with zoning ordinances, which require that any accessory buildings on lots in […]

Grandparents acting as parents more often

Brandon Twp.- Alyce Wingett has been raising kids for 34 years. She started raising her own children when she was a teen and now, at 50, she’s raising four grandchildren and two more grandchildren live with her. ‘I’ve been raising kids since I was 16 and will probably raise them forever,? says Wingett. ‘It’s a […]

BHS senior takes aim at ethanol production

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- Jessica Laviolette is working on a process she says will revolutionize America’s fuel. The Brandon High School senior was chosen last month as one of 300 semi-finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, the oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition in the United States, for her research […]

‘We don’t have a lot left?

Brandon Twp.- In recent years, school officials have trimmed the budget as much as possible in order to keep the district in good financial shape. Now, they must look again at making cuts? as much as $1 million worth. ‘We’ve done a lot of cutting in this district already,? said Superintendent Lorrie McMahon. ‘We don’t […]

Accused molester takes own life in jail

A former Brandon Township resident accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl ended his own life in an Oakland County Jail cell on Monday. William Arthur Keely, 65, was found dead in his solitary cell at about 5:25 a.m., April 27. An autopsy concluded his death was caused by suicide, a result of him using […]

Keely’s death in jail ‘a rare event?

William Arthur Keely had tried to harm himself a few months ago and was in the K- block at the Oakland County Jail, a stepped-up observation unit for inmates with mental health issues. Deputies patrol the unit of all single cells with glass windows, but Keely, 65, still managed to take his own life in […]

Local volunteer: A profile in courage

Brandon Twp.- Jenny Ikeler thought she was going to be at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota a little more than a week ago for what would have been the 21st surgery on her leg in the past 11 years, but she was prepared to make the 14-hour drive back home for one very special night. […]

Pair sentenced in Brandon Township armed robbery

A man and woman who robbed a Brandon Township man at gunpoint on Thankgiving Eve will serve prison time. On April 27, Corey Deandre Shaw, 19, of Pontiac, was sentenced to 51 months to 30 years in prison by Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Denise K. Langford Morris and Annmarie Elizabeth Hanna, 17, of Burton, […]

Main Street meets criteria

Ortonville- Main Street is back on track. The village’s economic development program met all 10 criteria in an annual evaluation April 16, earning national accreditation. ‘We’re doing what we’re supposed to, to revitalize the downtown,? said Main Street Manager Molly LaLone. The village became a Main Street community in 2004. The 10 criteria used to […]