M & M Club a treat for fifth and sixth graders

Ortonville- The M & M Club isn’t about candy, but it may be a treat for students looking for homework help and physical fitness after school. The M & M Club is the nickname of the new Mind and Motion After School Club, which will begin Oct. 3 at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, 300 South […]

The Buzz on Bees

Ortonville- Tom Roberts has been stung more than 100 times by bees. But he insists honeybees are gentle and if they weren’t he wouldn’t keep them in his backyard. Roberts, 42, is a beekeeper. ‘A lot of people are afraid of bees,? says Roberts. ‘I’m not, because I’ve worked with them for 20 years.? It’s […]

Ortonville council inks dangerous animal ordinance

Ortonville- The village council pushed through an ordinance in perhaps the fastest time ever at their Aug. 24 meeting. The council passed the dangerous animals ordinance by a 6-1 vote. Council President Ken Qusienberry was the sole dissenter. ‘This is the quickest an ordinance has ever gone through this council,? said Councilmember Melanie Nivelt. ‘It […]

Council votes to hire seasonal employee, foggy on DPW solution

Ortonville- The village remains without an official Department of Public Works, but the council will hire a seasonal employee to assist the current part-time employee who is taking care of critical village services. The village council voted 5-2 at their Aug. 24 meeting to hire the seasonal employee to ‘get us through as necessary,? said […]

Truck found; man still missing

Brandon Twp.- The vehicle of a township man missing for more than two months has been found in the parking lot of a local vehicle dealership. Timothy Robert Burch, 54, disappeared sometime between June 24 and July 2 from his home in the 1800 block of Lake Pointe. Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Pete Burkett […]

Teachers, district agree on contract

Brandon Twp.- Teachers in the school district agreed to a 16-month contract on Thursday. Highlights of the contract, which takes effect immediately and concludes in December 2010, include a temporary freeze on salary increases and a change in insurance requiring a higher deductible and higher office visit co-pays. Superintendent Lorrie McMahon was pleased with the […]

Larry’s bench

Brandon Twp.- The township’s community park has some new additions. A modern bench honoring the memory of Larry Roberts was installed in the passive area of the park located at Oakwood and Hadley roads on Wednesday. Roberts was the public safety aide for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Brandon substation for nearly eight years, until […]

Firefighter recalls Sept. 11 four years after

David Castle was in hospital four years ago on Sept. 11 when the attack on the World Trade Center occured. Working as a paramedic for an ambulance company, he watched the news, seeing the second plane hit the second tower and realizing that ‘something wasn’t right.? Only 15 hours later Castle, also a reserve Lake […]

Flu concerns renewed as new school year begins

As the school year starts Tuesday and students move from outside into classrooms in close proximity with each other, officials will be watchful once again for any cases of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. ‘Time will tell what we deal with,? said Oakland County Health Division Manager/Health Officer Kathy Forzley. ‘The country […]

DPW position remains open

Ortonville- Despite a special meeting on Sept. 1 in which a new Department of Public Works Supervisor was expect to be named, the village remains without one. Village Council President Sue Bess was joined by council members Mary Kassuba and Marcy Hanes in voting for current Brandon Township Recreation Director Fred Waybrant for the open […]