Baseball by the numbers

Ortonville- Summer officially ended last week and as fall begins, baseball season is also quickly drawing to a close, with a tight race between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox for the top spot in the American League Central Division. At Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, teachers took advantage of baseball fever to give sixth […]

School board opposes Proposal 2 on November ballot

Brandon Twp.- School board members here are unanimously opposing a proposal on the November ballot that would amend the state constitution regarding collective bargaining. The board voted 7-0 at their Sept. 17 meeting to pass a resolution opposing Proposal 2, known as the ‘Protect Our Jobs? amendment. If passed, the proposal would embed bargaining rights […]

Enbridge defends safety standards

Brandon Twp.- Enbridge sought to answer questions and allay concerns of township boardmembers at a meeting Sept. 13 regarding the replacement of the Line 6B petroleum pipeline. ‘I felt the workshop was productive and I’m glad they were here to give detailed information,? said Township Supervisor Kathy Thurman, who declined to answer whether she was […]

Brandon Township cemetery may be gone but not forgotten

Brandon Twp.- Mary (Jeffries) Walter died 143 years ago and those who knew and loved her are long gone, too. Nearly a century and a half after she died June 26, 1869 at the age of 65, it would seem there is no family left to visit Mary’s grave, located in Carmer Cemetery here in […]

Steady student count anticipated in Brandon School District

Brandon Twp.- Students are back in school and it appears they may be back in similar numbers to last year, possibly halting a years-long downward spiral in enrollment in this district. Superintendent Lorrie McMahon said that while it is slightly premature, enrollment less than two weeks in to the new year ‘looks to be pretty […]

No millage hike despite sagging revenues for fire department

Brandon Twp.- Firefighters in the township have not had a raise since 2008, the department is about to replace two aging ambulances at a cost of more than $100,000 each and property values have been declining for the past several years, resulting in a loss of revenue. Despite these challenges, Brandon Fire Chief Dave Kwapis […]

Enbridge response spurs more questions than answers

Brandon Twp.- A 2-page letter from Enbridge appears to possibly be a response to a recent township resolution requesting higher standards for the company’s planned replacement of a petroleum pipeline here. However, the letter, dated Aug. 31, does not specifically mention the township resolution and instead defends Enbridge’s current design standards and emphasizes that pipeline […]

Brandon begins school facilities review process

Surveys will be e-mailed to residents of the Brandon School District this week, seeking input regarding possible restructuring of buildings. The surveys are the first step in a 4-month review of facilities in the district, led by a team from the Michigan Association of School Boards. The district has hired MASB at a cost of […]

Consumers Energy begins plans for more gas main extensions

Consumers Energy is bringing a natural gas main extension project to Atlas Township. Josnelly Aponte, a customer attachment program leader for Consumers, said the utility is awaiting the results of gas load studies, after which an estimate for costs to individual customers will be finalized. While a timeframe has not been established, Consumers will eventually […]