Debate over schools of choice: Boom or bust?

Brandon Twp.- More than one in every 10 students attending school here doesn’t live in the community. The Brandon School District participates in schools of choice and currently has 327 students (11 percent of the entire student body of 3,422) who reside in other school districts. Brandon has been a schools of choice district since […]

Brandon Township crime sags in 2008, tickets on rise

Brandon Twp.- The good news is, crime in the township decreased in 2008. But beware: Obey the traffic laws or face a ticket? deputies issued 1,858 citations last year, compared to just 816 in 2007. ‘It is an honor to go in front of the township board and give such a gleaming report of our […]

March Board of Review to hear tax appeals next week

Brandon Twp.- Residents hoping to get some relief on the assessed value of their home can appeal to the Board of Review during a hearing next week. The board, consisting of three township residents who have taken classes regarding assessments, will hear cases by appointment only on March 9, 10 and 16. The March 9 […]

Library: assistance on job searches, avoiding foreclosure

Ortonville- A troubled economy has residents turning to the library. ‘Since the downturn in the economy, we’ve been busier,? said Brandon Township Library Director Paula Gauthier. ‘We’ve seen an increase in circulation of about 17 percent.? Librarians are also reaching out to help patrons who have lost their jobs and/or are in danger of losing […]

Man sentenced in Brandon Township home invasion

A former Davison man who broke into a Brandon Township home more than two years ago has been sentenced to 72 months to 30 years in prison. Donaven Guy Thorn, 32, was sentenced on Feb. 26 by Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Denise K. Langford Morris, and also received a sentence of 36 months to […]

Township lowers playing field rental fees

Brandon Twp.- The township board made amends at their March 2 meeting? in more ways than one. The board unanimously voted to lower the cost of renting recreation fields at the Brandon Township Community Park to $25-$35 per hour, amending last year’s decision to charge $40 per hour for games. The $25 per hour fee […]

Group discusses grief, substance abuse in school district

Brandon Twp.- A group of about 40 school officials, parents and concerned community members met on Feb. 27 to discuss issues including substance abuse prevention and grief support. The meeting held at the Brandon School District Central Office was prompted, said Superintendent Lorrie McMahon, by concerns following the death of former Brandon High School student […]

Oakwood shuffle

Brandon Twp.- The opening of Oakwood Elementary next fall means a reconfiguration of school boundaries in the district. But in an effort to honor parents? wishes, school officials plan to allow students to attend the school of their choice for the next four years so they can remain with their friends. The plan applies to […]

GHS dance coach recovering from auto accident

Three fundraisers are being planned for Pam Neff, the Goodrich High School dance team coach who was in a rollover auto accident Feb. 22. Neff, a single mother of four children, Felicia, 16, Anthony, 11, Cameron, 5, and Tanner, 3, remains in the intensive care unit of a local hospital with extensive injuries. While she […]

Civil War veterans remembered

Atlas Twp.-Carol Powers has four ancestors who fought for the Union in the Civil War. James B. Hatch, her great-grandfather, was a captain? he married and had six children before the war; When his first wife died, he married Powers? great-grandmother and had seven more children, including Powers? grandmother, the next to youngest. James E. […]