Zoom in to local business

Zoom in to local business

Many small businesses are struggling at the moment with the current stay-in-place order temporarily closing in-person business for many people in the state. But local business owner Brenda Timmermans has found a creative way to keep business going. “I was frustrated that my sales were down to half last month, and the first 10 days […]

Learning at home? School district plan announced

'We have no idea what normalcy will be as we move forward.'

Learning at home? School district plan announced

Goodrich-On April 27 the school board of trustees gathered via Mi StreamNet and announced a continuous learning plan, following Governor Gretchen Whitmer Executive Order 2020-35, that suspended K-12 education during the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The plan was required to be completed and submitted to the state by no later than April 29. […]

Auto theft

Auto theft

Auto theft At 10:23 p.m., April 29, Brandon deputies responded to the 4000 block of Butternut for a report of suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, deputies met with the victim, who stated his vehicle he had recently purchased was possibly stolen. He stated that he had bought the vehicle, which he had found online, from a […]

Comcast available for Ortonville businesses

Ortonville- At the April 27 virtual meeting, the village council voted 7-0 to enter into a franchise agreement with Comcast. “At this time they’re not interested in branching into residential,” said village manager Dale Stuart. The service would be for business only along the M-15 corridor, and the franchise agreement is non-exclusive, as well as […]

Brandon park plan moves forward

Brandon park plan moves forward

Brandon Twp.– The Land and Water Conservation Fund 2016 grant utilized for the Brandon Township Community Park has a final development date of June 30, 2020. “This grant consists of two little league baseball fields, 150 car parking lot with benches, bleachers, solar lighting and pathways,” said Parks and Recreation director Fred Waybrant. “We are […]

Pandemic sparks revenue cuts to municipalities

Pandemic sparks revenue cuts to municipalities

While the financial cost of the coronavirus to individuals and businesses has been significant, local municipalities are anticipating a significant decline state constitutional revenue-sharing payments. Revenue sharing distributes bi-monthly a portion of the sales tax collected by the state to local governments. The recent Stay-at-Home order cut consumer spending on goods ranging from auto sales […]

August elections set: Atlas, Brandon and Groveland (updated)

August elections set: Atlas, Brandon and Groveland (updated)

The deadline for the Aug. 4 partisan primary election was April 21. In Atlas, Brandon and Groveland townships supervisor, clerk, treasurer and several trustee seats are up for election this November. In Atlas Township, incumbent Republican Township Supervisor Tere Onica will seek reelection and face former Atlas Township Supervisor Shirley Kautman-Jones and newcomers Tracy Butcher […]

Brandon Deputies issue ‘Stay at Home’ warning

At 1:25 p.m., on April 17, Brandon deputies responded to a report of an executive order violation. Upon arrival, deputies met with the homeowner, who said the truck in front of his house had stopped there and the driver buried the fork truck in his ditch. He felt this wasn’t necessary work. Deputies met with […]

Outstanding librarian award

Outstanding librarian award

Fran Hotchkiss (far left) during the after school reading club at Sashabaw Meadows in Brandon Township in May 2019. The Library of Michigan and the 2020 Rural Library Conference have awarded Brandon Library’s own Fran Hotchkiss with the 2020 Outstanding Librarian Award. “I feel overwhelmingly blessed and honored to have been nominated and to have […]

Cemetery cleanup draws ire of families

Groveland Twp.-Last week, Anne Walters had the feeling that she’d been robbed. “It was like my house had been broken into and destroyed,” said Walters. “It just makes my heart ache.” Though it wasn’t Walters’ house that had been destroyed. It was the graves of her father, brother, aunt and uncle. Like many others with […]