Village manager ousted; council mum on cause

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Ortonville- David Trent has been fired as village manager. The exact reasons why the village council voted 4-2 to terminate Trent July 5 remain murky due to a closed session discussion that preceded the termination vote, and refusal of members who voted for his dismissal to comment on both what […]

Village future discussed

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Ortonville- Master plans are devised to give direction to communities, and typically contain what are considered obtainable goals. They are updated as years pass and ideals change, and usually have many pages. Is the village council, planning commission and DDA on the same page with the master plan? Do the […]

Township OKs Iron Belle Trail subcommittee

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- Four residents have been appointed by the township board to a subcommittee that will research an Iron Belle Trail connection in the community. The township board approved by a 6-1 vote to appoint Dwight Woodbridge, Paul Barber, Jennifer Bickel, and Candice Hill to serve in a volunteer capacity […]

Property now owned by state for new park

By David Fleet Editor Groveland Twp.-A new state park moved one step closer, while any future plans for a landfill faded. Late last month the Michigan Department of Natural Resources purchased 113 acres of property from Steve Stolaruk of Star-Batt, Inc. and 122 acres from Katie Leoni of Holly Disposal. The 235 acres, now mined […]

New Det./Sgt. named to Brandon substation

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- Shawn Werner is the new detective/sergeant in town. The 47-year-old brings 23 years of experience as a police officer. He worked for the City of Pontiac for 17 years, serving in the undercover narcotics unit from 1998-2002, on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team from 1998-2006, and […]

Insurance company opts to fund village class action case

By David Fleet Editor Goodrich- Village taxpayers may soon get a break on growing legal fees as an ongoing lawsuit spanning almost four years takes a new turn. In a special meeting on June 28, the village council voted 4-0 to put on hold a case filed by the village against their insurance company, who […]

Township weapons ordinance again draws concerns

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- A 5-gallon bucket with nothing but trees behind it does not constitute a proper backstop for target shooting. A township resident learned this lesson the hard way after being issued a misdemeanor citation for reckless discharge of a firearm after he was found shooting a .22 caliber rifle […]

School properties remain on market—deadline for offers extended

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- No buyers have been found yet for three school-owned properties, prompting school officials to extend a deadline for offers. “We are looking for investors with creativity and we are open to any and all proposals for these properties,” said District Superintendent Matt Outlaw. “We want it to be […]

GAC split leaves Martian scrambling

By David Fleet Editor Goodrich- Martian athletes could soon find some new competition. Since 1978 the Martians have been members of the Genesee Area Conference which today consists of 17 area schools divided up into two divisions—Red and Blue— based on enrollment and competitive balance. However, earlier this year a group of six GAC schools, […]

Motorcyclist hit by distracted driver ‘messing’ with GPS on cell phone

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Three separate area traffic accidents last weekend resulted in numerous injuries to motorists, including a motorcyclist without a helmet struck by a driver distracted by her cell phone. The 48-year-old Metamora motorcyclist was completely stopped at about 11:45 a.m., June 24, in the westbound lane of Seymour Lake Road, west […]