Locals run at Boston Marathon

By David Fleet Editor On Monday, three area residents were among 27,491 runners who participated in the 120th Boston Marathon. Brian Harville, 47, completed the 26.1 miles in 3:23:30. He finished 5,834. “This is my second Boston (Marathon) I also ran in 2010 and my eighth marathon overall,” said Harville, an Atlas Township resident who […]

Skate Park on edge again

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Ortonville-The Village Skate Park is in danger of not opening again. The park is scheduled to open for the season May 3, but as of April 20 only had six registrations. “I need at least 30 sign-ups to recommend to the village council that we open,” said Village Manager John […]

Kids Bookin’ date for Library 5K

Kids Bookin’ date for Library 5K

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Ortonville- It’s Tuesday afternoon and kids are running the streets of downtown. Brian Moore rides his bike to keep up, but earlier, he slowed down enough in a busy life of teaching students economics at Brandon High School to talk about the new running club at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, […]

Skate Park on edge again

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Ortonville-The Village Skate Park is in danger of not opening again. The park is scheduled to open for the season May 3, but as of April 20 only had six registrations. “I need at least 30 sign-ups to recommend to the village council that we open,” said Village Manager John […]

Back on all fours

Firefighters, deputies, locals rally to save horse

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer     Brandon Twp.– Horses can get themselves into trouble, but a recent emergency presented a horse in deep, deep trouble. The horse was stuck in a pond, in water up to her neck. “Horses can get themselves in sticky predicaments, they don’t always do what is smartest, but I’ve […]

Brandon Schools reading, math scores jump

The test scores, released earlier this year, show a districtwide 10.5 percent improvement in math and a 4.8 percent gain in reading.

By David Fleet Editor School officials are encouraged with some double digit improvements in Northwest Evaluation Association —NWEA test scores. The test scores, released earlier this year, show a districtwide 10.5 percent improvement in math and a 4.8 percent gain in reading. The Brandon students’ percentile rankings outpaced students from more 7,400 districts nationwide According […]

Mighty Mac Swim: ‘The water is just freezing’

By David Fleet Editor At 54, Paul Barber has completed his share of challenging races. But this Labor Day, as thousands walk the five mile span of Mackinac Bridge, Barber will attempt to complete the same distance hundreds of feet below, swimming in the frigid water of the Great Lakes. “It’s going to be a […]

The last messages from Titanic

  By David Fleet Editor We are sinking fast, passengers being put into life boats. “We are putting passengers off in small boats. Cannot last much longer. Losing power. This is Titanic. CQD. Engine room flooded. This was one of the few final messages sent by senior wireless operator Jack Phillips, an employee of the […]

FoodPlay

Brandon Elementary students learn healthy eating, active living on stage

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.– Playing with your food was A-OK at school this week. FoodPlay, a traveling theater show, served up a main course of fun to students at Oakwood and Harvey Swanson Elementary students, with the intent to “turn kids on to healthy eating and active living.” “I thought this would […]

‘Discovering Michigan County by County’

By Susan Bromley Staff Writer Brandon Twp.- Barb VanderMolen was 11-years-old when the Mackinac Bridge was built and remembers thinking she would never see it. Born and raised in Wayne County, the daughter of a Teamsters truck driver who worked every Saturday, and a mother who didn’t drive, the family had no disposable income and […]