Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church at 170 years

Groveland Twp.- In the winter of 1837, Rev. Smith, a Methodist pastor, traveled through the wooded, rolling township countryside’gathering for services in the homes of a few settlers to the region. Church records include the pioneer names of Cogshall and Ogden’about seven families comprised the first church class, later named by the Ogdens for Mt. […]

M-15 traffic growth sparking commercial development

Brandon Twp.- Ron Padgett has found a sign. After installing a 12-foot-digital full color sign on the east side of M-15, Padgett, the owner of the Ortonville Smokehouse, 915 S. Ortonville Road, is beginning to see some return on his investment. ‘It’s a little too early to say, but I’d say the sign has brought […]

McMurray: Keeping an eye on the skies

Brandon Twp.? Watching a brightly colored radar screen, John McMurray keeps an eye on a long line of thunderstorms that approach from the west, extending from Saginaw Bay south toward Lansing and Kalamazoo. Donning earphones, McMurray pauses momentarily and waits to hear his cue. ‘This is John McMurray from the WJR Weather Center. Plan on […]

Decision 2007 Voters guide for Village of Ortonville

Voters in the Village of Ortonville will go to the poll Tuesday, Sept. 11, to choose the next village president, and four council trustees. The poll will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Old Town Hall in downtown Ortonville. Several key issues are at stake in this year’s election, including the […]

Jr. Blackhawks dedicate season to Pfc. Joe Miracle

Ortonville-Last Saturday afternoon, bright sunshine replaced hours of torrential rains just in time to honor fallen soldier Pfc. Joe Miracle at Brandon Varsity Field. A 2003 Brandon High School graduate, Miracle died in the Watapor Valley of Kunar Province in Afghanistan on July 5 by a surprise attack of hostile enemy fire from insurgents. The […]

‘I can’t forget the smell?

Ortonville- Jan Mayhew can still remember the odor. From the deck of the USNS Corpus Christi, anchored in Camron Bay’Mayhew, then a 22-year-old aircraft repair specialist, recalls watching the battles in the delta regions off the coast of Vietnam. ‘It was like watching fireworks from the ship’we never got hit, but each day the Navy […]

Brandon, Goodrich top state averages

Statewide results from the first Merit Exam were released earlier this month and both Brandon and Goodrich school districts exceeded state requirements. According to the Michigan Department of Education, the Merit Exam, which is mandatory for all high school juniors, replaces the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) used in years past. A state law dictated […]

Whitmore Lake Schools, Hart ink deal

Goodrich Superintendent Kim Hart is employed. By a 7-0 vote on Monday night, the Whitmore Lake School District OK’d a three-year contract with Hart, who was placed on administrative leave by the Goodrich School Board July 26. Hart will earn $109,614 per year. John Mayleben, president of the Whitmore Lake School Board, said the contract […]

Township man charged in officer’s death

A Brandon Township man is being held without bond in connection with the death of a police officer last week in Independence Township. Ramon Felix Pineda, 25, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in 52-2 District Court before Judge Kelley Kostin on multiple charges including second degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident causing death, and […]

Community remembers Jack Quigley

Friend, businessman and father’Jack Quigley will be remembered by the community and family for his tireless work efforts, neighborly spirit and compassion toward others. Quigley, of Ortonville, died Aug. 24. He was 78. Born in Flint, Quigley moved to the Clarkston area where he worked on a farm. At 14-years-old he hitchhiked to California to […]