2015-12-24

Snow solution for Santa

No snow? No problem for Santa in Roscommon County

Worried that it might be a brown Christmas this year? How about a green Christmas? Not only might it happen, but that is what is currently being predicted for the upcoming holidays. “It looks like a brown or even a green Christmas this year” in Northern Michigan, said Meteorologist Tim Locker of the National Weather Service office in Gaylord Tuesday […]

Swimmer’s itch session reveals difference in approaches to mitigation

Battling Swimmer’s Itch


Questions about mergansers, snails and nesting boxes were flying at a public information meeting on swimmer’s itch Dec. 21 hosted by Gerrish Township at the township hall. About 90 people gathered for presentations by Dr. Curtis Blankespoor and Ron Remink of SICon, LLC, and Steven Sendek and Dr. Mark Luttenton of Northpoint Fisheries Management, LLC. A philosophical difference in the […]

Resorter finalist to have archives digitized at CMU



With help from the public, the archives of the Houghton Lake Resorter could be digitized. The Resorter, under a grant submitted by the Houghton Lake Public Library, has been selected as a grant finalist for the Michigan Digital Newspaper Grant Program by the Clarke Historical Library on the campus of Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant. By a public vote Jan. […]

Woman faces charges after being caught with drugs in jail



After initially being arrested on a bench warrant issued by the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear in the 82nd District Court, a 38-year old Houghton Lake woman has been cited with possession of a synthetic narcotic and smuggling contraband into the jail. The woman was initially arrested on Dec. 15 at 8:52 p.m. by Dep. AJ Palmerton […]

LOOKING OVER HIS GIFTS



COOR ISD student Brandon Christensen looked over the gifts he received during the annual Christmas Party hosted by the Michigan Firemen’s Memorial Festival Committee on Dec. 11. MFMFC Christmas Party Chair Donna Thoma said that not only does she enjoy seeing the children open their gifts each year, but also seeing them grow and mature. “It is total pure joy […]

Troopers arrest man on multiple weapons charges



State Police from the Houghton Lake Post arrested a 51-year-old Beaver Creek Township man on multiple weapons charges after an altercation with his 18-year-old son Dec. 18. Troopers, along with Crawford County Sheriff’s deputies, responded to a domestic violence complaint involving a firearm at a home on Steckert Bridge Road at 9:17 p.m. Officers parked down the road from the […]

Reversing heroin overdoses focus of law enforcement training



On Dec. 10 training was held in Gaylord to address the rapidly growing opioid epidemic in the region. Seventy-three law enforcement officers from 40 agencies representing 20 northern Michigan counties, including Roscommon County, were trained to administer naloxone, a drug that reverses overdose from prescription pain medication and heroin (opioids). Each law enforcement officer had hands-on training to learn how […]

LaBonte Gerrish Township Police Department 2015 ‘Officer of the Year’



Officer Norm LaBonte was awarded the Gerrish Township Police Department 2015 “Officer of the Year” Award. Officer LaBonte grew up in Midland and attended Delta Community College where he received an associate degree in the applied science of criminal justice and attended the police academy at Delta College in 2001. LaBonte worked at the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office for six […]

RCRC to spend down fund balance by $300,500 in 2016




The Roscommon County Road Commission will be entering 2016 with an estimated fund balance of $3.6 million and RCRC Manager Tim O’Rourke said the goal is to try to spend that fund down by $300,500. During a Dec. 23 special meeting, the board approved a proposed budget for 2016 with expenses in the amount of $7,657,000 and revenues in the […]

Roscommon County United Way has new office



Roscommon County United Way now has a new office space, located inside the Michigan Works! office at 1015 Short Dr., Prudenville. After losing everything to a fire last summer at Executive Director Kathleen Nutt’s home, where she kept United Way records, an anonymous donor provided funding last fall and the agency has made a comeback. With some funds from the […]