The LO Down

As expected, the decision to ax Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel has garnered a myriad of opinions. The truth is that this action, the new council’s first of significance, will undoubtedly be the one they are most remembered for — and it’s much too early to analyze its repercussions (a special meeting that took place […]

Hockey squad seeking another long playoff run

In just two years time, the Lake Orion hockey program has grown to be one of the area’s, and the state’s, most respected, as evident by their trip to the state quarterfinals a year ago. The team has added a junior varsity squad this season, and coach Pat Cherry said a trip to final four […]

Girls hoops: With changing seasons comes changing expectations

An argument has been made that with boys? and girls? basketball teams competing at the same time this season, the girls will be overshadowed. But if the Lake Orion girls? squad can live up to their preseason goals, that simply won’t be an issue. A team that won the school’s first ever district championship and […]

Village Council ousts manager

By a 4-3 margin, the Lake Orion Village Council voted Tuesday night to terminate the contract of Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel, after rejecting a motion to postpone the decision by the same count. The decision comes just two months after two new members were voted to council. New President Rob Reetz and new President […]

Veterans Memorial pioneer to lead parade

For years, Dr. Joe Mastromatteo has been honored to carry the POW/MIA flag with the American Legion in the annual Holiday Lighted Parade through downtown Lake Orion. This year, his duties in the parade will expand to include Grand Marshall, as he has been chosen Orion’s Citizen of the Year by the Orion Area Parade […]

Dakota tops LO, again

Macomb Dakota outlasted Lake Orion 26-14 last Friday in a regional final, marking the third time in the past four years that the host Cougars have ended the Dragons? season. Lake Orion hung tight with the defending Division 1 state champs until a costly turnover ended a potential lead-taking scoring drive midway through the fourth […]

Attention downtown businesses

The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority is encouraging downtown merchants to show their holiday spirit and light up downtown like never before in preparation for the annual lighted parade. The annual window decorating contest is back, but with many changes based on input from merchants and visitors. The contest is expanding to include interiors of […]

The LO Down

A couple of weeks ago, in this very space, I noted that space within this paper is at a premium ? to which one reader aptly noted that my column is still published on a regular basis. Touch?. We journalists do our best to write concisely, to ensure that every story has space in these […]

Several questions raised on potential complex

The township unveiled some preliminary plans and drawings for the proposed new public safety complex, which would include new centrally-located facilities for police, fire and public works. But several members of the public, including some board members, still have questions about the project, particularly with regards to funding. Dave Asker, from Plante & Moran’s CRESA […]

Sheriff’s Dept. releases video of crash

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit is examining a serious-injury single motor vehicle crash that occurred just after midnight Thursday morning on southbound Joslyn Road, south of Judah Road. A 19-year-old Lake Orion resident was driving a 2000 Lincoln Towncar when the vehicle lost control, drove up an embankment and rolled several times. […]