By Jim Newell
Review Editor
LAKE ORION — Another year over and a new one about to begin.
This week, The Lake Orion Review looks back at some of the stories – the news and business stories, sports and school highlights, public safety and events – that helped shape the Lake Orion community in the first four months of 2022.
Development was a major issue of concern in Lake Orion as residents protested against several proposed apartment complexes proposed for development in the village.
In Orion Township, while there was some concern with residential development, the township embraced General Motors’ announcement that it would invest $4 billion in the GM Orion Assembly plant to build all new electric vehicles.
In next week’s issue, we’ll continue our review of the 2022 highlights.
So, without further ado, this is the news that was…

Jan. 5.
LOCS community input sessions for strategic planning: Lake Orion Community Schools is currently undergoing the strategic planning process, which includes seeking out and receiving community input.

Jan. 12.
Lake Orion DDA seeks input on annual priorities: The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority is looking for feedback from the community on potential priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
Village Planning Commission hears site concept plan for Lake Orion Lumber Yard redevelopment: A major new apartment complex could be coming to the Village of Lake Orion if a proposed concept plan to redevelop the Lake Orion Lumber Yard site goes through.
East Lansing-based River Caddis Development presented an updated site concept plan on Jan. 3 proposing to construct three, four story buildings on the site, each with 39 apartments; another three-story building with retail and community space on the first floor and five apartments each on floors two and three.
The development would have 127 apartments and provide 189 total parking spaces.
Jose Andrades named head coach of LOHS boys varsity basketball team: Head coach Joel Schroeder resigned Dec. 21. The program will now go in a different direction with new head coach Jose Andrades, said Athletic Director Chris Bell.
LOHS varsity girls’ basketball on six-game winning streak

Jan. 19
Firefighters battle blaze at boarding house in downtown Lake Orion: Smoke billowed from the house in great dark clouds, rising into the bright afternoon sky, hanging ominously above the businesses and homes in downtown Lake Orion as firefighters fought to keep the fire from spreading.
On Friday, a fire destroyed a nine-room, 128- year-old house at 35 N. Broadway St. that was being used as a boarding house. All the tenants got out safely.

Jan. 26
Fundraiser set at Lake Orion American Legion for boarding house residents displaced by fire: The Lake Orion community is rallying to support the eight former tenants of a boarding house at 35 N. Broadway St. in downtown Lake Orion who lost their home to a fire on Jan. 14.
GM announces $4 billion investment in Orion Assembly plant: General Motors Co. announced on Tuesday that the auto manufacturer will invest more than $7 billion in four Michigan manufacturing sites, including $4 billion in the GM Orion plant.
Orion Assembly will become the second U.S. plant building the Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra. GM will invest $4 billion to convert the plant for the production of full-size EV pickups.
Lake Orion, Oxford downtowns partner for ‘Stronger Together’ Ice Festival: live ice carving, warming hubs with bonfire pits, shuttle service between the downtowns, local business support.
ONTV to host 12th annual ‘Virtual Food Drive for FISH’: Over the past 11 years, the ONTV food drives have collected more than 45,000 pounds of food during the live telethons. For a second year, the drive will be virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lady Dragons down Wildcats 36-32, improve to 6-0 in OAA White: Lake Orion varsity girls basketball team continued their winning streak on Thursday, narrowly defeating Oxford, 36-32.
Lake Orion boys defeat Stoney Creek, improve to 7-4 overall: The team won their fifth straight game on Jan. 21 under new head coach Jose Andrades.
LO boys bowling takes 5th at county tournament: On Jan. 15, Lake Orion High School’s boys varsity bowling team competed in the 17th Annual Oakland County Boys Team/ Singles Championship and finished in fifth place among the 18 competing schools.

Feb. 2
LOCS elementary educators discuss social emotional learning action plan: On Jan. 26, the Lake Orion school board heard about elementary level Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programming from district educators. “In Lake Orion, we pride ourselves in educating and supporting the whole child, not just the academic piece,” said Carpenter Elementary Principal Adam Weldon.
Fundraiser helps Lake Orion boarding house residents displaced by fire: fundraisers and donations raised more than $9,000 to help the eight residents.
LO varsity girls bowling wins Oakland County Championship: The girls varsity bowling team won the program’s fourth Oakland County Championship against 17 other schools.
LOHS varsity cheer team takes 3rd at LO Invite: Lake Orion hosted the 27th annual LO Invite on Saturday. Back-to-back defending state champions Rochester Adams won varsity division one. Rochester High School placed second.

Feb. 9
LOCS presents Blanche Sims plans to village officials: Lake Orion school officials provided a presentation on the upcoming Blanche Sims Elementary project to the Lake Orion village council on Monday.
The project is the largest piece of the district’s three series, $160 million bond and is expected to cost around $25.6 million, the original bond document shows.
Orion Twp. officials hold ribbon cutting, open house for new Municipal Complex: Orion Twp. officials and staff held an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 1 to celebrate the completion of the new, $18 million Orion Twp. Municipal Complex.
Orion Twp. Public Library welcomes new director, Chase McMunn: The Orion Twp. Public Library Board of Trustees selected Michigan native Chase McMunn as new director after a months-long search.
McMunn, a Jackson, Michigan native, has a Master of Library and Information Science from UCLA. He previously worked as Assistant Director for the County of San Luis Obispo Library in California. Before that he served as a Community Library Manager of Topanga and Malibu Libraries for the County of Los Angeles Library from 2011 to 2014.
Some voters to get new voting precinct locations: The Orion Twp. Board of Trustees voted 6-0 on Feb. 7 to permanently relocate six voting precincts and establish a set location for the Absent Voter Counting Board and Emergency Polling location.
Lake Orion school board re-ups on School of Choice: On Jan. 26, the Lake Orion school board unanimously re-authorized School of Choice slots for the 2022-23 school year.
The capacity for non-resident students is not to exceed 10 percent of building population for Kindergarten through eighth grade and Learning Options for the 2022-23 school year.

Feb. 16
Lake Orion DDA sets annual priorities: Parking is still a concern in the downtown area: parking, pedestrian safety, lighting improvements, small and large potential development projects top the list.
VFW raises funds for Oxford/Orion FISH: For the fifth year in a row: VFW Post 334 donated $1,200 to the Adopt-a-Shelf program to help FISH provide food to those who need assistance in the Orion/Oxford communities.
Lake Orion wrestlers place at districts, head to regional tournament: Lake Orion’s top finisher was Judah Kinne, who finished first in the heavyweight division.
Also placing for the Dragons were Ryder Smith (125 pounds) who took third in his weight class, Jake Corless (171 pounds) who took third in his weight class, Micah Wellbaum (160) placed 3rd as well.
ONTV Virtual Food Drive exceeds expectations for Oxford/ Orion FISH Food Pantry: The 12th annual ONTV Food Drive raised $7,100 for the Oxford/Orion FISH Food Pantry, exceeding the $5,000 goal.

Feb. 23
Two Orion Twp. teens injured in head-on truck crash: One Orion Twp. teen is in critical condition and another was seriously injured in a head-on collision on Clarkston Road on Sunday night, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were called to Clarkston Road near Beach Drive at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 20 after the16- year-old driver of a 2004 Ford Ranger pickup truck heading west on Clarkston Road collided with a 2013 Ford F-350 pickup truck headed east.
The two vehicles collided in a no passing zone, and preliminary findings from the sheriff’s Crash Reconstruction Unit suggest the Ford Ranger crossed over the centerline into the other lane.
LOCS announces sale of 2022 School Building and Site Bonds: The Lake Orion school board announced the successful sale of its 2022 School Building and Site Bonds, as authorized by voters in November 2018.
The bonds were sold at a true interest rate of 2.32 percent with a repayment term of approximately 18 years (final maturity of 2040).
DDA forms interview and evaluation team for legal services: the Lake Orion DDA board approved a RFQ for permanent legal services and formed an interview and evaluation team to proceed with the process for the board to get its own attorney. Currently, the DDA and village share the same attorney.
Lady Dragon basketball 15-3 ahead of districts: The Lake Orion High School varsity girls’ basketball team is on a hot streak ahead of starting district play next week.
Dragon hoops scores back-to-back victories: The Lake Orion boys’ varsity basketball team defeated Stoney Creek 52-41 and Holly 66-45 to improve to 12-5 overall.

March 2
Masks come off at LOCS after county health dept. lifts mandate: The Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) lifted its requirement to wear masks in schools and daycares on Feb. 28. Before that, masks had been mandated by the CDC.
LOHS athletes sign college letters of intent: Thirteen Lake Orion High School student-athletes signed letters of intent on Wednesday to play college sports.

March 9
District Champs! LOHS girls’ basketball team wins first district title since 2010: the LOHS girls basketball team took home the district five championship trophy on Friday, defeating the Rochester High School Falcons 40-34. This is the team’s first district title in 12 years and fourth in program history.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle on Indianwood Road: A 71-year-old Pontiac man walking on Indianwood Road on Friday evening has died from his injuries after being struck by an SUV.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the Orion Twp. Fire Dept. got the call at 8:18 p.m. and responded to the accident scene east of Oneida Trail on Indianwood Road, the sheriff’s office said in a report.
The accident happened when a 56-year-old Ortonville man driving a 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer west on Indianwood Road struck the pedestrian, who was walking in the roadway, authorities said.

March 16
Solution to middle school operational efficiency lies in slight redistricting: Lake Orion to use a phased approach to redistricting middle schools: In December, LOCS Asst. Supt. of Human Resources Rick Arnett provided enrollment numbers to the school board. According to those documents, Lake Orion had 1,511 students, including both resident enrollment and school of choice enrollment, across all three middle schools. By building, Scripps’ enrollment was at 585 students, Waldon’s was 536 students and Oakview’s was just 390 students.
Lake Orion falls to Adams in District Final: The Lake Orion boys basketball team lost 52-46 to Rochester Adams on Friday, ending the Dragon’s season.
Proposal to dissolve Lake Orion DDA shot down by village officials, citizens during council mtg.: A proposal to explore questions about the DDA’s operations, including potentially dissolving the DDA, met with a swift rebuke from government officials, downtown business owners and residents during the village council meeting on Monday.
Village Councilmember Michael Lamb gave a presentation on DDA’s tax capture and asked several questions about the money the DDA is collecting. One of Lamb’s main areas of questioning was the amount of residential property in the DDA district.

March 23
LOCS discusses middle school SEL program: During their March 9 meeting, the Lake Orion school board received the middle schools Social Emotional Learning (SEL) presentation.
The middle school concept allows room for SEL growth via their anti-bully program, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), availability of middle school behaviorists, daily STAR (Student Teacher Affective Relationships) classes and team teaching.
Lake Orion Parks & Rec. Committee schedules two playground community build days: Lake Orion is getting new playground equipment in Children’s and Green’s parks and needs the public’s help to build the structures.
Orion Twp. board approves old Township Hall demo contract: Volleyball courts, ice rink could be built on old site: The board voted 7-0 during its March 21 meeting to award a total of $360,300 to three different companies for demolition of the building and restoration of the affected area.

March 30
Councilmember Lamb gives presentation on potentially shrinking DDA tax capture district: Lake Orion Village Councilmember Michael Lamb gave a presentation on the possibility of shrinking the Lake Orion DDA’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, saying the village should remove the residential properties (around 50 percent of the district) from the DDA’s tax captures.
Lake Orion DDA holds special budget workshop: The DDA has tightened up its budget in order to use remaining funds for a list of priority projects in the 2022-23 fiscal year including a parking deck, electrical charging stations, downtown lighting, dumpster enclosures and park electrical improvements.
Village council approves contract for PASER analysis to begin fixing the darn roads: The Lake Orion Village Council unanimously approved a contract not to exceed $2,700 with Nowak and Fraus Engineers to assess the condition of the village’s 11.6 miles of roads. The Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) plan needs to be updated from 2019 to determine the priority of street repairs in the upcoming years.

April 6
View Newspaper Group acquires Sherman newspapers: The View Newspaper Group has acquired the business operations of Sherman Publications, Inc., which includes the publications The Lake Orion Review, Oxford Leader, Ortonville Citizen, Clarkston News, Ad-Vertiser, Penny Stretcher and Big Deal.
Founded in 2003 by Rick Burrough, View Newspaper Group, which publishes The County Press, Lapeer Area View, Genesee County View and Tri-County Times, is a locally-owned community newspaper group that now includes 21 community newspapers covering Lapeer, Oakland, Genesee, Livingston, Sanilac, Huron, Saginaw, Shiawassee, Montcalm and Ionia counties.
Sherman family newspaper legacy spanned seven decades in north Oakland County: the Sherman family published The Lake Orion Review, Oxford Leader, Clarkston News and Ortonville Citizen newspapers until April 1, 2022 when they sold the publications to the View Newspaper Group.
Sheriff’s Office searches for three suspects in Orion Twp. home invasion: Investigators are looking for three suspects who broke into a woman’s home on April 3 while she was sleeping, then made her lie on the floor and began demanding money. The suspects left the home. The woman was not injured.
Lake Orion DDA presents budget to village council: increased costs for village services, upcoming projects: The DDA had a joint special meeting with the Lake Orion Village Council last week to discuss the DDA’s proposed 2022-23 budget. According to budget documents by DDA Executive Director Molly LaLone, the DDA’s total estimated revenue is $1,098,952 during the 2022- 23 fiscal year, which runs July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

April 13
Orion Twp. man accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acquitted of all charges: A federal jury in Grand Rapids on Friday acquitted two men in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including Orion Twp. resident Daniel Harris.
Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta, 34, of Canton, and Harris, 24, were found not guilty of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, a potential life sentence offense.
DECA students place at states, set sights on international competition: Lake Orion High School DECA students competed in the DECA state competition in March with several students placing well enough to move onto the international competition in Atlanta.
Lake Orion High School one of three schools receiving threatening phone calls: Lake Orion was among three local school districts receiving phone calls threatening violence on Friday.
While none of the threats proved to be credible, Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said his office would investigate and hold the perpetrators criminally liable.

April 20
Lake Orion school district breaks ground on historic $26 million Blanche Sims Elementary rebuild: Lake Orion school officials and guests officially broke ground on their highly anticipated and long-awaited Blanche Sims Elementary school construction project last week.
DDA board approves publication of RFP for parking deck at Children’s Park lot: the Lake Orion DDA Board of Directors approved the publication of a Request for Proposal for a potential parking deck during their meeting on April 12.

April 27
UK teen arrested for threats against area schools: Teen threatened to ‘shoot up’ Oxford, Lake Orion, Brandon, Cranbrook high schools: A 16-year-old boy from the United Kingdom has been arrested for making threats of violence against Lake Orion, Oxford, Brandon and Cranbrook high schools, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.
The teen also allegedly made threats against 37 other businesses and schools across the United States.
None of the threats proved to be credible.
The teen was arrested at his home on April 13, five days after making the threats on April 8.
LOCS approves bid awards for transportation and technology: The Lake Orion school board met on April 13 and unanimously approved three bid awards for technology and transportation projects in the amount of $1.64 million.
Volunteers build new playscape in Green’s Park: The Village of Lake Orion Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee called on volunteers to help build theplayscape over two days on Saturday and Sunday.
“We were very grateful. It was a really great community effort,” said village Councilmember Teresa Rutt, who is on the parks and recreation advisory committee. Rutt and committee members are organizing and leading the projects.
Lake Orion DDA, Orion Historical Society partner on downtown historical markers: Seven signs were proposed with locations at Green’s Park, Fork N’ Pint, Verwood Apartments, Ed’s Broadway Gift and Costume, 313 Pizza, Hanson’s Running Shop and in the grass area on the southern corner of Flint Street and M-24 in front of Auto-Zone.
The signs proposed for downtown buildings would be 15-inch-by-15-inch that would be affixed to downtown buildings.