A break from winter
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
To get everyone’s minds off the cold and dreary winter weather, the West Branch District Library and 4-H program coordinator Enya DeFeijter partnered to host a rainforest themed program Jan. 23. The focus of the program was on the reptiles and amphibians found in rainforests....
License your dog
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Ogemaw County Treasurer Caren Piglowski is urging all Ogemaw County dog owners to license their dogs. State law requires dog owners to license dogs six months of age or older in the county where they live. A total of 1,167 licenses were sold last year....
Vets help other vets
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3775 Commander Mike Thorne presented a check on behalf of VFW to the Ogemaw County Veterans Affairs department Jan. 19. The check goes to the Ogemaw County peace-time veteran’s relief fund. This fund helps veterans in need who were in...
Transit millage discussions continue
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
The Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners and Transit Director Ray Blamer spent a half hour discussing what to do about the expired transit millage during the committee of the whole meeting Jan. 19. Blamer requested the board put a millage request on the ballot this...
Revealing life inside
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Six Surline middle school students created the podcast “Life inside WB-RC” with the aim of highlighting different people in the school system. The popularity of podcasts has steadily risen over the last few years with numerous streaming platforms offering dozens of audio episodes. Podcasts, much...
County waits for vehicles
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Aside from the transit millage discussion, the Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners had several other appointments with department heads and elected officials at its Jan. 19 committee of the whole meeting. Sheriff Brian Gilbert reported there is no date on when his office will receive...
Council keeps an eye on the city
By Amy Hensel | January 26, 2023
ROSE CITY — The Rose City Council approved an expenditure of $1,500 for camera equipment during its Jan. 17 meeting. There are four cameras and a computer system which stores a month's worth of data. The cameras will be used at the Department of Public...
Predator Hunt returns
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
The tenth annual Michigan Predator Quest calling contest takes place Feb. 2-4. Teams are released to hunt Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. The teams hunt for bobcats, foxes, and coyote for 48 hours. The event concludes with a weigh-in and banquet at the Knights...
W-P wrestling brings home the wins
By Jocelyn Garza | January 27, 2023
The Whittemore-Prescott varsity wrestling team is maintaining its success for the week. Five athletes from the boys team traveled to Mio Jan. 21 for an individuals tournament. “We wrestled good and my kids battled all day,” Coach Russ Wilson. Sam Vyner earned first place going...
Lady Falcons fall to Hillman
By Anne Rexford, varsity coach | January 27, 2023
Ogemaw Heights varsity girls’ basketball team hosted Hillman but missed the win, 15-59. We played a good second quarter against a very good shooting team. Aaliyah Dantzer was stellar during this run, with five points and four rebounds. Morgan Rachow added a three-pointer and split...
W-P tops Roger City
By Jocelyn Garza | January 27, 2023
The Whittemore-Prescott varsity boys basketball team defeated Rogers City 53-47 on their home turf Jan. 20. The Cardinals ended the first quarter with an eight point lead. The Cardinals kept up the lead in the second quarter 26-17 and the third quarter 38-29. Rogers City...
Falcons beat Tigers
January 27, 2023
Ogemaw Heights boys’ basketball played Alcona at home Jan. 23, winning 70-59. Photo by Wendy Brindley
W-P bowling splits for week
By Coach Vicki Barnes | January 27, 2023
The boys split their matches, losing to Houghton Lake and winning against Alcona. They faced tough competition against Houghton Lake with Cameron Smith having the high game with a 179. The second match against Alcona high games were Luke Aiello 159, Tim Bunting 153 and Cameron...
The bookcase
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
There’s a saying that a messy home is a loved and lived in home. While most of my house is certainly lived in right now, my bookcase is not. The top two shelves are filled with classic literature. “Paradise Lost” by John Milton is there....
An eight-year-olds’ 24-hour challenge
By Mandilee Hecht | January 18, 2023
The other day I was thinking about a fundraiser my eight-year-old cousin did last year. I thought I'd share it with you all because I find it to be sweet. Last summer, Johny decided to host a fundraising event to benefit brain cancer research. He...
Winter warming
January 11, 2023
The moments fly, a minute’s gone; the minutes fly, an hour is run; the day is fled, the night is here; thus flies a week, a month, a year. — Author unknown My husband and I were fortunate to have had many guests gather around...
Chamber of Commerce gains another members
By Jocelyn Garza | January 27, 2023
The West Branch Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Alastair Security and Executive Service’s membership into the chamber Jan. 20. Owner Sean Molloy, wife Cassandra Molloy, daughter Alexis Zimmer, son Rodney dog Winter pose with the Chamber’s ceremonial scissors.
A break from winter
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
To get everyone’s minds off the cold and dreary winter weather, the West Branch District Library and 4-H program coordinator Enya DeFeijter partnered to host a rainforest themed program Jan. 23. The focus of the program was on the reptiles and amphibians found in rainforests....
License your dog
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Ogemaw County Treasurer Caren Piglowski is urging all Ogemaw County dog owners to license their dogs. State law requires dog owners to license dogs six months of age or older in the county where they live. A total of 1,167 licenses were sold last year....
Vets help other vets
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3775 Commander Mike Thorne presented a check on behalf of VFW to the Ogemaw County Veterans Affairs department Jan. 19. The check goes to the Ogemaw County peace-time veteran’s relief fund. This fund helps veterans in need who were in...
Transit millage discussions continue
By Jocelyn Garza | January 26, 2023
The Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners and Transit Director Ray Blamer spent a half hour discussing what to do about the expired transit millage during the committee of the whole meeting Jan. 19. Blamer requested the board put a millage request on the ballot this...

Gerald “Jerry” Anthony Ehinger
Died January 21, 2023January 26, 2023
Gerald “Jerry” Anthony Ehinger, age 95, passed away peacefully Saturday, January 21, 2023, at home surrounded by loving family. He was born February 9, 1927, in West Branch to parents Anthony and Elizabeth (Winter) Ehinger, the youngest of 11 children. Jerry was a lifelong resident...

Preston Haynes
Died January 21, 2023January 26, 2023
Preston Haynes, age 84, passed away on January 21, 2023, in Alger, Michigan with his family at his side. Preston was born on February 22, 1938, in Tryon, North Carolina, to the late General Lee Haynes and Carrie Lee Lightle. He spent his childhood growing...

Maxine Helen Joseph
Died January 20, 2023January 23, 2023
Maxine Helen Joseph, age 90, of Prescott, passed away January 20, 2023, with her loving family by her side. Maxine was born April 3, 1932, to the late George and Pearl Pratt in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up and went to school in Detroit. Following...

John Henry Mitchell
Died January 16, 2023January 19, 2023
John Henry Mitchell, age 84, passed away on Monday, January 16, 2023, at McLaren Bay Region in Bay City, MI. He was born on October 6, 1938, in West Branch, MI to Louis and Frances (Izworski) Mitchell. John lived in West Branch for most of...

Vicki Lynn Haines
Died January 16, 2023January 18, 2023
Vicki Lynn Haines, age 62, passed away on Monday, January 16, 2023, at McLaren Bay Region in Bay City. She was born on June 14, 1960, in Wyandotte, MI to Donald and Sherry (Gile) Poyle. She lived in Rose City for the past 35 years,...