A teacher at the Ashmun School on the campus of Eagle Village Youth Detention Center in Hersey has officially been charged with Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a 16-year old student. 32-year old Janet Brown was arraigned in Osceola County District Court Tuesday on three counts of third degree CSC. She is accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 16-year old male student. Brown was put on administrative leave last Wednesday for improper communication with a student outside of school.

Evart High School looks to start a new chapter with the hiring of new Principal Dennis Peacock. The move was made last night during the Evart Board of Education meeting. Peacock brings more than 25-years experience to the Osceola County school, most recently as Principal at Hesperia High School for the past 5 years. Peacock replaces Alan Kullman, who was arrested on June 7 and charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 14-year-old female student.

Michigan Works! West central, Hope Network and the MOISD are offering a two-week “Career Exploration and Employability Skills Summer Camp” for freshmen and sophomores so they can learn more about what is available to them through the Mecosta/Osceola Career Center. Participants in the camp will learn some employability skills that surround the topics of resume writing, job seeking tips, financial literacy, and more. Students can choose two courses to learn more about out of these four: early childhood/teaching careers, culinary arts, welding, and graphics and communications.

The State Senate has passed legislation that would eliminate personal property tax in Michigan, which means it now goes to the State House. Superintendent for the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District Curt Finch tells how this would effect our local schools, "Anybody that has a school bond for construction, that tax increase won't be guaranteed by the state anymore, so that $60 million gets passed down to your local homeowners. $55 million will be cut from the ISDs for special education and vocational millages.

Local school districts will have to look in new areas for cuts now that voters in Mecosta and Osceola Counties decided to reject the Mecosta Osceola Intermediate School District’s proposed millage during a special election Tuesday. Of the nearly 4,600 voters to come out from both counties, 65% rejected the proposal. The five-year millage would have provided an additional $240 per student for districts in both counties. The tax would have cost an owner of a $100,000 property about $70 per year.