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Village Councilman Ed Ball broached the issue at the council's Jan. 3 meeting. According to Ball, snowmobiles have been passing through town recently, sometimes at unpleasant hours.

"They see a track and so they figure that's a snowmobile track," Ball said of the vehicles traveling where they should not.

According to North Branch Police Chief Robert DeTavernier, snowmobiles can only legally travel on a state road such as M-90 once the Michigan governor has declared a snow emergency.

"We try to talk some sense into them," DeTavernier said of snowmobile operators.

Some snowmobiles have been "going by at 2 or 3 a.m.," Ball told council and DeTavernier.

"I haven't seen them going anywhere," DeTavernier said, "I don't have a solution." However, he did add that citizens can call the police when they spot inappropriate snowmobile use.

In other police news, three vehicle accidents occurred in the village during December.

"That's a lot, I thought, for this town," DeTavernier said. One driver was taken to the hospital and released.

North Branch's schools were, "very quiet," during December, DeTavernier told council. Two larcenies occurred from lockers, three meetings were held with students over rule violations, and three disputes occurred among students.