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Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Michigan county drops 'Where Freedom Rings' motto after pro-Trump majority loses power
WEST OLIVE, Mich. (AP) — One of Michigan's fastest-growing counties is dropping 'Where Freedom Rings' as its motto, less than a year after hard-right elected officials lost their majority on the governing board. 'Where Freedom Rings' replaced 'Where You Belong' in 2023 in Ottawa County, population 306,000 near Lake Michigan in the western part of the state. At the same time, the county board tried to fire the health officer over COVID-19 restrictions and eliminated a diversity office. But the tide has turned somewhat. Republicans still dominate the board, though members of a pro-Trump group known as Ottawa Impact no longer have a majority, even while President Donald Trump got 59% of the county vote in the 2024 election. Board Chair John Teeples said 'Where Freedom Rings' was divisive. 'For far too many people in Ottawa County and elsewhere, this motto has come to symbolize disunity and rejection, not genuine personal freedom regardless of what its authors may have intended,' Teeples said. The board voted 7-4 to drop it Tuesday. Commissioner Joe Moss, the former board chair, proposed 'In God We Trust' as a new motto but it failed, reported. A county resident, Deb Cizek of Port Sheldon Township, spoke in favor of getting rid of 'Where Freedom Rings.' The motto started 'two years of continuous attacks on personal rights, parental rights, acceptance of those with different life choices, public schools, public libraries, Planned Parenthood, and most obvious, the Ottawa County Health Department staff and programming,' Cizek said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ottawa County commissioners hold off on administrator decision
OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — With all but one finalist having dropped out of the running to be the next Ottawa County administrator, the Board of Commissioners did not make a decision on hiring Thursday. The board with U.S. Army Col. Michael Tremblay, speaking to him for about a 1.5 hours. But the board was not prepared to vote on whether or not to hire him, with commissioners saying they wanted time to consider next steps and additional candidates. The the search will resume during the board's June 24 meeting. The it wanted to pick a candidate this month, with the goal of the new administrator starting in late July or early August. It's unclear whether that timeline is still viable. Tremblay told commissioners he thinks he would be a good fit for the job, but acknowledged their 'demanding job' with 'a lot of competing interests.' 'You're going to go back and make a decision, drive on. I appreciate the opportunity to be here. And if ultimately decide to go a different way or do something else, I totally get that, too,' he said. 'I will tell you this: I think I would do a great job for Ottawa County. I think I do a great job for the commissioners. I think I do a great job for the county.' 1 candidate remains as Ottawa County seeks new administrator He was the only remaining finalist after four others pulled their names from consideration. Mark Eisenbarth, currently the Muskegon County administrator, withdrew Tuesday. Glen Salyer, currently a deputy county administrator in Florida, withdrew Monday. 'We lost four candidates and maybe one left … because of how we acted in our board meeting last week, but the others did not. There were legitimate reasons why people withdrew. And so among the board commissioners and throughout the community, nobody should be pointing fingers at anybody about where we are,' Board Chair John Teeples said. The the board's June 4 meeting was contentious as commissioners disagreed about whether discussion of a number of administrator candidates should be in public or in closed session. 'Nobody has a right to take credit. Nobody has a right to point (fingers). This is just part of the process, I think, and circumstances the way they are. So I think from that standpoint, we could all just take a breath, right? Remember we're on a common cause to find the absolute best under the circumstances,' Teeples said Thursday. Nearly all the board members are Republicans, but they are split into two factions. One is members backed by conservative political action committee Ottawa Impact. The other is Republicans unaffiliated with that group and includes . 'The last two times, we've lost a lot of candidates. And I think we, as a board, have a responsibility,' Teeples said. 'We are the face of the county and how we act gets out on social media, it's in the newspapers, it's in the national press. We need to be leaders that that that people can't go on YouTube and say, 'I don't want to go there.' We think, we all believe that Ottawa County is the plum colony of the state of Michigan. But people coming from the outside, they may not see that in us because of how we as a commission act.' 'I think our community needs to see us start to get along so that we can heal this county and have be less divisive,' he added. Ottawa County has been since February 2024, when then- board Chair Joe Moss and Ottawa Impact , whom they had during their first meeting in January 2023. Jon Anderson, a candidate for sheriff last year, filled the role on an interim basis before in October 2024. Deputy Administrator temporarily stepped in before he reached a severance agreement with the board in December. Gary Rosema, a former Ottawa County sheriff, has been since January. He said all along he would not take the job long-term and hoped to be done in about six months. The next county administrator will make between $200,000 and $260,000, according to a job description shared with commissioners in April. —News 8's Byron Tollefson contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Embattled Ottawa County health officer honored with state policy award
Adeline Hambley holding her 2025 Jean Chabut Award. Photo by Dr. Gwendolyn Unzicker. OTTAWA COUNTY — After a yearlong legal battle with a far-right county commission, Ottawa County's administrative health officer has been recognized with a statewide award for her dedication to defending the role. Adeline Hambley was awarded the 2025 Jean Chabut Health Policy Champion award in Lansing on April 9 from the Michigan Public Health Week Partnership as part of Public Health Week in Michigan. The award recognizes individuals or organizations for significant contributions to the health and well-being of Michigan citizens in the policy arena at local and/or state levels that strengthens public health. 'I didn't know anything about it, so they told me that I was awarded it. That was pretty cool,' Hambley said. The award comes after Hambley successfully fought off attempts by the county's former far-right majority, known as Ottawa Impact, to remove her from her position. In January 2023, the far-right Ottawa Impact controlling majority on the board of commissioners attempted to demote, then fire Hambley in favor of a candidate who had no prior experience in public health. Hambley sued the board and the county in February 2023, claiming the board overstepped its legal authority and that health officers had certain inalienable rights afforded under state law. What followed was two years of unprecedented strain between the board and the county's health department. In April 2023, a circuit court judge granted Hambley a preliminary injunction, allowing her to remain in her role until a trial could take place. However, the Michigan Court of Appeals partially vacated that injunction, saying the board had the legal right to fire Hambley as long as state law was followed. Throughout summer 2023, the board, then-administrator John Gibbs and Hambley battled over a proposed budget for the department. In the end, the OI majority voted to cut $4 million from the health department's budget and left its rainy day funded nearly depleted. The board then held a termination hearing in October 2023, which led to an infamous Nov. 6 meeting where the board voted 7-3 to settle with Hambley for $4 million in exchange for her resignation — although OI commissioners soon attempted to walk back the agreement, claiming a deal hadn't been reached. In January 2024, a Muskegon County judge found that, although an agreement was discussed, the board's vote wasn't clearly worded enough to be legally binding. Ultimately, the parties settled in February 2024, with Hambley remaining in her role and the county paying her legal fees. Hambley said she is grateful for the support she received over the past two years. 'The community as a whole has been really supportive, and that has been great … because I can't imagine doing this for this length of time — people that were constantly outside picketing and sending death threats and hating you,' she said. 'I mean, I still would have done it, but certainly having the community backing makes it and the support of staff makes it so much better. So it was nice to see it on a statewide level.' She said she wants people to look at her story as one of inspiration 'If nothing else, I think it helps to maybe set the tone for other health officers in the state that our positions are important, they are legally protected, and that they should stand up and protect the role and their community. So I'm hopeful that perhaps others will see that importance,' she said. She said it's unfortunate that public health has become a political football in the context of the current political climate. 'Some people say it's lawfare, or it's politics, and it's, like, 'No, man. I didn't make public health political. Just because they're using it as a political tool doesn't mean my defending the laws that govern the work makes it political in nature,'' she said. 'It's really frustrating. But they're never gonna feel differently, so, oh well.' Hambley said public health can be taken for granted when it's working successfully, which has led to a scenario where everyday citizens might not realize all the benefits and advancements that have resulted from its various services and programs. 'I feel like the success of public health has made people blind to the importance of public health to the community,' she said. 'We don't want to go back to the days of people dying of dysentery and typhoid and tetanus.' Hambley said conversations at the Lansing conference included health officers asking what they can do to help get the word out on why public health is so critical to healthy communities. 'And I spoke up and said that I think that it is being champions of public health in your community. We are the closest to the community where the boots are on the ground — we are the community; we live here,' she said. 'That's why we have those legal protections in place — so we can make, sometimes, those uncomfortable decisions to protect everybody, including the most vulnerable.' 'And that's how you're going to have people even know what we do, what public health is … by being that person that stands up. Also, it gets buy-in for what we do, and people see value in it, rather than rely on the rhetoric of lazy bureaucrats.' Hambley said showing up and standing tall sometimes includes making unpopular decisions, particularly when it comes to infectious disease mitigation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Really reinforcing that public servant aspect — we are here to serve the community, but that may not please everybody, because it's to protect the most vulnerable as well, but you have to stand in that space,' she said. 'You have to be willing to be uncomfortable and there's going to be members in the community you're never going to win over, but there's going to be a whole lot that see that for what it is.' The Jean Chabut Health Policy Champion award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions in the policy arena to strengthen public health. In 2015, this award was renamed in memory of Jean Chabut, who served as deputy director of Public Health at the Michigan Department of Community Health from 2003 to 2012. From her beginnings as a public health nurse in Detroit, through her transition to public health administrator, until her death in 2014, Chabut was a tireless advocate who fought for improved health for Michigan's most vulnerable citizens. Prior to becoming the department's chief executive, Hambley served as environmental health manager from 2011 to 2022. She has held various local, state and national leadership positions. She holds a master of business administration degree and a bachelor of science degree from Grand Valley State University. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Where the search for the next Ottawa County administrator stands
OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Ottawa County is resuming the search for a permanent county administrator this week. It's one of Michigan's fastest growing counties. According to the 2024 census, Ottawa County has 306,000 people. But for over a year, it hasn't had a permanent county administrator. The county website lays out how important the job is. The administrator supervises day-to-day activities, leads and manages board initiatives and manages the county's financial health. 'The administrator is essentially the CEO of the county,' Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma, a Republican, explained. Ottawa County board picks former sheriff as interim county administrator John Gibbs was the last to have the job. He was selected by Ottawa Impact when the group and made sweeping changes. Gibbs was ultimately fired in February 2024 following several misconduct allegations that he denied. He ultimately sued the board. The county settled with him for $190,000, a decision that received strong pushback from Ottawa Impact-affiliated commissioners. Gibbs now works in the Trump administration as a principal deputy assistant secretary for the Policy Development and Research division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also worked for HUD during Trump's first presidency. Interim administrators have come and gone since Gibbs' departure. Jon Anderson, a candidate for sheriff last year, filled the role on an interim basis before ultimately stepping down. Deputy Administrator Benjamin Wetmore temporarily stepped in before he reached a severance agreement with the board in December. Former Sheriff Gary Rosema has been steering the ship this year. He doesn't plan on staying long-term. 'It's been an interesting process where we really haven't had stability in the administrative office,' Commissioner Doug Zylstra, a Democrat, said. 'I think since we brought in Gary Rosema, we have had some stability.' In a job like this, Jorritsma says you need consistency. 'We need someone qualified who is able to stay in that spot and build relationships, who knows what they're doing in order to make sure our county is running as smoothly and effectively as possible,' he said. The next county administrator will make between $200,000 and $260,000, according to the job description shared with commissioners last week. The firm that's leading the search process said the plan is for in-person interviews to begin in early June. A candidate would be picked by the end of that month. That person would then start at the end of July or early August. Former board chair admits 'mistakes,' but says Ottawa Impact stuck to principles 'We're looking for someone that's going to be able to be a voice for everyone in the county and be able to work with everyone on the board, not just on the board, but also in the building here on staff,' Jorritsma said. 'It's something we've struggled with over the past couple of years, but I'm optimistic the right person is out there and they're going to apply.' The board remains divided on some issues, with four commissioners affiliated with Ottawa Impact and seven who are not. Zylstra acknowledges whoever gets the job will have to be able to work with everyone. 'This county is changing and growing,' Zylstra said. 'This is not the county it was 20 years ago, and this is not the board it was 20 years ago.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three court cases (and an appeal) we're still watching in Ottawa County
OTTAWA COUNTY — Several cases filed against the Ottawa County Board in 2023 and 2024 have been settled or dismissed, but at least three remain; plus an appeal from The Holland Sentinel seeking the unsealing of a transcript in the controversial case of Health Officer Adeline Hambley. Here's where those ongoing cases stand, as of Friday, March 7: Chris Kleinjans is suing members of the Michigan State University Extension after he was fired from his job there in June 2024, shortly after being sworn-in to represent District 2 on the Ottawa County Board. More: Kleinjans claims 'political pressure' from Ottawa Impact left him unemployed In the suit, Kleinjans claims the MSU Extension bowed to 'political pressure' from Ottawa Impact Founder and Commissioner Joe Moss. The extension, for its part, cited the Incompatible Public Offices Act 556 of 1978, arguing a clear conflict of interest exists because commissioners approve funding for the organization's services. U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou denied a preliminary request to have Kleinjans reinstated to his position on Aug. 15, 2024. Jarbou didn't dispute that Ottawa Impact sought 'political retribution," but said the MSU Extension seemed to rebuff those efforts. Kleinjans issued a statement Aug. 16, 2024. 'This is, of course, disappointing,' he wrote. 'But I'm confident that, as the litigation process moves forward, a more complete picture will be revealed. That image will prove that my dismissal was simply an attempt by the MSU Extension to avoid further pressure from certain members of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.' An amended filing by attorney Sarah Riley Howard, dated Aug. 20, 2024, added Moss as a defendant alongside MSU's M. Scott Korpak, Matthew Shane and Erin Moore. In a filing on Nov. 18, 2024, Moss wrote he "has never had any supervisory authority over (Kleinjans); has never been (Kleinjans') employer; and has no ability to alter (Kleinjans') working conditions or the status of his employment with MSU." He also claims he's "never advocated, recommended, demanded, or communicated in any way to MSU that (Kleinjans) should be terminated from his employment." Kleinjans is now a community impact officer for the Allegan County Community Foundation. He lost his seat on the board in November 2024 to Republican Jordan Jorritsma. A early settlement conference is scheduled for the case at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22. Plaintiffs Adrea Hill and Luke Sanner filed their complaint Oct. 30, 2024, in 20th Circuit Court. They, too, are represented by Howard. In their lawsuit, Hill and Sanner claim Ottawa County refused to produce required communications "pursuant to FOIA for a reasonable fee and within the time required under statute." Hill said she requested text messages and emails related to county business sent or received by Lynn Janson on Thursday, May 2, between 12 and 5 p.m. She filed the FOIA in May 2024. In the lawsuit, Howard said Jack Jordan, former county corporation counsel, responded to the request with an estimated fee of $352.79, including a good faith deposit of $176.40. Jordan claimed the request required a search of communications for all 1,120 employees as of May 2. Hill appealed the estimated fee, noting the only required search was related to county business sent from or received by Janson. Jordan denied the fees were inflated in a response to Hill on July 9. In further communications, corporation counsel allegedly refused to produce the records because Janson isn't a county employee. Howard, however, says the county failed to "address the fact that Lynn Janson is a member of the Ottawa County Compensation Commission, and as such, is a public official in that capacity." According to state law, all compensation commissions must comply with Michigan's Open Meetings Act. According to Michigan FOIA Law, all public records are subject to possible disclosure unless specifically exempted by statute. A 'public record' is a writing that's prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body in the performance of an official function, from the time it's created. Sanner filed a separate FOIA request on Nov. 5, 2023, seeking instant messaging communications between Ottawa Impact-aligned commissioners on Oct. 24-25, during the failed termination hearing for Health Officer Adeline Hambley. Sanner specifically asked for communications between Gretchen Cosby, Lucy Ebel, Joe Moss, Kyle Terpstra, Rebekah Curran, Sylvia Rhodea, Roger Belknap and Allison Miedema. Terpstra has never been affiliated with Ottawa Impact, but was endorsed in 2022 by the group. Curran hasn't been affiliated with the group since well before taking office in 2023. (She did not run for re-election in 2024.) Sanner, in his request, said communications should include those found on personal devices used for county-related business. The county denied the request on Nov. 29, 2023, claiming personal devices don't fall under the county's purview. Sanner appealed the denial on Dec. 6, 2023, but the county didn't respond within 10 business days, a requirement under state law. After two follow-ups from Sanner in February and May, the county denied his appeal and claimed they responded on Dec. 21, 2023, but sent the response to an incorrect email address. Hill and Sanner are requesting a declaration that Ottawa County violated Michigan's FOIA Law, a court-ordered injunction requiring the county to produce the requested documents within 14 days, attorney fees and a complete accounting under oath by a corporate witness as to whether any of the affected documents have potentially and/or likely been destroyed. In an order issued Feb. 21, 48th Circuit Court Judge Margaret Bakker declined summary dispositions from plaintiffs and defense, saying the case must move forward with discovery. The county has 28 days, from Feb. 21, to show evidence the county's FOIA coordinator has complied with Bakker's instructions to contact officials and ex-officials who might still hold pertinent records, that the officials acknowledged and responded to those requests, and that the material has been identified and given to the county for review. The documents being located by the county does not guarantee they'll be released to the requestors under FOIA, pending a decision on whether personal devices are subject to the law and other considerations. A hearing date is set for 3 p.m. Monday, April 14, in Allegan's 48th Circuit Court. In his recently filed lawsuit, Dan Zimmer, also represented by Howard, argues the original vote to approve separation agreements with Administrative Aide Jordan Epperson and Interim Administration Benjamin Wetmore on Dec. 10 violated OMA because the discussion that preceded them took place during a closed session that didn't meet the necessary requirements for privacy. More: In final meeting of 2024, Ottawa County approves $454K grant for anti-abortion nonprofit The lawsuit also addresses a vote to give more than $500,000 in funding over the next several years to Chester Township for remediation efforts at Crockery Lake. In her filing, Howard argues the board doesn't have the legal authority to carry it out. A judge declined an emergency request from Howard to stop the payments to Epperson, Wetmore and Chester Township on Wednesday, Dec. 18, and an appeals judge upheld that decision. However, the Ottawa County Board has already made moves to walk back the Crockery Lake agreement, referencing a separate legal opinion that also finds it lacks the authority to uphold it. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the board voted 7-3 to request a ruling from a judge on the legality of the agreement. The next hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for Friday, March 14. The hearing expected to include a motion to amend the complaint by Howard. The Michigan Court of Appeals granted a motion filed in February 2024 by The Sentinel to consider arguments in an effort to unseal testimony from a hearing in November 2023. The testimony, made by County Clerk Justin Roebuck, regarded a closed session earlier that month, during which the Ottawa County Board allegedly agreed to give a $4 million payout to Health Officer Hambley in exchange for her resignation. The hearing came after months of litigation between Hambley and the Ottawa County Board, which voted unsuccessfully to replace her in January 2023 without following the steps required by state law. Commissioners denied the settlement amount after extreme public backlash in the wake of The Sentinel's reporting, claiming an agreement was never reached and a vote by the board to "accept counsel's recommendation" in regards to the settlement was simply meant to signify they wanted to continue conversations — not that they'd come to an agreement. Fourteenth Circuit Court Judge Jenny McNeill ultimately found, because the terms of the settlement weren't part of the motion to approve, it couldn't be enforced, even though she, too, believed the $4 million payout to be the board's intention. In the evidentiary hearing that took place before that order, McNeill closed the courtroom to the public and media. She heard only from Roebuck before adjourning. Joseph Richotte, attorney for The Sentinel, wrote in a filing Feb. 7, 2024, that McNeill erred when she closed the courtroom. "Courtroom[s] cannot be closed and records cannot be sealed except on a written motion showing that a party's protectable interest outweighs the public's right of access," Richotte wrote. Ottawa County Attorney David Kallman argued it was inappropriate for the public and media to be privy to discussions that took place during a closed session. McNeill ultimately approved his request to close the courtroom because "that bell can't be unrung." McNeill denied The Sentinel's request for the hearing transcript to be unsealed. The Sentinel sought leave to appeal from the Michigan Court of Appeals, which was granted Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. In January, a request from Kallman was filed and approved to substitute Michael S. Bogren as legal representation for Ottawa County in the case. The county separated from Kallman Legal Group in February. Bogren was required to file an appellee brief by March 7. It was filed March 5. A hearing date has not yet been scheduled. — Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@ Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Here's where lawsuits against Ottawa County stand
