ottawa county

Adeline Hambley's lengthy legal fight with county commissioners over pandemic-era mask mandates concluded Tuesday with the board bowing to the will of a court-ordered arbitrator.

The chair of the Ottawa County board of commissioners posted a seven-page letter with accusations against administrator John Gibbs a day after commissioners voted to place Gibbs on paid leave.

The court found that several members of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners did not violate the Open Meetings Act by allegedly meeting in private in 2022 ahead of taking the oath of office.

Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs’ lawyer sent a letter to the county's board chair threatening legal action if the board removed Gibbs from his post.

Today, a conversation about the aftermath from dismissing a Health Officer by Ottawa County, Christmas tree advice, and major developments for the proposed Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

Board members, initially elected after opposing pandemic health mandates, have clashed with the health officer since the start of the year.

The changes have to do with how the county handles and transmits unofficial election night results. Starting in May, the clerk’s office will send employees to precincts to collect flash drives in a secure container, and then physically transport them back to the office.

The judge ordered an injunction against county board members who'd sought to remove Hambley.

The current top health officer for the county says a contract for dental services was being held up over a clause that protected people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation.

State attorney general Dana Nessel looked into the claims and found "no actionable violation." But Progress Michigan says new documents it obtained show otherwise.