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October 7, 2021 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 3

SUMPTER
SUMPTER

Police chief corrects erroneous response report

It did not take Sumpter Police cidal juvenile and the other was awarded a financial settlement
officers 2 ½ hours to respond to a a drunk driving arrest.” ” from the publication earlier this
traffic accident last week, He said officers responded to This is like terrorism. year as damages for the publica-
despite published reports. the scene of the incident in ques- There have been dozens and dozens tion of falsehoods.
Sumpter Township Director tion within 30 minutes and deter- “This is like terrorism” Oddy
of Public Safety Eric Luke cor- mined that a tire had blown out of false allegations, week said. “There have been dozens
rected the erroneous informa- in one vehicle involved. He said after week they keep coming. and dozens of false allegations,
tion during the Sept. 28 meeting there was a great deal of yelling week after week they keep com-
of the trustees. He said that a at the scene as the passenger in for anyone to think it took police ing of Extra Things I Know and ing. We have a passion for this
local newspaper had printed an one vehicle was drunk. Officers 2 hours to respond to a call. people think it's true and that the community and I will continue to
account of a Sept. 12 traffic acci- located the second vehicle “We did our job,” he said. editor actually knows,” he said. defend our employees and our
dent on Judd Road claiming that involved in the incident very Luke said it would have taken He asked township attorney Rob residents.”
police did not respond until 11 close to the scene, he said. less time for the writer of the Young if the township had any Township Supervisor Tim
p.m. to an 8:30 p.m. accident. “I want to make sure the pub- misinformation to reach out to legal recourse in light of the mis- Bowman was also critical of the
Luke said that the dispatcher lic knows that we will always him to get the correct response information and lies being pub- publication.
received a report of the vehicle respond. We were there within time than it did for “her to type it lished. “I don't like being called a liar
crash and was informed there 30 minutes, at 9:02 p.m. We are for publication.” “The township has no stand- and a thief. I have been advertis-
were no injured parties at the proud of the response time in Trustee Matt Oddy said this ing to sue,” Young said, “but indi- ing in that paper for 30 years or
scene. our department. Only a higher was more of the unfortunate mis- viduals have standing. It is a longer. I took all three of my ads
“At that time, we were priority call will delay our offi- information repeatedly being tough legal standard.” out this week. I don't plan on
responding to two higher priority cers,” he said. published. “I feel your pain,” responded ever advertising in that paper
calls,” Luke said. “One was a sui- Luke said it was “dangerous” “This was printed in a head- Trustee Tim Rush who was again.”
Trustees approve employment contract for fire chief

”
Members of the Sumpter change,” she said. oversee the fire chief.
Township Board of Trustees Trustee Peggy Morgan said My thought is that the board “I 100-percent agree. Chief
approved the employment con- that “nobody should have the Luke is doing a fine job. There is
tract for Fire Chief Rick Brown power to dictate to the fire hires and the board fires. a lot of change over there. They
during the Sept. 28 meeting. chief.” That is my reason for are doing something right. They
The approval came following “I have an issue with it,” she are looking good,” he said.
a request from Township Clerk said. I've seen contracts for years suggesting the change, Hurst explained that she sug-
Esther Hurst who requested a and I've never seen one written gested the contract language give
change in the contract language. like this.” time. This makes sense,” Oddy he was happy with the contract. the public safety director the
Hurst requested a change that Trustee Matt Oddy said that said. “Whether Chief Brown authority to suspend rather than
would give the township director he would agree with the change Township attorney Rob Young approves it or not, I have prob- terminate the fire chief.
of public safety the authority to to the termination clause pro- explained to Morgan that she lem with it,” Morgan said. “I've “We can call a special meet-
suspend rather than terminate posed by Hurst, but felt the fire hadn't seen a contract like this seen contracts for years and ing” to review the situation if
the fire chief pending approval chief should report to the public one because there hasn't been never seen one written the way there is an immediate issue, she
of the township board. safety director. one. He said the only time the this one is.” said.
“My thought is that the board “It makes no sense to have an public safety director has over- Township Supervisor Tim The contract language was
hires and the board fires. That is employee with no direct supervi- sight is with the fire chief. Bowman agreed with Oddy that changed and approved by unani-
my reason for suggesting the sor. The board is not around full He suggested asking Brown if the public safety director should mous vote of the trustees.

Audit to answer. The state says you claimed financial malfeasance from you that you looked and published.

by the current members of the
didn't find” any such misuse of
“Businesses get hurt, resi-
have complied with all regula-
tions and procedures,” she said. board. funds. Oddy added that the mis- dents get hurt by this misinfor-
FROM PAGE 1 Oddy said his question was Oddy went on to say that he information being published is mation. People don't want to
in response to a recent letter felt the board members had a harmful to the entire communi- start a business here or move to
ic audit. We are trained to look printed in a local newspaper duty to counter the misinforma- ty. the township. It is harmful to
for that. There is a whole list of attributed to Ronald tion being published. “The writer is common in the entire community,” Oddy
questions the state requires us Barrington Robinson who “We need residents to hear these letters that continue to be added.