Page 2 — Thursday, March 21, 2024 — The Hastings Banner
tion systems used for elections in Michigan
and throughout the United States are not
secure and an immediate investigation is
needed by Congress.”
The origins of the internal emails written
by Dominion employees came to light shortly
after and are tied in with a court case between
Dominion and Patrick Byrne, the former
CEO of online retailer Overstock.
Dominion is suing Byrne in federal court
over what they believe were false claims of
voter fraud made by the former CEO. Byrne
is being represented by Stefanie Lambert, an
attorney that Leaf has worked with through-
out the past three years.
Lambert said in interviews that she
received the documents as part of discovery
in that case, and upon spotting evidence that
she thought indicated illegal activity, she
turned it over to “law enforcement,” which
included Leaf.
Lambert was arrested on Monday after
violating court orders in a separate case
where she faces criminal charges.
As a result of Lambert relaying these doc-
uments, attorneys for Dominion filed an
emergency motion asking a federal court to
disqualify Lambert from providing legal
counsel to Byrne.
“Not only did Lambert follow her client’s
instruction to share Dominion’s documents
with an unknown number of individuals, she
also filed dozens of them publicly in an unre-
lated proceeding (to which Dominion is not a
party), and they have now been viewed by tens
of thousands of users on social media. This too
is a clear violation of this court’s orders,” an
attorney for Dominion stated in the motion.
Lambert is facing charges of her own in a
separate case. A special prosecutor in Michi-
gan has charged her, and two others, for an
alleged conspiracy to illegally obtain and test
voting tabulators, one of which was from
Irving Township.The special prosecutor, Muskegon County
Prosecutor D.J. Hilson, initially looked into
charging Leaf, too, but didn’t find sufficient
evidence to charge the sheriff with a crime.
Hilson did subpoena Leaf in the state’s
case against Lambert recently and ordered
him to hand over the files in his election
fraud investigation. Leaf submitted an affi-
davit refusing to hand over his case files and
claiming that he had evidence that shows
Dominion employees “tasked Serbian
nationals to remotely access the Michigan
election system.”
“I’m not willing to compromise my inves-
tigation by providing my entire file,” Leaf
stated in the affidavit.
The Banner reached out to the Secretary of
State’s Office for a reaction on Leaf’s claims.
“Michigan’s election systems are secure,
administered by nonpartisan, professional
election officials and the results are an accu-
rate reflection of the will of the voters. The
department is not involved in this lawsuit and
so it would not be appropriate to comment on
documents allegedly related to this case,”
Angela Benander, director of communica-
tions and media relations for the Michigan
Department of State said in a text message.
Dominion Voting Systems has been on the
receiving end of voter fraud claims by
high-profile individuals and media networks
over the last few years and has not hesitated
to slap back with defamation lawsuits when
the accusations have proven false, as they
typically have.
One of the most high-profile of legal pro-
ceedings came last year when Dominion sued
Fox News Network for defamation and both
sides settled for $787 million.
With this sort of litigious history, county
officials are concerned about what sort of
liability Barry County might have if the same
scenario plays out on the heels of Leaf’s
claims against Dominion.Dave Jackson, Chairman of the Barry
County Board of Commissioners, spoke
briefly about the situation at Tuesday’s meet-
ing.
Jackson and the board drafted a statement
on the matter and it reads in full below:
“The Barry County Board of Commis-
sioners is aware of the ongoing election
investigation by Sheriff Leaf. We are also
aware of the information being released on
social media to the attention of Rep. Jim
Jordan. The Board of Commissioners did not
review or authorize any such investigation
into Dominion and/or their representatives.
Sheriff Leaf is acting on his own behalf and
in coordination with other individuals who
have ongoing concerns about the 2020 elec-
tions.
“We continue to support our local clerks
and believe that elections in Barry County
are continuing with the utmost integrity and
professionalism. The Barry County Board of
Commissioners has not been briefed on
Sheriff Leaf’s investigation locally or nation-
ally and with the release of the latest infor-
mation we will be withholding any further
comment as the process plays out legally
between Sheriff Leaf, the State of Michigan
and other named parties.”
Jackson added a few more thoughts after
reading the statement.
“I guess from a standpoint of election
integrity, we all want elections to be free, to
be fair, to be accurate,” he said. “We all sup-
port that. If there is something here that
leads to a further investigation or clarifica-
tion, by all means, we hope someone will
take it up. The concern is a small county like
Barry County wrestling with a national
investigation of this structure.”
“We’re concerned about that,” Jackson
added. “It is on our radar and we’re continu-
ing to monitor it. We feel a little in the dark
about all of this.”Nominations sought for Delton Founders
Festival grand marshalsOrganizers of the annual Delton Founders Festival are seeking nominations for the
grand marshals of this year’s festival, which will celebrate 51 years of the event.
The festival, to take place Aug. 9-11 this year, will honor the new grand marshals on
Aug. 9, followed by a parade on Aug. 10.
Nominations must be in writing and identify why the individual or couple should be
considered for the position. Additionally, the nomination letter should include the nomi-
nees’ ties to the Delton area, how long they have been residents, their volunteer work in
the community and the positive impact they have made in the Delton area.
A committee of previous Delton Founders Festival grand marshals will decide who
will be honored this year and nominations from previous years will be included in this
year’s list of candidates.
Nominations are due by April 30 and should be mailed to Delton Founders Festival,
PO Box 444 Delton, MI 49046.Barry County Earth Day group collecting used sneakers
The Barry County Earth Day Alliance is collecting old, worn-out athletic shoes at
several locations around Hastings. Locals can clear out their closets and rest assured their
old sneakers will be recycled and used for a good cause.
Shoes in landfills can take 20 to 30 years to decompose. During decomposition, sneak-
ers release methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. At least 200 million pairs of shoes and
sneakers end up in landfills in the United States each year
The Barry County Earth Day group has partnered with GotSneakers to recycle and
repurpose pre-loved sneakers. Some shoes can be refurbished and are sent to micro
industries in developing countries. Others can be broken up into component parts (foam,
plastic, rubber) and recycled to be used as surfacing for playgrounds, track tops, carpet
padding and more.
Since January, the Earth Day Alliance has kept over 200 pairs of shoes out of landfills.
Locals can donate their athletic shoes and help make a difference. Drop-off boxes can
be found at the Hastings Public Library (227 E. State St.), Corewell Health Pennock
Health and Wellness Center (1005 W. Green St.), Bright Start Pediatrics (1375 W. Green
St. Suite 3) and TriFit (303 E. Center St).
More information on how to help with this and other recycling efforts can be found on
the Barry County Earth Day Alliance Facebook page.Strong Tower Radio broadcasting resurrection
programmingStrong Tower Radio, which broadcasts out of 15 radio stations across Michigan and
Illinois, is airing resurrection programming until Easter Sunday.
The programming runs every weekday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. This week, Pastor Jay
Gallimore will lead discussion on what Jesus’s resurrection meant then and what it means
now.
“Resurrection Myths,” a new program addressing immortality of the soul, will begin
on Friday, March 22.
Strong Tower Radio is broadcasted out of five local stations: Kalamazoo, 97.3 FM;
Battle Creek, 91.9 FM; Charlotte, 92.3 FM; Grand Rapids, 89.7 FM and Lansing, 104.
FM. Listeners can also tune in via the Strong Tower Radio app or online at STR.fm.Repaving on Mackinac Bridge starts March 25
The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) will begin a two-season repaving project on
the bridge’s north viaduct and approach truss spans March 25, weather permitting.
Repaving, deck repairs and joint repairs on the two northbound lanes of the bridge will
begin March 25 and is scheduled to be completed by May 23. Traffic will be maintained
with one lane open in each direction during construction. All lane closures will be lifted
after May 23.
Work has been scheduled to help minimize delays to traffic and disruptions to special
events on the bridge.
Weekend traffic peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., often resulting in traffic backups,
even with all toll lanes open. Drivers should consider crossing at off-peak times or pre-
pare for delays.
Wide-load restrictions will be in place in both directions for any vehicles wider than
10 feet during construction. Wider loads will be allowed to cross once per day between
7 and 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and traffic will be stopped for brief periods for
those crossings.
Due to this work, the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau’s annual Jeep the Mac event will not
include a bridge crossing. Instead, the Bureau has renamed the event, Jeep the Yoop,
scheduled for May 10-12.
Work will resume in late March 2025 with repaving of the two southbound lanes. The
overall project is scheduled to be completed, with all lanes reopened, by May 22, 2025.
Live traffic camera views of the bridge, updates on bridge conditions, toll rates and
information on the MacPass program can all be found on the MBA website: Mackinac-
Bridge.org.NEWS NEWS BRIEFSBRIEFS
Barry County Sheriff’s Office
swapping brown uniforms for black
Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
Barry County Sheriff’s Office deputies
will be sporting a new wardrobe soon.
The department is in the process of moving
away from the brown uniforms currently used
by deputies in favor of new black uniforms.
Undersheriff Jason Sixberry said corrections
officers have already started changing over to
the new uniforms, with patrol officers chang-
ing once the department receives more. Patrol
officers will likely still be sporting the old
brown uniforms until sometime in April.
The department is changing colors for
several reasons, Sixberry said. The brown
uniforms the department has been using
have started getting harder to find, with
some uniform orders taking months to arrive.
The long lead time on orders makes getting
replacements or uniforms for new hires a
challenge. On one occasion, long-sleeved
uniforms ordered by the department in the
winter didn’t arrive until the summer, when
officers had switched back to wearing short-
sleeves.
“We had been waiting for six months,
sometimes, for some of our clothing to get
in,” Sixberry said.
The black uniforms should last longer, while
also being cheaper to buy and still comfortable
for deputies to wear. The new uniforms are
made of a different material than the old ones,
making them more resistant to fading.
“The hard part with the brown uniforms is
they would fade, because of the material,” hesaid. “Even if you got brand new tops, your
pants would look different because you wear
those all year round.”
When the department has uniforms in hand
and patrol officers make the switch to black
uniforms, officers will be identified with two
Barry County Sheriff’s Office patches. The
sheriff’s office crest will be on the arm of the
uniform, with a sheriff’s star on the back,both in a subdued black and gray color.
Even after the switch, the brown uniforms
won’t be gone entirely. The department’s
dress uniforms, typically reserved for parades,
funerals, or presentations, will still feature
brown shirts and pink-tan pants. At some
point, the department will likely switch to
black dress uniforms too, but Sixberry said
that won’t happen for a while.QUESTIONS:
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To Members of Hastings Mutual Insurance Company,
Hastings, Michigan:Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Amicrest Mu-
tual Holding Company will be conducted on Wednesday, April 10,
2024 beginning at 9:00 a.m., at 404 E. Woodlawn Ave, Hastings,
MI. The annual meeting agenda includes a ballot for the election
of the following Directors: Douglas J. Drenth, Mark A. Kolanowski
and Janice A. Oshinski. For more information contact Michael W.
Puerner, Secretary, 269-948-1532.
213730PUBLIC NOTICE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
2024 GRAND REGION HERBICIDE PROGRAMThe Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) hereby
provides notice to the public, including property owners adjacent to
state highways, of the 2024 Herbicide Application Program treatments
for roadside rights of way within Mason, Lake, Osceola, Oceana,
Newaygo, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia,
Allegan, and Barry counties.SCHEDULED DATES OF APPLICATION:
Applications will take place between April 1, 2024, and December 1,
2024.HERBICIDES/LOCATIONS:
Non-Selective Applications: (guardrail, pavement/shoulder cracks
and edges, barrier walls, concrete bridge slopes, invasive plants)
ANY INDIVIDUAL OR COMBINATIONS OF THE HERBICIDES
LISTED BELOW:
Roundup Pro Concentrate (Glyphosate), Method 240SL
(Aminocyclopyrachlor), Milestone (Aminopyralid), Escort XP
(Metsulfuron Methyl), Arsenal Powerline (Imazapyr), Rodeo
(Glyphosate), Esplanade 200 SC (Indaziflam), Polaris
(Isopropylamine Salt of Imazapyr), Telar XP (Chlorsulfuron)
Roundup Custom (Glyphosate).Selective Applications: (broadleaf weeds in turf areas, brush control,
plant growth regulator, invasive plants) ANY INDIVIDUAL OR
COMBINATIONS OF THE HERBICIDES LISTED BELOW:
Weedestroy AM-40 (2, 4-Diclorophenoxyacetic Acid), Detail
(Saflufenacil), Milestone (Aminopyralid), Escort XP (Metsulfuron
Methyl), Telar XP (Chlorsulfuron), Vastlan (Triclopyr Choline,
Acetic Acid, Choline Salt), Garlon 4 Ultra (Triclopyr-2-Butoxyethyl
Ester), Vista XRT (Fluroxypyr), Plateau (Imazapic), Method 240SL
(Aminocyclopyrachlor)
METHOD OF APPLICATION:
All applications will be ground or foliar applied by vehicular-mounted
fixed boom or hand spray gun equipment. The herbicides will be
tank-mixed or injected for each application.RE-ENTRY RESTRICTIONS:
Do not enter treated areas until the spray has dried.CONTACT:
All applications will be made by certified pesticide applicators. For
further information, contact:
Tom Kitcey, Resource Specialist
Michigan Department of Transportation
1420 Front Ave., N.W. Grand Rapids, MI 49504
616-558-
This notice is published per Regulation 637 Act No. 451, Public Acts
of 1994, as amended.been removed from the agenda, per Chairman Bob
Norton.
For now, this closes the chapter on a three-year
saga that started with an initial application filed by R.
Smith & Sons, which owns the parcel. That applica-
tion was denied by the township’s planning commis-
sion in August of 2022 and the denial held up in
court.
After Stoneco acquired all of the gravel mining
assets of R Smith and Sons (Stoneco still does not
own the Wilkinson Lake parcel, though) it reworked
the project and submitted the latest application.
Meanwhile, residents in the area have mobilized
the entire way, voicing their opposition to the project,
which they feared would harm water quality, produce
noise and dust and otherwise have detrimental effects
on the environment as a whole.
“It’s hard to keep a community activated and
engaged over three years of time which is saying a lot
for the community because we probably had some of
our biggest attendance these last couple of meetings
showing that we not only are constantly engaged butthe interest is growing around the community,” said
Sklenka, who was part of that effort. “I don’t think
the gravel community understands the level of inter-
est that everyone has with not having this gravel pit
here.”
Sklenka commended the planning commission
and said that the experience likely has helped to
create streamlined processes for addressing future
proposed projects of this nature.
Supervisor Peck agreed.
“Myself and the Hope Township board are very
proud of our planning commission board members,”
he said. “They have shown complete professionalism
throughout this long and somewhat arduous special
use permit process over the past few years. As local
township residents themselves, they are often faced
with very difficult decisions within the law to make,
that may affect their fellow neighbors and them-
selves. I can be assured that their dedication and
commitment to the residents of Hope Township will
be applied to any future issues that come before the
board.”STONECO, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SHERIFF, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
“The Board of Commissioners did not review or authorize
any such investigation into Dominion and/or their represen-
tatives. Sheriff Leaf is acting on his own behalf and in coor-
dination with other individuals who have ongoing concerns
about the 2020 election. We continue to support our local
clerks and believe that elections in Barry County are con-
tinuing with the utmost integrity and professionalism.”
— Barry County Board of Commissioners in a statement
The Barry County Sheriff’s Department is moving away from its brown uniforms,
shown here worn by deputy Jordan Lee at National Night Out in 2022. (file photo)