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Emergency management reports Consumers Energy pause, confirmed tornado and $100,000 EV training grant
Summary
Emergency management staff told the board Consumers Energy paused planned Hardee Dam construction, staff hosted Skywarn training and confirmed a March 30 tornado, and Michigan Works awarded a six‑county $100,000 grant for EV training and equipment for fire departments.
An emergency management official told the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners that Consumers Energy has paused planned construction at Hardee Dam; the county has not been told how long the pause will last.
The Emergency Management Director said the pause gives county public‑safety staff more time to prepare and refine response and coordination plans tied to the project. The office also hosted Skywarn storm‑spotter training on March 26 with a lead forecaster from the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids and reported about 30 participants from the public and fire departments.
The director reported the county documented a confirmed tornado on March 30 — the county’s first confirmed tornado since 2013 — that largely crossed farm fields and produced no injuries. Staff and the undersheriff performed post‑storm damage assessments and a storm‑chaser’s drone helped confirm the tornado path in an area not readily accessible by vehicle.
Deputy director Westgate resigned; the director said the position was posted and that the county had received 12 applicants, of which 3 are probable and 3 are highly potential candidates. The director also said the county continues work on hazard‑specific annexes for its hazard mitigation plan in order to meet FEMA public participation requirements.
The director described a Michigan Works grant of $100,000 covering six counties to fund EV (electric vehicle) training and equipment for fire departments, with training and equipment distribution planned by Sept. 30. The initial grant focus is hazardous‑materials response and post‑incident cleanup; if classes are underfilled the county will consider opening remaining seats to law enforcement.
