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Our County Administration Team surprised Kris Foguth on her 25 Years of service at Animal Control. For a quarter century Kris has been helping Cats and Dogs in need of a loving home find that forever place to live and give families that new addition that works their way into your heart. On January of 1999 our Animal Shelter became the first No Kill Municipal shelter in Michigan. Over the years Kris has helped find homes for a countless number of pets. We wish Kris many more years of serving and protecting! A local Newspaper called the Ice Storm of 2025 “The Storm of the Century”. It certainly deserves that name destroying over 1,800 power poles, over 300 electric transformers and left our County and 11 other Michigan Counties without power for up to 2 weeks or longer. With no power and almost every road blocked by downed trees or debris our Emergency Management Team went into action. The Road Commission cleared our paths and removed tons of obstacles. The local E-Free Church activated as a shelter housing and feeding over 200 people, 3 meals a day, some from assisted living centers. The Otsego Board of Commissioners declared a County State of Emergency and our State Governor (pic bottom right) sent in the National Guard to help. The County Fair Grounds acted as a base camp housing and feeding 1,100 Linemen (pic in gold box left) working around the clock to restore power and heat to families braving the winter temperatures. Pictures below are from inside the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which coordinated the County and State response. Though many worked tirelessly I want to especially thank all the Linemen who, under difficult conditions, got our County up and running! Heading out on his next adventure, our very longtime friend and County Equalization Director Mark Reetz says hello to retirement. Mark’s knowledge of complex calculations along with his ever-present wit will be terribly missed by all of us but we wish Mark all the very best! Undersheriff Matt Muladore is proudly entering his 13th year as the current Undersheriff of Otsego County. With 25 years of service in law enforcement, Matt has dedicated much of his career to serving the citizens of northern Michigan and Otsego County. One of his proudest achievements has been his involvement with the Northern Michigan Mutual Aid SWAT Team, where he has served for over 10 years. Additionally, Matt has completed the prestigious three-part FBI LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive Development Association) training, earning the coveted FBI Trilogy Award. Beyond his law enforcement duties, Matt continues to serve the residents of Otsego County with dedication and a heart for service. 1st Qtr. 2025