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Keweenaw County residents heap praise on retiring sheriff

EAGLE RIVER – Some Keweenaw County residents took a few moments at last week’s County Board meeting to pay tribute to retiring Sheriff Ron Lahti and the work the dedication he has done, not only to his job, but to the county as a whole.

“Whenever a deputy sheriff calls in sick, who works?” Richard Schaefer of Copper Harbor asked. “Who stays up half the nights? Who has a done a major job with minimal money for the county? How many times has the county asked him to please take Sunday off, which he has never done?”

“I don’t think you’ll ever find anyone who has taken the obligation on himself, whether it be grants for the fire department that we participate in in Sherman Township,” another member of the audience said. “It was mentioned he has worked many, many hours – I think if you average it out, it’s probably four or five dollars an hour. I’ve yet to see anyone in this county with that kind of dedication, or expect ever to see anyone with the same in the future.”

Keweenaw County Sheriff’s deputy, Bill Luokkanen, who has worked with Lahti for over 20 years, wanted people to know the amount of money Lahti has saved the county the years he has served as sheriff.

“We enjoy an enhanced 911 system in this county right now that we have no millage to put into that. This was all set in place by the hard work of Ron Lahti at the time when 911 came in.” Luokkanen said. “Imagine the thousands upon thousands of dollars that were saved to the taxpayers of Keweenaw County just for that. Not to mention spearheading the acquisition of grants, such as security grants – anything from snowmobiles to marine – anything that was extra for the county, he went out and got and brought it back.”

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