Embattled Director To Retire

Barry County (Mich.) 911 Central Dispatch director Charles Nystrom, under investigation for over-paying dispatchers, will continue on his paid leave of absence for the next 7 months, until Feb. 2008, and then retire a year earlier than he planned. The retirement was negotiated during a 3-hour meeing with county officials, and includes full salary and benefits until his retirement. The county will also pay Nystrom’s attorney about $10,000 in legal fees. Nystrom, 61, is a 15-year county employee, and will not face criminal charges according to the deal. An investigation found that he falsified pay slips back to 2001 to give 15 employees additional hours, translating to additional pay. He told investigators the pay, which totaled about $40,000, was for additional time the employees worked.