Correction: Swinson wasn’t in Po’s yard

In a front-page story last week, the Independent said Donald Hazel Swinson, 76, was in Nelson Po’s yard in Sumpter Township when Swinson pulled a handgun on Po. Po has informed the Independent that is incorrect. He said he and Swinson were each in their own yards and they were separated by a chain link fence between them. Po said they were standing very close to one another.
We regret the error.
School salary list
Linda Cobb, a long-time secretary for the Van Buren Public Schools who now works at Hamtramck High School, said the $20,000 salary listed for her on the 2016 salary list is incorrect because it was settlement of arbitration for her, not salary, and she got no benefits.
Van Buren Public Schools Financial Director Shareen Barker explained: “Ms. Cobb’s salary listed is based on ‘missed wages.’ Therefore, the $20,000 was paid as wages. The benefit amount listed on the spreadsheet is not for ‘health benefits,’ but is for FICA and retirement paid by the district on Ms. Cobb’s behalf. ORS [Office of Retirement Services] has determined that Ms. Cobb’s wages received are not retirement-eligible. As a result, her new benefit amount is $1,530 [$5,000 less than stated on the list]. Ms. Cobb’s situation was an isolated case and in no means affects the integrity of the other salary/benefit information provided.”
Internet coverage of school board
Angela Mears said she records school board meetings for her own Facebook page and does not put it on the SavageStrong site. She said just once SavageStrong shared her posting because the regular person who does it was having a birthday. We regret the error in last week’s Extra Things I Know column.
Rosemary K. Otzman, editor