Overview

• Just after midnight on Sept. 13, staff reported a chemical odor in a housing unit, moved inmates outside for fresh air, and public safety confirmed elevated carbon monoxide.
• Nine inmates were transported to U‑M Ionia Hospital and Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for treatment and were medically cleared that day.
• Seven returned to the jail by afternoon; one received an early release near the end of a sentence and another left on bond after a detainer was lifted.
• Maintenance identified a faulty ventilation pipe on a hot‑water boiler as the source; the unit was shut down, repairs finished around 6 a.m., and added measures are intended to detect similar failures quickly.
• Loved ones and some inmates report earlier illness complaints and persistent symptoms, while jail leaders describe an isolated mechanical failure and cite recent inspections, with coverage noting no specific statewide CO‑detector requirement for county jails.