IRON MOUNTAIN — John Gunville will return to the Dickinson County Fair Board, as county commissioners on Monday filled a vacancy created by their 4-1 vote last week to remove a member for absenteeism.

Gunville, a 24-year fair board member from Vulcan, was late with his application for reappointment in February and was not considered at that time. His new term runs through the end of 2026.

There were two other applicants — Ray Samborski of Norway and Rebecca Padgett of Kingsford. Gunville received votes from County Board Chairman Henry Wender and commissioners John Degenaer Jr. and Barbara Kramer. Commissioners Ann Martin and Joe Stevens voted for Padgett.

Diana Oman of Felch Township, who was named to fill a partial term in February and reappointed to a three-year term in October, was removed from the fair board during a special county board meeting Thursday.

Degenaer, who chairs the fair board, reported at the county board’s Dec. 26 meeting that the fair board had voted 8-4 to recommend Oman’s removal due to absenteeism.

Martin, who also serves on the fair board, was joined by Stevens at that time in saying Oman should have a chance to appear before the county board.

According to County Clerk-Register of Deeds Carol Bronzyk, during the Thursday session Oman disputed Degenaer’s characterization of her absences. Oman also took exception to a Dec. 27 Daily News report on the county’s Dec. 26 meeting.

Stevens voted against the recommendation for removal.

Other members of the fair board are Liane Arnold, Rob Barkle, Tom Bedard, Beth Bray, James DalSanto, Ashley Edwards, Mike Gregg, Anthony Grudnoski, James Stachowicz and Dec. 26 appointee Charles Parker.

In other action, the county board:

— Heard Katie Maxon, chief of public affairs and voluntary services at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, praise the county’s Veteran Service Office for its role in making veterans aware of the benefits available to them. The office, located in a Ford Airport hangar at 2301 Woodward Ave. in Kingsford, will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2.

— Learned from Controller Brian Bousley that there were 18,597 boardings on commercial flights at the county airport in 2023. That’s down from 20,622 in 2022 but still well above the 10,000 enplanements needed annually for a base entitlement of $1 million under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. SkyWest Airlines, based in St. George, Utah, has served as the airport’s Essential Air Service carrier since December 2012.