Fire Chief’s Charges Dismissed, New Probe Ahead | Columbus News

Columbus News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 28, 2026 · 2m

Jerome Township’s board just tossed out the initial charges against Fire Chief Doug Stewart — not because he’s innocent, but because the investigation was legally flawed. The township administrator led the probe, but Ohio law requires the investigator to be either a fire chief or a private citizen. With Stewart refusing to back down, the board reset the process. The original charges — including partisan political activity, an unauthorized letter to Amazon, unprofessional conduct, and insubordination — are still on the table, pending a fresh investigation. Stewart remains on administrative…