Two major moves by Trumbull County Commissioners Thursday as commissioners vote to discipline one county leader and remove another. Shortly after 2 p.m., commissioners moved on a motion to remove 911 Director Ernest Cook from his position after an executive session that lasted hours. Effective immediately, leaders appointed Patty Goldner as the interim 911 director.

Ernest Cook, 69, pleaded no contest last week to charges of loss of physical control under the influence and failure to report a July accident from 2018 -- both misdemeanors. The charges stemmed from a collision with a teenager on a skateboard in 2018 in which Cook was off-duty. Authorities say Cook did not stop after the accident happened.

When reached by phone, Ernie Cook told 21 News he was not notified directly by any of the commissioners of his termination and only found out after media calls to him for comment. Cook said he could only assume it was due to the recent court case saying, "I know scores of Trumbull County leaders -- elected and appointed -- who have been involved in similar incidents of a misdemeanor nature and haven't received any sort of repercussions."  

Also during Thursday's meeting, commissioners voted to suspend Richard Jackson, the county's HR director, for 17 days. That suspension will be unpaid. Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said that Jackson had two separate infractions against him that violate the county's policies and procedures manual. He said both infractions deal with insensitivity in the workplace. He added, "We need to continue to raise the standards of the workplace, treat others with respect and create an environment that is conducive to both productivity and positivity."