GREENWOOD (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The owner of Galt Airport, a "one-strip" municipal airport in Greenwood, IL has filed suit against the McHenry County sheriff and 20 of his employees, asserting that the Sheriff Keith Nygren has forced him to hire Sheriff's department officers to serve as security for events at twice the rate of a private security force the Northwest Herald reported.
According to the report, the lawsuit filed by Stanard, who also happens to be the Village President of Greenwood, asserted that Nygren's demands amounted to extortion when he allegedly threatened to shut down road access to the airport.
Nygren rejected these claims, but did concede that he had advised Stanard to hire off-duty sheriff's deputies or state police who would have jurisdiction to carry out arrests if necessary.
A federal judge had denied a temporary restraining order against Nygren to prevent him from interfering with "Hard Landing," a psychedelic rock festival held at the airport on July 21st featuring Iron Butterfly, Blue Oyster Cult and Canned Heat among others. The event went off, receiving mostly positive reviews, despite the legal battles. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
