A Paulding County city’s police chief resigned while he and the department were under investigation.

Hiram police Chief Todd Vande Zande offered his resignation before a city council meeting Jan. 30, the city said Tuesday in a statement.

Vande Zande made his resignation effective April 16.

The investigation that began in 2017 involved alleged employee morale issues and employee turnover within the police department, the city said.

Southern Professional Investigations reported at the Jan. 30 meeting that no violations of state, federal or local ordinaces were discoverd.

A final report has yet to be submitted to city council members for consideration.

In other news:

A Louisiana woman left a beautiful handwritten letter to new parents. Jamie Fontenot's father, James Lee Grimmett, died at Lafayette General Hospital Jan. 12. Fontenot wrote the letter to the first new baby born there. New parents Connie Despanie and Benjamin Hall were touched and named their baby Kingston James.

About the Author

Keep Reading

“I can’t see a scenario where four more years go by without a millage rate increase of some portion,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. (Arvin Temkar AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC