FORT DODGE, Iowa (KCCI) – A Fort Dodge woman has been awarded nearly $20 million in damages following a malpractice lawsuit against the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, KCCI reports. Linette Nelson sued the medical facility after complications from surgeries performed in 2018 to treat her ulcerative colitis. The initial treatment plan involved three operations to rebuild her lower digestive tract.

Nelson claimed her surgeon left 6 centimeters of diseased tissue during the reconstruction process. The surgical error required three additional corrective operations. Nelson now lives with chronic pain as a result of the complications.

During the trial, the Mayo Clinic admitted wrongdoing but contested the amount of damages awarded to Nelson.

DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – A former vice president with an Iowa-based convenience store chain is suing the company, alleging gender discrimination by a female executive accused by her colleagues of hating men. Stuart Taylor, a former Kum & Go vice president, is suing the company and Chief Marketing Officer Tracy Ging in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, claiming there was a “blatant disparity” in how the company treated men and women.

Court records indicate Taylor was hired in 2018 as Kum & Go’s vice president of business insights and analytics and later filled the interim roles of vice president of category management and vice president of food service, while retaining his original position. According to the lawsuit, he initially received favorable performance reviews and was designated a “shooting star” at the company, signifying the company’s recognition of his talent and potential to join the senior leadership team.

In 2020, the company hired Ging as its new chief marketing officer. The lawsuit alleges that within a few months, Ging fired the vice president of food service, Jeff Schamburger, which led to Taylor filling the position on an interim basis. According to the lawsuit, while Taylor’s work in that role was viewed as a success, Ging stripped him of his “shooting star” designation and hired a woman to fill the position of vice president of food service. She later criticized statements made by Taylor and, the lawsuit claims, “somehow managed to accuse him of gender discrimination based on his neutral suggestion” on a marketing issue. The lawsuit alleges Ging was “accusing Taylor of being chauvinistic simply for voicing an opinion that was different than her own.”

The lawsuit also alleges Taylor “asked Ging why she had accused him multiple times of being sexist. Ging’s response was to apologize, to say that she didn’t really know, but that sometimes people just ‘need a punch in the nose.’” In addition, the lawsuit claims Ging witnessed a female vice president berating a male colleague and did nothing to intervene, citing the alleged incident as one example of the “blatant disparity in treatment” of men and women at the company.

“Ging tolerates women disrespecting men, but even a perceived slight of a man against a woman was met with an iron fist,” the lawsuit alleges. “Taylor has also been told by another individual who worked with Ging that ‘Tracy is good at strategy, but the thing about her is she just hates men.’”

Taylor alleges Ging fired him April 2023 for pretextual reasons intended to disguise illegal gender discrimination. A trial date has yet to be scheduled in the case.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is in the middle of its 100th pheasant season this year. Iowa D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz  says the sport took off quickly and was very popular in the early decades.

Bogenschutz says the season used to open in November, and that led to some scheduling conflicts. It was set to open on Veteran’s Day one year and that raised a concern.

Football had become popular as well, and that created another scheduling concern during the era where coach Forest Evashevski had taken the Hawkeyes to two Rose Bowls.

He says that the school was worried some fans would be chasing birds in the cornfields instead of watching the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.

Iowa won that game 33 to nothing over Minnesota and the Floyd trophy. Hunter numbers dropped off in the 70’s and 80’s as farming changes led to drops in bird numbers. Numbers have been rebounding and Bogenschutz expects this 100th pheasant season will see a lot of success once it is complete in January.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak issued a citation, but no one was injured, following an accident early Friday afternoon. Authorities say officers were called at around 1-p.m. to the intersection of N. 4th and E. Joy Streets for a two-vehicle accident. After a brief investigation, officers learned a 16-year-old female was traveling west on E. Joy Street in a 2016 Ford Focus, and failed to yield at the posted yield sign at the intersection. Her lack of action caused the car to be struck by a 2005 Buick Park Avenue, driven by 20-year-old Logan James Conn, of Red Oak, who was traveling north on N. 4th Street.

Following the initial impact, the Ford spun around and continued bakc2wards until it struck a 2012 Subaru Legacy that was legally parked in the 300 block of E. Joy Street. The teenage driver of the Ford was cited for Failure to Obey a Yield Sign. Damage from the collisions amounted to $9,300 altogether. The Ford was towed from the scene, while the Buick was able to be driven away.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Atlantic has been recognized as a Neighborhood Champion for the 12th year in a row by American Express. Atlantic will participate in the 15th Annual Small Business Saturday this Saturday to support local small businesses.

“We’re proud to work alongside our business community to bring special activities and incentives to Small Business Saturday,” said Kelsey Beschorner, Executive Director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a day dedicated to celebrating the businesses that make Atlantic such a strong and unique place to shop.”

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support communities nationwide. American Express created the Neighborhood Champion Program to rally local organizations and encourage participation in Shop Small® events across the country.

American Express recognizes communities that demonstrate strong engagement. Atlantic’s ongoing Shop Local Initiative, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, along with years of steady community support, has helped Atlantic consistently achieve this national recognition.

“This recognition highlights the incredible teamwork within our community,” Beschorner added. “Our businesses show up for Atlantic every day, and Small Business Saturday is a great reminder of how much impact we make when we show up for them in return.”

This year, the Chamber is also introducing the new Chestnut Street Tote Program. Beginning on Small Business Saturday, shoppers can purchase a limited-edition Chestnut Street tote bag exclusively at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. The bag features the Chestnut Street ornament and includes a tag listing participating businesses offering special promotions for tote users. Only 85 totes will be available, making this a limited holiday collectible that encourages shoppers to explore and support businesses across Atlantic.

November 29th marks Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that create jobs, strengthen the economy, and help preserve neighborhoods. Shoppers are encouraged to stop by the Chamber from 10 AM to 1 PM to purchase a Chestnut Street tote, pick up AtlanticCash, browse holiday bundles, and learn about community-wide promotions.

Small business owners can learn more about participating in Small Business Saturday and download free marketing materials at www.shopsmall.com. Consumers can visit www.atlanticiowa.com to find deals, participating merchants, and more information about the Chestnut Street Tote Program.

Small Business Saturday is presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust.

(Radio Iowa) – The forecast is calling for a big winter storm to hit the state tonight (Friday). D-O-T Winter Operations director Craig Bargfrede says they have crews standing by. “Typically when we have an event like this that is forecasted and going to impact us over a holiday or over a weekend, we will shift people. We will have staff on board, bring folks in to deal with the event,” he says. He says something like this is part of normal winter operations. “It’s a natural thing that we do, especially with our full time staff,” Bargfrede says. “Volunteers from a winter seasonal position standpoint, we have those folks on board to help augment. And a lot of times they are really good at stepping in where we need to to fill in people.” Bargfrede says most winter operations workers have been through something like this already.

“Mother Nature doesn’t follow the nine to five type of Monday through Friday routine. Our staff are fully aware of it. Many have been through these types of things before and and they they accept the fact that we may have to be out there over the holiday,” Bargfrede says. Bargfrede says if you are traveling this weekend, check the Iowa D-O-T’s 5-1-1.org site to see the road conditions. “It’s a good resource anytime during the winter season, but especially during the holiday season, really looked at 5-1-1 for your source of information on road conditions and what’s going on out there on the system. Lots of lots of valuable information on that website,” he says.

(File photo) I 80 W Mile Marker 70. IA DOT Snowplow View 5:14-pm 2/1/15

Bargfrede says one of his biggest concerns is the potential for more high winds with this storm. “This could be a very impactful event from a visibility standpoint. So if you see ahead of you a big snow cloud, don’t just think that it’s just snow blowing around, there very could easily be a big orange Iowa D-O-T truck hidden in that snow cloud. So just be cautious,” Bargfrede says. He says give the plows plenty of room to do their job.

(Radio Iowa) – Today’s Black Friday shopping extravaganza, followed by Small Business Saturday, marks a vital kickoff to the holiday shopping season, which a University of Iowa College of Business professor says could be make-or-break time for countless Iowa merchants. Professor Peggy Stover, who directs the U-I’s Marketing Institute, says some businesses may have a so-so 11 months and they rely on this weekend’s events to kickstart consumers for December to meet their margins and stay afloat. “They’re very important, especially for the small retailers in Iowa, since so many of them are competing against your big box retailers,” Stover says, “and then you have, of course, the online retailers who have managed to carve out a significant market share of the holiday shopping.”

Not too many years ago, a majority of stores opened on Thanksgiving Day to beat the Black Friday deals, but there was a backlash that returned the holiday’s focus to family, reserving Friday for the shop-til-you-drop enthusiasts. Now, very few retailers are open on Thanksgiving, and even many grocery stores will be closed. “I think it’s both a great PR move by retailers, but it also comes on the heels of consumers just really realizing that the unsung heroes during the holiday season are the retail workers,” Stover says.

“They oftentimes are not able to enjoy the holiday season, much like the rest of us, because they have to work.” Many factors may impact the shopping season ahead, including interest rates, inflation, and credit card debt. Stover also says there’s a demographic change and a shift in mindsets coming, for which retailers will need to brace.”You have Gen Z and then the younger Millennials, who they would prefer to pay for an experience versus goods or a product,” Stover says. “Another thing to take into account is that Gen Xers are starting to retire, so now you’re losing a consumer base that could have had more disposable income.”

Given uncertainty in the economy, inflation, tariffs, and layoffs in the public and private sector, Stover predicts a modest two-percent growth in holiday sales. That’s well below last year’s four-percent rise.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 11:15-p.m. Thursday, of 28-year-old Tucker Evan Webster, from Shenandoah. Webster was arrested in the 2700 block of Highway 48, on an active Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash-only bond. Officers with the Shenandoah Police Department assisted in Webster’s arrest.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Nebraska man who caused an emergency landing on a flight diverted to Cedar Rapids is now scheduled to hear his sentence. KCRG reports 24-year-old Mario Nikprelaj, of Elkhorn, NE, pleaded guilty in federal court to interference with flight crew members and attendants on September 23rd. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. January 13 in Cedar Rapids. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Nikprelaj was arrested from a SkyWest flight from Omaha to Detroit on July 17. According to a federal complaint, the captain was told about Nikprelaj and flight attendants described him as an “unruly passenger” before take off. Flight attendants told the captain that Nikprelaj was leaving his seat against orders. He flipped off the flight attendants and returned to his seat. He was sat in the plane’s exit row.

According to a criminal complaint, he later tried to open an emergency exit door and fought with other passengers. At one point, he threatened to kill a flight attendant. The flight attendant told him to remain in his seat and he grabbed her arm. The captain called the Eastern Iowa Airport and said he needed to make an emergency landing. The call took place about fifteen miles from the airport.

Passengers helped subdue Nikprelaj until the plane landed at the Eastern Iowa Airport, where he was detained.