(Radio Iowa) — The 10 “Dressbarn” stories in Iowa are closing. The parent company that owns the budget clothing chain is shutting down all 650 Dressbarn stores in the United States. The company also owns Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant and said it will shift focus to more profitable brands. A woman in Connecticut opened the first Dress Barn in 1962.

There are Dressbarn stores in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City, West Des Moines, Waterloo and Williamsburg. No word yet on when liquidation sales will begin.

The number of retail store closings so far in 2019 is now larger than the TOTAL number of brick-and-mortar stores that closed last year.

(Radio Iowa) — A special meeting is planned tonight (Tuesday) in Glenwood for residents in southwest Iowa to get more information about dealing with their flood-damaged homes. Sheri Bowen, spokeswoman for Mills County, says the meeting’s purpose is to offer homeowners more details about various grant programs that are available for demolishing or buying out properties impacted by this spring’s flooding. Bowen says FEMA is offering one such program.

“It’s a chance for the county or the city to look at where houses are built where they shouldn’t be,” Bowen says. “It’s also an opportunity for homeowners who have been badly damaged here, and just have no way of rebuilding their properties, to have a buyout at pre-flood value.” Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials will be on hand to review the program and answer questions, and FEMA representatives will discuss individual assistance programs and direct housing. Bowen says it’s still not known how many properties in the county were damaged or destroyed by flooding.

“The county has a program in place where an inspector goes out when folks can return to their properties and assesses that property for structural safety and for their ability to get their power and their gas turned back on,” Bowen says. “So, in the unincorporated areas, I think we have a better look of what the houses do look like.” Bowen says a large number of homes in Pacific Junction suffered significant damage in the flooding.

“In the city of Pacific Junction, they have had a delay in their structural inspections,” Bowen says. “Those won’t be happening for another week or week-and-a-half. So, there’s no firm number there either. But, we do know that a large number had water to the eaves of their first level, so they sustained major damage for an extended period of time.” Bowen says Iowa Department of Transportation crews were in the community last week to haul off massive piles of flood-related debris outside homes, though she says more work remains.

“We have a number of properties that have not yet been mucked out, or cleaned out, due to folks being unsure of what their next steps are and availability of volunteer organizations,” Bowen says. “Will those houses be cleaned out? Are they appropriate to be cleaned out? That still remains to be seen by inspection happening, hopefully in the near future.”

Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 7 P-M at the Glenwood High School Auditorium.

The Harlan Police Department reports three recent arrests. On Saturday, 47-year old Francis Raymond, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for service.  He was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and prohibited acts penalties.

Last Thursday, 24-year old Anthony Michael McCoy, of Avoca, was arrested following a traffic stop.  He was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while barred and violating a one-way traffic designation. 34-year old Anthony Joseph Koester, of Harlan, was also transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A southwest Iowa man filed a free speech lawsuit Tuesday against a sheriff’s deputy, his supervisor and a county government after he was charged with harassment for writing a social media post that profanely criticized the deputy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of Jon Richard Goldsmith, a Red Oak resident who became angered after attending a festival in Corning and watching an Adams County sheriff’s deputy search a car and have a confrontation with another person.

Jon Goldsmith

Goldsmith, 50, later criticized the deputy, Cory Dorsey, in a profane Facebook post that led the sheriff’s department to charge Goldsmith with third-degree harassment. The misdemeanor charge is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $625 fine.

After Goldsmith hired an attorney, the charge was dropped but the ACLU sued Adams County, Dorsey and his supervisor, Sgt. Paul Hogan, for what it alleged was a free speech violation. “Protecting this type of speech directed at government officials is what the First Amendment and Iowa Constitution are all about,” said ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen.

“Police are not allowed to try to put people in jail because they annoy the police or say things the police disagree with — on social media or otherwise,” she said.
The suit calls for the county to pay damages to Goldsmith, stop charging people who criticize law enforcement and require training of officers. Adams County Sheriff Alan Johannes declined to comment on the lawsuit.

In his post on Facebook, Goldsmith alleged Dorsey was wrong to use a dog in an unsuccessful search of a vehicle for drugs and that the deputy later “body slams” a spectator who was “giving them a hard time.”

In a video statement released by the ACLU, Goldsmith said, “Adams County should be upholding the law, not breaking it and that includes criticizing them along with the government.”

Recent floods have devastated areas of southwest Iowa and the Atlantic Rotary Club is stepping up to help. The Atlantic Rotary Club is sponsoring a drive to collect much-needed bug spray that will be delivered to the community of Sidney and distributed to residents of Fremont County.  According to Fremont County Emergency Management Director, Mike Crecelius, as the weather begins to warm, the standing water will make the bug problem worse daily; this timely donation will help residents focus on rebuilding their lives and homes.

Any contribution, from $1 to $100 will help in the purchase of the bug spray. Tim Cappel, with Cappel’s Ace Hardware in Atlantic is working with the Atlantic Rotary Club to purchase the bug spray at cost for both the repellent to put on the body and that which is to spray in yards and buildings.

Donors can go to Cappel’s to purchase the bug spray or just drop off a monetary contribution. In addition, checks can be mailed to the Atlantic Rotary Club at PO Box 82 or given to ANY Rotary Club member. With summer weather approaching soon, the club would like to deliver the first load of donated bug spray by the end of May.

Deter Motor Company has graciously agreed to make the delivery to Sidney and Fremont County. Additional deliveries will be made as need, and donations, continue. Please consider donating to support our neighbors in need!

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a special session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in the High School Media Center. On their agenda is a Public Hearing on the plans, specifications & form of contract for the Washington Parking lot project. Afterward, the Board will discuss oversight of the project, and later act on a Resolution approving the plans, specifications & form of contract, and a Resolution Making an Award of Contract.

They will also act on approving: A resolution providing for the advertisement of the sale, and approving an Official Statement for not to exceed $9.5-million General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2019. Other action items include a contract with Bond Counsel & Disclosure Counsel Dorsey and Whitney, staff Contract Recommendations for Preschool Summer School Paraeducators Kami Bruck, Missy Miller, Julie Hansen and Christina Simonton, as well as 2019-20 Administrator Contracts, which calls for an increase of 2% for principals’ 2019-20 salary (that includes FICA and IPERS).

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday at the Adair County Secondary Roads Building. On their agenda is discussion featuring Gary Metzger and Matt Swanson, pertaining to City of Orient wind turbines. The Board will also hold a public hearing on a FY 2019 Budget Amendment, followed by a resolution to approve the amendment, and an Appropriations Resolution.

Sheriff Jeff Vandewater will discuss Holiday Pay with the Board, as well.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed Paul Trombino to temporarily lead Iowa’s human resources agency after its previous director failed to win Senate confirmation.
Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said Tuesday that the governor has installed Trombino as interim director of the Department of Administrative Services while she recruits a permanent replacement.

The move comes after the Iowa Senate adjourned last month without confirming Janet Phipps Burkhead to another term as the agency’s director. Minority Democrats had blocked the appointment due to concerns about her handling of sexual harassment allegations in state government, among other things.

Trombino has been serving as the state’s chief operations officer since leaving the private sector to return to government in January. Previously, he was director of the Iowa Department of Transportation before resigning in 2016. Trombino was also President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Highway Administration, but withdrew from consideration in 2017. As interim director, Trombino doesn’t need Senate confirmation.