Compiled by Bethany Kohoutek bethany@dmcityview.com

Iowa, by the numbers

Leading causes of death in 2004
Heart disease
Stroke
Arteriosclerosis
Unintentional injuries
Homicides
Suicides
Teenage suicides (ages 10-19)

Firearm deaths in 2004
Total firearm deaths: 194
Firearm suicide deaths: 154
Firearm homicide deaths: 35
Unintentional deaths: 3

Counties with highest suicide rates
1. Osceola
2. Ringgold
3. O’Brien
4. Chickasaw
5. Taylor
6. Warren
7. Madison
8. Worth
9. Bremer
10. Monroe
(Polk County is 49th of 99.)

State of the family in 2004
Oldest father: 75
Youngest father: 14

Oldest mother in Iowa: 52
Youngest mother: 13

Lowest birth weight: 6 ounces
Highest birth weight: 12 pounds, 13 ounces

Oldest male: 109
Oldest female: 109

Oldest groom: 92
Youngest groom: 16

Oldest bride: 89
Youngest bride: 16

Longest duration of marriage ending in divorce: 37 years

Oldest male divorcee: 95
Youngest male divorcee: 19

Oldest female divorcee: 98
Youngest female divorcee: 17

Bride’s median marriage age: 26
Groom’s median marriage age: 28

Wife’s median marriage-dissolution age: 39
Husband’s median marriage-dissolution age: 37

(Source: Iowa Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, 2004)

Docket diving

Mary Schmidt didn’t think she deserved to be fired. After working as a server at the Iowa Machine Shed restaurant in Des Moines for 13 years, her managers informed her she was being let go on April 23, 2004. During the course of a year, Schmidt’s bosses had documented four customer complaints about her service.

Schmidt, however, doesn’t think that’s the reason she was canned. On April 2, 2004, Schmidt learned that sensitive and private employee information accidentally had been printed on the back of children’s menus at the Machine Shed. The names, identification numbers and Social Security numbers for almost 80 Machine Shed employees were printed on the forms. As soon as Schmidt and the hostess who was on duty at the time discovered the error, they gathered up all the menus they could find and informed the manager, who had the menus destroyed as soon as he heard about the problem.

Schmidt, however, took several menus home to show her husband, according to court records. Over the course of the next few weeks, Schmidt continued to raise concerns with management and with her fellow employees about the possible breach of employee information due to the misprints.

Before the menu mix-up, Schmidt had accumulated three customer complaints during 2003, and she was informed by management that if she racked up another one, it would result in her “suspension or termination.”

On April 23, Machine Shed managers received a fourth customer complaint about Schmidt’s service. She was fired later that day.

Schmidt filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against Iowa Machine Shed, complaining that the company had violated her right to privacy when it accidentally printed employee info on the backs of the menus. Furthermore, she claimed that the real reason for her firing was not the complaints against her, but her continued questions about the misprinted menus.

After the Polk County District Court ruled in favor of the restaurant, Schmidt appealed. When the Iowa Supreme Court took up the case, it noted that Schmidt was “an at-will employee,” and that the defendant — the Machine Shed — “could fire her for any lawful reason or for no reason at all,” unless the termination violated public policy.

In her appeal, Schmidt cited several statutes, regulations and prior cases to back up her reasoning, but the appellate court ultimately ruled that such precedents did not apply to her situation. One concern she raised was Section 715A of the Iowa Code, which deals with identity theft. The court opined, “There is no allegation defendant committed identity theft or that any unknown person used the employee information from the menus to steal any employee’s identity.”

Ultimately, the appellate court found that Schmidt’s case was not strong enough to conclude that the Machine Shed had violated any public policy when it fired her.

4 : Number of ambulance vehicles owned by the city of West Des Moines.

Sucks to be you

Name: Michelle Engler
Location: Polk County Jail
Posed for this picture because: Michelle Engler became irate when the pizza she never ordered didn’t come out of the oven fast enough at a local late-night pizza joint last week. Engler allegedly entered the establishment and began to berate the staff, referring to one employee as an “asshole” and advising him to “suck her dildo,” according to police reports. When police officers arrived, Engler assumed “an aggressive stance,” and appeared “ready to kick” an officer. She was arrested and transported to jail.

(Alleged) drug dealers

Name: Samuel John Spies
Date: Oct. 21
Conspiracy to deliver amphetamine

Name: Vannessa Anne Janis
Date: Oct. 20
Conspiracy to deliver amphetamine

Name: Michael Curtis Sweeny
Date: Oct. 18
Possession with intent to deliver cocaine

On the clock

Des Moines Police – Oct. 23

9 a.m.
Burglary in the 1900 block of S.W. First. An unknown person gained entry into the Victory Bible Church while parishioners and staff were gone. A CD player, a Craftsman toolbox and a weed-eater were missing. Two congregants told police that they suspect the crime was committed by someone who knows the layout of the church.

10:23 a.m.
Criminal mischief in the 100 block of University. Police responded to a BP gas station where a suspect was bothering customers. The station’s manager asked the suspect to leave the property, but the suspect shoved the manager and threatened to burn down the store. When the manager attempted to use the phone to call police, the suspect grabbed the phone from his hand and smashed it on the ground. Police eventually located the suspect in the 300 block of University, arrested him, and transported him to jail.

4:45 p.m.
Assault causing injury in the 2700 block of E. 42nd. A 15-year-old female was waiting for a ride home from school outside of Hoyt Junior High when she was confronted by a group of girls. One of the girls told the victim that the victim “had made fun of her friend,” and proceeded to push the victim and pull her hair. The suspect also punched the victim in the face several times, causing noticeable swelling that police officers later observed. The victim told police that she does not know the name of the suspect, only that she attends Hoyt.

7:45 p.m.
Apartment prowl in the 1700 block of Woodland. The victim left for work in the morning, and when she returned, the back door had been kicked open. Jewelry and about 20 DVDs were missing.

11 p.m.
Burglary in the 3000 block of Cleveland. Victim went to bed, and when he awoke to go to work the next morning, he noticed that the overhead door to his garage was open. The only item he noticed missing was his blue 2006 Yamaha motorcycle.

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