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Posted October 04, 2017in Civic Skinny

Winners (Waukee, Apple) and losers (Iowa) in Apple deal. Massachusetts issues larceny warrant for Tirrell arrest.

That Apple deal with Waukee is a whole lot richer for the town than even its biggest advocates say. Perhaps at least 10 times richer than the biggest figures being [...]

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Posted September 06, 2017in Civic Skinny

Why this is the final stand-alone school election (no one votes). Marty Tirrell and Ken Miller split. Steve Leath loses — again.

School-board elections will be held in Iowa on Sept. 12. You probably won’t have to wait in line at the polls. There are 115,103 registered voters in the Des Moines [...]

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Posted August 02, 2017in Civic Skinny

The curious cases of Mr. Doe and the former Mr. Doe. Property-tax suits filed. County salaries. Godfrey case.

One-hundred and nine of the 1,121 employees of Polk County will make more than $100,000 in the fiscal year that started July 1, up from 102 employees in the year [...]

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Posted July 05, 2017in Civic Skinny

Reynolds’ ‘surprise’ at Miller ruling was phony. Gross kin for U.S. attorney? No payout for Donley.

Attorney General Tom Miller‘s staff indicated to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds or her staff weeks in advance that he was going to rule she would not have the constitutional authority [...]

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Posted May 31, 2017in Civic Skinny

Cady bars guns at courthouses. Corning among last of breed. Reynolds needs some tutoring.

Chief Justice Mark Cady on Monday (June 19) barred all weapons from “courtrooms, court-controlled spaces, and public areas of courthouses and other justice centers occupied by the court system” in [...]

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Posted May 03, 2017in Civic Skinny

Tirrell’s lawyer sues him, then changes mind. Register trims arts coverage. McCoy v. Mauro?

Marty Tirrell‘s lawyer sued him the other day — and then withdrew the suit. Steve Hamilton said in the filing in Polk County District Court that he loaned the deadbeat [...]

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Posted April 05, 2017in Civic Skinny

Register daily and Sunday circulation falls another 10 percent. Jailed Kent Sorenson praises God but not Judge Pratt.

Circulation of The Des Moines Register continues in its free fall. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2016, home delivery and mail and single-copy sales of the Sunday Register totaled [...]

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Posted February 20, 2017in Civic Skinny

Drake ousts a longtime trustee after son is expelled. Sorenson appeals, decides not to ‘take it a like a man.’

Good news for Steve Leath: Auburn University, where he will be the new president, owns at least 15 airplanes, according to records at the Federal Aviation Commission. … Drake University [...]

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Posted February 01, 2017in Civic Skinny

A close look at Jamie Pollard’s record at Iowa State.

A big payday for Vilsack. Is Marty Tirrell job-hunting?   Iowa State University the other day gave a rich new contract to Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. The press release noted [...]

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Posted December 28, 2016in Civic Skinny

Tirrell misses first payment in Gabus settlement deal.

Marty Tirrell’s settlement deal with Charles Gabus Motors lasted about a month. At the end of November, Tirrell and Gabus told the Bankruptcy Court that Tirrell had agreed to pay [...]

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