On Dec. 28, 2020, the Carroll County Board of Supervisors opened their last meeting of the year with a closed session to discuss potential pending litigation per Iowa Code 21.5(1)(c). There was discussion following that and a vote on entering into a settlement agreement with more details to come once the issue was formally resolved. Last Friday, the party involved reached out to Carroll Broadcasting. Louie Grote, who worked in a part-time capacity for the county for around 20 years as an IT technician and also as Director of Veterans Affairs, says an issue arose after a May 2019 announcement that IT Director, Carl Wilburn, was planning to retire within the next year or so. The supervisors opened the application process to fill that role upon his retirement and Grote was one of the applicants.
In a field behind the buildings of our state institutions lie dozens of unmarked graves, some with stones bearing only a number. I saw these nameless stone markers when I was a Johnson County social worker in the 1980s. One of my main duties was to drive hundreds of miles to Glenwood and Woodward State Hospital Schools (now called Resource Centers) three or four times a year to check up on the care and treatment of my county s residents who lived there.
dgraham@tamatoledonews.com
Former STC administration Brent Bagnall (front) and Roy Frakes (right) walk off the stage at the 2019 graduation along with Superintendent Jared Smith.
Three separate age discrimination lawsuits have been filed against the South Tama County School District and Superintendent Jared Smith.
Former high school principal Roy Frakes, former high school Activities Director/Assistant Principal Brent Bagnall and former Food Service Director Sandy Jantzen filed lawsuits in Tama County district court last month against Smith and the district for denying promotions and/or terminating employment due to age discrimination, actions they are claiming have violated Iowa’s Civil Rights Act.
Asher Brown sought a job as a mental health counselor for teens, hoping his experiences as a transgender adult would help him guide trans youth going through similar challenges.