MONDAY, JULY 15, 2019  |  IN THIS ISSUE 
Story1Iowa casino spending dips in wet, stormy year
 
Floods and bad weather washed away some of last year's profits at Iowa's state-licensed casinos, the Courier reports. The 19 venues supervised by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission took in nearly $1.457 billion for the 12 months that ended June 30 - about a half a percent less than the year before. Big storms, high water and new competition from a Ponca tribal casino in Carter Lake significantly impacted revenue at larger casinos in Council Bluffs and Sioux City, dropping their yearly take by a combined $23 million, the Sioux City Journal notes. "That market in the western part of Iowa was a major contributor to the overall decline," said IRGC Administrator Brian Ohorilko.
Story2LME trucking halts operations without notice
 
Rosedale, Minnesota-based LME trucking company closed its five facilities in Iowa on Friday with no prior warning or notification to employees, reports the Des Moines Register. The shutdown of 30 delivery terminals in several states comes a month after the company began paying out a $1.25 million settlement to union workers in Minnesota after they were laid off abruptly in 2016 from LME affiliate Lakeville Motor Express, according to the Star Tribune. LME has listed its customers as including corporate giants such as 3M, Toro, Bobcat, John Deere and Osram Sylvania.
 
After shuttering 19 branches last year, Chicago-based First Midwest Bank is again growing its retail footprint with a new 3,000-square-foot branch in Davenport, reports the Northwest Indiana Times. The new office at 2801 E. 53rd St. will offer retail, commercial and wealth products and services, plus a drive-up window and 24-hour ATM, reports the Quad-City Times. First Midwest already has locations at NorthPark Mall and Kimberly Road in the Quad Cities. The bank has has $17 billion of assets and $12 billion of assets under management, and operates in Illinois, Indiana and Eastern Iowa.
Story4Toy company evades sexual harassment payouts

A company in central Iowa has avoided paying millions of dollars to victims as part of a sexual harassment lawsuit  by closing and reopening under different names, Wisconsin's News 3 Now reports. Court documents show Tammie Ackerson and four other women won their case in Iowa court against Chinese-based Manley Toy Direct in 2010. However, before they could collect their estimated $2.4 million judgment, they learned that Manley Toy Direct and Toy Network suddenly no longer existed in the United States. Ms. Ackerson's attorney told KCCI the company changed its name right after the first judgement. "They're doing business,  same general manager, same employees, same building ... only now they're MGS International, LLC," he said.  A larger lawsuit is now in the works, the station reports.
Story6Pate: Iowa GOP will protect caucus legitimacy

Responding to excerpts from a bombshell new book suggesting then-candidate Donald Trump urged Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann to invalidate the results of the 2016 GOP caucuses, which he lost to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said the party would not do so to protect the caucuses' legitimacy, reports the Gazette. In "American Carnage," author and journalist Tim Alberta reports that Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Kauffman to scrap the caucus results. The book also details how many Republicans who once criticized Mr. Trump quickly changed their tune after his election, reports the Washington Post. Mr. Kauffman and the state's GOP party say they are withholding comment until the book is published.
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