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Mayor, police chief and clerks all arrested in small Iowa town

Needs to happen locally!

The mayor, police chief, city clerk and a former city clerk of a small Midwest town were all arrested for allegedly abusing their power — with crimes including stealing money, falsifying records and strong-arming civilians, officials said.

From New York Post:

Booking photo for Mayor Greg Buum (left) and Armstrong police chief Craig Merrill.Emmet County Sheriffs Office

The mayor, police chief, city clerk and a former city clerk of a small Midwest town were all arrested for allegedly abusing their power — with crimes including stealing money, falsifying records and strong-arming civilians, officials said.

In one instance, a resident in Armstrong, Iowa — population 840 — was attacked by one of the defendants with a stun gun to shake them down for money, authorities said.

“Mayor Greg Buum, police chief Craig Merrill, city clerk Tracie Lang, and former city clerk Connie Thackery were charged with felony and misdemeanor offenses in a 21-count joint trial information approved by the Emmet County District Court,” the Emmet County sheriff said in a statement.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office filed charges on Feb. 11 after a multi-year investigation uncovered allegations of theft, felonious misconduct in office, tampering with records, assault with a dangerous weapon and falsifying public records, according to the release.

One of the defendants — it wasn’t immediately clear which — deployed a Taser on a civilian in exchange for cash, officials allege.

Buum, Merrill and Thackery face a top charge of ongoing criminal conduct — a Class B felony.

Booking photos of Armstrong city clerk Tracie Lang (left) and Connie Thackery, the former clerk

Emmet County Sheriffs Office

Lang’s top rap is fraudulent practice in the first degree — a Class C felony.

State prosecutors have taken over the case due to a local conflict of interest, officials said.

Additional arrests are said to be pending.

From: https://nypost.com/2021/02/14/mayor-police-chief-and-clerks-all-arrested-in-small-town/

Gov. Kim Reynolds lifting Iowa's mask requirements, gathering limits Sunday

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will lift the state's limited mask requirement on Sunday, along with the social distancing requirements and other COVID-19 mitigation measures she had in place for businesses and social gatherings.

Many states had already mask mandates for months before Reynolds ordered Iowans to wear masks in certain social settings in November. According to reports, 36 states still require people to wear masks, although North Dakota's requirement expired last month and Mississippi's mandate only covers counties with high virus infection rates.

Reynolds latest coronavirus emergency proclamation, issued Friday afternoon and effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, instead "strongly encourages Iowans, businesses and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health," Reynolds' spokesperson, Pat Garrett, said in an email.  

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/05/kim-reynolds-lifts-mask-mandate-requirement-other-restrictions-rules-sunday-iowa-restaurants/4412633001/

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