Hooker sting snags sports owner, city councilman and sports reporter

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

More arrests as prostitution stings continue

At least 20 people were arrested Tuesday during a prostitution sting in Polk County, including an Urbandale businessman, a Dallas Center city council member and a Des Moines Register sports reporter.
... Also arrested was Tommy Birch, a Des Moines Register sports reporter who covers Iowa State football, Iowa Wild hockey, and Iowa Cubs baseball.

 

[Steak Snabler]

His most-recent tweet:



Um, I can think of at least one ...

 

[steveu]

Wow. This could get interesting. Wonder if we should start a thread with that title... ;)

 

[reformedhack]

I keep looking to see who the sports owner is. Is the subject header incorrect, or are my reading comprehension skills failing me?

 

[Vombatus]

This is Iowa? I blame the cornfields.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Says the guy owns something called Competitive Edge. And also was once briefly vaulted into national news for a backyard confrontation with President Barack Obama. So that is totally not funny at all. You might call him John The Plumber.

But what kind of hooker works in a price range that includes a sports owner and a reporter?

 

[Vombatus]

Says the guy owns something called Competitive Edge. And also was once briefly vaulted into national news for a backyard confrontation with President Barack Obama. So that is totally not funny at all. You might call him John The Plumber.

But what kind of hooker works in a price range that includes a sports owner and a reporter?

One who sells herself cheap, just like the reporter?

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I keep looking to see who the sports owner is. Is the subject header incorrect, or are my reading comprehension skills failing me?

Neither. I saw on another story (can't find it now) that the business owner is a part-owner of the arena football league team there.

Official Website of the Iowa Barnstormers: Owners

 

[reformedhack]

Thanks, BWIP.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Neither. I saw on another story (can't find it now) that the business owner is a part-owner of the arena football league team there.

Now boycotting the alumni game ...

 

[Fredrick]

Is that a fireable offense for the sports reporter?

 

[SFIND]

Is that a fireable offense for the sports reporter?

Only if he was on the clock. If he wasn't on the clock and wasn't getting paid overtime, it's none of the paper's business.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

Is that a fireable offense for the sports reporter?

Easily could be. Probably depends on what kind of employee he is and how it will affect his standing as he covers his beats. Will no one bat an eye, or will he be subject to whispers, snickers and a loss of credibility because he tried to pay for a handy?

But anytime you put the bosses in a position where they need to shift their focus to how they will handle your poor decisions as an employee, on or off the clock, you've got to know you put your job in jeopardy. Shoot, how many people are knocked out of the running for jobs these days because of past arrests/bad background checks/something stupid they posted on social media?

It may suck, but there's no such thing as "none of the employer's business" these days.

 

[JC]

I bet you Baron would fire him

 

[Fredrick]

Easily could be. Probably depends on what kind of employee he is and how it will affect his standing as he covers his beats. Will no one bat an eye, or will he be subject to whispers, snickers and a loss of credibility because he tried to pay for a handy?

But anytime you put the bosses in a position where they need to shift their focus to how they will handle your poor decisions as an employee, on or off the clock, you've got to know you put your job in jeopardy. Shoot, how many people are knocked out of the running for jobs these days because of past arrests/bad background checks/something stupid they posted on social media?

It may suck, but there's no such thing as "none of the employer's business" these days.

I generally think most news organizations in 2015 would fire the employee over this. Agreed?

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

Hookers are a big enough issue in Iowa that authorities have to run a sting?

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I generally think most news organizations in 2015 would fire the employee over this. Agreed?

I'd think there would have to be a compelling reason to keep the guy.

Hookers are a big enough issue in Iowa that authorities have to run a sting?

The fact that they busted 20 people, including some decent-sized names and apparently without much effort, on a Tuesday afternoon would mean maybe it is. I saw they ran another sting a day or two later and busted 20 more people, including an 89-year-old man.

Won't speak to the stupidity of getting busted in a prostitution sting, a day after a similar sting in the area. But the 89-year-old aspect? He deserves a salute, not an arrest.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I bet you Baron would fire him

And what makes you think that?

 

[BigRed]

I'd think there would have to be a compelling reason to keep the guy.



The fact that they busted 20 people, including some decent-sized names and apparently without much effort, on a Tuesday afternoon would mean maybe it is. I saw they ran another sting a day or two later and busted 20 more people, including an 89-year-old man.

Won't speak to the stupidity of getting busted in a prostitution sting, a day after a similar sting in the area. But the 89-year-old aspect? He deserves a salute, not an arrest.

He's tweeting again and apparently back on the beat (the reporter, not the 89-year old). So apparently he kept his job.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Shoot, if he was suspended, he got to miss to the last two weeks of fall camp. That's almost a bonus.