MASON CITY – A lawsuit brought by former North Iowa Fair Manager Wanda Kruse has been settled.
The North Iowa Fair Association settled with Kruse on July 26th, 2013 for an undisclosed amount.
Kruse sought damages after she claimed to be wrongfully terminated from her position at the fairgrounds as manager. Kruse claimed that she was railroaded out of her position by (at the time) fair board president Dennis Higgins and another fair board member when she refused to continue paying them for services they were performing at the fairgrounds.
In her lawsuit, Kruse noted that Iowa code states that fair board members cannot be paid to perform services at a fairgrounds. (174.2 POWERS OF A FAIR. “No salary or compensation of any kind shall be paid to the president, vice president, treasurer, or to a director of the fair.”)
On Friday, Kruse told NIT that her reputation had been harmed when she was fired from her job at the fairgrounds. She said that Higgins and the other fair board member had called police when they learned they could no longer work for the fair and get paid, and that they directed Mason City police to escort her off the fair grounds on May 10th, 2010. Kruse said that after Higgins became Fair Board President, a felony theft charge was brought against her. The fair claimed that about $5,000 was missing after an internal investigation . The felony D theft charge was later reduced to theft in the 5th degree after it was discovered that only about $30 was missing from fair receipts that could be tied to Kruse; she was found guilty and fined.
Kruse also said on Friday that “the Globe Gazette has written 117 articles about me. Let’s see if they do number 118.”
STATEMENT FROM WANDA KRUSE, JULY 30TH, 2013:
I visited with Matt on Friday, July 26th, late in the day. I did get a settlement, I do have “check in hand”. There is so much more to this story than I can say right now. For the last 4 years I couldn’t speak about this per my attorneys advice. KIMT and the Globe Gazette DID NOT contact me regarding the dismissing of the court case, they wrote and reported the story with no facts, they were guessing and that was approx. the 118th story they guessed on. There will not be a court case because of the settlement. There was 3 trailer loads of things at my house, the fairgrounds was 6 weeks from the fair and we were storing the items until after the fair and then it was to be brought back. As far as the Rockwell Golf Course please talk to the loan officer in Rockwell and he will explain to you he messed up and put my personal loan in the Golf Course Account and then transferred it into my personal account. He then gave statements to a new board member who was not authorized on the account and the new board member ran across this transaction and told people I had stole the money. I did nothing wrong and I quit the Golf Course because the whole board quit also. By the way now he is also a board member.
Most people do not serve on boards for the sake of serving even though they will always claim they do. These boards are often stocked with individuals with vested interests and it’s precisely why they are taking the time “to serve” in the first place.
Times are tough. We live in a selfish world and a dollar is hard to come by in Mason. Having 1 dollar to spend here is like having 4 dollars to spend in Minneapolis. Kids working minimum wage make half of what I did at that age, while the school employee’s pay keeps going up and up. I’ve seen the future and it’s in gubment pay. The Gubment has the deep pockets to pay well. Forget about working in the private sector or starting a business. The Gubment is giving $100,000 checks to school employees, wise up.
@Vintage-excellent post.
“Most people do not serve on boards for the sake of serving even though they will always claim they do. These boards are often stocked with individuals with vested interests and it’s precisely why they are taking the time “to serve” in the first place.”
That is a very sad perspective and is quite frankly offensive!
@Anonymous-but probably true.
It is true as Matt Dodge.
99% True!
truth hurts doesn’t it Anonymous
As a supporter of the fair grounds, I know first hand that Wanda Kruse was shit on by Dennis Higgins, the stupid Fair Board, Globe Gazette, and the list goes on.
Wanda was abused by all these people.
In front of everyone’s nose we have a fair board that was proven to be using the North Iowa Fair Grounds for personal gain. We obviously have people that think wrong is right and ok to screw the people by using their position on the Fair Board for personal gain. Bye the way, Higgin’s wasn’t the only one making money as a board member.
It amazes me there are the loony people blogging on here that think is ok for these crooked Fair Board Members to do that. Then they want to blame Wanda Kruse and make her the scape goat for trying to straighten the mess out.
This also exposes the Globe Gazette once again for it’s corrupt reporting. Howard Query should hang his head in shame, if he has a conscience.
Then you have the dam fools on here that think they settled just for the sake of settling. Insurance companies don’t give away money unless they think they will loose more by going to court.
Wanda, go enjoy yourself and don’t look back at these dumb ass’s running their mouth.
PS: It was Katy Eliason, a past manager who screwed up our county fair by moving the fair dates to many times and we lost the midway. That is when everything went to hell in a hand basket out there.
Amen!!!
first of all, I’m not a dam(n) fool ~ secondly, you stated exactly what I said in my post…yes, the insurance company, more than likely, believed that they would lose more money going to court. That does not mean because they would not win the case, but, however, that the investment in lawyers, time, etc. would be more than just settling the matter with Wanda…or maybe she would have won, who knows, but, don’t go making assumptions that they “folded”.
Guilty or not guilty, by both parties…is done now…and it is what it is…I wish Wanda the best in continuing her career whatever it may be and I hope that the argumentative individuals will just give it up and try to make your city & county the best it can be by supporting every effort, including the Fair and events that are held there. Those who cast stones …
Thank you!!! I am moving forward, life is good. 🙂
And who knows KARMA may show her face yet.
a check in hand from the insurance company typically means that they had the foresight to see that the costs of going through w/the lawsuit could potentially be more of an investment than just giving her a monetary amount and closing the case. It does, in no way, shape or form mean that she “won” the lawsuit. That’s an insurance company’s decision, not the court of law…or a defendant’s for that matter…
look up the definition of “with prejudice dismissal” and it explains the decision of the court and the reasons why they arrive as such a decision…
o.k…enough said…
It’s easy for people to assume the worst in someone without knowing all of the facts. I’m glad Wanda finally got to share her side of the story. Maybe now everyone can move on and leave her alone. Thank you North Iowa Today for the truth!
Also, Wanda…thank you for standing up to the fair board members, even if it cost you your job and reputation. I hope karma will reward you handsomely.
I would like to know why the article from North Iowa Today and the Globe are suppose to be about the same thing but they both have a different outlook for the readers???? The Globe makes it out that Wanda basically lost the suit and the North Iowa Today makes her getting money out of them……If she did win why doesn’t the Globe just say it and then let it be?????? Have to say that the Globe only wants to write what they want….
You are right Lisa, John Skipper, Globe Gazette or KIMT did not call to do their story. They just wrote one with no facts. Which is what they usually do.
“Justsayinnow” I believe there are only two buildings at the fairgrounds and they are the Olson and All Seasons Building that actually lock. Where would Wanda store 3 loads of items if the fairgrounds could not lock them up from the public?? When reading all of the blogs all I see is bashing Wanda and not being able to get ahold of her…what about the board members that were involved in all of this???
That maybe true with the building but were would she keep the three trailers at they live in town I don’t know what the items consist of but how would they be better off at her house rather then sitting out at the fairgrounds just saying they could of been left over were they keep there tractors everybody these days watch people so close maybe she should took more time so there wouldn’t be any questions as for the golf course go’s there isn’t one person that golfs there that would stick up for her
ohhhh….that explains it all….not.
with all those buildings at the fairgrounds there was no room for storage of 3 trailer loads of items that were meant to be there? I take home stuff from work when there’s an overflow in the back room too…not
yea, I hate it when my loan officer misplaces my money in the account of my employer, it’s realized and there’s an explanation that both of us will back, but, we don’t bother telling my employer before it’s noticed…not
unless, of course, I misunderstood your statement…
I’m not here to judge, however, there’s 1 common denominator ~ just in these 2 instances alone
Are you serious? Where is the story? Where is the interview? Where is a copy of the check with the dollar amount blacked out? Wanda’s supposed response is a blog on the article that could be anybody. I wouldn’t believe this response now a interview with video maybe.
Calm down. This is at least your 3rd post already. Wanda wrote the post, she called our newsroom prior to submitting it. She read it over the phone and then made the submission. It was added to the story so it would remain high on the page so people will be able to see it.
this is my first post on this. I was also wondering if we would be able to see a photo of the check with the dollar amount blocked out. the only proof was left out. also since there was no court case, then there shouldn’t be a gag order.
That’s a fair question (no pun intended) I asked Wanda about doing this but she did not feel comfortable photographing the check.
Hell… If I “won”. Id be framing that check and showing everyone.
No reason whatsoever to be scared to take a photo of a check with the dollar amounts blacked out. It would be the only thing needed to prove to the naysayers that she had a valid complaint.
@50 Miles-It is probably not a court ordered gag order. It may be a contract agreement saying if she talks about the settlement she has to give the money back. There is usually a time limit on something like that.
If there cannot be a court case, why dont you tell us all we dont know?
I bet bankers are willing to store the money for the bank at home as well, you were a saint willing to take those things home.
I visited with Matt on Friday, July 26th, late in the day. I did get a settlement, I do have “check in hand”. There is so much more to this story than I can say right now. For the last 4 years I couldn’t speak about this per my attorneys advice. KIMT and the Globe Gazette DID NOT contact me regarding the dismissing of the court case, they wrote and reported the story with no facts, they were guessing and that was approx. the 118th story they guessed on. There will not be a court case because of the settlement. There was 3 trailer loads of things at my house, the fairgrounds was 6 weeks from the fair and we were storing the items until after the fair and then it was to be brought back. As far as the Rockwell Golf Course please talk to the loan officer in Rockwell and he will explain to you he messed up and put my personal loan in the Golf Course Account and then transferred it into my personal account. He then gave statements to a new board member who was not authorized on the account and the new board member ran across this transaction and told people I had stole the money. I did nothing wrong and I quit the Golf Course because the whole board quit also. By the way now he is also a board member.
Karma sucks huh?
Sounds like Higgins and his cronies are right here making up crap.
Another ass I mean Anonymous one of these days you have to come out from under bookmeyers desk and see the light
Hey marquardt maybe you should do some real journalism and work. Check your facts before you print a story. You wonder why this is not a credible news site.
Im glad Wanda won something even if its small!
Rockwel gal Wanda did not get anything from the law suit… By the way go down to your local golf course and ask them what they think of Wanda… If you are lucky some on will tell you the truth.
You can expect a direct comment here from Wanda Kruse later today. I again spoke with her Tuesday morning. She says she has a check in hand from the North Iowa Fair’s insurance company. That is called a settlement. She is not allowed to disclose the amount nor can she ever sue them again. The case was settled between her attorney and the attorney for the fair. The Globe and KIMT never made contact with her nor her attorney.
a check in hand from the insurance company typically means that they had the foresight to see that the costs of going through w/the lawsuit could potentially be more of an investment than just giving her a monetary amount and closing the case. It does, in no way or shape mean that she “won” the lawsuit. That’s an insurance companies decision, not the court of law.
“Won” is your word, I never wrote anybody won anything. My information is that the case was settled in some way.
understood…probably not the appropriate response to your statement, but, others… apologies.
They hire someone to come in and do a job. That someone doesn’t know it’s a brainless, figure head of a job and actually tries to run it as a business. “They” don’t like it and figure they run this fair and they run this town, and they’ll arrest her, she’ll be freaked out and disappear. They hired someone to come in and do a job. Too bad they didn’t let her do it.
Is anything on this site true. The real story is the judge dismissed the case and Wanda did not get anything. Where does this site get its information from?
Mrs. Kruse told NIT the case was settled, she received an undisclosed amount of money and she is not allowed to sue the fairgrounds a second time in this matter. I do not believe Wanda lied about this to NIT.
DISMISSED W/ PREJUDICE
Means kruse can’t sue again.
looks like neither side got anything
Wanda wins!! Yay!
What the hell did she win the title of sue happy now she will probably go after the rockwell golf course go back to Nebraska all she wants is the attention
Wicked Wanda was ever so Fonda of cash until she got in a clash and showed no class. The mass she got put her Out on her ass. Now who can she sash?
When will the board members who were paid be cutting checks back to the Fair? Looks like over the years, this could be a lot of coinage added up.
Yeah and she did such a great job at rockwell golf course oh wait she about ran them into the ground just another great example of a person looking for the easy way out with this ill sue you for this ill sue you for that get a life
I guess crime does pay. This was not the only place she wricked. I don’t believe she had the BA**s to sue for wrohgful termination. She should have gone to jail for what she did there and the next place she got a job at.
There seems to be pattern of this behavior all over small town America and especially in River City. Get on boards, committees of whatever interest you have and get a piece of the action. Use the police to remove the whistle blower like yesterdays trash.
And get away with it. You see this is key and I don’t blame them. IF they can get away with it why shouldn’t they? You’re to dumb to do anything about it.
I saw the 3 trailer loads of stuff retrieved from the sheriffs office that they had removed from her property. I don’t know if it was worth $5000 , but it was sure more than $200. I guess crime really does pay!
USMCSSG, The fair was in trouble long before Wanda accepted the position. She just took on too much, and had to deal with a few crooked board members that were receiving benefits under the table…its funny, they’re no longer members of the board. HMMM…
The reason it doesn’t succeed anymore: the community doesn’t support it! look at Franklin Co’s Fair, the reason it does so well? THE WHOLE COUNTY SUPPORTS IT!
You and the woman you replaced ruined the fair. It used to be a pretty nice place to go. I sure hope Mr. Green can turn things around, Went there 3 times this year so hope he can get some good entertainment and a little better carnival. He needs some big cooperate donors like you see at the other fairs.
I hope Wanda Kruse was adequately compensated for the abuse she suffered. If she is allowed, she should now sue Dennis Higgins