Seems somebody in Idaho Twin Falls government didn't like the "ADULTS XXX" sign hanging on Allen Nagel's Smokin' Head Smoke Shop, so even though they recognized the sign as completely legal, city officials nonetheless conspired to have it removed—and of course, the simplest way was to investigate Smokin' Head, as well as two other adult stores, Karnation and Enchantress, for "obscenity."
"It is my understanding that the sign complies with our sign ordinance and does not violate any state laws," City Manager Tom Courtney wrote to fellow city officials on November 16, according to a story in the Twin Falls Times-News. "If that is not correct, we need to discuss. I don’t think this is the kind of thing we want at the entrance to the city. The question is what can we do about it?"
What they did about it was to send letters to the stores claiming that the police had received complaints about the three stores, and that actions "up to and including arrest" could occur if the stores didn't comply with state obscenity laws.
At this point, Nagel has removed the "XXX" portion of his sign, but the city has not backed off from its threats. Stotts defended sending the letter, deeming it "a very reasonable response" ... even though not a single person has yet been identified as complaining about any of the stores' contents.
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