Storm Lake man arrested after indecent exposure at Goodwill store

A shopper’s report sent Storm Lake police to the Goodwill store at 229 W. Milwaukee Ave. after an alleged indecent-exposure incident on the sales floor, turning an ordinary retail stop into a public-safety concern for one of the city’s most visible storefronts. Officers later identified the suspect as 78-year-old James Kisner of Early after reviewing surveillance footage.

Police said the complaint came in on Wednesday, June 10, a day after the incident allegedly happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 9. According to the witness account, a customer inside the store saw Kisner expose himself to a female patron. Because the report came later, officers had to reconstruct the episode from the customer’s statement and video rather than responding while it was unfolding.

The location adds to the impact for local shoppers and staff. Goodwill of the Great Plains says the Storm Lake store is also home to the Storm Lake Job Center, which provides free computer and internet access, resume and cover-letter help, interview tips, career advancement resources, computer skills and agency referrals. The retail store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the Job Center operates Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a noon to 1 p.m. lunch closure, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

The case also highlights the police presence available in Storm Lake. The department says it provides 24-hour law enforcement with 20 sworn officers, one civilian staff member, two volunteer chaplains and a volunteer physician, and its organization includes an Investigations Division and a Sexual Assault Response Team. Under Iowa Code section 709.9, indecent exposure is a serious misdemeanor when a person exposes genitals or pubic area to another person and does so to arouse or satisfy sexual desires while knowing or reasonably should know the act is offensive to the viewer.

For Buena Vista County residents, the arrest is a reminder that safety concerns can surface in everyday commercial spaces, not just in late-night or high-crime settings. Storm Lake police reported 33,481 calls for service in 2024, with Part I crimes down more than 4% from the year before, and more than 48,000 calls for service in 2025, when crime fell to 291 offenses, a 12% decline and a 10-year low.