Attorney General Tom Miller has filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against Florida-based Galaxy Gadgets and Gizmos LLC, doing business as Galaxy Member Benefits, alleging that the company’s telemarketers used deception to get Iowans to sign up for unwanted memberships. According to the lawsuit, some Iowans were offered so-called government grants for thousands of dollars, which were followed by unauthorized charges to their bank accounts and credit cards, with some charges around $300. Defendants in the lawsuit, filed Monday in Polk County District Court, are Galaxy Gadgets and Gizmos LLC and John E. Bartholomew Jr., who is allegedly responsible for the violations. The lawsuit asks the court to order restitution for consumers and civil penalties of up to $40,000 per violation and asks for an injunction to prevent further violations.

Des Moines real estate investor John Davis has been ordered by the Polk County District Court not to sell, rent, lease or invest in real estate property in Iowa. The order resolves a consumer fraud lawsuit filed by the attorney general’s office in 2006, which alleged that Davis committed consumer fraud and ongoing criminal conduct in the sale of homes in Greater Des Moines. He was accused of selling homes at highly inflated prices to first-time buyers with average or below-average credit scores. The court also has ordered Davis to pay $30,000, which the attorney general’s office will use to reimburse consumers whose transactions with Davis were referenced in the lawsuit.

Meredith Corp.‘s board of directors has appointed Elizabeth Tallett to the board, effective at its August meeting. Tallett, 59, will stand for election as a Class I director at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in November. Tallett is a principal of Hunter Partners LLC, a management company for early- to mid-stage pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies.

Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. have entered a joint venture, called Pariter Solutions, to process automated clearinghouse payments, the Portland Business Journal reported. Wells Fargo Senior Vice President Stephanie Sturgis-Griffin will lead the new venture and Walter Taylor, senior vice president of Bank of America, will be the chief operating officer. Operations are expected to begin in late 2009. The venture will handle electronic transfers of funds, which include direct deposits, direct payments, business-to-business payments, e-checks and tax payments.

Friedman Billings Ramsey Group Inc. has downgraded shares of Casey’s General Stores Inc. to “underperform” from “market perform.”

Gannett Co. Inc., parent company of The Des Moines Register, reported yesterday that its operating revenues for the five weeks ended May 4 declined 7.7 percent, compared with the same period in 2007. Total revenues in the April period were $639.6 million, compared with $693.3 million a year ago. Publishing advertising revenues were down 10.4 percent because of a switch in Easter to March this year from April last year. Retail advertising was down 6.1 percent, classified revenues fell 15.8 percent, national advertising revenues were down 8.2 percent and broadcasting revenues declined 4.3 percent.

Ballet Des Moines will host a business-networking event on Wednesday from 4:45 to 7:45 p.m. at Ingersoll Square, located at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Ingersoll Avenue. Attendees will have a chance to meet the professional dancers performing in the ballet’s spring show, “Elevation,” on May 30 and 31. For more information, call Julie Moore at 440-1177.