PLEASANT HILL, Iowa (AP) — A Pleasant Hill man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing his girlfriend’s father. The Des Moines Register reports that 27-year-old Ricky St. John was sentenced Friday. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the November death of 46-year-old Timothy Neal. St. John had been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Multiple witnesses told police they saw St. John strangle Neal on the ground until Neal stopped struggling. The witnesses say they then saw St. John kick Neal in the head. Neal was later pronounced dead at Iowa Lutheran Hospital.

A group of Iowa conservatives scrambled Saturday to add an attorney general candidate to the November ballot, an effort fueled by the arrest of a Mexican man in the slaying of missing college student Mollie Tibbetts. Petition organizers were tasked with collecting 1,500 valid signatures of registered voters from at least 10 counties and turning them in the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office by 5 p.m. Saturday.

Dozens of people across the state were collecting signatures to get attorney Patrick Anderson, of Des Moines, onto the ballot to challenge incumbent Tom Miller, a Democrat currently running unopposed for his 10th term. Anderson would be listed as a non-party candidate.

George Anderson, an organizer of the effort and Patrick Anderson’s son, said the group had gathered a little more than 900 signatures by 1 p.m. Saturday. He said his father had considered trying to get on the ballot earlier this year after Miller declined to defend an abortion measure that would ban most abortions in the state. But it was the discovery Tuesday of Tibbetts’ body and the arrest of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who is believed to be living in the country illegally, that prompted him to act.

“This has to do with the upholding of immigration law,” he said. “I’m not sure the current attorney general is committed to that.” Miller entered the national debate over U.S. immigration policy in June when he joined 20 other Democratic attorneys general in calling for the federal government to stop separating children from their parents when they enter the country illegally.

The 11th-hour effort faces more than the challenge of collecting enough signatures. State law doesn’t allow non-party candidates to use any part of the Republican, Democratic or Libertarian party names — the only three parties currently recognized in Iowa. Anderson’s effort plans to list “GOP” beside his name, saying the law doesn’t explicitly exclude it. GOP is short for “Grand Old Party” and is used interchangeably with “Republican.”

Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Kevin Hall said his office is not tasked with validating signatures and will only object to a candidate label if it includes any form of the words “Republican,” ”Democrat,” or “Libertarian.” If someone wants to challenge the validity of signatures or labels, they must file the complaint with the State Objection Panel.

That three-member panel is made up of Secretary of State Paul Pate, State Auditor Mary Mosiman and Miller. “I suspect (Miller) would probably recuse himself,” Hall said, adding that if that happened, another Iowa state executive office holder would be named to fill in.

COON RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The wonders of the night sky will be on display next month in western Iowa for the return of the annual Star Party at Whiterock Conservancy. The Sept. 7 event, hosted by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers, will provide powerful telescopes and knowledgeable astronomers from around the Midwest to help participants identify constellations and stars. The public is welcome to join the part at 7:30 p.m. at the conservancy’s Star Field in Coon Rapids. The night will include a short astronomy presentation and door prizes.

If the weather is clear, visitors will have the chance to see numerous different galaxies, nebulas and stars millions of light years away, as well as some of the planets. All ages are welcome, and appropriate attire and a blanket are recommended.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she expects to hear something soon on the trade deal with Mexico. The Republican from Red Oak says she knows everyone is anxious to hear something. “Iowans come to me every day to talk about trade, trade, trade, and the R-F-S,” Ernst says. Ernst says she doesn’t know all the details of what is being discussed — but she says it is important to make progress. “What do I want to see? I want to see the deal done,” Ernst says, “let’s get that in the rearview mirror. I think that will be really important for our farmers and ranchers.”

Ernst says the Mexico deal could be the path for other trade deals to come together. “Mexico has been a wonderful trade partner to us, I will not deny that, they have been very good for agriculure,” Ernst says. “So, if we can continue that wonderful relationship between our farmers and ranchers and the folks in Mexico — let’s do it, let’s get it done. Let’s move on, let’s get Canada done, and then we can focuse on the larger issue, which is China.”

Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa) — As Iowa kids get their back-to-school physicals, it’s a good time to get them vaccinated against the human papillomavirus. H-P-V is easily-transmitted and can cause six types of cancer. While there is no treatment for H-P-V, Tessa Allred, program coordinator with the Iowa Cancer Consortium, says a safe vaccine series is available. “A lot of parents are getting their kids in for wellness visits and getting them ready to go back to school so it’s a good time for them to talk to their providers about the vaccines they’ll need,” Allred says, “which includes the HPV vaccine which is recommended for adolescents age 11 and 12.”

A report from the Iowa Department of Public Health found only 42-percent of girls and 36-percent of boys have completed their H-P-V vaccination series. The consortium has set a goal to increase H-P-V vaccination rates for Iowa teens between 13 and 15-years-old to 60-percent by 2022. “We’re actually producing a video right now that features a couple of cervical cancer survivors,” Allred says. “What they’re doing is sharing what their experience was like and why they wished they would have had the opportunity to get this vaccine when they were 11 or 12.”

If all children were vaccinated, she says, so many cancers could be prevented. “There are a couple of other states that actually require the HPV vaccine before school,” Allred says. “Iowa does not currently require it but it’s a vaccine that is highly recommended.” Most insurance policies cover the shots, she says, and if they’re not covered, there are several reimbursement programs. The Iowa Cancer Consortium is billed as a partnership of more than 400 health care providers, public health professionals, caregivers, researchers, cancer survivors, volunteers and other Iowans who work together to reduce the burden of cancer in our state.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man and woman from Pottawattamie County were arrested late Friday on separate charges following a traffic stop. 37-year old Danielle Rene Adams, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a Page County warrant for two counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Adams was turned over to Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, and was being held in the Page County Jail on a $600 cash bond. 21-year old John Leroy Adams, also of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

Red Oak Police, Friday evening, arrested 43-year old Marcus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak. Johnson was taken into custody at around 7:35-p.m. in the 300 block of 4th Avenue, on a felony charge of Theft in the 2nd Degree. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where Johnson’s bond was set at $5,000.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that on Friday evening, the Fremont County K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on I-29 around the Nebraska City exit in Fremont County. During the course of the stop, 50-year old John Tracy Miller, of Hamburg, was found to be in possession of 59 grams of Methamphetamine.

Miller was previously released from corrections in January of this year for delivery of methamphetamine. He was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and is being charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with the intent to deliver.

Miller is currently being held on $100,000.00 cash bond. The case is still on going, with pending charges in other incidents. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Mills Co K9 Unit.

John Tracy Miller