DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds became emotional today (Friday), discussing her telephone conversation with the mother of slain college student, and she urged residents not to politicize the case. Asked during an impromptu news conference whether she expected Mollie Tibbetts’ family to become public advocates, Reynolds’ voice broke in recollecting her conversation Tuesday with Laura Calderwood. The body of her 20-year-old daughter was found that day. “I talked to her as a mother and just really said there weren’t even words to express my sadness for her,” Reynolds said. “So that’s all we talked about. I talked to her as a mom. And as somebody that was trying to relate to her that the state was grieving for her and their loss and the individual needs to be held accountable.”

Reynolds also told reporters politics ought not be injected into the matter. However, she noted in her initial statement about Tibbetts’ death that “too many Iowans have been lost at the hands of criminals who broke our immigration laws.” Asked if the Tibbetts case represented one in a trend of similar crimes by people in Iowa illegally, Reynolds said, “One life is too many.”

In 2016, 21-year-old Sarah Root of Council Bluffs died after an automobile accident in Omaha involving Eswin Mejia, a 19-year-old immigrant from Honduras who as in the country illegally.
Reynolds, a Republican who became governor last year when then-Gov. Terry Branstad became U.S. ambassador to China, is seeking election to the office in November.
Democratic nominee for governor Fred Hubbell’s campaign also issued a statement Tuesday, making no mention of illegal immigration.

A vehicle that ran out of gas on Interstate 29 in Harrison County, was struck by another vehicle early this (Friday) morning, resulting in two injuries. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2013 Honda CRV driven by 52-year old Joelle Johnson, of Medina, ND., ran out of gas in the right lane on I-29 southbound near the 97-mile marker, at around 4-a.m.  A 2018 Toyota RAV4 driven by 25-year old Katie Thomas, of Minot, ND., was also traveling southbound on the interstate. She swerved to avoid a collision but struck the rear of the Honda, which was pushed into the west ditch and came to rest facing north. The Toyota spun around and came to rest facing north on I-29.

Johnson was wearing a seat belt, but a passenger in the Toyota, 26-year old Brandon Thomas, of Minot, ND, was not. Johnson was transported by EMS to the UNMC in Omaha. Brandon Thomas was transported by EMS to Burgess Health Center, in Onawa.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: A party involved in the accident is looking for a dog that ran off during the accident. A German Shepard with dark face and red collar named Ralph. Contact Wendy Simmons at 816-728-9309 if you have any information.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa State University police say they took one man into custody after a report of men with guns near an apartment complex last (Thursday) night. I-S-U police issued an alert around 10 last night of two armed men near a building in Fredrickson Court, with one of them possibly having a rifle. They issued another alert that there were four men and one had a handgun in his waist. They urged students to stay away as they searched the area. They issued an “all clear” alert around 11:30 and said they had one man in custody and multiple B-B guns were recovered. Police have not issued an update on the person’s name or if any charges have been filed.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says she is open to discussing creation of a state-level system to confirm people applying for work in Iowa are citizens or have some sort of legal residency status. “I know there are some states that have done that and it’s been challenged (in court) and they’ve been successful,” Reynolds says. “I think truly what would be the best would be a federal system.”
Authorities say the 24-year-old accused of murdering Mollie Tibbetts applied for work at a dairy farm near Brooklyn using someone else’s Social Security number. Yarrabee (YAIR-uh-bee) Farms confirmed with the Social Security Administration that the number was valid, but did not use the federal E-Verify system as a cross-check. Reynolds says a “part of that conversation” about verifying the identity of workers will be a discussion of STATE fines for businesses that employ undocumented workers, but the governor says businesses have expressed frustration that the federal system for verifying the identity of job applicants is not “accurate and up-to-date.”
“They have to feel confident in a system that we’re requiring them to use,” Reynolds says. “Then if that’s the case, then we could potentially look at some of those other issues.” Reynolds spoke with reporters this (Friday) morning after a speech at a Des Moines Rotary Club. While Reynolds supports the death penalty, she is not calling for reinstating capital punishment in Iowa in response to Tibbetts’ murder. “As the legislature comes back into session next year, we’ll talk about what our priorities look like at that point,” Reynolds told reporters.
Reynolds spoke with Tibbetts’ mother Tuesday and issued a written statement shortly after authorities announced Cristhian Rivera had been arrested and charged with murdering the 20-year-old as she went for a run in her hometown of Brooklyn. Reynolds said Tuesday Iowans are angry about a “broken immigration system” that let a “predator” live in Iowa. Reynolds today said Tibbetts’ death is senseless and it’s time for congress to act.
“Get it figured out and move on,” Reynolds said. “…But it’s never going to happen as long as everybody keeps yelling at each other and we don’t sit down and collectively work together to get this done.”

(Radio Iowa) — The owner of a martial arts training studio in southwest Iowa says he’s seeing renewed interest from women who want to learn how to defend themselves following Mollie Tibbetts’ murder. Jim Sutton, who runs Kung Fu Damsels in Council Bluffs, says many women rely on familiar stand-bys like pepper spray, stun guns and even metal key chains — all of which can be effective. “Just try to inflict pain,” Sutton says. “The whole idea is to hand them 15 to 30 seconds of focused resistence. Not today. Let them know there’s going to be a fight. They didn’t come for a fight. In most instances, they came because they thought there was something they could take.”
Investigators believe the 20-year-old Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student, was attacked and killed while jogging last month near her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. A suspect was arrested this week who reportedly says he followed Tibbetts in his car, parked and got out, ran along side the young woman and confronted her. He later led authorities to Tibbetts’ body in a Poweshiek County cornfield. Sutton says there are multiple legal options women — and men — may chose to use in self-defense.
“Some people choose the firearms route, just having something with you that you can turn around and brandish,” Sutton says. “I can face an attacker with a stun gun, fire that nasty little blue spark and say, ‘Come here, jerk,’ right? Or, ‘Not today, let’s fight, I’m ready to fight you,’ that’s what you want to communicate to them.” Using those tools gives you time to make a safe escape and Sutton says that should be your ultimate goal. He spouts phrases like: “Stun and run,” “shock and rock” and “hit and get.”
“If you get two or three good shots into that person’s ribcage, when you see them recoil, get out of there,” Sutton says. “If you fire a pepper spray and you hit them straight in the face, don’t be standing in the last spot they saw you. If you have a stun gun, jam that into them, fire it, hold it for two to three seconds and then get distance between you and that person.”
Sutton preaches to always be aware of your surroundings, and for runners especially, always run with one earbud out so you can hear if traffic or trouble may be approaching. He also suggests using the buddy system as there is strength in numbers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — New software and a mobile app will let Des Moines teachers respond immediately to emergencies, alert other staffers and lock down doors. The Des Moines Register reports that the $9,000 Alertus software notifies the district’s public safety office and other staff on campus about an emergency. The software also handles severe weather alerts.

Pam Rosa is the safety specialist for Des Moines Public Schools. She says calling 911 is still the preferred way to seek help, but the new software is an added layer of security. The move comes after Iowa passed a law this spring requiring schools to create emergency plans on responding to threats, such as a shooter or a tornado. The bill passed in the wake of a school shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, Florida.

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

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The Creston Police Department is investigating a report of shots being fired at a car in the area of the 300 block of North Sycamore Street. The incident happened at around 2:30-a.m. Wednesday (8/22).  Evidence was recovered from the scene, and investigators are asking the public, if you have any information, to please call the Police Department at 641-782-8402.

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 Creston Police Department reports Timothy Alvin Newton, of Lamoni, was arrested Thursday afternoon. Newton was taken into custody for Theft in the 3rd Degree, with regard to an incident at the Creston Wal-Mart store. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, a man residing in the 200 block of Myrtle Street, in Creston, reported to police late Thursday morning, that sometime between 9-p.m. Wednesday and 10-a.m. Thursday, someone took a blue scooter from his property. The loss was estimated at $600.

(7-a.m. News)