An immigrant charged in the fatal stabbing of an Iowa college student has hired new defense lawyers. Attorneys Chad and Jennifer Frese filed paperwork Sunday to represent Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who is accused in the killing of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts. They’re expected to replace attorney Allan Richards, who called President Trump “sad and sorry” for labeling his client guilty before trial.
Rivera, a dairy worker suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, was charged with murder last week. Richards says Rivera’s family hired him and that he hasn’t spoken with Rivera about being replaced. Richards says he understands if Rivera wants attorneys with more criminal trial experience. Jennifer Frese confirmed today (Monday), that the two have been privately retained to represent Rivera.

The father of Mollie Tibbetts, whose body was found last week in a central Iowa cornfield, asked hundreds of mourners to remember the 20-year-old by “celebrating something wonderful” rather than focusing on how she died. Tibbetts was memorialized Sunday afternoon at a ceremony in the gymnasium of Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom High School in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Rob Tibbetts urged congregants to remember his daughter’s passion for life and her desire to help others. To highlight his call to celebrate “wonderful” things, Tibbetts recognized a couple who had just married the day before during his eulogy.

(Radio Iowa) — The two major party candidates for state ag secretary say preserving Iowa’s soil and cleaning up the state’s lakes and streams are an important mission for the State of Iowa, but they differ on a proposal that’s been around nearly eight years to raise more money for that mission.Tim Gannon, the Democrat who’s running to be Iowa’s next ag secretary, supports raising the state sales tax by a fraction to finance the effort.  “We are an agricultural state because we had the fortune to be settled on top of the best soil in the entire world and we’ll only be an agricultural state as long as we care for that resource,” Gannon says. “And so I think that putting the three-eighths cent sales tax into place, giving us that large funding stream into conservation, helps make things much more dynamic and helps us make progress much faster.”

Mike Naig, the Republican who’s been ag secretary since March, is seeking a full, four-year term. Naig is a proponent of THIS year’s legislation that reallocated already existing taxes to water quality initiatives.”It puts us on a different trajectory,” Naig said. “…I’m very comfortable where that has gotten us. As I said at the bill signing, this is not the last conversation that we will have about water quality funding in this state, so I would never rule out a funding source in the future, but it’s got to come with a larger package around it in order to be considered.”

Naig says he’d only support raising the sales tax if it’s part of a broader package of tax cuts. Naig and Gannon made their comments this weekend on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program. Iowa voters passed an amendment in 2010 that created a state Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund, financed with a three-eights-cent increase in the state sales tax — if the Iowa legislature and governor passed a sales tax increase.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie Country report the arrest of a Griswold woman, Friday evening. 26-year old Destiny Jo Fuller was arrested following a traffic stop, for Driving While Barred. Her bond was set at $2,000. Late Friday night, a transient, 32-year old Miguel Angel Aguirre-Esparza, was charged with Simple Assault, in connection with an incident at the Pott. County Jail, where Aguirre-Esparza and another inmate, a man from Council Bluffs, had a verbal disturbance, and Aguirre-Esparza allegedly shoved the other man with his hands. His bond was set at $300.

A call to assist a motorist on Interstate 80 late Friday night, resulted in the arrest of a woman on drug charges. A Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to mile marker 34-of I-80 eastbound, at around 11:30-p.m., ended-up arresting 19-year old Bree Nicole Sautter, of Avoca, for Possession of a Controlled Substance (a 21.6-gram bag of marijuana), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (2 marijuana pipes and a grinder). And, 25-year old Austin Charles Harmon, of Crescent, was arrested Saturday afternoon, on charges that include Possession of a Concealed Weapon (a 10-inch black knife), Possession of a Controlled Substance (.07-grams of methamphetamine), Unlawful Possession of a Prescription drug (294 unidentified green pills, and 36 Buprenophrine pills-an opioid medication used to treat opioid addiction in the privacy of a physician’s office ), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (a needle, a scale and 2 containers with residue).

Officials in Union County report Union County Communications is holding a public forum 6-p.m. this Wednesday, August 29th, at 705 E Taylor St in Creston – the Union County Emergency Management Agency – for purpose of discussing with the public, a proposed radio system upgrade for public safety.

Presentations include:

• Audio examples of the current radio system issues
• A Presentation by Racom
• Q&A with first responders in Union County about our current issues and future needs with this radio system
• The public and media is invited to attend this event to learn more about this project

Learn more on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/305772143564107/

“Union County Communications Public Forum #2” – will facebook live the event. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting.

(Updated 12:20-p.m.) — Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns reports time is running out to file nomination papers for the November General Election. The deadline is 5-p.m. Wednesday. Here is a look at the candidates who have filed their nomination papers, to date: (*= incumbent; Rep. = Republican Candidate; NBP = Nominated by Petition; If no party is indicated, it is a non-partisan race)

Edna Township Clerk (Select 1) – Travis Erickson*

Edna Township Trustee (Select 2) – Kevin A. Stender*, and Patrick Erickson*

Union Township Clerk (1) – Cheryl Christensen*

Union Township Trustee (2) – Daryl Schrier* (No second candidate)

Ag Extension Council (5) – Kristi Plagman*, Chad Becker*, Todd Weppler*, David York, and Jeb Peck.

County Attorney (1) – Micheal D. Hooper* – Rep.

County Recorder (1) – Mary Ward* – Rep.

County Treasurer (1) – Tracey J. Marshall* – Rep.

Hospital Board/NE District (1) – Julie Pollock*    Hospital Board/NW District (1) – Roger Herring*

Soil & Water Conservation (2) – Greg Zellmer*, No other candidate has filed.

Board of Supervisors/District 2 (1) – Mark T. O’Brien

Board of Supervisors/District 3 (1) – John Hartkopf – Rep.; Dana Halder – NBP.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — An 18-year-old man is accused of shooting to death another man in Ottumwa. A tipster reported the shooting at a home Thursday night, and police found the wounded man there. He was taken to Ottumwa Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name hasn’t been released. Police found the car driven by the shooting suspect and arrested him early Friday. He’s been identified as 18-year-old Jacob Heckethorn.

Wapello County District Court records say he’s already pleaded not guilty to the charges: first-degree murder and attempted murder. Heckethorn was being held on a cash-only bail of $1 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.

Police in Creston report 48-year old Robert Graham, of Creston, was arrested late Friday night on a U-S Marshall’s warrant for Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Graham was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting transfer to the custody of U-S Marshall’s. Also arrested Friday, was 28-year old Spencer Leitzel, of Creston. He was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. Leitzel was later released on a $300 bond.

Sunday evening, Creston Police arrested 49-year old Victor Thatcher, of Creston, on a Union County warrant for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Thatcher was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing. There were also two incidents reported recently, in Creston. A woman reported Friday morning, that sometime over the past two weeks, someone took a ceiling fan from her apartment. The loss was estimated at $45. And, early Sunday afternoon, a man reported sometime threw a rock through his shed window in the 600 Block of S. Elm Street. The damage amounted to $150.