DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Wednesday) announced her appointment of David Faith as a district judge in Judicial Election District 5A.

Faith, of Indianola, Iowa, is a deputy attorney general at the Iowa Office of the Attorney General.  He received an undergraduate degree from Concordia College and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Faith fills a vacancy created by the retirement of District Judge Randy Hefner.  Judicial Election District 5A includes Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Marion, and Warren counties.

Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn is co-sponsoring a bill that would require suicide awareness and prevention training for most school employees in every state, at least every other year.

All but two states have laws that encourage school personnel to take suicide prevention training, but Iowa is one of only 17 states where it’s mandatory for school staff each year. It’s a requirement Nunn supported when he was a member of the state legislature.

Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, is co-sponsoring the bill with a Democrat from Alaska. It would require suicide prevention training for all licensed staff in public and private schools that serve sixth through 12th grade students.

Nunn says the key to the training for educators is to identify resources to help students who express feelings of hopelessness or signs of depression.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police Detectives in Council Bluffs are attempting to identify the person wanted in connection with a death investigation. Authorities say that at around 3:10-p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7th, Council Bluffs police and fire departments were dispatched to 2712 South 24th Street, in Council Bluffs, at the Super 8 Motel, for a report of an unresponsive person. An investigation revealed that an adult female died at the hotel under suspicious circumstances. Final results of the autopsy are still pending.

Authorities said the victim who has been identified as 35-year-old Natalia Manriquez Sepulveda was found dead at the Super 8 Motel near Interstate 80 and 24th Street. She was an employee at the motel.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest in the investigation. The person is described as a black male in his late 30s or early 40s, who may frequent the Super 8 Motel. Pictures of the individual wanted for questioning are shown in this story.

Specific details of the investigation are not being released at this time, as the investigation is on-going.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728. To remain anonymous, they may call CrimeStoppers at 712-328-7867 or submit an on-line crime tip at https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/FormCenter/Police-Department-2/Online-CrimeStoppers-Tip-70

(Radio Iowa) – The Ankeny-based convenience store chain Casey’s reports a good first quarter. C-E-O Darren Rebelez (Reh-bell-ez) talked about the results in a conference call for investors.

He says the company saw gas sales increase slightly, while maintaining a gas margin of nearly 42 cents a gallon. Rebelez has said in the past the company has been able to take advantage of big changes in gas prices, but he says they maintained their margin this quarter without that happening.

He says the amount of profit they make on gas has remained strong.

Rebelez says in-store says were up more than eight percent– driven by sales of their new thin crust pizza.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports three arrests:

Tuesday morning, 35-year-old Margaret Jo Williams, of Creston, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Williams was taken to Union County Jail then transferred to Adams County Jail. Bail is set in the amount of $5000 cash only.

Early Tuesday afternoon, 36-year-old Brandon Hurshel Whitfield, of Creston,  was arrested at his residence and charged with Violation of a No Contact or Protective Order. Whitfield was taken to Union County Jail. Bail of $300 cash or approved surety was posted.

And 28-year-old Chelsea Mae Madison, of Shenandoah,  was arrested early Tuesday morning in Creston, for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Madison was taken to Union County Jail. Madison was released per Magistrate.