Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defense lawyers for a man jailed in the 1990 death of a 9-year-old girl are accusing Iowa prosecutors of letting a key witness give false testimony at three trials in the case. An attorney for Stanley Liggins says he has discovered records showing that prosecution witness Antonio Holmes was given a favorable plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against Liggins. Liggins is preparing to stand trial a fourth time in the death of 9-year-old Jennifer Lewis.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a mission to discuss trade but it’s not to foreign customers it’s with Iowa farmers who are struggling to survive low commodity prices and tariffs that have hurt sales. Pompeo, flanked by U.S. Ambassador to China and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad spoke to a group of young suburban Des Moines Future Farmers of America members Monday at a school. Pompeo also is touring a DowDuPont agricultural research facility and addressing Iowa Farm Bureau members.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and killed him. Police say the carjacking victim called 911 early Monday to report he’d been shot when two people stole his vehicle. Police say they spotted the vehicle occupied by two men and a woman. A man and woman were detained, and another man was found later. Three officers ordered him to show his hands, and he fired several shots at them. They returned fire, killing a man identified as Luke Anthony Swann.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A utility is demanding that a Des Moines zoo start paying its water and sewer bill but the foundation that runs the zoo says that could jeopardize a free ticket program. The Des Moines Register reports that Des Moines Water Works is willing to forgive most of the $5 million that Blank Park Zoo hasn’t paid since 2003, but that it wants $74,000 for water used last year. Zoo president Mark Vukovich says the Blank Park Zoo Foundation was told it wouldn’t have to pay utilities.

(Radio Iowa) — July will mark the 50th anniversary of what’s considered humankind’s greatest scientific achievement, landing a man on the Moon. To honor the landmark, Des Moines Area Community College is bringing in three Apollo astronauts to speak in a single panel this week. DMACC Provost Anthony Paustian says it’s an exceptionally rare treat to see these pioneers share one stage.

“We have three Apollo astronauts, Walt Cunningham from Apollo 7, we have Al Worden from Apollo 15, and Fred Haise from Apollo 13,” Paustian says, “and we have Gerry Griffin, who was one of the three flight directors for Mission Control coming in.” The astronauts are among 15 speakers who will be on DMACC’s West Des Moines campus as part of the 10th annual Celebrate Innovation Week. Among the entrepreneurs on the list is Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Paustian says, “Jerry and his friend and partner, Ben Cohen, took a $5 correspondence course through Penn State University many years ago on how to make ice cream and turned that small step into a giant leap when they sold Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to Unilever for $350-million.” Other speakers include Roy Choi, a celebrity chef and the founder of the gourmet food truck movement; Danielle Feinberg, the director of photography and lighting at Pixar Animation Studios; and Randi Zuckerberg, a former Facebook executive and CEO of Zuckerberg Media.

There will also be an appearance by Lynne Cox, a world record-setting endurance swimmer and best-selling author. “She has swam more difficult swims in the world than anybody else has, over 60 of them,” Paustian says. “She swam the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia, she swam the English Channel twice, broke world records twice, faster than men swim it. She has swam around part of Antarctica just in a swimsuit and goggles. This is an amazing feat.”

The events run through Friday. All are free and open to the public. See the full list of speakers and the schedule at: https://www.dmacc.edu/ciweek/Pages/schedule.aspx

(Radio Iowa) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent Monday in Iowa, assuring farmers there’s been “real progress” in trade negotiations with China. “I’m very, very hopeful we’ll be able to wrap up and get a truly successful outcome for the United States and for American ag,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo spoke late Monday afternoon at a forum in Des Moines organized by the Iowa Farm Bureau. John Maxwell, an eastern Iowa dairy farmer, was among those who asked Pompeo a question about the deal. “Would you comment on any kind of time frame because every day that marches on it’s getting tougher and tougher?” Maxwell asked. Pompeo responded: “No,” and both Pompeo and the audience laughed. “You remember I said I’d answer almost anything…I’m not trying to be short or not take your question seriously. I do. I am and the president is, too, enormously sympathetic to what you all are going through.”

A man who identified himself as a fifth generation farmer from northwest Iowa said he harvested a “really good crop” last fall and hasn’t sold all of it on contract yet. “Do you have a plan B or whatever to peddle these things someplace other than China?” the farmer asked. Pompeo said: “…I don’t know that there’s a concrete solution to the question that you raise. I wish I could tell you: ‘Yes, we’ve got the markets identified. We know the price at which we can clear,’ but there are lots of ideas about how we might do that, ways that we might assist.”

Pompeo made the stop in Iowa at the urging of former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who’s now the U.S. Ambassador to China. “I think it’s important to be able to share with the people of Iowa what’s being done on these very delicate, important issues,” Branstad told reporters. Pompeo suggested while it’s been hard to get China to agree to buy more American agricultural goods, the most difficult part of the negotiations has been about China’s theft of intellectual property.

Pompeo says that includes stealing the secrets of hybrid seeds developed in the United States. Pompeo also told the crowd he expects the U.S. Mexico Trade Agreement to ratified by all three countries by the end of this year — hopefully bringing an end to the tariffs Mexico placed on U.S. pork. “We’re trying to make sure we don’t fall down the same trap that American trade negotiators have done so many times,” Pompeo said. “We’re deeply aware of these retaliatory trade tariff issues and we know how much they affect you…Know they’re in the front of our mind.”

Pompeo told the crowd it’s an “enormous privilege” to serve in the Trump Administration and try to deliver on the promises Trump made during the 2016 campaign. “It’s a wonderful thing to have this opportunity and then you all get to read his Twitter account, too,” Pompeo said, with a laugh. Pompeo is a former Kansas congressman.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defense lawyers for a man jailed in the 1990 death of a 9-year-old girl are accusing Iowa prosecutors of letting a key witness give false testimony at three trials in the case.

An attorney for Stanley Liggins says he has discovered new records showing that prosecution witness Antonio Holmes was given a favorable plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against Liggins.

Liggins has twice been convicted of killing Lewis, who was kidnapped, raped, strangled and left dead behind an elementary school in Davenport, Iowa. Those convictions have been overturned. A jury deadlocked on whether he was guilty last year at a third trial. A fourth trial is scheduled next week.

Holmes had said he didn’t receive any benefit from prosecutors for his testimony.

ATLANTIC – Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) have announced that Darci Young, BSN, RN, was among the honorees named in the 100 Great Iowa Nurses for the 2019 award class. Patients, colleagues, and nursing leaders nominated more than 500 nurses from across the state for this prestigious award. Honorees are recognized for their outstanding courage, competence, and commitment to patients and the nursing profession.

Young has been the Manager of the Cass County Health System Emergency Department since August of 2010 and also serves as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and a County Medical Examiner for Cass County. Before beginning with Cass County Health System, she was an Emergency Department nurse at Jennie Edmondson hospital for five years and Creighton University Hospital for seven. She received her RN from Iowa Western Community College in 1998 and completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2016 from Aspen University.

Amanda Birline, Chief Nursing Officer for CCHS said “Darci is a wonderful asset to CCHS and Cass County. She demonstrates excellent clinical care, compassion and leadership every day. We are thrilled to see her receive such a great honor.”

Each year, the 100 Great Iowa Nurses are honored at a ceremony. This year’s 100 Great Iowa Nurses will be honored on May 5, 2019 – the beginning of Nurses Week – at the 15th annual celebration in Des Moines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and killed him. Police say the carjacking victim called 911 around 3:50 a.m. Monday to report that he’d been shot in a leg when two people stole his sport utility vehicle. Police say the SUV was occupied by two men and a woman when it was spotted around 10 minutes later.

It went up a dead-end street and parked in a driveway. The three got out and walked away, and the woman and one of the men were soon detained. Police say three officers then found the last suspect hiding near a garage. Police say the officers told him to show his hands, and he responded by firing several shots at them. They returned his fire and killed him. He’s been identified as 36-year-old Luke Anthony Swann, of Des Moines.

The other man in the car, 21-year-old William Lee Weaver, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also had a warrant from Warren County for a probation violation. He’s being held in the Polk County Jail. The three officers were identified as Brian Buck, Brian Minnehan and Ryan Steinkamp.

A brief meeting was held Monday afternoon in the Atlantic Middle School for the purpose of initial proposals for 2019-2020 Bargaining between the District’s Non-Certified Staff and the Administration.

Speaking on behalf of the District’s 131 Non-Certified Staff, Andrea Halterman proposed a four-percent increase in the base (starting) wage, beginning with the first “step” in wages, or a total package of $114,031.

Superintendent Steve Barber, on behalf of the Administration, proposed that each eligible employee move a step on the salary schedule, and that each eligible employee’s hourly wage increase by 31-cents in every category, or 1.98-percent. In addition, the contract would be for one-year.

The next round of discussion will be held Tuesday between Halterman and Barber, to get additional information on costs.

The Cass County Sheriff’s office has released a report on numerous arrests. Today (Monday), 27-year old Kayla Marie Strong, of Walnut, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Strong was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $1,000 bond.

Last Friday, 57-year old Kelly Joe Simonton, of Atlantic, was arrested on two felony charges of Sex Abuse 2nd Degree. Simonton was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $50,000 bond. And, 64-year old Daryl Lynn Hansen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Hansen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

On February 28th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 39-year old Michael Matthew Noe, of Atlantic, on charges of OWI 2nd Offense; Carrying Weapons; and Carrying Weapons While Intoxicated. Noe was taken to the Cass County Jail was released the following day on $5,000 bond.

On February 26th, 43-year old Russell William Craig Lower, of Atlantic, was arrested by Deputies on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment 2nd Degree. Lower was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $1,000 bond. On February 22nd, 52-year old Donald Whiting Filkins, of Elliott, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Filkins was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.

And, on February 21st, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year old Brandon Michael Barringer, of Brayton, on a felony charge of OWI 3rd Offense. Barringer was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $5,000 bond.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports three arrests. On Saturday March 2nd, at approximately 12:16-p.m., 47-year old Jeff Harrison, of rural Clarinda, was arrested at the Page County Sheriff’s Office on a Page County Warrant for theft 5th Degree. Harrison posted the $300 bond and was released pending further court proceedings.

On February 28th at around 4-p.m., 26-year old Cory Daniel Archer, of Shenandoah, was arrested by Page County deputies for violation of a no contact order. His arrest occurred during a traffic stop on Highway 71, south of Clarinda.  Archer was found to be in the vehicle with the protected party from a no contact order. Archer was transported to the Page County Jail where he was booked in on $300 bond.

And, on February 27th at approximately 2:40-a.m., a traffic stop on Highway 2 east of Clarinda, resulted in the arrest of 28-year old Katelyn Ann Rope-Gladman, of Clarinda. She was taken into custody for driving while license is revoked. The woman was transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office where she was held on bond.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Monday, released a report on arrests dating back to late February. On Feb. 26th, 30-year old Brian Keith Cunningham, a homeless person from Greenfield, was arrested on warrants for Violation of a No Contact Order, and two counts of Probation Violation, one of which was a felony. He was also cited for Violation of a No Contact Order. Cunningham was being held in the Adair County jail on a $4,000 cash or surety bond.

And, 47-year old David Stanley Kabata, was arrested Feb. 25th, for OWI/2nd offense, after his vehicle was found in a ditch near Stuart. He tested at .351 on the Breath Analyzer. Kabata’s previous OWI charge came in 2018 while he was in Pennsylvania. He was booked into the Adair County Jail and released the following day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.