KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A defense attorney wants to move the trial of a second man accused of fatally shooting a gender-fluid teenager in southeast Iowa. The Hawk Eye reports that Jason Purham’s attorney, Allen Cook III, filed the motion Thursday in Des Moines County District Court. Cook cited in part the extensive media coverage of the case. He didn’t say where he wants the trial held.

The judge set a Monday hearing on the request. The trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 20. Purham, who is from St. Louis, is the second of two men charged with first-degree murder for the slaying of 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson, whose body was dumped in a Burlington alley on March 2, 2016. Purham’s cousin Jorge “Lumni” Sanders-Galvez was convicted in November and sentenced to life in prison.

A fire early this (Friday) morning in Red Oak is under investigation, but appears to be suspicious, according to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce. The blaze at 207 E. Grimes Street was reported at around 1-a.m. When the first fire crews arrived on the scene, the rear of the structure was engulfed in flames. The property appeared to have been unoccupied for a while, and there were apparently no working utilities, therefore the caused was being investigated as intentional (arson). Red Oak Fire received mutual aid from the Stanton and Elliott Fire and Rescue Departments. The structure, according to the Chief, sustained significant damage from both the flames and the smoke.

Red Oak Police, Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Mid-American Energy crews assisted at the scene. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information on the fire is asked to contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-623-6500.

The Iowa Department of Revenue started accepting state tax returns for 2017 last week. Department spokesperson, John Fuller, says they’re doing some things to try and help you navigate through the process. “We’ve created a sort of microsite or site within our bigger website that sort of breaks that down into three easy steps and helps them understand what happens,” Fuller says,”how to file, when to file, what tools are available, things like that.”

The website is www.iowa-dot-tax-dot-gov (tax.iowa.gov). Some people might be a little bit apprehensive about filing with all the talk recently about the changes in the federal tax system. Fuller says you shouldn’t worry about that.”Filing state taxes this year will be much the same as it has been in the past. Next year will probably be different. This year there’s not a lot of changes,” Fuller says. The Iowa Department of Revenue pushed in the past for people to switch from paper to electronic filing, and Fuller says that’ now how a majority of the returns are sent in. “About 90 percent. I think most people find that it’s a little bit easier to do that,” according to Fuller. “A lot of times, whether they use a third-party software company, or go on our site, I think it’s just a little easier to navigate through. I think most people are just more comfortable with that.”

If you get onto the website and still have some questions, he says the department welcomes phone calls. “We get a lot of phone calls — obviously depending on what time of day and what time you call — you may have to wait a few minutes. And that phone number is 515-281-3114,” Fuller says. He says the give out some of the same advice every year to Iowa taxpayers on how to make the process go better — and he says it still applies. “Start early, because you may be missing something that you thought you had. So, avoid waiting to file until the last minute,” Fuller says.”File electronically if you can because it helps avoid mistakes. And take a minute when you are done to just double-check your work.”

The deadline to file your Iowa tax returns is April 30th.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowans are encouraged to clothe themselves in something red today (Friday) as a way to draw attention to a critical health issue. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa chapter of the American Heart Association, says Wear Red Day events aim to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in Iowa. “Lots of businesses are doing activities,” Livingston says. “They might have heart health tables set up at their offices or they might be going on company walks, anything to promote heart health. They’re sharing pictures on social media of themselves wearing red. Across the nation, there are lots of Go Red for Women luncheons.”

Almost seven-thousand Iowans die of heart disease every year, the leading cause of death in Iowa since 1920. Coronary heart disease is responsible for about one of every five deaths in Iowa. While the numbers are grim, she says there is cause for optimism. “It’s affecting one in three people in America which is a huge number but, the good news is that 80% of heart disease and stroke is preventable through healthy lifestyle changes,” Livingston says. “That’s one of the big messages that we try to convey during Heart Month and throughout the year.”

Events include the Des Moines Heart Ball on February 10th, with Heart Walks planned later in Des Moines and Sioux City and a Go Red for Women event in Ames.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Police today (Friday), arrested 31-year old Tony Mack, of Atlantic. He was taken into custody on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault, Interference with Official Acts, and Child Endangerment. Mack was booked into the Cass County Jail.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Two people have been sentenced for killing a teenage girl during a backyard shooting in Davenport. The Quad-City Times reports that 19-year-old Trevor Owens was given 20 years on Thursday at his sentencing in Scott County District Court. He’d pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other crimes. He was 17 at the time of the shooting in June 2016.

His 15-year-old co-defendant was sent to the Iowa State Training School for Boys in Eldora until he turns 18. He’d pleaded guilty to attempted murder. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name juveniles accused of crimes. Authorities say 15-year-old Ayana Culbreath was killed when the two males began shooting during the backyard gathering.