4RACE WAS NOT A FACTOR IN A CENTRAL IOWA MURDER. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT IS THEIR CONCLUSION ABOUT THE DEATH OF 44-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL WILLIAMS OF GRINNELL. 31-YEAR-OLD STEVEN VOGEL WAS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CASE TUESDAY, AFTER WILLIAMS’ BODY WAS DISCOVERED BURNING IN A RURAL DITCH LAST WEEK. THE VICTIM WAS BLACK, THE SUSPECT IS WHITE. AUTHORITIES SAY THE TWO WERE WELL ACQUAINTED.
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR STEVE RIDGE HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MASON CITY NEWS ANCHOR JODY HUISENTRUIT AND SAYS THERE IS A CRACK IN THE CASE. HUISENTRUIT VANISHED IN 1995. HEAR MORE THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
VOTING OUTSIDE TRADITIONAL POLLING PLACES HAS BEEN MUCH-DISCUSSED THIS ELECTION SEASON. IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE EXPLAINED A PROCESS IOWA WILL NOT USE. VOTERS CAN SEND ABSENTEE BALLOTS BACK BY MAIL AFTER FIRST COMPLETING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM.
===
STATE AUDITOR ROB SAND IS QUESTIONING HOW GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS APPOINTED A NEW IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR LAST YEAR. BETH SKINNER WAS NAMED TO THE POST IN JUNE 2019, AND THAT APPOINTMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE IOWA SENATE IN FEBRUARY. HOWEVER, STATE LAW REQUIRES THE IOWA BOARD OF CORRECTIONS TO RECOMMEND QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS FOR THAT ROLE. SAND DID NOT FIND EVIDENCE THAT WAS DONE. IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR IF ANY ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AS RESULT OF THE AUDIT.
EVEN WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS EXPECTED IN NOVEMBER, ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE STILL MAKING PLANS TO KEEP POLLING SITES OPERATING EFFECTIVELY. THAT INCLUDES FOR VOTERS WITH MOBILITY ISSUES OR OTHER IMPAIRMENTS. SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE. MEANWHILE, ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE SENT TO VOTERS ON OCTOBER 5TH, FOLLOWED BY EARLY VOTING IN MANY LOCATIONS.
THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE WILL HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP SOON. THE MVC IS HOME TO THE UNI PANTHERS AND DRAKE BULLDOGS. ON WEDNESDAY, VALLEY COMMISSIONER DOUG ELGIN ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 33 YEARS IN THAT ROLE. ELGIN’S DEPARTURE WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR. MVC OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL SEEK A REPLACEMENT WITH A NATIONWIDE SEARCH.
===
A NEW SOURCE OF INFORMATION SEEMS TO HAVE COME TO LIGHT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MASON CITY NEWS ANCHOR JODY HUISENTRUIT, WHO WENT MISSING IN 1995. AN AS-YET UNNAMED PERSON SAYS HE DESTROYED EVIDENCE IN THE CASE, ACCORDING TO INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR STEVE RIDGE, WHO HAS SHARED THE DETAILS WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES. HEAR MORE ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COLD CASE FROM RIDGE AFTER 9 THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
WATERLOO POLICE ARRESTED A MAN SUSPECTED OF TRYING TO BREAK INTO SEVERAL CARS EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. BEFORE DAWN ON WEDNESDAY, 39-YEAR-OLD ERIC GIACOBBE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO GAIN ACCESS TO AT LEAST THREE VEHICLES. POLICE ALSO SAY THEY FOUND METHAMPHETAMINE WHEN GIACOBBE WAS SEARCHED. HE FACES BURGLARY, POSSESSION, AND OTHER CHARGES.
JOHNSON COUNTY IS GETTING A NEW NAMESAKE. THE NAME WILL REMAIN THE SAME, BUT OFFICIALS ARE SEVERING ANY CONNECTION TO RICHARD MENTOR JOHNSON WHO SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR ONE TERM IN THE 19TH CENTURY. JOHNSON’S SLAVE OWNERSHIP HAS MADE HIM A CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE IN IOWA CITY. INSTEAD, JOHNSON COUNTY WILL TRACE ITS NAME TO LULU MERLE JOHNSON, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO EARN A PHD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. LULU MERLE JOHNSON DIED IN 1995.
