Iowa now has two counties that have declared themselves to be Second Amendment sanctuaries…Jasper County supervisors voted in favor of the move Tuesday, while Hardin County supervisors did the same yesterday. At least 1,200 local governments across the country have enacted similar sanctuary declarations, indicating that any future laws limiting gun rights cannot be enforced in the counties.
Waterloo police say two people are facing charges after a robbery early yesterday morning. Police were called to a home in the 1700 block of Newell Street, west of Springview Park, a little after 12:30 a.m. Officers say they saw two suspects wearing masks, along with victims, still inside the home. The suspects, identified as 18-year-old Patrick Isabell and a 17-year-old male, eventually surrendered. Both face multiple charges, including 1st Degree Burglary. No one was hurt in the incident.
Marshalltown fire officials responded to a fire at a home in the 1800 block of Sherwood Drive just before 6:30 Tuesday morning. A neighbor reported seeing fire in the second floor windows of the home. Occupants were not aware of the fire, due to no operational smoke detectors in the home. Fire officials led them through a sliding door and onto a flat roof next to a second floor bedroom, where they brought to safety by ladders. The two homeowners and their dog were not injured. The fire originated in a lighting fixture on the exterior front side of the house, and extended up into a second floor bedroom. Cause of the fire was a failure of the lighting fixture’s wiring.
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department was on the scene of a fire in an apartment building yesterday morning. The fire was in the 1400 block of 3rd Avenue, near the Wellington Heights neighborhood. CRFD said “several fire victims were removed from the building on ladders placed to exterior windows.” The fire was under control by 8 a.m., after a second alarm was sent for additional firefighters.
A judge has agreed to delay the sentencing of the man convicted of killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts after his lawyers said they need time to investigate new information implicating other people. Cristhian Bahena Rivera was scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole later today at the Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma. Judge Joel Yates issued an order yesterday saying the sentencing would be delayed until after he holds hearings on whether to grant the defense’s requests to compel prosecutors to release information about other suspects, and for a new trial. Bahena Rivera was convicted of first-degree murder in May.
Workers have used a crane to remove a 1,700-pound boat from the Adventureland Park “Raging River” ride, as investigators look into what caused an accident that killed one boy and critically injured his brother. The boat was placed on a trailer and taken to a secure location so inspectors and engineers could have a closer examination. The boat was carrying six members of a Marion family at the park in Altoona when it unexpectedly overturned on July 3, trapping two of them underneath in the water for minutes. 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo died from his injuries, while 16-year-old David Jaramillo remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Police have arrested a Manchester man who wore a face mask during the robbery of a Waterloo liquor store during the pandemic last September…but because he dropped the mask down to speak during the robbery, his face was visible on surveillance video. 26-year-old Diontay Marcus Cobbs has been charged with first degree robbery. He was also charged with using a juvenile to commit an offense; he’s accused of bringing a 14-year-old Davenport girl to Waterloo to help commit the crime. His bond has been set at $150,000.
