DEFENSE ATTORNEYS FOR CHRISTIAN BAHENA RIVERA ARE TRYING TO CAST SUSPICION ON OTHER PEOPLE AHEAD OF THEIR CLIENT’S SENTENCING FOR THE MURDER OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS IN 2018. LAST WEEK, BAHENA RIVERA’S LAWYERS FILED DOCUMENTS NAMING TWO ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS THEY SUGGEST MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIME. ROBERT REED WAS FOREMAN OF THE JURY WHICH FOUND BAHENA RIVERA GUILTY EARLIER THIS YEAR. REED APPEARED ON “FOX AND FRIENDS” SATURDAY, AND SPOKE ABOUT THE NEW DEFENSE CLAIMS MADE LAST WEEK. DEFENSE COUNSEL CLAIMED TIBBETTS WAS KILLED BY SEX TRAFFICKERS. PROSECUTORS ARGUED AT A THURSDAY HEARING THAT THERE WAS “ZERO” EVIDENCE TO LEGITIMIZE THAT THEORY.
WORK IS UNDERWAY ON A FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT IN CEDAR RAPIDS. STARTING TODAY, A FLOOD GATE IS BEING INSTALLED WHICH WILL BLOCK 1ST AVENUE SHOULD THE CEDAR RIVER RISE TO CRITICAL LEVELS. THE PROJECT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF 2021 AND INTO NEXT YEAR. IN THE SHORT TERM, TRAFFIC ON 1ST AVENUE WILL BE FUNNELED DOWN TO TWO LANES NEAR 1ST STREET, WHILE PARKING ON THE 1ST AVENUE BRIDGE WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED AT TIMES BY THE PROJECT.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROJECT IS UNDERWAY IN WATERLOO. THE WATERLOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS SAYS TWO FUTURE MURALS ARE COMING TOGETHER ON WEST FIFTH AND WEST SIXTH STREETS NEAR WASHINGTON. THE DESIGNS WERE CREATED BY SEAN ELIZABETH TYLER AND THE PROJECT HAS BEEN IN COORDINATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGE OF ART AND ART HISTORY.
SEVERAL SHOTS WERE FIRED, BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AFTER SUNSET SUNDAY IN WATERLOO. THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING WAS NEAR AN ARGYLE STREET ADDRESS A MATTER OF BLOCKS FROM DOWNTOWN ON THE CITY’S EAST SIDE. AUTHORITIES WERE COLLECTING AND MARKING EVIDENCE AFTER NIGHTFALL. SEVERAL POSSIBLE SUSPECTS WERE REPORTEDLY SEEN FLEEING ON FOOT BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED.
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE VISITED IOWA LATE LAST WEEK, JOINING A NUMBER OF OTHER PROMINENT REPUBLICANS, MANY OF WHOM ARE BELIEVED TO BE CANDIDATES FOR THE PARTY’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION. PENCE CRITICIZED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S AGENDA, FOCUSING ON POLICIES IMPLEMENTED AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER. SINCE LAST OCTOBER, MORE THAN ONE MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DETAINED AT THE BORDER. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS THEY’RE FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES OF MIGRATION, AND CALLING ON CONGRESS TO PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM.
MORE DATA IS OUT ABOUT THE IOWA STATE PATROL DELEGATION ON ASSIGNMENT NEAR THE U-S/MEXICO BORDER. THE STATE OF TEXAS ASKED FOR 75 STATE TROOPERS; IOWA IS SENDING AROUND A THIRD OF THAT NUMBER. MEN AND WOMEN OF THE STATE PATROL ARE TAKING THEIR OWN TACTICAL EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS ONE UNMARKED STATE VEHICLE. THE STATE WILL PAY FOR THE MISSION, ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE THAT TEXAS MAY REIMBURSE IOWA FOR ITS EXPENSES. AT LEAST FOUR OTHER STATES ARE SENDING PERSONNEL TO THE BORDER AREA. THE IOWA MISSION WILL LAST 16 DAYS.
THE JUDGE IN CHRISTIAN BAHENA RIVERA’S MURDER TRIAL WILL NOT REQUIRE AUTHORITIES TO TURN OVER EVIDENCE RELATED TO SEX TRAFFICkING IN AND AROUND POWESHIEK COUNTY. THAT DECISION COMES AS BAHENA RIVERA’S LAWYERS CONTINUE TO SEEK OTHER POSSIBLE SUSPECTS IN THE 2018 DEATH OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS. BAHENA RIVERA WAS CONVICTED IN LATE MAY AFTER A TRIAL IN SCOTT COUNTY. THE JURY FOREMAN OF THE TRIAL – ROBERT REED – JOINED “FOX AND FRIENDS” ON SATURDAY TO UNDERSCORE THE EVIDENCE USED TO CONVICT BAHENA RIVERA. LAST WEEK, SENTENCING OF BAHENA RIVERA WAS DELAYED AS HIS ATTORNEYS REQUESTED A MISTRIAL RELATED TO PURPORTED NEW EVIDENCE. TWO SOUTHEAST IOWA MEN WHO DEFENSE LAWYERS SUGGEST MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED DENIED THOSE CLAIMS WHEN SPEAKING WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OVER THE WEEKEND.
CLEANUP PROJECTS ARE MAKING NOTABLE HEADWAY IN BOTH THE CORRIDOR AND THE CEDAR VALLEY. IN CEDAR RAPIDS, THE ONE-BAG CHALLENGE BROUGHT IN OVER 44-HUNDRED BAGS OF LITTER FROM JULY OF 2020 THROUGH THE END OF JUNE THIS YEAR. THAT’S NEARLY DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR ONE FISCAL YEAR. MEANWHILE ALONG THE CEDAR RIVER, VOLUNTEERS IN BOATS AND ON THE BANKS WILL BE COLLECTING JUNK LATER THIS WEEK. THE 34TH ANNUAL CEDAR RIVER CLEANUP AND FESTIVAL STARTS SATURDAY MORNING AT 8 A.M.
THE PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS COMPANY PLANS TO SHIFT SOME PRODUCTION FROM WESTERN ILLINOIS TO ITS SOUTHWEST IOWA. PELLA WILL HIRE 120 ADDITIONAL WORKERS IN SHENANDOAH. THE COMPANY IS MOVING SOME OF ITS MANUFACTURING FROM A FACTORY IN MACOMB, ILLINOIS. THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AGREED TO GIVE THE COMPANY A FORGIVABLE $200,000 LOAN.
