From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Two Jefferson County teenagers will spend a big chunk of their lives in prison after admitting they helped kill Fairfield High School Spanish teacher Nohema Graber. In separate hearings, Jeremy Goodale and Willard Miller made guilty pleas in connection with Graber’s death. Both teens, who were 16 at the time, were charged as adults. They were accused of killing Graber with a baseball bat and hiding her body under a tarp, railroad ties and a wheelbarrow. Both face a maximum of life in prison. Prosecutors will recommend a minimum of 25 years for Goodale and 30 years for Miller. Sentencing will be set at a later date.
Testimony could start as early as today in the trial of a Cedar Rapids man accused of murdering a woman in his home. Arthur Flowers is charged with first degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Emily Leonard. He was deemed not competent to stand trial last year after making a series of claims during a hearing. After evaluation and treatment, a judge says he’s now competent to stand trial. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
An all night debate in Des Moines ended early yesterday morning with lawmakers advancing a bill to change Iowa’s child labor laws. The measure would allow 14-to-17-year olds work in industries that are currently prohibited for minors, including roofing, demolition, and manufacturing…but only as part of an employer or school training program. It lets minors work until 9 p.m. during the school year, and 11 p.m. during the summer. It also lets teens work up to 6 hours a day, compared to the current limit of four hours. The bill now goes to the House for further debate.
Another bill awaiting the governor’s signature would create harsher penalties in drug overdose cases. The Iowa Senate passed the bill yesterday. It would triple the sentence for providing a drug resulting in someone’s death. And it would double the sentence if the drug hurts someone. The bill would also make drugs to reverse overdoses, like Narcan, more available.
The old Marion Public Library is tumbling down. Demolition began after the library moved into a new building that opened in November. The 2020 derecho damaged the old library and destroyed 20% of its collection.
