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Change of venue hearing for Bahena Rivera to be held Wednesday

Posted on by Rick Watts

A hearing will be held Wednesday (3/27) in Montezuma on whether Christian Bahena Rivera’s first degree murder trial will be moved.  Bahena Rivera is accused of killing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts of Brooklyn last July.  His attorneys have asked that the trial be moved from Poweshiek County to a more diverse area.  On Monday (3/25), the Poweshiek County Attorney’s Office and State Attorney General’s Office filed a response saying that Tibbetts’ death “touched many…residents and her death has significantly and emotionally affected many residents of the county and prospective jurors, making it extremely difficult to obtain a fair and impartial jury.”  A hearing on the change of venue motion is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Montezuma.

March 26 – On This Day

Posted on by Rick Watts

In 1996 – The Woman in Me the second studio album by Shania Twain was at #1 on the Country chart. It went onto become her biggest-selling recording at the time of its release, selling 4 million copies by the end of the year. “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”, a song about a woman confronting her lover about his frequent infidelity, was released at the first single from the album.

Pentagon to defend projects targeted by Trump border project

Posted on by Rick Watts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top defense leaders are expected to get a barrage of questions when they face worried lawmakers on Capitol Hill for the first time since the Pentagon spelled out the military construction projects that could lose funding this year to pay for President Donald Trump’s border wall.

A number of Congress members have already expressed unhappiness with Pentagon plans that could divert funding from as many as 150 projects, totaling more than $4.3 billion, across the country and the world.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is slated to testify Tuesday at a House Armed Services Committee hearing along with Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Early last week Shanahan sent Congress a detailed list of projects that could be tapped.

Defense officials have repeatedly said that any projects that lose funding this year could be refunded next year. But some lawmakers have said they oppose any use of military construction money for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Meanwhile, Shanahan has authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and building 57 miles of 18-foot-high fencing in Yuma, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, along the U.S. border with Mexico. The Pentagon says it will divert up to $1 billion to support the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. The funding would also go toward installing lighting and constructing roads in those areas.

Both the House and Senate voted to overturn Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to use construction money to fund the wall. Trump vetoed that bill.

A number of lawmakers also objected to the Pentagon’s assumption that Congress would simply refund the affected projects next year, calling it a political maneuver to get Congress to pay for the wall.

“We take our oversight role very seriously, and will act as necessary to defend Congress’ constitutional prerogatives in this matter,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the chairman of the House panel. He said the committee looks forward to hearing Shanahan explain “how he intends to pilfer the military construction accounts, circumvent the intended nature of the law, while simultaneously abusing the trust of the American people.”

Other lawmakers, such as the entire New Jersey congressional delegation, have written to Shanahan to defend the projects in their state. In their letter, they told Shanahan that they “adamantly oppose” diverting any money for a border barrier, adding that Congress, not the executive branch, has the power to appropriate funds for specific projects.

A plan to spend $41 million at the Picatinny Arsenal’s munitions disassembly complex in New Jersey is on the list of projects that could be affected.

The list Shanahan sent to the Hill included more than 400 projects worth about $13 billion. But Shanahan has said that any money for military housing or barracks would not be touched, as well as any projects that will have contracts awarded before the end of this fiscal year, Sept. 30. When those projects are removed, about 150 remain.

Shanahan has also said that projects deemed necessary for military readiness or other high priorities will be protected. But those haven’t been identified yet.

On Monday, Army Secretary Mark Esper told The Associated Press that he and other military service leaders will go through the list and work to protect critical projects.

“I will prioritize based on readiness, lethality and things like that,” he said, noting that something like a training complex could be protected if it’s designed to help soldiers face emerging threats from competitors such as Russia and China.

Esper added, however, that there are clearly some projects that could be used.

“I can tell you what’s not a priority. It’s the parking garage, the cemetery,” Esper said, referring to two projects planned at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York.

The garage could be affected, but the cemetery money would not be touched because the contract award date is June, and would therefore be exempt under rules set up by Shanahan.

At least half of the $4.3 billion in vulnerable projects would affect U.S. military bases overseas or in Puerto Rico and Guam. And they include a vast cross-section of facilities, ranging from schools and maintenance facilities to shooting ranges, a cybersecurity center and a military working dog kennel.

Ritenour’s murder trial to stay in Mahaska County for now

Posted on by Rick Watts

The second trial of an Oskaloosa, Iowa, mother convicted of killing her daughter will stay in Mahaska County at least for now..

Alicia Ritenour is accused of killing her 17-month-old daughter, Ava, in January 2014.

Ritenour had her first murder conviction overturned.

Due to extensive media coverage, Ritenour wanted her second trial moved out of Mahaska County.

The judge in the case set the trial date for Aug. 13, 2019 at the Mahaska County Courthouse.

But because he hasn’t ruled on the change of venue request, the trial date, and place could still be subject to change.

Ritenour is expected to appear in court for a pretrial conference Aug. 2, 2019.

Spring high school sports seasons start

Posted on by Rick Watts

Tuesday (3/26) is the first big day of spring high school sports in the area.  Oskaloosa is hosting a boys’ track meet this afternoon at 4:30 at Statesmen Community Stadium, with Albia, Centerville and Chariton competing. Meanwhile, Pella Christian is also hosting a boys’ track meet with Knoxville, Pleasantville, Davis County and Colfax-Mingo also taking part.  And Lynnville-Sully competes at a boys’ meet at East Marshall.

In girls’ track, Belle Plaine is hosting a meet with Sigourney, EBF, North Mahaska, Montezuma, Lynnville-Sully and Keota competing.  And Pella Christian, Albia, Twin Cedars, PCM, Centerville and Chariton are all part of a girls’ meet at Davis County this afternoon.

Oskaloosa’s girls’ golf team will host EBF, Chariton and Centerville in a meet this afternoon at 4 at Edmundson Golf Course.

In high school tennis, Pella’s boys travel to North Polk and Knoxville hosts Norwalk in a girls’ matchup.

And Pella is hosting a girls’ soccer jamboree tonight at 6:30.

Gas prices going up

Posted on by Rick Watts

Your eyes—and wallet—aren’t deceiving you.  Gas prices in Iowa have risen sharply over the past month.  Rose White with Triple-A-Iowa explains.

“Iowa motorists are paying an average of $2.56 a gallon, which is three-cents higher compared to the state average reported a year ago.  During the past month, the average price for a gallon of unleaded fuel in Iowa has increased 28-cents a gallon.”

White says Iowans are driving more now that winter is over—and that’s driving up demand for gasoline. The statewide average price for gas in Iowa is $2.56 a gallon; Triple-A says that’s five cents a gallon below the national average.

Gustafson, Iowa blow past Missouri 68-52

Posted on by Rick Watts

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Megan Gustafson and the surging Hawkeyes are off to the Sweet 16.

Iowa might evolve into a true Final Four contender if Gustafson can get the kind of help that she got from her teammates on Sunday.

Gustafson scored 24 points with 19 rebounds, Makenzie Meyer added 18 points and second-seeded Iowa pounded Missouri 68-52 to advance to its second Sweet 16 in five years.

Kathleen Doyle scored 15 points for the Hawkeyes (28-6), who held the Tigers to 36 percent shooting and blew them away with a blistering 23-4 run in the second half. They’ll face either Kentucky or North Carolina State, who play each other on Monday, in the semifinals of the Greensboro Regional next week.

“We are just wanting to keep playing basketball,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “We want to make it to the Sweet Sixteen because it’s a huge accomplishment. But it’s not about a legacy. It’s more about a sentiment; it’s more about being together.”

Gustafson was brilliant in the first two rounds, combining for 54 points and 35 rebounds. But the Hawkeyes showed how truly dangerous they can be when Gustafson’s teammates turn up the pressure on defense and take advantage of the attention their star center demands on the other end.

“We made them work really hard to get shots. And Megan was there to clean up the boards,” Bluder said. “They were just not getting any really good looks. When we were able to keep getting defensive stops, it gave us a mental edge.

Tania Davis hit her first 3 of the game to open the fourth quarter, putting Iowa up 50-41, and Meyer’s corner 3 pushed the lead to 13. Gustafson’s jumper over two defenders made it 60-43 with 4:21 to go, capping a spurt that helped Iowa clinch its highest win total in 31 years.

“We really can’t control a lot of things, but we’re able to control our effort on defense,” Gustafson said.

Amber Smith scored 21 points for Missouri (24-11). The Tigers bowed out in the second round for the third time in four years after scoring just 23 points in the second half.

Iowa held Mizzou star Sophie Cunningham to just eight points — 10 below her average — on 3 of 11 shooting.

“We didn’t feel like we could take away everything. Megan demands so much attention. The last thing we wanted to do was give up 3s and easy touches inside,” Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said. “It makes it hard when you’re having a hard time scoring.”

Iowa struggled mightily in beating 15th-seeded Mercer on Friday, and it got off to another sluggish start that was punctuated when Missouri’s Jordan Roundtree hit a half-court bank shot to beat the first-quarter buzzer.

Iowa finally woke up in the second quarter.

The Hawkeyes shored up their defense and started feeding Gustafson in the post, fueling a 15-2 run that put the Hawkeyes ahead 33-29 at the break. Missouri responded, tying the game at 39 on an Smith jumper, but Gustafson buried two more inside jumpers to push Iowa ahead 47-41 heading into the fourth.

THE BIG PICTURE

Iowa: Gustafson received a standing ovation when she was finally pulled from her final home game with 22.4 seconds to go. “It was a bittersweet moment (leaving the court the final time), but mostly sweet because we’re moving onto the Sweet 16,” Gustafson said.

Missouri: The Tigers’ senior class elevated the program to new heights even though they never led the team past the second round. Missouri will likely go through a rebuild next season with starters Cunningham, Cierra Porter and Lauren Aldridge set to graduate.

OOPS

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder grabbed a microphone and screamed “How ’bout them Hawks!” before launching into a speech thanking the crowd for their support shortly after the game. But before Bluder could blurt out her first sentence, the Missouri band started playing its final song of the season. Bluder said “I’ll wait” and stopped talking, but the crowd drowned out Mizzou’s pep band with their trademark “Let’s Go Hawks!” chant.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/WomensNCAATournament and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Ritenour re-trial date set

Posted on by Rick Watts

Alicia Ritenour’s re-trial for murdering her 17-month-old daughter will still take place in Mahaska County—at least for now.  Ritenour is accused of killing her daughter, Ava, in January 2014.  She was found guilty at her first trial, but this past December the verdict was overturned after a judge ruled Ritenour’s defense attorney didn’t do a good job in court.  While a Mahaska County Judge set a trial date for August 13, he has not ruled on Ritenour’s request for a change of venue because of pre-trial publicity.  Ritenour remains in custody in the Mahaska County Jail on $500,000 bond.

Sen. Grassley on National Emergency veto

Posted on by Rick Watts

Congress recently vetoed President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the US/Mexico border.  During an appearance in Sigourney last Thursday (3/21), Iowa US Senator Chuck Grassley said the 12 Senate Republicans who vetoed the President’s declaration had concerns that a Democratic President could play the national emergency card to force legislation favored by their party.  Grassley says he disagrees with those Republicans and says they’re blaming President Trump.

“Go back to the 1976 law that gives him the authority to do it (declare a national emergency).  That’s legislative power that’s been given to the President.  We’ve done that too much.  We’ve got to review that 1976 law.  Maybe there’s some reason for  some delegation of authority, but I think it’s been too broad and there needs to be conditions put on the delegation of authority.”

Grassley also points to a 1962 trade law that allows a President to put on tariffs without the approval of Congress.  Grassley says there are three bills in the Senate Finance Committee that will deal with that law.

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