AN UPDATE ON A SHOOTING AT A MARSHALLTOWN CONVENIENCE STORE: AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE AND A 20-YEAR-OLD IS CHARGED WITH MURDER IN THE INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED BEFORE DAWN ON MONDAY. AUTHORITIES ALLEGE THAT ROCKY TRUJILLO FATALLY WOUNDED 48-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL WEST DURING A ROBBERY. WEST WAS WORKING AT THE CASEY’S STORE ON MARSHALLTOWN’S NORTH SIDE AND DIED FROM THE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE CHEST. TRUJILLO REMAINS IN CUSTODY ON MURDER AND OTHER CHARGES AFTER HIS ARREST WAS ANNOUNCED LATE MONDAY.
DURING THE COLDEST WEATHER OF THE SEASON, THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT NATURAL GAS SUPPLIES. UTILITY COMPANIES IN IOWA AND ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDWEST ARE WARNING THAT ENERGY PRICES COULD SPIKE. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED YESTERDAY, CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES SAYS HIGHER PRICES COULD BE REFLECTED IN CUSTOMER BILLS FOR MONTHS. THE UTILITY SUGGESTS TURNING OFF GAS FIREPLACES, SEALING DOORS AND WINDOWS WHERE HEAT CAN ESCAPE, AND TURNING DOWN THERMOSTATS FOR AT LEAST THE REST OF THIS WEEK.
AT BEST, IOWA IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK FOR ENERGY COSTS, ACCORDING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IOWA BUSINESS FOR CLEAN ENERGY. KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL LISTENERS RECENTLY HEARD FROM BOB RAFFERTY. RAFFERTY’S GROUP REPRESENTS A VARIETY OF IOWA ENTITIES. IOWA BUSINESS FOR CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATES FOR MORE CLEAN POWER IMPLEMENTATION, PLUS INCREASED EFFICIENCY, TO PRODUCE MORE COMPETITIVE ENERGY MARKETS.
SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE WHEN NEEDED AS WATERLOO POLICE HAVE RESPONDED TO EMERGENCY CALLS IN 2021. YESTERDAY, THE CITY OF WATERLOO PROVIDED DETAILS ABOUT IT’S POLICE PARTNERSHIP WITH ELEVATE CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC. BESIDES HAVING ELEVATE PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY SINCE JANUARY, WATERLOO OFFICIALS NOTED THAT OFFICERS ARE RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING. ELEVATE HAS A DOWNTOWN WATERLOO LOCATION AND OFFERS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGHOUT BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
FIRE DESTROYED A RURAL LINN COUNTY HOME EAST OF COGGON ON MONDAY. THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SAYS DISPATCHERS WERE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FIRE SHORTLY AFTER NOON. HOMEOWNER JENNA TURENNE WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE WITH HER CHILDREN AND PETS. HOWEVER, THE STRUCTURE COULD NOT BE SAVED. FIRE OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT.
SUBSIDIES HAVE HELPED UTILITY COMPANIES AND ENERGY USERS INSTALL RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVICES LIKE SOLAR PANELS AND WIND TURBINES THROUGHOUT THE EARLY DECADES OF THIS CENTURY. A CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS MANY OF THOSE SUBSIDIES HAVE WORKED. BOB RAFFERTY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IOWA BUSINESS FOR CLEAN ENERGY. RAFFERTY’S GROUP IS ADVOCATING FOR REGULATORY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES TO MATCH THE STATE’S EVOLVING ENERGY SITUATION. HEAR MORE AT KXEL.COM.
ASSAULT AND WEAPONS CHARGES HAVE BEEN LEVELED AGAINST A WATERLOO MAN AFTER A MONDAY INCIDENT. AUTHORITIES SAY THAT AROUND 3 A.M. ON MONDAY TRIVANSKY SWINGTON THREATENED A WOMAN WITH A GUN, SPURRING A SCUFFLE FOR THE WEAPON. SWINGTON WAS ARRESTED SHORTLY AFTER. HIS PREVIOUS CRIMINAL HISTORY PROHIBITS HIM FROM POSSESSING FIREARMS.
A NEW TRIAL IN A DUBUQUE MURDER CASE COULD BE MOVED. FONTAE BUELOW WAS ORIGINALLY CONVICTED IN THE 2017 STABBING DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND SAMANTHA LINK. HOWEVER, THE IOWA SUPREME COURT HAS ORDERED A NEW TRIAL BECAUSE INFORMATION ABOUT A PRIOR SUICIDE ATTEMPT BY LINK WAS SUPPRESSED DURING THE ORIGINAL PROCEEDINGS. BUELOW’S ATTORNEY REQUESTED THAT THE NEW TRIAL BE MOVED DUE TO PUBLICITY ABOUT THE CASE IN DUBUQUE.
IOWA UTILITY COSTS ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. BOB RAFFERTY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IOWA BUSINESS FOR CLEAN ENERGY. DURING A RECENT APPEARANCE ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, HE SAID REGULATORY CHANGES COULD HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE POWER MARKET. RAFFERTY’S GROUP SAYS UNSUBSIDIZED CLEAN POWER CAN BE PRODUCED AT RATES COMPETITIVE WITH NATURAL GAS-GENERATED ENERGY.
THE COLD SHOULDN’T STOP THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES FROM PLAYING OKLAHOMA STATE TODAY. TIP OFF IS AT 3 O’CLOCK. BUT THE IOWA STATE MEN WILL NOT PLAY TEXAS THURSDAY; THAT GAME HAS BEEN POSTPONED BECAUSE COMPLICATIONS FROM WEATHER PROBLEMS HAVE ALTERED OTHER PARTS OF THE LONGHORN’S SCHEDULE.
