DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a Dubuque man who was sentenced to 50 years in prison on a second-degree murder conviction for the death of his girlfriend. Fontae Buelow claims Samantha Link turned a knife on herself in an act of suicide after an argument in March 2017. Prosecutors alleged he stabbed her and charged him with first-degree murder. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder in January 2018. The court’s ruling upholds an appeals court decision last year that threw out the conviction because the trial judge did not allow information about Link’s prior suicide attempt and mental health records that may have supported Buelow’s contention that Link stabbed herself.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating the vandalism of a synagogue in Davenport that occurred on the first day of Hanukkah. Television station KWQC reports that someone spray-painted a New Testament biblical citation at an entrance to Temple Emanuel on Thursday afternoon. The citation “John 8:44” was painted in red on a wall near the temple doors. The verse recounts Jesus telling his critics that they are the spawn of the devil. Rabbi Bertenthal says the vandalism and its message are particularly hurtful coming at the opening of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Police have not announced any arrests or suspects in the vandalism.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say two 17-year-old boys were shot inside an east Des Moines home. The shooting happened Thursday afternoon. Police say officers were called to the home on East 22nd Street and found one teen shot in the abdomen and the other shot in the buttocks. The teen with the abdomen wound was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police say the other teen was in serious but stable condition.

Police have not said what led to the shooting or whether detectives have any suspects in the shooting, but say investigators were interviewing witnesses.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man accused of shooting a flare gun at the city’s federal courthouse and igniting a small fire has been charged with several federal counts. The Gazette reports 39-year-old John Miller has been charged with malicious damage to federal property, violent threats to a federal official and interstate communications with intent to injure. Miller made his first court appearance of the charges on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Miller fired two flares at the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Nov. 19 from a parking lot across the street, igniting a traffic barrier outside the building. Officials say he also left threatening messages on social media for a federal prosecutor.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has issued an order that prevents state officials from banning a group of Des Moines Black Liberation Movement protesters from entering the Iowa Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled Thursday that a ban requested by state legislative leaders and enforced by the Iowa State Patrol violates the constitutional rights of five protesters.

They were protesting at the Capitol on July 1 when a scuffle broke out with police. Troopers told them that legislative leaders had ordered them banned, some for six months and others for a year. The judge concluded the bans likely burden more speech than necessary.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Nov. 29th, of 38-year-old Raymond Hurt, from Carroll. Hurt was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant for failure to serve a jail mittimus on an original, Driving While Barred charge. He was held for the length of his mittimus and released.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Carroll Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Creston Police Department report the arrest at around 1:30-p.m. Tuesday, of 45-year-old Alisha Marie Peckham, from Creston. Peckham was arrested at her residence on a charge of Failure to Abate [a] Nuisance. She was given a Summons to Appear in court. Authorities said also, a woman residing in the 600 block of N. Pine Street, in Creston, reported Thursday morning, that someone had stolen her Christmas decorations. They included two candy canes one candle stick. The loss was estimated at $60.

And, a man residing in the 11-hundred block of W. Montgomery Street in Creston, reported Thursday, that a package containing 48 exotic tea bags was missing from his front porch. The loss was estimated at $70.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The latest information from State of Iowa’s coronavirus dashboard (10-a.m. Friday, 12/11) shows 77 additional deaths related to COVID have taken place, for a total of 3,197.The IDPH says 2,930 deaths are the result of “Underlying causes,” and 267 have a “Contributing factor.”  The website said 2,932 of the state’s deaths involved Iowans with preexisting conditions.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths amount to 1,129. In the listening area: Adair, Harrison, Mills and Montgomery Counties each show one more reported death. There are two new deaths to report in Pottawattamie County, and three in Shelby County (See the totals below)

The number of positive COVID-19 cases statewide is up 2,057 to 253,085. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks are down slightly, at 140. State data shows 1,273,664 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus, with a total of 183,213 recovered. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 15.8% and a 7-day rate of 11.3%. Of Iowa’s 99 counties, 66 report 14-day positivity rates above 15%. Two Iowa counties report a 14-day positivity rate below 10%.

Hospitalization data: show 833 are in hospitals across the state (that’s 30 less than yesterday); 175 COVID patients are in an ICU (down 14 from Thursday); 128 were admitted (an increase of 4); 97 are on a ventilator (down 17 from yesterday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa (RMCC Region 4) report: 55 hospitalized (compared to 53 previously); 15 in an ICU (one less than previously reported); five were admitted (three less than yesterday), and eight COVID patients are on a ventilator (one less than yesterday).

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; The # of new cases since yesterday {+}; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):

• Cass, 906 cases; {+5}; 35 deaths
• Adair, 504; {+4}; 16
• Adams, 208; {+7}; 2
• Audubon, 324; {+3}; 6
• Guthrie, 840; {+10}; 22
• Harrison County, 1,213; {+14}; 49
• Madison County, 816; {+12}; 8
• Mills County, 1,166; {+13}; 11
• Montgomery, 583; {+8}; 13
• Pottawattamie County, 7,308; {+75}; 72
• Shelby County, 846; {+6}; 19
• Union County,  926; {+2}; 9