The Creston Police Department reports three arrests took place, Thursday. 18-year old Jeramiah Lee Whitney, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Whitney was subsequently released on $300 bond. 30-year old Wesley Duvin Hedrick, of Creston, was arrested twice, Thursday. He was taken into custody at around 5:30-p.m. for Simple Assault and released on $1,000 bond. Hedrick was arrested again at around 8:30-p.m. for Domestic Assault. He was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail.

And, 31-year old Waymond Lee Foster, Sr., of Creston, was arrested on a Violation of Protective Order charge. He was also being held without bond at the Union County Law Enforcement Center.

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

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CRESCO, Iowa (AP) — A northern Iowa man who authorities say had vowed to kill his wife if she ever divorced him has been convicted of shooting her to death. Howard County District Court records say 35-year-old Brian Fullhart was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder. He’ll be sentenced later to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A witness said Zoanne Fullhart took off her wedding ring one day weeks before the shooting and set it down in front of Brian. The witness said Brian told Zoanne that if she wanted a divorce, she was dead.

Court records say Fullhart shot her in the head Feb. 28 last year inside a mobile home in Cresco and later used a bow to twice fire arrows at officers who’d been sent to investigate gunshot reports. Fullhart peacefully surrendered to end a more than five-hour standoff.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says Customs and Border Patrol officers are doing their best — but there’s a very real humanitarian crisis on the southern border. Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, visited McAllen, Texas and the surrounding areas this past weekend. “It is uncomfortable for those migrants. They are receiving three hot meals a day. Many of those are being catered in from various restaurants — but still an uncomfortable situation to be in,” Ernst says.  She says the agents are doing what they can to take care of the migrants. “They’re very, very, attentive to the children. So the children, any time they want a juicebox or water, whatever it its, the peanut butter crackers….all those items, all the have to do is request them, and they get them,” according to Ernst.

Ernst says the migrants get medical attention when they are brought in. “They take on average 40 migrants to the hospital every day,” Ernst says, “so not only are they getting initial medical treatment at those facilities, but getting additional treatment at the hospital as necessary.” Ernst says the facilities are kept up, despite the number of people coming through. “Clean facilities there, it is very tight though. They did explain to us they are not used to the types of migrants coming,” Ernst says.

Ernst says one temporary facility costs 20 million dollars every month to run and they are overtaxed and more facilities are needed. She says they are seeing some 15-hundred people illegally crossing the border every day. Ernst says there needs to be changes — but a bill proposed by the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to close the loopholes in the asylum process has been put off by Democrats. Ernst says she expects the chair to bring that bill forward. “Perhaps the Democrats will see we are going to mark up this bill without their input and maybe they will see we are serious about getting to work on the border situation and come to the table,” she says. “But so far they have just continually put him off.”

Ernst says the country can’t afford the continued cost of an open border and Democrats need to help make changes. “What they’re doing is they’re using the human beings, those migrants as pawns, and we can’t continue to do that,” Ernst says. Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was asked during her weekly conference call if she had talked with fellow Republican Steve King after King responded on twitter when Ernst said she thought President Donald Trump’s remarks about four minority congresswomen were racist. She was also asked if she would endorse King as he runs for another term. “No I haven’t had any discussions with the congressman about that. And obviously my statements are my own, and everybody’s statements are their own and I will not be endorsing anyone in that primary race,” Ernst says.

King had tweeted to Ernst that it is ‘not constructive to advance the four congresswomen’s narrative against the president’s policies. The tweet referenced Ernst’s statement that said Trump’s comments “were not constructive” and “not helpful.”

OSCEOLA, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man and wife accused of neglecting and mistreating their adopted children have been given two years of probation. Clark County District Court records say 42-year-old Kelly Fry and her 43-year-old husband, Kenny Fry, on Thursday were granted deferred judgments and were told to perform 100 hours of community service. Under deferred judgments, convictions can to be removed from court records if the convicted fulfill their probation terms. Both Frys had pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment. Prosecutors lowered the charges from felony counts in return.

The children were adopted from Ghana and were 8 and 9 when state authorities removed them last year from the Frys’ home in Osceola. The children say they were required to spend most days isolated in their bedrooms and had to use plastic buckets as toilets. One of them said they were fed oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Red Oak Police were called at around 2-p.m. Thursday, to the Fareway Store in Red Oak, following an alleged shoplifting attempt. Authorities say 45-year old Allen Dale Bothwell, of Red Oak, was stopped by employees after he allegedly tried to take merchandise without paying for it.

Bothwell was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree and Interference with Official Acts. At last report, he was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report 28-year old Jesse Allen Luft, of Villisca, was arrested at around 6-p.m. Thursday. Luft was taken into custody for Driving While License is Barred, and OWI/3rd offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police say the drowning of two men in a backyard Davenport swimming pool occurred when one man tried to save the other. The Quad-City Times reports that surveillance video at the home the men were house-sitting captured the Monday drowning of 60-year-old Mark Anderson, of Eldridge, and 57-year-old Kenneth Anderson, of Bellevue. Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said Thursday that the video shows Ken Anderson entered the pool and struggled before Mark Anderson tried to rescue him.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The execution date for a notorious Iowa drug kingpin who killed witnesses and children in 1993 has been scheduled for Jan. 15. Dustin Honken is among five federal death row inmates whose execution dates were announced Thursday by the Justice Department. The announcement came as Attorney General Bill Barr directed federal capital punishment to resume for the first time in nearly two decades.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Union Pacific officials say no one was injured when 70 train cars derailed in north-central Missouri. Spokeswoman Kristen South says the train derailed Thursday near Mercer, about 125 miles (201.16 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City near the Iowa border. South says the train was not carrying hazardous materials.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines’ John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is celebrating its 10th birthday with some love. The Des Moines Register reports that the park is now home to a version of the late artist Robert Indiana’s iconic “LOVE” sculpture. Crews worked Thursday morning to install the sculpture, which depicts the word “LOVE” in red with the “L” and “O” stacked on top of the “V” and “E.”

Front row: Little Miss Cassidy Kennedy and Little Mister Grayson Smith. Back row left to right: 2019 Princess Shelby Stephenson, 2019 Queen Haley Becker, 2019 King Nathan Behrends, 2019 Prince Mitchell Williamson.

The 2019 Cass County Fair King and Queen Contest was held on Thursday night at the Atlantic Middle School Auditorium. The festivities were moved indoors due to some lingering rainfall Thursday night but a large crowd still packed in to the auditorium for the event.

The night started with the Little Miss and Little Mister contest were area youngsters got a chance to be interviewed on stage and a winner for each title was drawn out of a bowl. The 2019 Little Miss is Cassidy Kennedy and the 2019 Little Mister is Grayson Smith.

The King and Queen candidates were then brought out along with past royalty for interviews and final questions. Four finalists were brought up for King and Queen for those final judging questions. The four finalists for Queen were Haley Becker, Jocelyn Amos, Carli Henderson, and Shelby Stephenson. The four King finalists were Mitchell Williamson, Tate Den Beste, Nathan Behrends, and Teaguen Sothman. Following those final questions the judges left to make their final decisions.

The 2019 Cass County 4-H Hall of Fame Inductee was Duane Weirich. Duane was thanked for his numerous projects to benefit the Cass County Fairgrounds and for working with area 4-H’ers on their welding projects and starting the Bucket of Junk Contest in Cass County.

The 4-H Banner Club of the Year was Grant Guys and Gals. They were awarded the big banner on stage for the year and the club will get priority seating at the bull ride on Friday night.

Senior recognition was next on the schedule as a large number of Senior 4-H members were honored for their dedication and work with 4-H. The 2018 Iowa State Fair Queen Hailey Swan was also in attendance for the night and talked about her experience with the crowd.

Then it was time to crown the Cass County Fair Royalty. The 2019 Mr. Congenialty award went to Garrett Reynolds, the son of Bob and Nancy Reynolds. The 2019 Cass County Fair Prince is Mitchell Williamson, the son of Dave and Julie Williamson. The 2019 Cass County Fair King went to Nathan Behrends, the son of Curt and Michelle Behrends. Miss Congeniality was awarded to Katie York, the daughter of Dave and Kristy York. 2019 Cass County Fair Princess is Shelby Stephenson, the daughter of Corey and Tammy Stephenson. The 2019 Cass County Fair Queen is Haley Becker, the daughter of Chad and Melissa Becker.

Haley Becker will move on to represent Cass County at the Iowa State Fair Queen Contest. The 2019 Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation will be held on Saturday, August 10th at 7:00pm on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.