DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has affirmed the murder and attempted murder convictions of a Coralville woman who in 2008 slashed the throats of her two young sons. Michelle Kehoe’s 2-year-old died but the 7-year-old survived and testified at her trial. Kehoe’s appeal alleges her attorney was ineffective in part because he didn’t claim she was mentally incompetent to stand trial.

She says he also didn’t try to suppress incriminating statements made to investigators while she was hospitalized. The court ruled Wednesday she failed to prove her lawyer was ineffective. She’s serving a life sentence at the women’s prison in Mitchellville.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, today (Wednesday) announced U.S. Service Academy nominations for 40 young Iowans.

“As a combat veteran, and mother of a West Point cadet, it’s truly an honor to nominate these qualified Iowa students for admittance to our U.S. Service Academies. Each of these students has exemplified strong leadership, dedication to academics and commitment to community service. This nomination is an important step in the admissions process, and I’m proud to assist these students in reaching their goal of serving our nation in uniform,” said Senator Ernst.

Each year, Senator Ernst nominates Iowa students to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. To learn more about the service academy nomination process, click here.

Below is a list of AREA students nominated by Senator Ernst for the Class of 2024.

U.S. Air Force Academy

• Anthony Cordes – Avoca
• Jacob Hrasky – Treynor

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

• Wynn Yeager – Winterset

*The admissions process to the service academies is highly competitive, and Senator Ernst encourages students to apply for more than one academy. This denotes students who are being nominated for both their first and second choice of service academy.

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – A $1 million Mega Millions lottery ticket has been sold in central Iowa. The Iowa Lottery said Wednesday the ticket for Tuesday’s drawing was bought at a Casey’s store in Eldora. It matched the first five numbers drawn but missed on the jackpot. The $372 million jackpot was won by someone who purchased a ticket in Ohio. Prizes of $1 million or more must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 18-year old Rosella Raeann Weaver, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Wednesday), at around 12:36-a.m..  She was taken into custody near the intersection of Highway 34 and I-29, for Theft in the 5th Degree, Driving Under Suspension, and Failure to Provide Proof of financial Liability. Weaver’s bond in the Mills County Jail, was set at $600.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested Tuesday night at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, in Creston. 20-year old Logan Daniel Houg, of Winterset, was arrested on a Union County warrant for 3rd degree burglary. Houg was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

And, 32-year old Ashley Nicole Foster, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for failure to appear, on an original charge of possession of controlled substance. Foster was being held for Union County in the Adams County Jail, on a $1,000 bond.

Members of the Washington G.E.M. 4H Group volunteered to work a shift Saturday, during the Annual Christmas Walk at the Heritage House, in Atlantic. According to spokesperson Melanie Petty, they served popcorn, cookies, snow cones, hot cocoa and hot apple cider to everyone attending.  Petty says “If you’ve never taken the time to attend the Christmas Walk make sure you attend next year.  The staff does an amazing job of decorating – it will definitely get you into the holiday spirit!”

Photo courtesy Melanie Petty

(Radio Iowa) — Forecasters say Iowa’s weather will warm up and stay dry headed into the year-end holidays, making for easier travel by road and air. Rose White, at Triple-A-Iowa, says between this Saturday and New Year’s Day, a record of 115-million people will take to the highways and skies, the eighth straight year of new record highs for travel volume. White says, “Some 104.8-million, or 91-percent of all travelers, will reach their destination by car, another 6.9-million will fly and the remaining 3.8-million will use other modes of transportation, such as bus, rail and ship.”

White says air travel volume will be the highest since 2003, an increase of nearly five-percent from last year, rising by 320-thousand passengers. People love to travel to see friends and family during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, White says, especially when times are good. White says, “With unemployment at a historically low level of 3.6%, and both disposable income and household net worth set to improve this year, Americans are well positioned to travel this holiday season.”

Gasoline prices have fallen during December, with demand at its lowest point since February. White says the national average gas price is two-55, down five cents a gallon in the past month.   “In Iowa, however, the price average is 21-cents lower than the national average, currently at $2.34 a gallon. That’s a drop of about seven cents during the last month alone,” White says. “Compared to last Christmas holiday, prices are currently about 24-cents higher.”

The motor club is offering its “Tow to Go” program to both members and non-members in Iowa between December 20th and January 2nd. The program provides a safe ride and tow home, within ten miles, for impaired drivers and their vehicles. For details, visit www.AAA.com/Towtogo or call (855) 286-9246.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A jury has convicted a Cedar Rapids man of fatally shooting a man and trying to kill a woman. Ezekiel Phillips was found guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the Dec. 19 shooting of Tyrice Douglas and Mone Dotson. Dotson testified that Phillips, a former boyfriend, entered her Cedar Rapids apartment and shot her and Douglas while they were in bed. A medical examiner testified that Douglas survived the shooting but later developed an infection that led to his May 6 death. Phillips’ attorneys says he wasn’t the shooter and there was no physical evidence linking him to the shootings.