SWCC PLACED
SWCC students placed in the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference. For more information, see LOCAL page 3A. >>
ALL-POI RELEASED
Area baseball players Beau Weinheimer and Aaron Schmitz landed spots on All-Pride of Iowa team. For more information, see SPORTS page 9A. >>
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CITY COUNCIL
City council moves to approve applications on new grants By CARTER ECKL
CNA staff reporter ceckl@crestonnews.com
Creston City Council met Tuesday and approved the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant application for a police K-9 patrol vehicle by a unanimous decision. The decision allows the mayor to authorize the application forms. This grant is designed by USDA to help community public safety services. The grant can be applied for to be used by other facilities such as bringing funding to health care facilities as well as street improvements, town halls and courthouses. The loan is repayable a
number of different ways with the details worked out between the lender and the borrower, which in this case is the city. There are requirements to apply for the loan. Applicants for the grant must demonstrate its pan to provide substantial community support and show that the facilities or use of the grant will serve the rural area where they will be located. A hearing was set for the next city council meeting August 15 to listen to voices from the public, on the city making it possible for the police to purchase a K-9 patrol vehicle. In other city council news: • A public hearing has been set for August 15 on the city’s application for a
Community Development Block grant for the Waste Water Treatment Facility improvement projects. The CDBG is designed to award grants to smaller units of general local government that carry out community development activities. • An agreement with Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission for internet services for Gibson Memorial Library was approved unanimously by the council. The agreement was approved unanimously by the council. • Council approved purchase of a 2017 John Deere Gator with a sprayer for the Park and Recreation Department by a unanimous decision.
Cedar Rapids man running for governor CEDAR RAPIDS – Gary R. Wells, 68, of Cedar Rapids started his campaign in March 2017 running as Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa. Wells has never been in public office, but cares about farmers, ranchers, small businesses, manufacturers from Iowa, such
as John Deere, Collins and Winnebago and other Iowa businesses. He has worked m a n y
jobs, from electronics sales to auto and truck repair and rebuilding. Wells says he is simply a “better choice,” and wants to stop out-of-state scammers from taking millions of dollars from Iowa and running to other states or foreign countries. Wells feels he can do better.
Wells
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017
US vice president Pence says future of Balkans is ‘in the West’ PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that the future of Europe’s Balkan nations is in the West, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the region as Russia works to assert its historical influence there. Pence spoke in Montenegro, his third and final stop in a European trip that saw him voicing support for nations pressured by Russia and highlighting U.S. allegiance to its allies overseas. He is the highest-ranking American official to visit the small Adriatic state in 100 years. “We truly believe the future of the Western Balkans is in the West,” Pence said in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital. The Western Balkans refers to countries in the former Yugoslavia that aspire to or have already joined Western institutions, including the European Union and NATO. It also includes Albania. Montenegro joined NATO in June, a move that angered Moscow. Russia had considered the country of 620,000 people, with an army of some 2,000 soldiers, its traditional Slavic ally. Pence, who attended a summit of Balkan leaders Wednesday, praised Montenegro for standing up to Russian pressure. Its acces-
sion to NATO, Pence said, is “a sign of the strength of this country 10 years after independence.” “I bring greetings from President Donald Trump, who sent me here as a visible sign of the alliance that we now enjoy through NATO,” the vice president said. Russia is accused of masterminding an attempted coup in Montenegro in October to prevent it from joining NATO. Moscow has denied the allegations. In his address to the Balkan leaders, on Wednesday, Pence called Russia an “unpredictable country” that wants to destabilize the region. “As you well know, Russia continues to seek to redraw international borders by force and here in the Western Balkans, Russia has worked to destabilize the region, undermining your democracies and divide you from each other and from the rest of Europe,” he said. “The Western Balkans have the right to decide your own future, and that is your right alone,” Pence said. The Balkan states that are pro-West had feared Trump — who once called NATO an obsolete organization — would leave them to the Russian sphere of influence. Pence’s trip appeared intended to alleviate those
fears amid the investigations in Washington into Russia’s efforts to interfere in last year’ presidential election. “NATO is made up of large countries and small countries, but the U.S. has no small allies and we cherish our new alliance with Montenegro through NATO,” Pence said. During a formal dinner with Montenegro President Filip Vujanovic on Tuesday evening, Pence said Montenegro’s “courage, particularly in the face of Russian pressure, inspires the world and I commend you for that.” Serbia is Russia’s only remaining ally in the Balkans, although Belgrade formally says it wants to join the European Union. Serbia has been beefing up military ties with Moscow, while also maintaining a partnership relationship with NATO. Earlier in his tour, Pence pledged support for the former Soviet republic of Georgia and met with the presidents of three NATO countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — in Estonia, where he said that “an attack on one of us is an attack on us all.” Georgia and the three Baltic nations were all occupied for nearly five decades by Soviet troops before regaining their independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON
Tuning up: Members of the Creston Community High School marching band and color
guard work on their marching technique during band camp Tuesday morning. The band is preparing for this year’s field show presentation, “Energy and Pulse.” The first home football game appearance is Sept. 1 when the Panthers play Clarinda.
CNA photo by ALEX FELKER
Uptown watering: Eddie Woodward of Lynam Lawn Care waters a hanging planter Wednesday morning on West Adams Street.
High court juvenile ‘lifer’ ban spurs wider review of cases BALTIMORE (AP) — A U.S. Supreme Court decision triggering new sentences for inmates serving mandatory life without parole for crimes committed as juveniles has had a far greater effect: The ruling is prompting lawyers to apply its fundamental logic — that it’s cruel and unusual to lock teens up for life — to a larger population, those whose sentences include a parole provision but who stand little chance of getting out. The court in January 2016 expanded its ban on man-
datory life without parole for juveniles to more than 2,000 offenders already serving such sentences, saying teens should be treated differently than adult offenders because they’re less mature, prone to manipulation and capable of change. The court found that all but the rare juvenile lifer whose crime reflects “permanent incorrigibility” should have a chance to argue for freedom one day, and dozens serving mandatory terms have since been resentenced and released.
But legal challenges are also being argued on behalf of offenders sentenced to life with parole for crimes committed as teens — a population totaling some 7,300 inmates nationwide, according to Ashley Nellis at advocacy group The Sentencing Project. “Even states that do have parole, it doesn’t give a lot of reason for hope,” Nellis said. “The Supreme Court was very clear to say that age-related factors need to be considered at resentencing or parole review, but
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the feedback we’re seeing is that those factors aren’t being considered.” Other courts are applying the 2016 ruling to those whose life-without-parole sentences weren’t mandatory or were negotiated as part of a plea deal. In Florida, more than 600 inmates are potentially eligible for new sentences because court decisions there require a new look at anyone serving life for crimes committed as minors — even if their sentences were optional or included the possibility of parole.
The Supreme Court has not ruled on these other circumstances, but some state courts have. In January, New Jersey’s Supreme Court ordered new sentences for two former teen offenders with de facto life terms. One was serving 110 years, with parole eligibility after 55 years; the other had 75 years, with parole eligibility after serving 68. The court noted both defendants would “likely serve more time in jail than an adult sentenced to actual life without parole.” The number of years in-
mates must serve before parole eligibility varies by offense and state: In Tennessee, a lifer must serve 51 years. In Texas, 40. Lifers could qualify for a hearing after 10 years in Michigan, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get one. In 44 states, parole boards are appointed by governors, and review processes vary greatly. Some boards review prisoner files without in-person interviews. Some states specify factors to consider; others BAN | 2A
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