Gov. Branstad to Make Return Trip to China

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Gov. Terry Branstad will make a return visit to China at the end of May.

The Des Moines Register reports that Branstad and other Iowans will participate in a reunion banquet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping from May 29 to June 5. Iowa previously hosted Xi and agriculture experts in 1985 as part of an agricultural exchange.

Branstad was invited by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, which is under Xi’s office. His visit will include a tour of the Great Wall of China and a stay in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Iowa's Unemployment Rate Nears 5 Percent

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Iowa's unemployment rate declined from March to April and the state gained almost 6,000 jobs, The Des Moines Register reports.

Iowa's unemployment rate decreased from 5.2 percent in April to 5.1 percent in March, according to a report released on Friday. Iowa was one of 37 states in the country whose unemployment rate declined from March to April, the paper says.

The state's rate is ranked as the seventh lowest nationwide.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Police Make Arrest in Double Murder

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Police have made an arrest in connection with a double murder in Des Moines on Thursday.

Officials say around 5 p.m. a 911 call was placed, however, when the call was picked up by dispatchers no one spoke to directly to dispatchers, but arguing could be heard over the phone and eventually gunshots were also heard. Police officers then responded to Seibert Trucking on the 1900 block of SE 15th Court, where they say they found two males shot to death.

A man was arrested on Thursday night and police say he faces charges of two counts of first-degree murder.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Obama to Tout Economic Agenda in Iowa Next Week

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- President Barack Obama will be back in Iowa May 24 to discuss the state of the economy.

The Des Moines Register reports that Obama will visit Des Moines and Newton, which is home to the third-highest unemployed county in the state.

Obama is also slated to discuss how Congress should act on a “to-do list” of initiatives that he proposed will aid job creation.

The visit marks Obama’s third trip to Iowa in 2012.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Police Arrest Second Firebombing Suspect

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- The second suspect in the 2011 firebombing of a Des Moines apartment complex has been arrested, according to the Des Moines Register.

Robert Earl Bell is accused of throwing three Molotov cocktails at the Deer Ridge Apartments on January 3, 2011.  The explosives ended up damaging several cars, but did not penetrate the building.

Bell's accomplice in the incident, Gregory Donald Harris, had already pleaded guilty to arson in June 2011.  Bell was finally captured by U.S. Marshalls on Wednesday night.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio