Bill and Hillary Clinton are the headliners for Senator Tom Harkin’s Steak Fry in September. “This is the last one,” Harkin says, “my 37th and last.” And it may wind up as the biggest ever. Harkin’s annual fall fundraiser has been a proving ground for presidential candidates of the past. This year’s September 14th event will mark Hillary Clinton’s first appearance in Iowa since her 2008 campaign and it will be seen by many in the Democratic Party as a first step for a 2016 campaign. Hillary Clinton’s husband was the final speaker at the 2003 Harkin Steak Fry and over 10-thousand people turned out on a hillside in Indianola that year. It rained most of the day, but the sun came out just before the former president took the stage.

“I’ll never forget it,” Harkin says, laughing. “Bill Clinton.” Harkin ran for president in 1992, but he dropped out of the race in March and endorsed Bill Clinton. In 2008, Harkin did not endorse any of the candidates competing for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, but his wife, Ruth, campaigned extensively for Hillary Clinton. Senator Harkin says Bill and Hillary Clinton are “close friends” who “have contributed so much good, inspiring leadership to this country.” Harkin talked about the upcoming Steak Fry during a recent Radio Iowa interview.

“I hope we have a really good last Steak Fry and I think we will. There’s only one thing left to do: pray for good weather,” Harkin said, with a laugh. This will be Bill Clinton’s fourth appearance at a Harkin Steak Fry. Hillary Clinton spoke at the event in 2007 along with the other Democratic presidential candidates running that year. A farm in rural Madison County was the site of the first-ever Harkin Steak Fry. In 1991, Harkin used the event to launch his own presidential campaign. The 2014 edition of the Harkin Steak Fry will be staged on the balloon field on the east side of Indianola.

(Radio Iowa)

An online publication has named Ames, Iowa as the best college town in the nation. The operators of Livability dot com note Ames provides affordable housing and a variety of restaurants, cultural attractions, and parks. Director of Communications at the Ames Chamber of Commerce, Lauren Frandsen, says Ames encourages students to make the city their home. “We’ve been working really hard here at the Chamber and the Ames Economic Development Commission to make sure Ames is a place is not just a place people think of coming to Iowa State and going to school and getting an education, but then a place they really feel connected to and they want to stay after they get their degree,” Frandsen said.

Director of the Campustown Action Association in Ames, Kim Hanna, is thrilled to hear about the rating. She attributes the success of the city to the relationship between the university and local businesses.  “The research park, which is bringing so many young professionals to the community and keeping them there…all of the businesses and start ups and entrepreneurial programs that are coming out of the research park are adding more excitement and vibrancy to the community,” Hanna said.

The website gathered data on housing costs, population of degree holders, and entertainment venues to rank the cities. The town support for the Cyclone football program also contributed to Ames’ top ranking. Logan, Utah came in second, followed by Oxford, Ohio; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Tempe, Arizona.

(Radio Iowa)

Firefighters from Atlantic and Marne responded to reported vehicle fire on Interstate 80 this (Monday) afternoon. Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon said the incident happened at around 2-p.m. on I-80 eastbound near the Marne exit (Mile marker 51).

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass Co. EMA

No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Glenwood man was arrested over the weekend on a trio of moving violations. 23-year old Tyler Jason Chambers was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, speeding, and failure to provide proof of insurance. His bond was set at $300.

Sheriff’s officials say 46-year old James Lee Schmitt, of David City, NE, was arrested Friday at the Mills County Jail, for violating a no contact order, and on a warrant for stalking. His bond was set at $5,500. And, 57-year old Timothy John Urban, of Boise, ID, was arrested Friday in Mills County, on a charge of Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

Authorities said also, a man from Kentucky was injured Saturday afternoon, when the semi he was driving turned too sharply as it was leaving a driveway. The trailer entered a ditch and damaged the road. The accident happened about seven-miles north of Glenwood on 189th Street. The driver of the semi, Robert Harris, of Paducah, KY, was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, by Pacific Junction Rescue.