DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Crews are assessing damage to Iowa highways and beginning repairs now that the Missouri River has dropped to lower levels after a summer of flooding. Sections of the Interstates 29 and 680 are largely rubble, leaving workers with a daunting number of repairs and little time as winter approaches. Officials say they’ll fix as many roads as possible this fall and hope to have at least single lanes open on damaged stretches of interstate by December, but some work will have to wait until next year. Iowa Department of Transportation spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher says in some spots, “there isn’t any road left. You’ve got to start from scratch.” Gray-Fisher says a contract for bids will go out Friday to rebuild a badly damaged three-mile stretch of I-680.

Authorities in Council Bluffs say two people were arrested Tuesday morning following a pursuit that led officers into Omaha and back into Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Mark Galvan said when an officer tried to stop a suspicious, black SUV shortly after 9- a.m., the driver of a white Dodge truck tried to strike the officer’s vehicle.

Galvan said after the officer took evasive action to avoid the truck, he began to pursue both vehicles into Omaha. The Dodge truck, which was later determined to have been stolen, was able to elude authorities, but later found to have been abandoned.

When Police later learned the black SUV returned to Council Bluffs, they were able to locate it in an area known as Malmore Acres. Following a brief foot pursuit, a man and a woman were taken into custody. Their names were not immediately released. The woman, who was driving the SUV, was charged with eluding, reckless driving, and driving while disqualified. She was also arrested on warrants for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, driving while barred and possession of prescription drugs.

The man in the SUV was arrested on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance. He also faces a charge of eluding.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska couple has marked the end of the U.S. military’s ban on gay service by tying the knot. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 48-year-old Gregory Smith, a full-time member of the Nebraska Army National Guard, married 39-year-old John Burns on Tuesday in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The wedding occurred just hours after the military ended its so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The couple had originally planned to marry next spring, but Smith told family members he wanted to marry on the first day he could serve openly as a gay man in the military. Burns told the newspaper that if the ban had not been lifted, he and Smith probably would not have married until Smith finished his military service.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning in Atlantic. The Board, following the second and final reading, approved and adopted an ordinance striking old language from the redistricting plan and added new language to reflect a change in Supervisor Districts resulting from a shift in population as determined by the 2010 census. The ordinance goes into effect January 15^th, 2012.

The board also heard from the City of Atlantic’s Park and Recreation Director, with regard to a request for the County to reconsider its decision to remove a flower bed leading up to the Civil War Memorial, in the Atlantic City Park. The County owns a portion of the sidewalks that are being replaced due to age and damage from heavy equipment. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring made the request on behalf of the Parks Board.

Herring acknowledged the flower beds have become an eyesore over the years, because no one has stepped forward to take care of them. That matter has been resolved, with an announcement today (Wednesday) that the Trevor Fredericksen Foundation will provide for the planting and care of the flower beds. Herring says the foundation will fund and commit to the maintenance of the flower beds if the County decided to retain them.

Board Chair Duane McFadden also read a letter from Atlantic resident Charles Griffin, who, in the past has been instrumental in taking care of flowers and shrubs at the various City Parks in Atlantic. Griffin, who, despite his ailing health, has also vowed to do what he can to help maintain the flower beds in the City Park.

After considering the request, the Board voted unanimously to revert back to their original plan for the sidewalk removal, which leaves the flower beds intact, as long as the Fredericksen Foundation will manage, monitor and maintain the area. Construction on the City of Atlantic’s portion of the sidewalk project is underway, and should not be affected by the County’s decision to make a change order in its portion of the project.

w/ Ric Hanson

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EMERSON, Neb. (AP) – A 55-year-old northeast Nebraska man has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide. Authorities say Robert Mahler, of Hubbard, was driving drunk the night of Sept. 9, on the wrong side of Nebraska Highway 35 near Emerson, when his car struck a motorcycle. Two people on the motorcycle were killed: 20-year-old Christopher Oberg, of Mapleton, Iowa; and his passenger, 19-year-old Alexis Calfee, of Bennet, Neb. They were students at Wayne State College. Authorities say Mahler’s blood alcohol level that night was more than twice the legal limit.

The USDA’s Director of Rural Development in Iowa will be in Audubon this Friday, September 23^rd, as part of a “Rural Issues Listening Post” session with community and economic development leaders, as well as the general public. Director Bill Menner will listen as local officials discuss issues and opportunities they encounter in their ongoing efforts to help keep rural Iowa vibrant and prosperous.

The conversation takes place 9-a.m. Friday, in the offices of the Audubon County Economic Development Corporation, at 800 Market Street, in Audubon.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says he’ll unveil a new, 21st century “Contract with America” next week during a speech in Iowa. Gingrich was the architect of the first “Contract with America” which helped Republicans win the U.S. House in 1994. It contained things like a call for term limits on members of congress and for a balanced budget amendment. During an appearance in Sioux City Tuesday, Gingrich hinted his new “contract” will include proposals to reduce the size of the federal budget.  “I would apply the model of cutting out giving money to crooks, which we think is probably $150 billion a year. I would be prepared to reform the entitlements,” Gingrich said in Sioux City. “If you return Medicaid back to the states, the estimate is you save $700 billion over a 10 year period.” Gingrich said. Gingrich touts so-called “supply-side” economics, arguing by cutting tax RATES the government will collect more in total taxes because more people will be working.

“I’m for more revenue by putting Americans back to work so they pay taxes, I’m for more revenue for American energy productions, so I’m for more revenue. I’m just against tax increases,” Gingrich said. Gingrich made his comments after a forum at Morningside College. Last night in Sioux City, Gingrich and his wife held a public screening of one of the documentaries they produced.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa campaign tour of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul didn’t make it to Council Bluffs as planned Tuesday, but a crowd of about 200 people at Iowa Western Community College heard his message anyway. The Texas representative was forced to give his speech by telephone, because of mechanical problems on his plane. He spoke instead from a room at the Des Moines airport while waiting for another plane that would connect him with other cities on his schedule.

The Omaha World-Herald reports Paul stated the problems with his plane are nothing compared to what the country faces.  He said “The problems we face are overwhelming,” and that he is “Convinced we have gotten into this mess by not obeying the Constitution and not living within our means.” Paul added that “Too much government spending has created a debt that future generations will have to bear. There’s one way to ease that debt.”  He said he’s for “Cutting overseas spending. Getting the troops home isn’t that difficult.”

Military spending would be reduced with troops back on American soil, and they would spend their money here — not in some foreign country, according to Paul, who said Americans also would have that pleasant psychological feeling knowing the troops are safe from the dangers of foreign wars.  While other GOP candidates may have similar views, Ron Paul said, they don’t have the “conviction” that he has.