w/ Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Media and political analysts say Omaha residents will find their televisions inundated with political ads aimed at the presidential election in the weeks before the November 6th general election.  But the ads aren’t necessarily aimed at the very red state of Nebraska.  The target lies across the Missouri River, as both campaigns battle for undecided Iowa. And to get air time in western Iowa, you’ve got to go through Omaha. Presidential campaign ads have already shown up in Omaha earlier than usual. Omaha television station KETV says President Barack Obama’s campaign has been running ads, but not Romney’s. But Romney is getting a boost in Omaha from some conservative super PACs, which have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to run ads slamming Obama for several weeks.

The Iowa State Patrol says a Council Bluffs man was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, following an accident Sunday afternoon just off of Interstate 80 in Adair County. Officials say 45-year old Michael J. Bersane, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 2001 Toyota Camry eastbound on I-80 and attempting to take the Casey exit (Exit 83), when he lost control of the car. The vehicle went off the exit ramp and came to rest on its wheels in the ditch between the exit ramp in I-80. The accident happened at around 12:20-p.m. The Patrol says Bersane, who was wearing a seatbelt, was transported to CCMH by Stuart Rescue for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

(9-a.m. News)

Authorities in central Iowa’s Polk County says two Council Bluffs men were arrested over the weekend on drug charges. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, 30-year old Chandler Robbins and 34-year old Allen Sutton, were taken into custody early Saturday morning following a traffic stop on Interstate 80. Both men face Possession of Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Deliver Meth, charges. They were being held in the Polk County Jail on $100,000 bond, each. Authorities say a search of the mens’ vehicle resulted in the recovery of three guns, in addition to an unspecified amount of methamphetamine in plastic bags.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers this (Monday) morning, released a report on weekend activity in his department. Brothers says early Saturday morning, 27-year old Anthony Michael Schaner, of Iowa City, was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Schaner was released on$1,000.00 bond. Also on Saturday, residents on West Division and South 16th Streets in Clarinda reported someone destroyed their mailboxes, using a blunt instrument of some sort. Damage from the incidents, which remain under investigation, amounted to $200. And, on Friday, a Clarinda resident reported to police she had been the victim of a mail fraud scheme. The loss was estimated at $400.00. That incident also remains under investigation.

Severe thunderstorms Sunday evening and overnight, brought strong winds, some hail and much needed rain. Here in Atlantic, we received Nine-tenths of an inch of rain at the KJAN studios. Other areas of town reported 1.4-inches. Up at “The Valley,” (Highway 71/I-80), our spotter says she received .8″ of rain. An unofficial rainfall report from Walnut indicated 1.9-inches.

Harlan reports .91-inch, and Massena 1.53-inches. In Shenandoah, 1.84-inches of rain fell. Anywhere from 2-to 4-inches of rain fell over portions of western and northwestern Pottawattamie County last night, as storms continued to train and reform over an area stretching from the Interstate 80/680 split, southwest to Council Bluffs.

The storms also brought some unwanted hail. The National Weather Service says nickel-sized hail fell at around 10:30-p.m. in Council Bluffs. Strong winds toppled a power pole north of Atlantic along Olive Street, near Chicago Road, just after 8-p.m., Sunday. The pole fell across Olive Street, blocking the road for about 30-to 40-minutes.

The City Council in Audubon will hold its regular meeting this evening, beginning at Seven o’clock. On their agenda, is a progress report on abatements, a report from the Fire Chief, discussion about City radios, and resolutions approving cigarette permits, the publication of 2011 wages, and the transfer of funds from Water to General. The Audubon City Council will also discuss Sewer rates, wages and raises.

The first of two public hearings will be held this evening in Massena, with regard to the disposal of Centennial Park property. The hearing takes place at 6:45-p.m. at the Massena City Hall, prior to the start of the regular Council session. During the regular session at 7-p.m., the Massena City Council will hold discussion on the Centennial Park matter, followed by action on a resolution creating and approving terms of a resolution to dispose of the property, and the date for a special meeting on disposal of the property and related public hearing.

The Council will also act on approving a Street Dance for the Main Street Bar and Grill, set for August 18th, and other matters, including a designated “Children playing” area sign for some city streets, and “No Parking” signs on either side of East Cedar, from 6th to Clark Streets.

Democratic congressional candidate Christie Vilsack says her opponent — Republican Steve King — should return the pay raises he has gotten since being elected to congress in 2002. “A service member in Iowa makes about $48,000 a year,” Vilsack says. “I’m a public school teacher. If I were still teaching I’d be making about $50,000 and Steve King makes $178,000 a year and for people struggling in the fourth district, I think that’s a considerable sum.” Vilsack misspoke. The current salary for members of congress is 174-thousand dollars. King’s salary has increased nearly 20-thousand dollars since he took office in January of 2003.

“At the same time he has not voted for bonus pay for our service members; $1500 is all they asked for,” Vilsack says. King has said he deserves his pay raises because actions he’s taken as a member of congress have saved taxpayers billions of dollars.  “To decide that you should vote yourself a pay raise and then actually say that you deserve it is not right,” Vilsack says, “so I think he should give it back.” King’s campaign accuses Vilsack of “misleading voters in a desperate attempt to distract them” from her own policy positions. According to King’s campaign spokesman, King has never voted to increase his pay on a stand-alone vote. The one time there was an opportunity to cast a vote on pay raises alone, King voted to freeze his pay. Vilsack says if she’s elected to congress, she’ll give any pay raises back to the U.S. Treasury until the federal budget is balanced. Vilsack made her comments during a weekend appearance on Iowa Public Television. Vilsack and King are facing off to represent the new fourth congressional district which includes most of northwest Iowa as well as the cities of Ames and Mason City.

(Radio Iowa)