Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says those who question her status as a “combat veteran” are questioning thousands of other men and women who honorably served their country. Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, was asked about the issue Monday and says the criticism is likely generated by liberals after she gained attention on the national stage by winning her Senate race and then giving the Republican response to the president’s State of the Union address.

“It’s very unfortunate, because I am very proud of my service. And by law I am defined as a combat veteran,” Ernst says. “I have never once claimed that I have a combat action badge. I have never claimed that I have had a purple heart. What I have claimed is that I have served in a combat zone. I have serve with 150 soldiers who supported our warriors up in Iraq and we all gave very honorable service.” An article in the Huffington Post questioned Ernst calling herself a combat veteran because she never came under fire. Ernst, is lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard and did a tour of duty in Iraq leading a transportation company.

“There are many, many other soldiers, airmen, seamen out there who have served, that haven’t actually been hand-to-hand fighting with the enemy, maybe they haven’t been under fire. It was only by luck and the blessings of God that my soldiers did not encounter an assault, that we did not run over an I-E-D,” Ernst says. “To dishonor our service by saying we are not worthy of being call combat veterans, is insulting to the majority of men and women who served their country honorably,” Ernts says.

Ernst says the men and women she served with are no less valuable soldiers than anyone else. “You know it’s unfortunate, I think they are throwing a bucket of cold water on those who stepped forward, raised their right hand and said they will defend our country against all enemies, whether foreign or domestic,” Ernst says. “I will honor those veterans and continue to do so until the day I die.”

Ernst says all soldiers who served in a combat zone in Iraq “encountered difficulties” and it’s unfortunate they are being disparaged.

(Radio Iowa)

A man who was wanted for being a Fugitive From Justice, was arrested today (Tuesday), in Montgomery County. 24-year old Brian Lee Atteberry, of Shenandoah, was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, on warrants out of Nebraska and Missouri.

A stolen vehicle led to a foot pursuit in Council Bluffs that later resulted in the arrest Monday morning, of a Fremont County Man. According to Bluffs Police, 32-year old Justin E. Johnson, of Sidney, was arrested on suspicion of 2nd-Degree theft, Possession of a Concealed weapon and eluding, charges.
Officials says when the owner of a Ford Mustang started his vehicle to warm it up at around 7-a.m., Monday, the vehicle was stolen from the 700 block of Willow Avenue. A friend later saw the car parked at a convenience store.

A Council Bluffs Police Officer found Johnson about 2-hours later, walking in the 300 block of McGee Avenue, near where the car was parked. When the Officer approached Johnson, the man took off on foot and entered a wooded area. Police were able to track him down in the snow and found him hiding behind a residence.

After he was arrested, officers recovered a bag, containing a long knife that Johnson had allegedly tossed into the woods.

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to a record level after going unclaimed since the November 29th drawing. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, says there’s added attention to this jackpot for another reason.  She says it’s been almost one year since the jackpot was this high as there seemed to be a winner every few weeks. The jackpot rolls over when there’s no ticket with the winning numbers.

“It’s at an estimated 450 million dollars annuity, that’s a little more than 304 million dollars with the cash option,” Neubauer says. “That is the third-largest jackpot in the history of the Powerball game and it is the fifth largest jackpot ever in North America.” She says with the increased attention and sales, there’s a good possibility the jackpot could be raised before Wednesday night’s drawing. Neubauer going a long time without a record jackpot is what they look for in the Powerball game.

“Really that’s good for players, because the only way the jackpot gets as high as it is right now is if it rolls a number of times without being won,” Neubauer says. “Well over the last year the jackpot was being won more frequently, so it stayed at a quote, unquote lower level, even though that was still into the hundreds of millions of dollars.” She says you won’t increase your odds of winning by spending larger sums of money on the big jackpot. “The message that we emphasize all the time is to remember that this is just for fun. Play responsibly, have fun with it, but don’t get in over your head,” Neubauer says.

It’s common for people to put together office pools to buy tickets, and Neubauer says you should take a few steps to protect everyone if that’s what you do. “Keep the rules for your pool in writing. Keep a very detailed list of who has put in money and who hasn’t, that way there won’t be any disagreement later about who was in or who was out,” Neubauer says. ” And then also, another great idea is to make copies of the tickets and provide copies to everyone in the group before the drawing occurs, that way there’s no question about which tickets were for the group.”

The next Powerball drawing is at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesday, and in Iowa you can buy a ticket up until 8:59 p-m on that day. You can find out more about the drawing on the Iowa Lottery’s website.

(Radio Iowa)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says gambling will not be the “salvation” to any region’s economy. Christie spoke last night (Monday) at a forum in West Des Moines and a woman in the audience asked Christie for his “thoughts on…the expansion of gambling.”  “I’ve told anybody that asked me about the expansion of gambling that it’s no panacea and people really need to understand its restrictions and limitations,” Christie said. “And it’s not going to be a salvation and any politician that gets up and tells you, ‘Have gambling and we’re going to fund this forever,’ — It’s not going to happen that way.”

Last night’s forum was hosted by Republicans in Dallas County. It’s a county where voters have rejected gambling referendums twice, in 1996 and 2004. Christie says “for many years” gambling was a “growing, thriving industry” in New Jersey, but he says Atlantic City never adjusted to the “competitive marketplace” that erupted when gambling was legalized beyond the “monopoly” markets of New Jersey and Nevada.  “Now, I have no opposition to the industry itself,” Christie said. “They’ve been good corporate citizens in our state.”

However, Christie warned the country’s appetite for gambling is limited.  “I think anybody who tries to sell it to you now as a panacea is misleading you,” Christie said. State regulators recently approved a new casino license for Greene Cuonty and the new Wild Rose Casino is scheduled to open next summer in Jefferson.

Wild Rose founder Gary Kirke is among the seven major Iowa G-O-P donors who flew to New Jersey in 2011 to encourage Christie to run for president. Kirke also floated the idea of a casino in Dallas County back in 2004, but an overwhelming 61 percent of referendum voters were against the idea.

(Radio Iowa)

Reports say President Obama may ask Congress this week for authorization to use military force overseas to tackle terrorists from the Islamic State, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley isn’t certain yet how he’d vote on such a proposal. Grassley, a Republican, was asked if the U-S should go “all in” to wage a war against ISIS. “When you say ‘go all in,’ if that includes massive numbers of Americans on the ground, not at this point,” Grassley says. “If it means advisors, that’s an entirely different thing.”

Reports say the president’s request may come as soon as tomorrow (Wednesday) and Grassley says he’d prefer to reserve comment until after he sees the proposal.  “I haven’t made up my mind how I’m going to vote on whatever the language is,” Grassley says, “and I shouldn’t say anything until I read the language.”

Some critics say President Obama is already making moves that are outside the scope of the power reserved for the executive office and Grassley says he’s not convinced we should get further involved. “I’m kind of reluctant to vote for anything, considering how this president has done such a bad job as commander-in-chief, drawing lines in the sand and no consequences for those lines being crossed,” Grassley says.

He’s “lost confidence” in President Obama and Grassley says, “I’m not sure I want to give him more power,” but adds, ISIS is “a very big problem and a very big threat, even to the United States.”

(Radio Iowa)

Monday’s meeting of the Exira City Council was postponed to this Wednesday evening, due to a lack of a quorum. City officials say there weren’t enough members of the Council on-hand due to an illness and family obligations. When the Council convenes in their meeting room at 7:30-p.m on Wednesday, they’re scheduled to set the Fire Township meeting for Tues., Feb 17th at 7-p.m., and set the date for a Public Hearing on the Budget as March 9th.

In other business, the Exira City Council will discuss and possibly act on a building permit for 302 S. Cottage Street.