Afghanistan: Threats and Follow Through, Chief Justice Seizure and Becoming our Parents

Good Morning,

The newsroom was full of conversation this morning but it wasn't about the news. We were having a discussion of ways to deal with issues of childcare in the overnight hours we work. This shift presents a lot of challenges to your personal life. This is just one more that some of our team is dealing with behind the scenes. And no, please do not read more into this that there actually is. I am not among the people in the newsroom in the market for childcare these days.
It is tough to come up with plans when you work these strange hours! I was giving our expecting-mom-producer, Heather, some tips on recruiting a good nanny/sitter who can cover overnights!
I speak from experience - Ian is out of town today so one of our sitters spent the night in the guest room, and is probably up feeding the kids cereal right now. I realize I'm very lucky to have someone I trust who's able to do this from time to time - a lifesaver when you don't have Grandma and Grandpa in town!
Check out today's Gen X moms blog for more on nanny-searching tips, and WHY kids seem to work so much harder to impress their teachers than their parents!
TS

To the news:

The news out of Afghanistan is that there is another deadline set for tomorrow around noon. Taliban kidnappers say they will Iolanthe hostage tomorrow if the Afghan government doesn't release Taliban prisoners. The body of a second murdered hostage was found along a roadside today.

The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court had a seizure. He fell over while on vacation in Maine. Scary, I'm sure but the doctors say Chief Justice Roberts is going to be OK. The vocabulary moment of the day came when Trish pointed out the medical terms used in this story. I'll let her explain.
IDEOPATHIC: (id-ee-uh-path'-ic) of unknown cause, as a disease.
I questioned whether we should use this word in our coverage of Roberts' episode. I knew what it meant, but only because I heard it a lot when I was being treated for "ideopathic" scoliosis as a teenager. It just means doctors can't explain the cause.
I figured most people in the general public wouldn't be familiar with the term, and thought at first we should remove it from the script. But Pat said - let this be a vocabulary lesson! So we compromised - we used the word, but offered the quick definition too. I liked that solution.
Is this kind of specificity helpful to you as a news viewer - or would you rather just have the plain English version without the technical medical term? TS


There's a group of Iowa soldiers coming home. The 10-34th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is coming back to Johnston.

A New report out by the agency looking onto reconstruction costs in Iraq says there's widespread corruption in almost every agency of the Iraqi government. No kidding.

In one of the weirdest stories of the morning, an anti-war group is protesting at Sen Tom Harkin's office today. Anyone else think they've got their senators mixed up? Just a tip: If you want to be taken seriously you might want to protest something at the office of a politician who's been vocal about his support of he war.
Here's an example of how out of control the senator is about his "support" of the war:

The U.S. Senate is debating a new course in Iraq and Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, is backing a plan that would start redeploying American troops out of Iraq within 120 days.
"As progressives, we're going to do everything we can to really have straightforward, strong votes on getting out of Iraq," Harkin says.

-Radio Iowa

Yes Yes, better make sure this pro-war policy is outed.

The group's point is that he voted for the war back in 2002 and for funding along the way...

I don't mind a full throated debate over war policy. It just seems this one is preaching to the Choir.

Slow Down

A guy in Ohio found a way to slow traffic down outside his house. He took pictures of his kids...blew them up to life size and put them out on the lawn. It worked. He's selling them for $60. I may buy a few. I can't stand the cars that race through my neighborhood. We're a cut through between two busy streets and as I'm mowing the lawn sometimes, I'll yell at the cars passing by to slow down. As I did it the first time I realized this was really the first time I had one of those, "you're becoming your father" moments. I could do a lot worse by the way...but it's just a little freaky. He used to yell at passing cars when we were outside paying catch in front of our house. "Sloooow Dooooown!" he'd bellow. I've got the same set of pipes so I think the drivers passing by get the point.

That's it for me,

PWD

Coffee Snobs

You know this about us. We ran out of the good stuff this morning and had to go to the newsroom provided Folgers. I can honestly say this would cut down on my coffee consumption...a lot.

I didn't think I was such a big coffee snob until today. The brew was totally undrinkable. I'm struggling to stay awake, and realizing what a grip my caffeine-addiction has on me. I'd pay someone good money to go on a coffee run! TS

Techno-addiction

Jon Cahill had a story where the video really does speak for itself. He went out to the Mall and to ISU's campus to look at how people interact goven the explosion of technology. It was interesting. People walking with each other, and not talking...texting. people on the phone while they eat, on the phone in resturaunts...you get the idea. This is a pet peave of mine. If you're going to talk on your cell phone...step away from the table. If you are talking to someone....say excuse me, check the number and if it's an important call, apologize and say you'll be right back...it's not that hard. My Father-in-law is militant about this. He just can't stand...and I have to agree...people who talk on a cell phone while at a resturaunt.

The point of the story is that we're not talking to each other face-to-face anymore...we're txting and talking over the phone...

It creeps me out to see how much time this technology eats up! I try not to obsessively check email and voicemail, but it is harder than ever to stay "unplugged" with all the technologies so easy to use! Sometimes you just need to let it all go...people must realize that we all can't be accessible 24/7!

Have a good day!

Trisha

Bush-Brown Friendship? More Jobs in DM, Full Moon Monday

Good morning, everyone!
It's Trisha getting things going. I'm listening to some Nadas music as I write this morning. I'm becoming a very loyal band wife - I'm suddenly very addicted to their songs! More on my new band crush a little later...

Things were just WEIRD on the news desk today.

Pat threw crumpled up paper at Jeriann at least twice today.

Ms. Ritter doctored up a terrible photo of Brad to make him look like Wolfman.

A hot air balloonist apparently showed up in our parking lot and asked if he could launch from there.

(I'm not sure if he looked up to see the enormous broadcast tower looming...hmmm)

I'm pretty sure I wasn't hallucinating when Jeriann encouraged everyone to take their clothes off to deal with the heat.

Then she confirmed - there was a full moon overnight.

On to a few news items:

BUSH-BROWN MEETINGS

The new PM of Great Britain is making his first trip to the US since taking office. Gordon Brown and President Bush are supposed to have a news conference today after meeting at Camp David. The word is that the two will probably form a good working relationship, but no one expects Brown to get quite as cozy with him as his predecessor, Tony Blair, did.

FATAL CRASH

A terrible crash in Norwalk last night killed two young people. State Patrol says a car ran a red light and was hit by a pick-up truck. A witness described the crash, saying he could tell there was no way anyone made it out of the car alive. We learned the victims' names by this morning, today the questions will be who were these young people, and what exactly happened at that intersection?

NEW JOBS IN DM

I liked Jon Cahill's report this morning about all the companies going through major expansions in the city. People he interviewed say this will mean companies have to become even more attractive to employees, allowing them more perks and flexibility.

Have any of you seen your companies make a move to be more family-friendly, or throw in more extras for the sake of recruitment/retention? I'm sure it's nice to feel wanted!

WATCHING "ELF" WITH TYLER

This is Tyler. He's a very cool dude who manages the Nadas.

(photos courtesy of the Nadas blog)

He also USED to read this blog daily, but I found out he's been slacking.
So I promised to write about him every day until he posts a response.

Ian, the kids and I hung out at Tyler's house for a barbecue Saturday night. It was a gorgeous night, full of great food and conversation, and free entertainment from Cal and Clara (who made all the grown-ups play ball with them and then take turns chasing it down the hill into the street about a half a million times.)

Cal was having so much fun, he asked if he could stay all night at Tyler's house.

Tyler came up with something brilliant - wouldn't it be fun if Cal came over some night, and they could watch the Will Ferrell movie "Elf" and eat popcorn and ice cream?

I should have warned Tyler that Calvin takes things very literally... and has a great memory.

The next morning, the first words out of Cal's mouth were, "Can I go to Tyler's house now to watch "Elf" and eat popcorn and ice cream?

Tyler - I hope you're a man of your word!

BAND CRUSH

There's something about the way music gets under your skin that reminds me of the way a crush turns into a head-over-heels "falling for you" feeling.

I started very casually checking out the Nadas music when my husband Ian started playing drums for them this summer.



First impression - cool stuff! Very fresh, gets in your head, approachable without being too squeaky-clean. Is it country or rock??? Not sure but it sounds good.

Now, the more I listen, the more I hear the different layers.

Hmmmmm...this keeps getting better.

Now my band crush is getting pretty serious....

Confession: I actually bought a song off I-Tunes the other night, because I can't seem to get Ian to remember to pick me up their latest CD.

(I swear I'm not like this about every band. I actually think I'm pretty hard to impress.)

I'm now counting the days until Thursday when they play at the amphitheatre on the river.

I will be wearing my Nadas shirt and singing along.

I think I'm in trouble.

I'm hoping maybe Mike and Jason will give me their autographs instead of asking for mine this time (wink).

Does this make me a groupie?

FINALLY - HAPPY B-DAY, IAN!

Can you guess how old he is today? (take a close look at the gray hairs and wrinkles -it's so much fun to be married to an "older" man!)

We took him out to dinner last night and Clara attempted to sing "Happy Biwwff-day" in the restaurant.

I'm afraid I can't top that.
But I can say, Happy Birthday, hon, and happy Monday, everyone else!

I second that sentiment...Happy Birthday old man!

After a thorough and complete blog from Trish I don't feel I need to add a lot more.

I did want to say we tried out a new restaurant downtown this weekend.

Anyone been to Azalea yet?

I thought the service was great...atmosphere great...the food was top notch.

I was a little shocked at the bill, but I guess that's what you pay for great food, atmosphere and service. Our little town is growing up.

We had a great time with our friends the Whites.

The other highlight of the weekend was new golf shoes for me! I now own two pair of golf shoes. Why you ask? Cause sometimes I wear brown pants and sometimes I wear black. Besides, I'm not sure any of the women on the blog want to get into a shoe discussion with me. I win. I have fewer pairs of shoes.

I found myself a little nostalgic about my old spikes though. I've had them for at least seven years. These are the only pair I've used and so they've taken me over miles of golf and hours of some of the best time I've had over the years. They are also the shoes I was wearing when I walked the hallowed ground of The Old Course in St Andrews Scotland with my Dad and Uncle Jimmy. Would it be over the top to put them is some sort of glass display case?

Speaking of Jimmy, I am reminded it was his birthday Saturday. Happy Birthday a little late Jimmy. I was on the phone with my Mom and asked if it was his 50th. I guess he's going to be pleased with that assessment.

Have a good day!

Trish and Pat

PS Here's a picture of brad that Jeriann messed with:

Hit and Run, Stocks Tumble, and Fiscal Wake-up

Good Morning...We hope we all have a job at the end of the day. It was a weird morning but I think it made for a good show. Jeriann had one of the floor directors, Joe, do his, "happy dance" on camera today...we had a debate over the evolution of the porta potty after Jon Cahill's National Balloon Classic preview (more on that later).

To more serious news first:

Hit and run:
Right before we went on the air, We talked to Des Moines Police who told us a suspect turned himself in early this morning in a deadly hit and run. Someone was trying to pass on Bloomfield road and hit the 15 year old boy. He died after being transported to Methodist.
(Just got an update at 8:20- police arrested a 19-year-old in this hit and run, and they're charging him with drug-related vehicular homicide, failure to render aid, driving while suspended, and driving with no insurance. TS)

Congress Works Late
Homeland security is the debate in Congress today. They're trying to change the way money is distributed. Right now it's pretty evenly distributed across the country. Under the new plan, larger cities deemed at higher risk would get more money.

Stocks Tumble (then rebound, then tumble)
Are we used to this yet? The Dow Jones Industrial Average went down more than 300 points...it's the latest down in the roller coaster ride of the DJIA. I think the thing people are more disturbed about is the housing market. A lot of people bought homes over the last few years when interest rates were low. The problem is, people overbought, or got into loans where the interest payment ballooned in the last couple of years....
Millions of people are expected to default on their loans. Do you know anyone in this situation?
As a seller, I just need the housing market to pick up - soon! It's a great time to buy, but scary when you need to get a house sold!

Update 12:43-we read two stories on the Dow this noon hour and in the time it took me to read the introduction to the story, the people in the control room watching the real time Dow #'s said they changed four times...yikes!

Wake-up Call
We had the Comptroller General of the United States in Studio this morning. Who? The Comptroller General. He's the guy that's watching the books. I say watching because he's not the one making the decision, but he is the one warning anyone who will listen that our economic house is not in order.
David Walker argues that next year right about the time we're helping pick the next president at the caucuses...the first Baby Boomers are going to reach the age where they can start collecting medicare...health care costs continue to rise, and we're not making any choices about spending and taxing. He's calling on Iowans to get some of the Presidential candidates to answer how they'd help fix the problem. It's hard to wrap your brain around these numbers but the bottom line is...this is bad...really bad. As Voters he thinks we need to start expecting more than a band-aide solution for this bullet wound of a problem.

(Update 12:40)If you'd like to see the interview we've put it on our caucus website iowavotes2008.com

Weekend of Posh Porta Potties
Jon Cahill's story was about the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. It's running over the next nine days in Indianola and it's a great event. Jon asked what's new this year...as we always do, and they responded...the bathrooms. Apparently they've got some of these posh porta poties at the Balloon classic. Trish blogged about these after Ribfest. The mere mention of the porta poties though was enough to erode our show into a laugh fest this morning. Hey, It's Friday!

Really - you must check this thing out!! Air conditioned, several private stalls, running water, etc! I assumed these things were usually reserved for VIP's, and am impressed to hear the Balloon Classic is offering them to the general public!
I'm seriously thinking about bringing the kids out to the event sometime this weekend - (not just to see the porta-potties, of course) I have yet to meet a kid who's not "wowed" by the sight of hot air balloons in the sky. Beautiful - and cheap! $3 a person, and kids 12 and under free! TS

I'll be back for the news at Noon. If there's anything to update here...I'll do it over that hour long newscast. Check back after one.

12:45-Can you pull someone over in space? I don't mean to make light of this because it's serious, but I thought someone was joking this morning when they said a magazine published a story that NASA let a couple of astronauts fly while they were drunk! Apparently it's true...

12:50-The Register is reporting...on RAGBRAI, one of the riders nearly drowned in the Wapsipinicon river. Another rider pulled the 60 year-old from the river after the current puled him under. Other riders camped near the Wapsi called the person who jumped in and tried to save the man, a hero.

PWD

On the Gen X Moms Blog today - What Not to Wear:Kids' Edition!

I'll give you the scoop on how Cal talked me into letting him go out in public dressed like this. (Camo and pinstripes. NICE.)

I want YOUR feedback on how you handle your kids' weird wardrobe choices!!

Not to leave out my little girl - think she looks good behind the wheel of a convertible? Maybe a racecar...

Look out, Danica!

Happy Friday!

Trish

Sell Prairie Meadows, RAGBRAI concert, SuperMoms overdoing it

Good morning!

A quick little blog from me before Pat jumps in to add his 2 cents' worth!

Pat's on now...It's time to do the Noon News but I'll put a few thoughts on here for the late bloggers.

Sell Prairie Meadows?

Jon Cahill brought in an interesting report today: The same group that fought against Project Destiny has a new idea on how to fund projects in Polk County - sell Prairie Meadows and use the profits. Any thoughts?

I have a couple...

First, points to the NoLocalOption.com people. They made the effort to defeat the Project Destiny vote and the public bought their argument. Instead of simply being content to be dissenters though, the group decided to get into the mix and try to come up with a way to perpetually fund attractions.

Here's the hole people in the county will shoot through this proposal. RACI, the group that holds the license to Prairie Meadows. The group's charter is really specific. The State gaming commission set up Prairie Meadows with the idea that it would give back to the community every year. It does, at a rate far larger than a private group would. Even if PM was sold and the money from the sale put in trust, County officials I talked to say, that money wouldn't perpetually cover the obligations to The Events Center, The City of Des Monies, Community Betterment Grants and the three million or so that the county takes to fund the budget every year. It a lot of money that the fund would have to generate every year. The other point some of the politician types I talked to say is...no one is going to leave this money alone. It might work now to say that this money is only to be used for this or that purpose...but a few years down the road...someone is going to look at that pot of money and get greedy, or desperate. They'll draw down from the fund and that will set a president that will continue until the money is gone...so instead of a perpetual cash cow...the money would dry up permanently.

Ive got a compromise idea. how about the voters get involved next time we've got to approve the license for Prairie Meadows. How about the get even more specific with the Charter for PM. Maybe instead of a really nice new addition...they can take some of the money they make and give it back to the community? Why not own the cash cow and get more out of it as well? Maybe they could set up a fund that would get a certain percentage of PM money for the next ten years. It would then be used to perpetually fund some of these attractions. The point is...the conversation is continuing. Sometimes it's not as simple as it looks, but it's certainly worth entertaining creative ideas. Keep em coming!

RAGBRAI

Today will be the hottest day of the week - and tonight storms are possible near Independence, where the RAGBRAI route stops for the night! I hope they all stay safe in the heat today and in their tents tonight!

My hubby, Ian, was playing with the Nadas last night at a RAGBRAI concert at the UNIdome. He got this shot of Lance Armstrong (who spoke at the concert about cancer research), a shot of John Popper with Blues Traveler (the Nadas opened for them, then the Iowa boys played their own concert at an outdoor venue)

and he sent this shot from behind his drumset of the huge crowd.

He titled this picture simply "Work." Yep - his job is cool sometimes.

I sent back this photo of Cal and Clara in their new Peter Pan and Tinkerbell jammies.

I titled it - "Work."

My nighttime job is cool sometimes too.

SUPERMOMS

Do you have a tendency to overdo it sometimes, and commit to more than you can realistically handle? That was the topic of today's Gen X moms report - jump over to that blog to read more about my attempt to get real, and end my reign as a wannabe-Wonder Woman. I want your thoughts, fellow Supermoms!

Gotta run - have a great Thursday!

Trish

Homecoming, Hawkeye Blackout? and The Grossest Coffee Cup Ever!

Good Morning,

Like a lot of you, one of the first stops when I get to work is at the coffee pot. The only problem...my coffee cup. Do any of you forget to clean out your coffee cup at the end of the day?

The results can be a mess the next morning or, even worse, Monday morning when you come in. Anyone know what I mean?

Do you have a particularly"experienced" coffee cup at work. If you're brave enough...email me a picture. patrick.dix@whotv.com we'll put the really gross ones and the stories behind them up on the blog.

To the news:

Homecoming

What a day for the hundreds of Iowa families waiting for National Guard soldiers to come home. The party starts in Waterloo this afternoon but I am sure there will be more around the state as individual soldiers come home. As we came up on this day I thought about all of these men and women, what they've been through and what they still have to tackle transitioning into their old lives. I hope all the Iowans who give these soldiers a warm welcome remember that the support for these soldiers and their families doesn't end today. It's just getting started.

RAGBRAI

The soldiers homecoming is going to add to the thousands of people already in the Waterloo area for RAGBRAI. The stop tonight is Cedar Falls. The buzz on the road is a question...Will Lance Armstrong finish RAGBRAI? He's talking about leaving to go support his team in the Tour de France.

Ames Vote

The new aquatic Center can't come soon enough for Ames voters. They passes a bond issue for more than eight million dollars to build a new water park in town.

Big 10 in Town

The Big ten comes to town to promote it's new TV network but those of us with Mediacom cable are still asking, Will we get it? The cable network is still negotiating with Big 10 to try and get it as part of it's package choices. Big 10 wants it as part of the regular cable...Mediacom wants to make it part of one of it's sports packages. Question: Does Mediacom really need one of these contract battles again?

Jeriann and Pat Argue Over...

Off the air Jeriann and I were going back and forth all morning about Lindsey Lohan.

She (Jeriann) argues that she would be interested in having the story of Lohan's arrest in our newscast. I feel differently. In part, I feel like we had so much news that Iowans would be interested in that we didn't need to hear about a Hollywood star being arrested again. I leave it to you bloggers to debate. Is this a story we should be putting in our newscast?

I'd answer this way: At some point they pay us to be the ones who decide what's newsworthy and what's not. I have a hard time looking at you seriously and talking about this when we've got 600 soldiers coming back from Iraq, more than 10,000 bike riders moving across the state, a presidential race we're right in the middle of and a cable company that might not show Hawkeye games this fall. Is Lindsey Lohan more important than those?

In this case, I'm not sure what's newsworthy about it at all. Is anyone surprised? Is anyone outraged? Did you wake up this morning and say, "I didn't see that one coming". I hope the answer to all of those is no. In that case I'd have to argue it has no place in the news.

You may be interested in it, but that's not the same thing as the story being newsworthy.

That's it for today...a big Thank you to Liz Klinge for filling in while Trisha was gone. Trish will be back tomorrow morning.

Have a good day.

PWD

Minimum Wage Gets a Boost, YouTube Debate, and Who's The Next County Administrator? Who Cares?

Good Morning,

Thanks to Liz for Blogging yesterday and to you all for your responses!

The news this morning includes some interesting items.

Min Wage

The minimum wage increased this morning but here in Iowa we're already paying well more than the federal increase. It seems like the Min wage should move at least every five years or so...the argument against this is that it will hurt business. There's also an argument that while this is a feel good move...paying people who don't make much a little more, We really won't see the effect in the economy because so few people really make the minimum wage. We'll see.

YouTube Debate

Did you catch any of this last night? I'll let Liz comment because I didn't but she says it was really interesting.

Polk County Administrator

I'm usually the first person to be critical when the politicians who run the county but in this case they've got a legitimate beef with their bosses. The people who complained loudly about how irresponsible politicians were with their money as Project Destiny was defeated were nowhere to be found as the new county administrator was selected. This is going to be the guy (there are three men who are finalists) who helps set policy, makes budget decisions and works with elected officials to make sure the county is on the right track long term.

There were two public meetings where the candidates were interviewed and there were two public receptions in the evening where people could go meet the men considered for the job. According to one Supervisor, no one showed up. Just something to consider the next time we all start to complain about the government not doing it's job.

Pool Vote in Ames

Ames voters get to decide if they'd like a new nine million dollar aquatic center today. We always talk about the weather being such a big factor in whether people get to the polls. I wonder if hot and humid will drive more Ames voters to say yes for this thing.

Drew...Come on Down!

Drew Carey is the new host of The Price is Right. He announced it on a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman last night. So will he be any good and more importantly...what do you call the Price is Right Ladies now that it's Drew Carey? They were Barker's Beauties before...now what? Drew's Dames was the suggestion from the control room.

We'll see you on the Noon News.

PWD

Moday Rain, Mc Cain and finding a Manly Cocktail

Good Morning,

I think I convinced Liz to blog today. She's filling in for Trish for a few days. We'll see.





We'll start with the weather as it may have taken some of you by surprise this morning.





If there are people complaining about the fact that there are storms watering the lawn...please don't count me as one of them. I know any kind of weather is inconvenient for someone, but people...please. It really couldn't come at a better time overnight) and we really need it.





McCain back in Iowa

Sen John Mc Cain dismissed any questions about his campaign and the problems it's been having by saying he's been talking about it for more than a week. But Senator, you haven't talked to Iowans about it. Frankly I can't remember him talking a lot about it. I'm sure he has, and I'm sure he is sick of it. I just feel like on your first trip back it might be wise to reiterate your answer to that question, then move on rather than simply dismissing the question before it comes. McCain says he can still win Iowa. We'll see what happens. It so early, literally anything can happen.





Polk County Administrator

The new Polk county administrator is going to be chosen this week. I bring this up because I'd like to talk to some of the people who were big against Project Destiny. Here's your first chance...go out and make a difference! I expect you've all blocked of time to make your voices heard and be sure you are at the meeting to hear the public input on this important decision. If the sarcasm in my writing isn't coming through...it should be. I imagine this will be like every public meeting I've been to in the last eight years...empty save the few people that show up every time.

This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. This will be the guy who helps decide the collective future of the county. So all of the people who feel government is not using the money it has very well. Get over there and ask some questions of the people you DID elect.

The meeting starts at one.



RAGBRAI

It might be a rainy ride at times for all of the people riding RAGBRAI this year...we'll watch for more fun from the route this morning.



Harry Potter

Friday night was a lot of fun out at Merle Hay Mall. Thanks to the people who showed up and listened to my very poor reading of the sixth book before #7 came out. Sally now has a copy of the book and will give be the Cliff's Notes as she reads. It sounds like, if you wanted to have the ending be a surprise...you should have locked yourself away with a copy of the book this weekend and finished it in 9 hours(as some of the people who are posting online did).



Golf and Prime Rib in the QC

We met my parents in the Quad Cities for a quick overnight Saturday into Sunday to celebrate my birthday. Firs...if you ever get the chance and want a great place to eat, I can't say enough about the Bass Street Chop House. It's like 801 Steak and Chop House here.

Great meal, great service...bring your wallet...or your parent as I did(thanks Mom and Dad).

I'm happy to say I may have found my call drink for the summer. For those of you who don't know, I tend to like drinks that...well most of them require an umbrella and a skirt.

Anyway, I've been on a quest for something i can order without getting a little embarrassed and I think I found it. Anyone heard of a Jon Daly? It's an Arnold Palmer(half tea, half lemonade) but add vodka. I don't have occasion to order a dink all that often, but when a cocktail is appropriate...I wanted to have one I could go to. I've found my summer cocktail...now all I need is one to order in the winter. Any other suggestions?



Speaking of golf...we played TPC Deere Run while we were over in the QC. What a beautiful golf course. because I know most of you don't read this for the golf review, I won't go on about it, but if you are a golfer...have the time, and are over in the QC....you really should play this golf course.



I hope you have a good Monday.


Tales of a Morning Reporter
(Yes, Liz is blogging now. Be excited.)

So I was having big-time flash-backs this morning...to Ragbrai last year. It was a hot July night, and mother nature decided to let loose on all the bicyclists. As the morning reporter, I got up at 3AM anyway...but this particular morning I got a 'get up even earlier call' because the Rabrai riders were getting wet. Needless to say, I raced to my Chevy Beretta to race to Waukee to get the scoop.
But a few miles down I-35 from Ankeny, my 'racing' caught up with me....as did the rain. Suddenly 'Bari' the Beretta began to get a mind of his own (yes, I name my cars...more on that another time.) The next thing I knew I was facing north-bound in the south-bound lanes. 'Bari' was largely unrecognizable having just hit the median barricade at about 60mph.
At this point, I climbed out of my window and tried to flag someone down because, of course, I couldn't find my cell phone in the mess of the crash. Keep in mind, its 3:30 in the morning, and its pouring. A Channel 13 car drives by, but doesn't stop because its raining so hard. (I've forgiven Roger now.)
Finally the paramedics arrived. They asked me what in the world I was doing out at that hour in the middle of the storm. When I told them I was trying to get to Ragbrai, they started asking me if I was 'under the influence of something.'
I said no, I'm just a morning reporter.

Anyway, I'm sure many of you have similar car-malfunctioning experiences. Feel free to share them (so I know I'm not alone in the bad-luck department!)
Tomorrow I'll bring a picture of the way I've invented to roll up my driver's side window.

Hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow.

Courting Labor, Harry Potter Mania, and State Baseball

Good Morning...

It's Friday and that means everyone is in a pretty good mood.

We'll go quickly through some of the stories we had just in case you missed the news.

Courting Labor

Democrats are courting the all important Labor vote here in Iowa. The candidates will come in over the next couple of days to talk to the AFSCME union. (Association of state county and municipal employees)

Principal Jobs

Right after voters overwhelmigly reject Project Destiny, The state of Iowa decides to give Principal Financial a big financial incetive to create or retain 1500 jobs. The Principal Group is now asking the city for a big Property tax break if it builds new buildings to house all those people downtown. I heard from a lot of people that they didn't like these kind of tax breaks for big companies when we were talking about Project Destiny. I get your argument but the city has a bigger picture in mind. If they have to take a hit on the property tax for ten years, the longer term benefit is a bigger plus for the city. At least that's their argument. 15-hundred more people downtown means the potential for more people to live downtown...more people living or working downtown means more money for downtown business. Add to that, the city will eventually get the tax money from Principal and the homes that have property tax abatement. We put some numbers up about the ammount of Property tax abatement in the city and county as a whole. Remember, the City of Des Moines has a lot of tax exempt property. Things like hospitals, churches, museums and state county and city office buildings are exempt. It's all a part of being the capitol city.

It's Trisha - I can't believe Pat bailed out of the blog before writing about golf! He's been glued to his computer screen all morning checking out the action at the British Open. I feel for Sally - she must feel like an absolute widow when golf events like this are going on.

Potter Parties -

You can check the early post we put up for links to local parties. I think it's wonderful that kids are getting so jazzed up - not about a toy, video game, or movie, but a BOOK. Awesome and magical.

Sleepless in DM

I'm bracing myself for a long and loud day without my usual afternoon snooze - a new roof is going on the house today! As exhausted as I am, I can't imagine sleeping through that kind of racket.

Ian (my better half) will be in even worse shape. He's returning this morning from a long and sleepless road trip with the Nadas. Judging by a rambling voice message I received overnight from one of the guys (who shall remain unnamed here) the band and crew had a very late and interesting night! Here's a blog shot I found of him proving he can do more than play drums - I guess the boys are taking advantage of his singing too, lately.

He swears to me that someday he'll indulge me and sing a big, cheezy Broadway love duet with me. I'll believe it when I see it.

Regardless of the tired factor - we both have to get our game face on by late this afternoon: THE KIDS ARE COMING HOME! (They've been at "camp grandma" again this week and I think my parents' grocery bill skyrocketed trying to feed the little Piglets)

I miss the stinkers like you wouldn't believe, and can't wait to kiss their little cheeks and smother them with hugs. The countdown is on!

I'm off for a few days next week so please welcome the lovely Elizabeth Klinge to the anchor desk!

Someone I know thinks she looks like Katherine Heigl from Grey's Anatomy. Agree or disagree? (isn't this a cute candid party photo of Liz? Hope she doesn't care I snapped this off her desk! That's half of Dave Price's face too - sorry Dave!)

Any of you have a celebrity lookalike? I used to have people tell me I looked like Helen Hunt a lot when I had longer hair... I'm not so sure.. maybe the eyes and the smile?

Happy Friday!

TS

Early Buzz: State Baseball

State baseball starts today. Here's a list of the schedules and times...they're too long to list on air!

Overnight Storms, Voting to help Newton, and What Brings Brad to his Knees?

Good Morning:

We'll answer the question about Brad in a minute...



First the news....



Semi v Bridge

In the westbound lanes of I-80 the highway was shut down most of the morning just west of the metro. Near Adel, a truck hit the bridge and caused traffic to stop for more than two hours.



Rain Overnight
Again this morning I rolled over when my alarm clock went off and thought, 'they got it right again'. Yesterday Jeriann and Meagan were both saying the strong storms were going to hit the Metro around 2am. I was up...they did.

The best part about this storm is that we got some rain. The worst part is that it was too much rain in eastern Iowa. As much as ten inches of rain fell near the Mississippi River in Northeast Iowa. Some damage in north central Iowa.



Vote on Newton
The Governor and the Iowa Department of Economic Development meet to talk about a multi million dollar economic development incentive package for a potential employer in Newton Iowa. TPI manufactures, among other things, the blades for wind turbines. The package could attract as many as 723 jobs to Newton. We'll bring you an update eon any decision on the Noon news.

Suburban Hospital
The burbs get their wish and West Des Moines begins what it's calling, "The Medical Mile" along University Ave. when this hospital breaks ground this morning. Anyone out in the burbs feel better with the idea of having a hospital out there?

Proposal
How about the guy that got the I-Cubs to let him put the catchers gear on and surprise his fiance with a proposal after she threw out the first pitch? That's a great idea and a lot of creativity. If you want to make sure your potential spouse is surprised...do something like this.

Visitors to the Station Part 1:
I'm trying to get our Web manager to get some pics of the four baby raccoons in the tree outside out back door. They're cute...but where's Mom?

This was the best I could do folks. The camera(or the operator) were acting up this morning. If you look closely in the second photo, you can try to pic out the blobs...that ARE baby racoons :) Everyone at the station was fascinated by them today, and they even took a short nap all curled up near the top of the tree. ADORABLE :) And if someone brings up the "garbage-eating, rabies-carrying" point again...they'll get smacked. --Web girl Kelly

Visitors Part 2
We hate to admit it but Trish and I both forgot we invited a guest to the show this morning. It happens. Thankfully we have a nimble crew behind the scenes who made it work and a great guest who made the interview interesting. Iowa's Fringe Festival sounds like a lot of fun. There will be multiple theatre companies performing all genres of theatre at the same time in a bunch of different downtown locations. It sounds pretty cool. The acting companies are coming in from all over the country and even from Europe!

And What makes Brad fall to his knees?
It's when I spill coffee. If any of you saw the 6:15-6:30 segment, I knocked over a cup of coffee behind the set. Trish had just filled it up for me. So in the middle of the next segment of news, here comes Brad crawling behind the set with a gross of paper towel to clean up the spill. Trish kept her composure and kept on reading but it was pretty funny...Thanks Brad.

It will be a busy rest of the day. Shawn Johnson comes home from the Pan AM games with a brace because she's got so much gold hanging around her neck. Just kidding about the brace...but Shawn Terrell will have an interview from the airport.

Gotta go...busy day,
PWD

Early Buzz: Salvation Army and Fringe Festival Links

Good Morning...what a day. We've got a lot to talk about on the regular Morning Buzz, but we'll get you started with a couple of promised links:

The first is for the Salvation Army's Summer fundraising campaign. If you want to volunteer, here's the link

And we had a guest in for the Iowa Fringe Festival. If you haven't heard of this but like good theatre...Go to the event's website here.

Plane Crash, Sleepless in the Senate and Trisha's Announcement

Good Morning,

Sleepless in the Senate

I got to work this morning thinking the story from the Senate would probably lead our newscast. It's a rare night when the Senate goes all night with a debate...Interesting tactic. The only problem is that it doesn't get anyone anywhere. I think if I were a Senator, Republican or Democrat, I would spend the night in my office working. Last time I checked the Senate has to debate a new Farm Bill among other important things on its list.

I get the idea that the Democratic leadership is trying to force the issue of a troop withdrawl. So, take a vote on it every once in a while. Do they think this is going to be a surprise to anyone? Are we all going to write headlines and lead a newscast with the fact the Republican Grassley will vote against early troop withdrawl, and Democrat Harkin will vote for it? Oh wait...we did lead the newscast with it, or at least came close. OK so the PR stunt worked.

I was frustrated by how little information was coming out overnight from Associated Press or any major broadcast or print news organizations! Did nobody staff this session? Where's the committment, DC reporters?! Maybe they fell asleep on those cozy cots. I was seriously digging for info all morning and coming up with the barest details about what the senators were doing. I wanted to know what was REALLY going on overnight in the chambers! The Today show had a few funny clips from overnight - one senator got all tongue tied around 3am - an example of how incoherent speech can sound when you're exhausted. (Not that I can relate to being overtired.... ) TS

Brazil Crash

A Brazilian airliner skidded off a wet runway in a driving rainstorm this morning crashing into a gas station ajacent to the runway. There had aparently been complaints about the length of this runway, especially when it rained. Add to that the fact that the runnway did not have the grooves most larger US runways do. This helps the plane stop by adding resistance and if designed correctly speeds drainage.
Jon Cahill made a good point - why is there a gas station so close to a runway. That doesn't sound like a good idea, even to a non-aviation expert. What were they thinking? TS


Courthouse Vote Scrapped

Call it the first fallout from the Project Destiny vote. The County says it won't put a 180 million dollar vote on a new courthouse up for voters in December.

Polk County Supervisors had privatly predicted this was coming. A proposal to build a courthouse was a pipe dream and most county leaders knew it. Look for the county to come back with a multi million dollar plan that wil make this first reccomendation look like a bargan. There's no doubt, by the way, that the courthouse needs to be expanded or rennovated. The courts need more space and have for about 15 years. In the wake of Project Destiny, the question is: Will the county do what voters said over annd over again at the polls...So More with what you have!

Lets see how creative they can get.

JR On the Homefront

A salute to Jeriann for opening up her personal life, to tell the story of how she stays in touch with her Dad who's serving in Iraq. Sonya's piece last night (which we replayed at 5am) did a great job summing up what it means to have the comfort of a face-to-face webcam conversation, when your loved one is in a war zone. I know all of us will breathe easier for Jeriann and her family when her dad arrives home safely in October.

PAYLESS KNOCKOFF CROCS RECALLED
I am stunned by how popular these rubber clogs are. It seems like EVERYONE has a pair. Calvin begged and pleaded to get a pair of green Crocs like his buddy Mitchell, and I finally caved in. He hasn't worn another pair of shoes since.

I'm glad now that I didn't go for the Payless knockoffs. I have nothing against the store in general, but we reported this morning that there's a big recall of their knockoff character-logo crocs, because the part that holds the strap in place can come loose and become a choking hazard. If you have these, bring 'em back for a refund.

Here are details on the recall.

LOOKALIKE COUSINS

My parents sent some photos of what my kids are doing at "Camp Grandma" this week. They've been to museums, swimming pools, and even exercise class, but the highlight seems to be playing with their cousin, Jackson. ("Baby Jacky" as Clara calls him)

I can't believe how blond and gorgeous this little boy is getting. I love being an auntie!

In these shots especially Jackson looks more like a brother than a cousin to Cal and Clara. That's probably because according to EVERYONE my kids are the spitting image of Jackson's dad - my youngest bro, Brian. (at right with Clara and Jackson) Bri is also a Brian Urlacher lookalike - he's intering at a radio station now where they've dubbed him "Urlacher the intern." Catchy.

Anyway, aren't recessive genes incredible? Ian and I both have brown eyes and warmer complexions, yet we produced not one but TWO blond, blue-eyed, Nordic looking kids. (No, the mailman does not have blue eyes FYI. )

YES, IT'S TRUE

It's only a matter of time before the grapevine and rumor mill reach all of you loyal blog-readers, so I'll give you the real scoop so hopefully you'll hear it here first: I have accepted a new job as a main evening anchor at the ABC affiliate station in Indianapolis. I'll be here at Channel 13 until Aug. 17th, then Ian and I will say some very tough goodbyes in Iowa, move to our new home two states away.

I cannot say enough good things about the time I've spent here at WHOTV and in Des Moines in general. I work with an incredibly gifted (and fun!) team of journalists, and the management here has been a dream to work for since day one. This station lets its reporters not just scratch the surface and report sensational news, but gives us opportunities to do in-depth reports on issues that are often overlooked (parenting included).

I am hoping people in Indiana will greet my family and I with the same kind of warm welcome that Iowans did! Everyone has made us feel at home, and as you can imagine, deciding to leave was not easy.

But - the opportunity in Indianapolis is like none other I've encountered. The station (WRTV) is also made up of very talented and experienced journalists, and they're presenting me (and a new male co-anchor, Todd Wallace from Dallas) with the challenge of being sort of ambassadors to the community, inviting new viewers to flip their remotes and see what they've been missing.

Indy is a major news market, closer to my hometown (near Chicago) and very close to our longtime hometown of Champaign, Illinois, where Ian and I have a huge network of friends. It's also a city where Ian has worked frequently and made incredible music connections. We are as excited to start our new life there as we are heartbroken to say goodbye to our friends here in Iowa. Bittersweet to say the least.

Many of you know Ian has found a new band family here in Iowa with the Nadas, and they're too great to part ways with right away. He is going to be doing a lot of traveling in the near future so he can continue to play gigs with them into the fall.. and who knows after that. (The guys in the band told me they hoped I'd blow the interviews and not get the job offer, that's how much they like Ian's drumming!)

Thanks to all of you for your support and enthusiasm - if you have connections to Indy or advice on things to check out as a new Hoosier, I'd love to hear them!

I look forward to one more month of great newscasts and thought-provoking blogs.

Trish

All Nighter, Newton's Good News, and Six the Hard Way

Good Morning,

I'm going to get a quick start to the day and Trish can fill in some of the blanks.

Senate All Nighter
Is is a stunt or is it a way of getting some focus on the war debate? The Senate leadership scheduled a debate from six tonight until six tomorrow morning. We'll follow this tonight to see who is up in the middle of the night talking.

Newton's Good news
The City of Newton is looking to close the deal on landing a company that manufacturers, among other things, wind turbines. While, not a done deal, I have sources telling me now that there are simply some formalities to work out. They're also telling me this isn't the end of the significant announcements for Newton. Stay tuned.

Borlaug's Gold
If there was any doubt before about Iowan Norman Borlaug's contribution to the world...it should end today when the president puts the Congressional Gold Medal around his neck(or pins it on...I'm not sure which). Anyway, the Cresco Iowa native is one of five people to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Congressional gold medal and the medal of freedom. He joins a list that includes Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa. Pretty good company.

Johnson's Gold
Shawn Johnson is going to do well at the Olympics...barring some major disaster between now and then. The US team's best hope for an all-around winner in gymnastics next time around won the Pan-Am games All-around title going away.
Enjoy watching the West Des Moines native....it will be in the sports history books before you know it.

Jeriann's Story
Kudos to JR for opening her private life up top the rest of us and letting us in on a conversation with her Dad in Iraq. This is going to be part of our , "On the Home Front" series of stories. She said it best this morning...until you've had to go through this kind of separation and anxiety about the danger a family member is in...you just can't understand what it's like. I hope you'll watch because I'm sure this story will give those of us who don't have loved ones over in Iraq, a better appreciation of the struggles. We're so lucky to have people like JR's Dad that will go and do this job.

Six the Hard Way(That's 33 for those of you who've never played craps)
Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I took a short nap between the morning and Noon and then we were working furiously on that Newton Story. After the show, Sally took the afternoon off and we went out golfing at Waveland. It is an annual tradition on my birthday. After a great afternoon hanging out with my wife, we went home and grilled some steaks my father-in-law sent for the occasion and had some good Iowa Sweet Corn.
I was well remembered by family and friends and consider myself lucky to have all those people around to celebrate.
Holy cow, I feel like a jerk, Pat! I didn't know your b-day was yesterday! Nice job keeping in on the DL. Now you're as old as me. TS

Weekend recap (late)
Just wanted to say a couple of things about the weekend. I agree with the posts about Ribfest. I enjoyed trying some of the traveling BBQ joints but come on...don't charge me $10 for a plate of Famous Dave's I can get up the street for $7.
We had our first Iowa Speedway experience this weekend and it was fun. We were lucky enough to be invited up to one of the skyboxes to watch the Rolex race. The facility is first class and I enjoyed hearing more about the construction of the racetrack. I will also say I was struck at the hospitality. People at the speedway were GREAT! They were making sure we felt like guests through the entire afternoon. I give the place high marks for it's customer service.
And I can't leave out my Saturday Morning. Thank you to the Sesker Family for its invitation to Jeriann and I to come and play in their golf tournament. The family lost their son Daniel in the war, and now they're doing a charity golf outing to benefit military families. They raised thousands of dollars (sorry I can't remember the total) and had a good time doing it. I played with three lovely ladies and was sorry to have to bail out early on them. Karen, Linda and Mo...I had a great time!

And a Thank You!
WHO-TV announced yesterday you are part of the #1 morning team in Central Iowa. (That's according to the Nielsen ratings from May - we've eclipsed KCCI in the 6-7am hour!) I say you because without a lot of you loyal bloggers we wouldn't be close. It's so much fun doing this show a lot of the time you don't think about how many people are watching, but it's nice to know others are responding to the formula we've put together to get you out the door in the morning. In particular this group helps us keep the concerns and thought of viewers in mind as we make decision about what gets covered in the morning. So thank you!
PWD
It's Trisha now. I second that thank you! You're all helping make our newscast successful by watching and reading every day, and spreading the word to families, co-workers, and friends. We appreciate your loyalty and your feedback!

Bad crash downtown -
I'm busy doing updates during the Today show, and we have a crew out at the scene of a bad crash at E 6th and Grand. Sounds like the area will be closed off to traffic for a while. Watch for the latest at noon!

I'm planning a lunch gathering for our Generation X Moms group today - hopefully we can gather some new material and cover all kinds of topics.
It actually helps that my own kids are away at "Camp Grandma" again this week - I have more time to contemplate the bigger parenting picture, instead of putting out fires and stopping squabbles!

On the Gen X moms blog today: DOLLS AND GUNS.

A story this morning about the new doll in the likeness of Iowa's First Lady Mari Culver got me thinking today about my daughter's fascination with baby dolls, and her brother's fascination with -gulp - guns. I need advice!


Have a great Tuesday!
Trish

Surprise Rainfall, Terrible I-80 Crash, Ribfest ripoff?

Good morning everyone!

It's Trisha getting things started today.

STORMY WEATHER

When I woke up to lightening and downpours at about 2:30 this morning (yep - painful but true!) I thought I must have just not been paying good attention to the forecast. It happens.

But it turns out I wasn't just out of the loop this time- no one saw the rain coming! It was supposed to stall out before getting to Iowa, but it somehow gained enough strength to make it here (Jeriann calls it a "weak disturbance" that dropped around an inch of rain.)

BOTTOM LINE - I don't care WHY it rained, I'm just happy for the lawns, flowers, and crops that desperately needed it!

TERRIBLE CRASH

By now many of you heard the tragic news that two children, ages 10 and 13, were killed when an SUV rolled over on I-80 yesterday. The driver, an adult passenger, and one child survived. The paper reports the kids were not wearing seatbelts. I sense this will be the topic of our follow-up report today.

I happened to be driving to Iowa City yesterday and got caught in the enormous traffic tangle because of the crash. I knew it was bad when I was at a dead stop on I-80 (eastbound near Newton) and saw the lifeflight helicopter come in. After about an HOUR of being stopped, a trooper came by and told drivers to turn around, and drive backwards down the closed interstate to the closest entrance ramp. It was surreal seeing people out of their cars, walking around the interstate, then finally having to backtrack the wrong way down the highway to get out of the mess. (The shot I got here was part of the detour through Newton. We eventually gave up on our plans - just too tough to get through.)

My 4-year-old, Calvin, was getting very impatient. "Honk at them, Mom! Tell them to go!" Somehow, I kept my cool. I knew there was something much more serious and tragic happening than a traffic jam, and my plans were not of life-or-death importance. My heart goes out to the families involved.

CAMPAIGN FUNDS

Sen. Barack Obama has the most in his campaign war-chest so far ($34 mil), closely followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton ($33 mil). Isn't it incredible how much cash it takes to get people's attention today? Blows me away.

RIB RIPOFF?

I went out to the RibAmerica fest with some friends yesterday to watch Ian play with the Nadas, and saw Pat and Sally and some of their friends out there too. I think we all agreed - the music was great, the food was pretty good, but the PRICES were outrageous. You had to spend $10 to get 7 tickets- and 5 tickets got you a measly 3 ribs. A beer was 4 tickets. Basically, you had to spend 20 bucks per person to get any kind of meal - plus the three dollar admission. And - no grass to lounge in. It was in the Events Center parking lot.

The highlight for me (aside from hearing the Nadas play - they sounded great!) was hanging out in the backstage VIP area after the Nadas got done, and as Big Head Todd was on stage. Sometimes it's fun to be a band wife!

(Right: Nadas manager, Tyler, with a very serious-looking Ian. Left: Ian with Cal's new buddy, Mitchell, and Mitchell's dad -Nadas singer-guitarist Jason Walsmith.)

It was cool to see the setup they had for the performers and their families - plenty of free food and beverages, and the nicest porta-potty unit I've ever seen. Seriously - that's what my friends and I could not stop talking about on our way home. I've never come across something like this - a huge trailer that was just like a public restroom, air conditioned, with about five private stalls, and real running water in the sink.

(It was kind of like the one on the right)

A sign on the outside of the unit called it the "Crowd Pleaser."

I wish they could prove it's cost effective and talk most outdoor events into switching from the typical hot, stinky, cramped porta-johns to this luxurious model!

Hope you enjoy your Monday!

Trish