AARP Magazine ranks Omaha-Council Bluffs as one of the ten best metro areas in the country to live on one-hundred dollars a day. Gabi Redford, the magazine’s editorial projects manager, says they looked for cities where a person could live most comfortably on an annual income of 36-thousand-500 dollars a year.  “The $100 a day was a nice round number, plus, we know that many seniors are living on a fixed income,” Redford says. “Many seniors are actually living just on their Social Security income and that’s a very modest amount of money.”

She says one of the first things they looked at were cities that had an extremely affordable housing market. She says the Omaha metro area’s median home price is $123,000, while the area also has many cultural offerings, parks, hiking, biking and other recreational activities. Redford says they also looked at things ranging from the arts to health care facilities to educational opportunities in determining the top ten list. 

The cost of living in Omaha-Council Bluffs is very affordable, she says, considering categories including: groceries, utilities, health care, transportation and one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates. The other cities in the top ten are: Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Las Cruses, New Mexico; Spokane, Washington; Roanoke, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; Grand Junction, Colorado; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Morgantown, West Virginia and Gainesville, Florida.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A traffic stop on Interstate 80 eastbound near Council Bluffs, Monday, resulted in the discovery of 45-pounds of marijuana, and the arrest of a Fort Bragg, California man. A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested 33-year old Dietmar K. Krumrey on Possession of a Controlled Substance with the intent to deliver, charge, and related offenses. The stop took place at around 1-p.m. Monday, when the deputy pulled over a 2012 Toyota Camry for excessive speed. Krumrey was booked into the Pott. County Jail, and later released on $5,000 bond.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A 30-year-old Iowan man has been sentenced for selling methamphetamine in Omaha. Federal prosecutors say Darrell Adams, of Council Bluffs was sentenced Monday to 121 months in prison. He’d been convicted of conspiring to sell 500 grams or more of meth. Adams must serve five years of supervised release after he leaves prison.  Prosecutors say Adams was arrested after selling meth to a witness who was cooperating with law enforcement authorities.

Authorities in Montgomery County are investigating an incident of vandalism which resulted in $3,000 damage to agricultural equipment belonging to a Cumberland man. Donald Waters reported to the Sheriff’s Office that sometime between July 18th and the 24th, someone used a BB gun to shoot the cab windows out of his International 1086 tractor, while the machine was parked at his grain bin site at 3172 115th Street, near Grant.

Two tires on a grain conveyor were also damaged at that same location. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, at 712-623-5107, or Crimestoppers, at 1-800-432-1001.

Prosecutors in Nebraska have charged a Pottawattamie County man with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the drug-related deaths of an Omaha man and his two sons. The Omaha World-Herald reports 34-year old Anthony D. Davis, of Council Bluffs, also faces three counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony. Davis is the second person to be arrested in connection with the fatal shootings on July 9th, of a man and two teenagers inside their Omaha home.

A Council Bluffs woman, 27-year old Tiaotta S. Clairday, was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony, in connection with the shootings of 44-year old Miguel Avalos, 16-year old Jose Avalos, and 18-year old Miguel Avalos Jr. The Douglas County Attorney told the paper he might ask for the death penalty against Davis, due to aggravated circumstances. He said the shootings appeared to be drug-related, but did not release any details of what happened in the home. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Davis had previously served 10-years in prison for an incident that took place when he was just 16-years old, where he’d been charged with attempted murder for the shooting of an 18-year old Council Bluffs man outside the man’s home. He was also sentenced in 2002 two-years in prison for witness or juror tampering.

While Shelby County is currently not included in a ban on open burning, Emergency Management Officials have set the County’s Fire Danger Index “High” category.  Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says conditions are deteriorating, and the environment is conducive to the rapid spread of fire of any type.

Burning of any kind is restricted unless approval is received from your local Fire Chief.  Controlled burns which are not reported will result in Fire Department being dispatched, and Fires extinguished if determined to be unsafe.  Please call 712-755-2124 with questions.

The Iowa Fire Marshal’s office said today another southwest Iowa County has been included in a ban on open burning. The latest addition is Taylor County. The ban went into effect at 2-p.m. today (Tuesday). Taylor County joins the neighboring Counties, of Page and Montgomery Counties in the ban. Also covered under the ban on open burning is Fremont, Mills, Pottawattamie, Cass, and Audubon Counties.

Currently 58 out of Iowa’s 99 Counties are under a burn ban, which prohibits open burning during extended periods of elevated fire danger due to wide spread amounts of dry natural vegetation compounded by contributing weather conditions and/or outdoor activities.

During the extremely dry conditions, citizens are reminded to:

1. Not throw out cigarettes from moving vehicles.
2. Avoid the use of fireworks and celebration items that produce flames or sparks.
3. Discontinue burning yard waste, piled tree debris or other items during the ban.

Small recreational camp fires are permitted only if they are conducted in a fire place of brick,  metal or heavy one-inch wire mesh. Any camp fire not in an outdoor fire place is prohibited. Violation of a burn ban can subject a person to citation or arrest for reckless use of fire or disobeying a burn ban. For more information on burn bans and the law contact the State Fire Marshal Office at 515-725-6145 or go to www.dps.state.ia.us.