News You Might Have Missed: Nov. 7- 14

The Twin Cities' Pioneer Press writes that Michele Bachmann's chances in Iowa might not be over. What she needs, though, is cash. The Press' analysis of Bachmann's Oct. 15 campaign finance report shows that she spent more than she took in during the third quarter. For more on Bachmann, check out our coverage of her visit to Marion.

According to the Des Moines Register, hundreds of wells in Iowa have been contaminated with arsenic. While arsenic is found naturally in the ground, it is also found in coal ash dump sites, where waste from coal powered electric plants is piled in the ground. The Iowa Independent has followed this issue closely over the last few years.

With the Jan. 9 beginning of the legislative session in the Iowa Legislature, the Associate Press reports that the focus will be on jobs and the economy, like the State Senate 18 election.

The Quad City Times reports that Boone County Republican Jerry Behn has been elected to head the Republican minority caucus in the Iowa State Senate, after senator Paul McKinley last week he would leave his position.

According to Iowa Radio, Marion has some steep competition to become part of the Blue Zone Project, a plan pushed by Governor Branstad to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016. Over eighty communities, in addition to Marion, are participating. Marion's chances be hurt by having two school districts, which is a a quality Healthways — the program's leader — said is not ideal. Spokesman Jason Smith said, "Our ideal candidates were communities that had a single municipality, a single school district, not really complex communities. Communities where the majority of the people live and work instead of a commuter town or suburb where people leave in the morning and then come back at night."

Digital Journal wrote about a biography on a former High School football coach in Marion, Les Hipple. Hipple was hired in 1945 for the same reason he was fired in 1965 — for being a tough, no-nonsense coach. The author, Dan Kellams, played under Hipple when he was in High School in Marion. The recently published book has just been selected for the iUniverse Star program, which rewards greatness in writing and commercial success.