Coming off of some intense election coverage earlier this week, our morning editorial meeting was full of some interesting non-political stories.

• -It’s raining.  Storms are moving across our coverage area today and our team of meteorologists have briefed us on what to expect throughout the day.  [Check the forecast and conditions for your area] We’re looking at some areas that may face flooding from the heavy rain.  We should get a break from it a bit later, but plan for another round of strong storms tonight.
• -The oil spill in the Gulf has been brought up a number of times by reporters and producers, but we’re looking for a way to localize it.  We talked to local BP gas station owners a couple weeks ago, but the situation in the Gulf is ongoing and remains a topic of interest.  What are your thoughts on the oil spill?  How does it affect you?
• -A wire story from Iowa caught our attention:  A report shows that Iowa public universities are seeing an increase in alcohol-related offenses.  We’ll be talking with an alcohol abuse counselor today about what we’re seeing locally.
• -Following up on the Tea dogs case:  The State’s Attorney says no charges have been filed and a local vet says no new cases have been reported.