DAYTON, Ohio, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The likely Republican presidential ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin will be on the stump the weekend before the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.

The senator from Arizona introduced Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his vice presidential pick Friday during a rally in Dayton, Ohio.

"Road to the Convention" rallies are scheduled in Pennsylvania Saturday and in Missouri Sunday, McCain's campaign Web site indicated.

McCain said Palin, 44, who was elected governor in 2006, "is exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second."

Palin made an appeal to disgruntled supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who ran a bitter campaign against Barack Obama.

Noting her selection was made 88 years after women won the right to vote, and referencing Clinton's "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling," Palin said, "It turns out the women in America aren't done yet and we can shatter that ceiling once and for all."

McCain and Palin are poised to accept the top two spots on the Republican ticket next week during the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday.

McCain's VP choice under investigation

JUNEAU, Alaska, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The office of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the target of an investigation involving the firing of the state's top public safety official, authorities said.

Sen. John McCain, poised to be named the Republican presidential nominee, tapped Palin to be his running mate Friday.

The investigation arises from Palin's firing in July of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, who has said he felt the governor's office pressured him to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, a state trooper who engaged in a child-custody battle with Palin's sister, the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News reported.

Palin said her decision to release Monegan in July had nothing to do with his refusal to fire Wooten. In an interview with CNBC Aug. 1, Palen said, "It is a governor's prerogative, a right, to fill that Cabinet with members whom she or he believes will do best for the people whom we are serving. So I look forward to any kind of investigation or questions being asked because I've got nothing to hide."

Earlier this month, Palin revealed Boards and Commissions Director Frank Bailey made a call in February to a state trooper lieutenant, during which Bailey outlined complaints against Wooten, indicating the governor and her husband wondered why he was still on the force, the Daily News reported.

The governor said the call could be perceived as her office pressuring the Public Safety Department but added that exerting influence wasn't the case, the Daily News reported.

Palin's office last week announced Bailey was relieved of his duties, pending a legislative investigation. Before the legislative probe, however, the governor directed the Department of Law to conduct its own inquiry.

"Obviously the governor is not happy with that phone call but we don't know what the investigation is going to show in total," said Palin spokesman Bill McAllister.

Palin has said she was shocked to learn of the call, adding it was "absolutely inappropriate that he appeared to be representing me."

Gustav heads for Caymans

MIAMI, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Gustav headed for the Cayman Islands Friday after bringing heavy rains to Jamaica.

Maximum sustained winds were almost 70 mph, and forecasters said that Gustav could become a hurricane at any time.

At 2 p.m., the center of Gustav was 125 miles east-southeast of Grand Cayman and 425 miles east-southeast of the western tip of Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 11 mph.

Gustav was expected to hit the Caymans late Friday and Cuba Saturday before heading for the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Meanwhile, CNN said authorities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama began activating storm plans Thursday, as the forecast 5-day track shows an eventual U.S. landfall anywhere between Corpus Christi, Texas, and Panama City, Fla. Preparations included evacuating several thousand people still living in trailers after their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

Amtrak announced Friday that it was suspending rail service into and out of New Orleans at least through next Thursday. The Crescent, from New York to New Orleans will not run south of Atlanta, the City of New Orleans from Chicago will terminate at Memphis and the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to Florida will not run east of San Antonio, Texas, with no alternate bus service provided on any route.

Sources: Hezbollah has advanced missiles

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Hezbollah militants are armed with advanced missiles capable of striking at Israel thanks to supplies from Iran, Arab sources alleged.

The unidentified sources said that Iran supplied the militants in Lebanon with missiles that can be used to attack Israel should the Israeli government decide to take action against Iran for its nuclear program, Haaretz reported Friday.

Haartez cited London's Al-Quds al-Arabi report that attributed the information to unnamed "senior Arab sources."

The sources added that the advanced weaponry was what Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah referred to in recent statements when speaking of the militant group's newest arms.

News of the missiles allegedly in Hezbollah hands comes after media reports claimed the Shiite group was attempting to stockpile weaponry.

Haaretz said Israel has maintained its policy that any potential missile systems operating in Lebanon would be seen as an aggressive action that could prompt an Israeli response.