COVID-19 safety in schools was the focus of a news conference that took place this afternoon in front of the Sioux City Public Museum. The event was organized by several local advocacy groups, including the Siouxland COVID Safety Alliance. Speakers included a doctor with the Siouxland Community Health Center, concerned teachers, citizens, and the Vice President of the Sioux City Community School Board Monique Scarlett. “Mask all to save all. Mask up to stand up.” Scarlette has been a supporter

State health officials are reporting more than 12 thousand new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the past week as the spread of the virus remains high across Iowa. More than a quarter of the new cases are reported to be in children 17 and under. And 81 additional Iowans have been confirmed to have died from COVID-19 in the past week. This brings the total death count to 6,482. The state is reporting 638 Iowans are currently hospitalized with the virus. That’s the high number of

A 21 year old student at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids has died of COVID-19. According to the school, Ashley Hudson was studying education and was an aspiring kindergarten teacher. Mount Mercy held a vigil for the student last night. Social media posts indicate Hudson had been hospitalized and fighting the disease for weeks. State data shows that 6,401 Iowans have died of COVID. Sixty-five percent of Iowans aged 18 and older have been fully vaccinated . Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le

T he corner of 13th and Pierce is just like any other Sioux City block , but for more than 200 people, the unassuming building is the difference between going to bed hungry or not. Outside of a twice-a-month food pantry , the Midtown Family Community Center also promises a free meal to an yone who walk s up to its door — just look for the sign . COVID-19 forced many businesses to close or reduce hours , but food distribution sites like Midtown Family Community Center experienced a jump in

The lawyer representing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in a federal lawsuit over mandatory mask use in schools has asked the judge to allow a temporary order that has allowed schools to implement mask mandates to expire next week. In its documents made public Monday, the state cited testimonials from mothers of school-age children who make unproven assertions that masks can harm children. The state provided testimonials from three women who said their children have medical issues that makes mask wearing

This week on The Exchange, we review some of Siouxland's most important events. One was the rejection of a mask mandate by the Sioux City School Board. The other event was the groundbreaking on the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center. We also look forward to changes coming for cities and higher education as we, hopefully, emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in the next few years. And, we get a up-close look at food insecurity in Siouxland. As the schools of Siouxland become more divers,

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Wednesday 11,588 new positive cases in the past seven days. The number of new COVID-19 infections remains on the rise in Iowa as state health officials are reporting more than 11 thousand new cases have been confirmed in the past week. Nearly 30 percent of the new cases are reported to be in children 17 and under. The state is reporting 578 Iowans are currently hospitalized with the virus. That’s the same number as last week. And 78 percent of those

The Sioux City Community Schools District’s new virtual learning academy the “Vibe Academy” uses the slogan “Learning Without Limits”. However, one local advocate says some students with disabilities are left out of equation. During Wednesday's special school board meeting surrounding masks in the Sioux City Community School District, some citizens talked about a virtual option for parents to send their children. However, as Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reports that option is not

On Wednesday, September 15th the city of Sioux City launches a new Community Speak-Out series to serve as a citizen listening session for city departments. The first one starts at noon at the Sioux City Public Museum with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Siouxland Public Media’s Mary Hartnett talked to Sioux City’s new Inclusion Liaison Semehar Ghebrekidan about this open dialogue and her thoughts on the current atmosphere of the community. Ghebrekidan made her comments after Monday’s City

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon for the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center. The new facility is located on 28 th street just off of Highway 75. Controversy surrounds some of the funding for the facility. In March of last year, voters approved a bond issue of more than $50 million for the project. The Woodbury County Law Enforcement Authority now puts the total price tag at about $65 million. The County Board of Supervisors allocated $15.6 million in Federal