Nebraska Governor Pete Rickets offered a word of caution during a news conference on Monday. Nebraska is seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients after 18 weeks of falling hospitalizations. Ricketts says there is more of the virus out in the community and reminded Nebraskans to avoid the “three C’s”: closed spaces, crowded places, and close contact. Even though the Iowa Department of Public Health recorded no new deaths due to complications of COVID-19, the average positivity rate is on the way

We recently passed the first anniversary of COVID-19 in Siouxland, Siouxland District Health confirmed the first positive case of the virus back on March 20 th of 2020. Part of our on-going coverage on the Pandemicincluding local health officials. Siouxland Public Media recently talked to The Chief Nursing Officer at Unity-Point Heath-St. Luke’s Wendy Lindley who shares details on the evolution of care and importance of wearing masks. Here is her conversation with Siouxland Public Media's Sheila

The Iowa Department of Public Health showed 14 more deaths in the state due to complications of COVID-19 in the past 24-hours and more than 800 new cases with 30 more in Woodbury County. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts will get his first vaccination shot tomorrow at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. The 56-year-old governor had previously signed up for the vaccine online, and was notified earlier this week that he was eligible for an appointment. He’s scheduled to get the first of two doses of the

Iowa Democrat Rita Hart announced today she is withdrawing her challenge to U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' election in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, according to the Des Moines Register. Hart had asked the U.S. House to review the outcome, which was decided by a razor-thin margin of six votes. A district-wide recount showed Miller-Meeks won the race by just six votes out of nearly 400,000 cast, the tightest margin of any U.S. election since 1974. A bipartisan state panel certified the

The Exchange on March 31, 2021 focused on teen sexuality and the increase of pregnancy and STI’s in the community. GUESTS: Alyssa Silver - Program Supervisor for Lutheran Services in Iowa Kirsten Colt – Manager of Education for Planned Parenthood North Central States Mackenzie Risner – Mother Amanda Reis – Mother Carter Smith - HIV Case Worker with the Siouxland Community Health Center SIOUXLAND COALITION TO PREVENT TEENAGE PREGNANCY/SUGGESTED RESOURCES Siouxland Community Health Center : Income

Vaccine navigators are now available for Iowans with barriers to scheduling a vaccine appointment on the phone. People who do not have internet access are 65 and older, or 64 and younger with an underlying health condition can now call 211 or (800) 244-7431. A vaccine navigator will assist them with scheduling a vaccine appointment. Translation services are available. Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System is opening up its COVID-19 vaccination registration to anyone 16 years or older,

The names of two Iowa State Crew Club members who died after their boat capsized on Little Wall Lake Sunday have been released by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and ISU Police Department. Twenty-year-old Yaakov Ben-David was a sophomore accounting major from Washington, D.C. Nineteen-year-old Derek Nanni was a freshman chemistry major from Normal, Illinois. The names of the other Crew Club members are not being released to protect their privacy, according to the release.

Unemployment in metro Sioux City inched down to 4.1% in February. Employers added 100 non-farm jobs, according to state data released by the state Tuesday. The jobless rate in Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical area, which includes Woodbury and Plymouth counties in Iowa, Dakota and Dixon counties in Nebraska, and Union County in South Dakota -- fell slightly from 4.3% in January, according to Iowa Workforce. Iowa’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%.

Iowans who have not yet filed their 2020 individual state income taxes now will have more time. The Iowa Department of Revenue announced yesterday it had extended the filing and payment deadline to June 1 for 2020 individual returns and first-quarter estimated income tax payments for individuals. The state's extension comes after the U.S. Treasury also lengthened the time for individuals to file their federal taxes — although those are due May 17, sooner than Iowa's new deadline. South Dakota

The next Woodbury County public COVID-19 vaccination clinics will take place Tuesday, April 6th, and Thursday, April 8th at the Siouxland Expo Center in Sioux City. Appointments will be open to all residents age 16 and older who need their first dose of vaccine. Clinics will be using the Pfizer vaccine, which is approved for use in individuals age 16 and older. You can register online at the Siouxland District Health Department website at siouxlanddistricthealth.org beginning at 3:00 p.m.