SPM News

Sioux City has been awarded for its response to housing needs during the coronavirus. The City of Sioux City Neighborhood Services Division has been selected as the 2021 COVID-19 Housing Response award winner by the Iowa Finance Authority. Staff were presented with the award today at the Housing Iowa Conference in Cedar Rapids. The City was awarded for the new Neighborhood Services Division Outreach Office, as well as the emergency shelter program which provided temporary housing in hotels to

304 As the rate of new COVID-19 infections remains high in Iowa, the state's top health official says they are working on more rapid testing options. As the spread of the virus remains high across the state, demand for COVID-19 testing has skyrocketed. Interim state Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia says testing is widely available across the state. But the department is seeing some issues for those who need rapid testing. It's not that there are supply chain issues. But there

Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Oct. 9, a source familiar with his plans confirmed to the Des Moines Register. In an August radio interview, Trump said that he planned to return to Iowa for a rally , but he did not announce any further details at the time. The former president's return to the first-in-the-nation caucus state is likely to stoke speculation about whether he'll again seek the White House in 2024. Trump has left the door open to

A pilot and his passenger emerged unharmed after their small plane crashed Monday near Kingsley. The Plymouth County Sheriff' says the crash happened at about 3:12 p.m., approximately five miles east of Kingsley and near Plymouth County Road C-66 and Tamarack Avenue. The plane was upside down inside a cornfield. The pilot and passenger were the only two people on board. Their names have not been released. The crash site has been secured pending an FAA investigation. South Dakota's governor says

The ACLU of Iowa and disability rights groups are suing state officials in federal court to overturn a statewide ban on school mask mandates. ACLU attorney Susan Mizner says many disabled students have chronic conditions that make the coronavirus a severe health threat. But she says they still have the right to learn in-person, and to ask classmates to wear masks as the CDC recommends. If the student needs the school to do something that’s reasonable, and following public health guidelines is

1206 090321 The surge in coronavirus cases in Iowa and an increasing number of critically ill patients has raised concerns about having enough beds, and health care providers. While Iowa’s hospitals are not as full as they were this past fall, the latest spike has officials worried. On Wednesday, UIHC reported 41 COVID-19 admissions, including 36 adult patients and five pediatric patients. The need for intensive-care beds across the state will continue to grow, peaking at nearly 400 beds in

State officials say they’ll start updating Iowa’s coronavirus data website three times a week, instead of once a week. The Iowa Department of Public Health changed from daily to weekly reporting in early July, and officials say the move followed other states in the region and the CDC’s data reporting at the time. Director Kelly Garcia says the situation has “evolved,” and she’s hearing that Iowans want to know more. “We know that as the virus evolves, as we see states struggling with high case

This week on The Exchange, we focus on issues that affect Native Americans in Siouxland. Native Americans have been part of the culture of the Siouxland for thousands of years. Yet, through the years of disappointments and broken treaties with various state and local governments, indigenous peoples have often been marginalized and left at a disadvantage. Today on the Exchange we will talk with three native American leaders about Sioux City’s policies on homelessness and housing, the use of

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts today said the state is working to manage hospital staffing issues, including again setting up a transfer center so that patients could be moved based on hospital availability, according to WOW TV. Last week, the governor declared a staffing emergency for Nebraska hospitals. Nebraska officials said the state was partnering with Nomi Health to help patients in need of a transfer to a hospital in the state. That service is expected to be operational on Saturday.

304 090121 The Iowa Department of Public Health today announced new COVID-19 Data for the past week. IDPH reported 8,907 additional positive COVID-19 tests, for a total of 441,889 positive tests since the start of the pandemic. The health department reported 39 additional COVID-19 deaths, totaling 6,307 since the pandemic began. The state’s 14-day positivity rate is up from 8.2% to 8.6% in the last 7 days, and the 7-day rate is up from 8.3% to 8.6%. There are COVID-19 outbreaks in 16 of Iowa’s