There have been three nights of violence in Des Moines over the police murder of George Floyd of Minneapolis. Today, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds today said she was working with the NAACP to change the criminal justice system to reduce racism and violence to African Americans. At a news conference this afternoon, Gov. Reynolds said she wanted to work with advocates for social justice to prevent more tragic deaths. Betty Andrews is president of Iowa-Nebraska Branch of the NAACP. "There are some things

Protests against the death of a Minneapolis man in the hands of police on Monday continue across the country. Police officials say they were told about the protest this morning. In this video captured by Siouxland Scanner and posted on FB, about fifty protestors marched carrying signs saying “I can’t Breathe” in honor of George Floyd, and chanting the same phrase. The marchers made their way to the police station and continued to ask for justice. The policeman who was holding Floyd down by

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 290 additional COVID-19 cases today (Friday) bringing the state to 18,792 positive tests overall. Twenty more deaths were reported, for a total of 520 Iowans confirmed to have died of the coronavirus. 376 Iowans are currently hospitalized with the virus. State health officials say more than 10,500 have recovered from the illness. Those numbers reflect the 24-hour period ending today at 10 a.m. At her daily coronavirus news conference tioday, Iowa

Health officials are confirming another coronavirus outbreak in an Iowa meatpacking plant on the same day that the number of residents who have died from the virus topped 500. The Iowa Department of Public Health says of the more than 2,500 employees tested at the Tyson pork processing plant in Storm Lake, 555 have tested positive. Meanwhile, the State Secretary of Agriculture announced a plan to provide assistance for pork producers when it comes to euthanizing their livestock. Information from

On Thursday, May 28, 2020, MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s sent out a daily joint statement saying the medical centers are providing care for 88 COVID-19 patients. Siouxland Public Media had a chance to talk to the President and CEO of UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Lynn Wold about the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Welcome to this special edition of The Exchange. I’m Mary Hartnett and with Sheila Brummer. On Wednesday, we held a we held a live Zoom forum with the Republican 4 th District Congressional candidates. The primary election is next Tuesday, June 2 nd . The 4 th district is the largest geographically, spanning 39 counties. Here is that forum. Candidate List 4th District Congressman Steve King of Kiron State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull Former Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor, Okoboji

An update from Siouxland Public Media on concerns raised by disability advocates concerning Test Iowa. The Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland and Executive Director Don Dew contacted the Governor and Iowa Department of Public Health a week ago to say there was no planning for the Test Iowa program to include people with disabilities. Testing requires someone to drive through the site. A week later, Governor Kim Reynolds said Test Iowa isn’t the only option. “It’s another tool in the tool

The number of COVID-19 cases in Buena Vista County jumped by more than 400 on Tuesday, making it the county with the highest number of cases per capita in the state. Governor Kim Reynolds says so far no businesses have met the criteria for an outbreak, which is 10 percent of workers testing positive. Reynolds says the state is not planning to list business outbreaks on its COVID-19 website where long-term care outbreaks are published. Also, business outbreaks will not be announced publicly

At her daily news conference on Tuesday Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the easing of more restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday bars can reopen at 50% capacity. Next Monday, casinos, speedways, racetracks bowling alleys, amusement parks and outdoor music venues can open. Also, sports gatherings of more than 10 people will be allowed. However, there some restrictions in place and guidance for people at higher risk of the disease. Governor Reynolds says the

Now that the Governor just opened up Test Iowa for anyone who requests a test, there is concern not everyone can actually receive one. Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer with more on an issue faced by some in the disability community. You may know J.J. Stone as the producer of Siouxland Public Media’s Hip Hop Show Moonwalk Radio . Stone also serves as a member of the Human Rights Commission and was appointed by former Governor Terry Branstad to the State Advisory Council for Brain Injuries