SPM News

With winter in full force, baseball season seems so far away. But, fans can get a taste of the summer sport this weekend in the Iowa Great Lakes, in addition to the University of Okoboji Winter Games. Bob Protexter of Total Baseball Development is hosting three different events including a baseball round table and wiffle ball tournament. He talked to Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer about this weekend, his recent work as a coach with the Russian National Team, a new team he’s launching

The Iowa Legislature is deciding the future of an education agenda brought forward by Governor Kim Reynolds this year. One proposal allows school choice. This includes charter schools and tuition scholarships for students in under-performing schools. The other requires school districts to provide an option for 100% in-person learning. Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer reached out to the Superintendent of the Sioux City Community School District, Dr. Paul Gausman, for his thoughts on both

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says the state will get a boost in COVID-19 vaccine starting next week, however demand still far exceeds the current supply. Iowa currently receives enough doses to vaccinate about 19 thousand Iowans per week. Gov. Kim Reynolds said starting next week that number should increase by 16%. But the number is still far below the amount needed to vaccinate Iowans in the next phase. This includes those ages 65 and older as well as first responders, child care workers, and

Some spots in Iowa and Nebraska are digging out from more than a foot of snow. The National Weather Service reports 5.7 inches fell at the Sioux Gateway Airport. Current reports show Norfolk, Nebraska with the highest total in Siouxland with more than 7 inches. But, some area only received very little snow. Several schools started late or canceled all together, including Sioux City and South Sioux City. Some services locally are impacted with garbage collection delayed for one day and Sioux City

A major winter storm is expected to blanket a large section of the middle of the U.S with snow and travel troubles as more than a foot of snow falls in some areas, including western Iowa and southeast Nebraska. The National Weather Service out of Sioux Falls says most of the heavy snow will stay south of Sioux City. Sioux City is forecasted to get up to 5 inches with up to 12 inches in Monona County. Some schools did dismiss early today, including South Sioux City where there is a snow emergency

The state of Iowa reports more than 1300 new coronavirus cases as of this morning. The state was reporting 33 COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 4,478 deaths since the pandemic came to Iowa, according to the state's coronavirus.iowa.gov website. There have been 310,596 confirmed cases of coronavirus total in Iowa. There are 450 people hospitalized related to the coronavirus. The statewide positivity rate is 10.1%. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports two new deaths and 18 new cases of COVID

SPM News 012221 Noon Governor Kim Reynolds announced yesterday, Iowans 65 and older will soon be eligible for the next wave of COVID-19 vaccinations. Governor Reynolds talked about the second tier of COVID vaccination in Iowa, which will eventually immunize more than 530,000 people. Iowans 75 and over, health care workers and staff, and residents at long-term care facilities were given the first batch, The second tier rollout begins February 1. It will offer vaccines to essential frontline

A bill introduced in the Iowa Senate would require schools to provide an option for full-time in-person learning during the pandemic, a proposal that Governor Kim Reynolds highlighted in her Condition of the State speech. The president of the Iowa State Education Association says forcing more students into classrooms could make it easier for the coronavirus to spread. Governor Reynolds announced today teachers are now in the first tier of the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations. But she says, if

All Iowans 65 and older are included in Iowa’s next wave of COVID-19 vaccinations, which begin Feb. 1. Governor Kim Reynolds said at her news conference today that this second tier will eventually immunize more than 530,000 Iowans. Initially, state health officials limited vaccinations to people to 75 and older. The second phase rollout will offer vaccines to high priority groups like frontline essential workers, first responders and teachers. But Reynolds said the state could not open up

Iowa public health officials posted an additional 62 deaths Wednesday as the state death total reached almost 4,400. That number includes two more deaths in Woodbury County. Iowa had the 17th highest per capita death count in the nation and the second highest 7-day average positivity at 33% behind Idaho. That’s according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The positivity rate had dropped over the past two weeks. That’s true for Woodbury County, with a current rate 14-day positivity rate