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102120 304 Coronavirus cases continue to grow in Iowa. Iowa reported record high COVID-19 deaths today, with 31 people dying of the novel coronavirus along with an additional 1,276 confirmed cases. The state's death toll to 1,579. The state also reported 534 people hospitalized, topping Tuesday's high of 501. According to the state's coronavirus website, there were 646 new, confirmed cases of the coronavirus this morning.

Iowa's unemployment rate for September dropped to 4.7%, continuing a five-month trend of hiring after the state's economy was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa Workforce Development reported today that the unemployment rate was down from 6% in August. The rate has declined every month since April when unemployment peaked in Iowa. The U.S. unemployment rate in September was 7.9%.

This past weekend a post on social media caught the attention of Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer. Someone from her hometown area wrote about the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes in west central Iowa’s Harrison County. This person wrote, “It’s a sad, sad time for our towns”. She heard a majority of residents at a care facility in Dunlap tested positive for COVID-19, including her grandmother. She also saw several posts about deaths. Siouxland Public Media reached out to the head of the

Iowa has reported nearly 3,000 new confirmed positive coronavirus cases in the last three days. The state Department of Public Health reported 1,595 confirmed cases Saturday, another 915 on Sunday and 508 new confirmed cases Monday. During that time, the department reported 13 more deaths from the coronavirus. There were 480 people being treated in Iowa hospitals for the virus, just below a record high set last week. Siouxland District Health that oversees Woodbury County saw a total of almost

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced new restrictions on Friday after a surge of new cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska. “It’s pained me to put restrictions on people’s personal liberty and businesses. But, it was necessary to be able to preserve hospital capacity.” Statewide there are more than 320 hospitalized with COVID-19. That’s 40% more than May, during the peak of the pandemic. “Remember all the steps we have taken is to preserve hospital capacity with 30% of hospital beds, 29% of ICU beds

In one day another 1,400 Iowans tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including almost 90 in Woodbury County. There were 13 more deaths statewide. Siouxland District Health reports one more death in Woodbury County, an elderly woman for a total of 82 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations also continued to increase as the state set a new high of 482 people being treated in hospitals, and 64 at Sioux City’s two hospitals. Outbreaks were reported in 61 long-term care

This week on The Exchange, we have a taped forum with the 4th District Congressional candidates. They are Republican Randy Feenstra of Hull and Democrat JD Scholten of Sioux City. Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett is the moderator. First, the candidates introduce themselves. Below is a link to the Zoom forum: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=380182183113674

State officials in South Dakota today offered a few of their investigative findings surrounding state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg hit and killed a pedestrian. The say Jason Ravnsborg had no alcohol in his bloodstream when he was tested the day after his car struck and killed a pedestrian. Ravnsborg initially told a county sheriff that he thought he struck a deer the night of Sept. 12 on U.S. Highway 14 near Highmore in central South Dakota. The 911 call made that night was released today.

Three more people have died in Woodbury County due to complications of COVID-19. Siouxland District health says the deaths include a man and woman between the ages of 61 and 80, and an elderly man. The death toll since the start of the pandemic is now 81 for Woodbury County. More than 100,000 Iowans have tested positive for the coronavirus according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. More than three-quarters have recovered. There were more than 400 cases added today and a total of 1,472

All three Siouxland States are seeing record levels of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. In Iowa, there are 449 patients with Siouxland District Health reporting 72 getting treatment at Sioux City’s two hospitals. There were 31 in the middle of September. Siouxland District Health recorded two more deaths in Woodbury County for a total of 76. There were more than 100 new cases. Even as Nebraska sees an all-time high in patients, with 288, some medical officials in the state insist they can