022520 504 Iowa’s senior senator took part in what he says was a “top secret” briefing in a congressional chamber this morning to discuss the impact of the coronavirus, according to Radio Iowa. In a conference call with Iowa reporters, Senator Chuck Grassley didn’t want to reveal many details of the briefing but did say he met with officials from several federal agencies involved with public health. Some Iowa businesses that rely on China for the bulk of their products report they’re being hurt

022520 404 The future home of Lamb Arts Regional Theatre is now a local landmark. The Sioux City Council approved the designation. Lamb is working to raise more than $11 million to restore the old city auditorium across from the Woodbury County Courthouse. The designation, approved yesterday, now allows the building to be eligible for historic preservation tax credits from the state. The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting has been canceled for today. That’s because there aren’t enough

The amount of water being released into the Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam will be increased again to free up more space in the reservoirs upstream before spring. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that the amount of water flowing out of Gavins Point on the Nebraska-South Dakota border will be increased later this week. The current releases from Gavins Point dam are more than double what is typical for this time of year. The Corps is working to clear out as much space as

The future home of Lamb Arts Regional Theatre is now a local landmark. The Sioux City Council approved the designation. Lamb is working to raise more than $11 million to restore the old city auditorium across from the Woodbury County Courthouse. The designation, approved yesterday, now allows the building to be eligible for historic preservation tax credits from the state. The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting has been canceled for today. That’s because there aren’t enough supervisors

Next month, people all across the country will start receiving mail from the U.S. Census Bureau. The correspondence will tell you how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. “The population number that we get from this year’s Census helps determine how many representatives have on the state and Federal level and it also sets our district boundaries." That’s Erin Berzina with the Sioux City Complete Count Committee. She led a forum with the League of Women Voters at the Public

The Iowa Supreme Court has selected Susan Christensen as its new chief justice. Christensen is from Harlan and was appointed to the court by Republican Governor Kim Reynolds in 2018. The state’s highest court had to pick a new leader after former chief justice Mark Cady died unexpectedly in November. Justice David Wiggins has served as acting chief since then, but Wiggins plans to retire in March. In a statement, Christensen says she will continue her work on child welfare and juvenile justice

022420 Noon Woodbury County leaders hope voters will approve building a new $50.3 million jail on the outskirts of Sioux City. The new larger jail would replace a building built in 1987 that is dealing with a number of mechanical problems. Consultants have identified $22 million in upgrades that are needed in the current jail's heating and cooling system. County Supervisor Keith Radig says it makes sense to invest in a new facility instead of repairing the current jail. Voters will decide March

Courtesy, the Nevada Democratic Party Edit | Remove 022120 504 Nevada Democrats are hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaos that ensnared the Iowa caucuses, as voters gather across tomorrow to make their presidential preferences known. Earlier this month, a rushed effort by Iowa Democrats to deploy a mobile app for caucus volunteers to report initial results on their personal cell phones ended in failure. Democrats in Nevada were going to use the same app developer as Iowa did but quickly

022120 432 Siouxland Community Reads begins in a few weeks. The program is taking over from One Book, One Siouxland. That program chose one book to read and reflect on each year. Siouxland Community Reads will feature more books and more programming. At a press conference, this morning at the Sioux City Public Library, Readers Services Specialist Kelsey Patterson listed the books being offered by the program this Spring. “The Line Becomes a River,” by Francisco Cantu, “Station Eleven” by Emily

022120 404 Gov. Kim Reynolds says today she is ok with a state board's recommendation to change the level potency of legally available medical marijuana products. Some lawmakers wanted to allow higher amounts of THC. THC is the chemical that makes recreational marijuana users high. Lawmakers have been searching for a bill that would meet Reynolds' approval after she vetoed a proposal last year that would have expanded the state's medical-marijuana program. Speaking on the Iowa Press television