071019 432 The Iowa Department of Human Services will pay an additional $386 million to two insurance companies that will provide Medicaid services for the 2020 fiscal year. DHS says the rates include changes made by the Iowa Legislature, which account for about 2 percent of the increase. Last year the agency approved a $344 million increase over the previous year. Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending contract payment. But Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen says the new contracts are “outrageous”

071019 404 The state of Iowa has agreed to pay an additional 386-million in state and federal dollars to the two private Medicaid providers. The state’s portion paid to the insurance companies is a smaller percentage increase than last year, but it’s a bigger dollar increase. Governor Kim Reynolds says the state has started to stabilize the Medicaid program. “Included in that contract is increased fees for our providers, increased access for mental health, and increased accountability. So all

070919 532 The U.S. House is expected to take up legislation this week aimed at addressing so-called “forever chemicals” found in household goods and firefighting foams. Some were found at a military base in Sioux City.. Exposure to the substances known as PFAS is linked to certain cancers, immunodeficiencies, and birth complications. Communities are increasingly finding hotspots near industrial sites and military bases, The House is considering adding PFAS to the federal superfund law. Scott

070919 504 An Orange City man who posted an online video showing himself burning LGBTQ-themed library books lost an effort to get the case against him dismissed today. . A magistrate has denied a request to dismiss a criminal mischief charge filed against Paul Dorr, according to the SC Journal. The Northwest Iowa Christian activist had sought the dismissal saying that Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle had singled him out for prosecution while others hadn't been prosecuted for similar conduct.

070919 432 Shelters and temporary housing are being provided to those affected by flash flooding in south-central Nebraska, according to the SC Journal. The University of Nebraska at Kearney announced Tuesday it is offering dorm space as temporary housing for people affected in Kearney and surrounding communities. The university is also working with nearby hotels to relocate and house hundreds of travelers who were evacuated. The American Red Cross also has opened a shelter inside Lexington High

070919 404 An Orange City man who posted an online video last year showing himself burning LGBTQ-themed books from the city’s library will not avoid a court appearance. A magistrate has denied a request to dismiss a criminal mischief charge filed against Paul Dorr, according to the SC Journal. The Northwest Iowa Christian activist had sought the dismissal of a fifth-degree criminal mischief charge. Dorr said that Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle had singled him out for prosecution while

070819 532 Democrats in the early presidential contest states of Iowa and Nevada will be able to cast their votes over the telephone instead of showing up at their states' traditional neighborhood caucus meetings next February. The tele-caucus plans unveiled by the state parties are aimed at opening the local-level political meetings to more people, especially evening shift-workers and people with disabilities, whom critics of the caucuses have long said are blocked from the process. The changes

070819 504 The Sioux City council will vote today on a plan that some Siouxlanders are actively opposing on environmental grounds. The plan would clear soil away from a high hill that lies north of 41st Street, near North Middle School, If the council agrees, Rodney Lieber and his excavation company could soon be moving most of the soil to make way for construction. Woodbury County has officially departed the Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Services agency. As of. July 1, now

070819 432 Sioux City’s program for very young children, 0-3: Prime Age to Engage is being recognized for its work in 2018. Each year, The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading CGLR uses its Pacesetter Honors to highlight communities that report making measurable progress on key indicators of early school success. The CGLR says reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and career success because it marks the transition from “learning to read”

A proposal to clear soil away from a high hill that lies north of 41st Street, near North Middle School, has drawn opposition from some citizens concerned about the environmental impact of the development plan. If the Sioux City Council agrees today, Rodney Lieber and his excavation company will be one step closer to removing most of the soil away from the hill to make way for future construction. Lieber is the owner of the land on 41st St. According to public records, Lieber's plan is to