062819 504 South Dakota-based Sanford Health today announced a planned merger with West Des Moines based UnityPoint Health. Unity Point has a hospital and clinic in Sioux City. The transaction should be complete by the end of this year, pending regulatory reviews. The merger would make the company one of the 15 largest non-profit health systems in the country. Today marks the first day Iowa Total Care joins the state’s Medicaid system as a managed care organization. the company will be the state

062819 432 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that repairs to flood-damaged levees and other infrastructure along the Platte and Missouri Rivers will cost far in excess of $1 billion. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Corps spokesman Matt Rabe says the first 61 of 108 projects deemed eligible for federal funding will cost $1 billion. The Corps has received more than 150 project applications, and more are expected to roll in. South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Iowa's UnityPoint

062819 404 One the state’s largest healthcare providers announced today it is pursuing a merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health. West Des Moines based UnityPoint Health has a hospital and clinic in Sioux City. The transaction should be complete by the end of this year. That’s pending regulatory reviews. The merger would make the company one of the 15 largest non-profit health systems in the country. The two companies together will produce more than $11 billion annually in operating

062719 532 It’s been very hot this afternoon in Siouxland and forecasters say it will be even warmer tomorrow and through the weekend. We can expect highs in the mid to upper nineties, with high humidity. The National Weather Service in metro Des Moines Radio Iowa that combining that kind of heat and humidity, means at heat indices getting into the low 100s tomorrow and into the weekend. As yet, no advisories, watches or warnings have been issued in Iowa due to the heat, but that could change

062819 504 Flooding along the lower Missouri River could get worse in the next few days because recent rain is contributing to the amount of water being released into the river. The National Weather Service says the forecast calls for more than an inch of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. But officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say the river will remain below the levels it hit in March when flooding caused significant damage in Iowa, Nebraska,

062719 432 It’s very hot this afternoon in Iowa and forecasters say it’ll get even hotter tomorrow and through the weekend. In Siouxland, we can expect highs in the mid to upper nineties all weekend. The National Weather Service in metro Des Moines says temperatures are going to be getting up into the 90s across the state along with the humidity that’s already in place. The service told Radio Iowa that combining that kind of heat and humidity means at heat indices getting into the low 100s

062819 404 Flooding along the lower Missouri River will likely worsen in the days ahead because the amount of water being released into the river is increasing because of the recent rain. The National Weather Service says nearly 3 inches of rain already fell on the Omaha area over the past two days, and the forecast calls for more than an inch of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. But officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say the river will remain

As students across Siouxland enjoy their summer vacation, Siouxland Public Media took a closer look at the summer “Brain Drain”. That’s when student lose some of the academic skills they learned through the school year. “O 74.” "Bingo! Bingo! Bingo! We have some Bingos.” REPORTER: “What do you think of Bingo night?” “I really like it. It’s fun.” This is Bingo Night at Perry Creek Elementary School. It’s a popular attraction a couple of weeks before the end of the school year. An evening of fun,

As students across Siouxland enjoy their summer vacation, Siouxland Public Media took a closer look at the summer “Brain Drain”. That’s when student lose some of the academic skills they learned through the school year. “O 74.” "Bingo! Bingo! Bingo! We have some Bingos.” REPORTER: “What do you think of Bingo night?” “I really like it. It’s fun.” This is Bingo Night at Perry Creek Elementary School. It’s a popular attraction a couple of weeks before the end of the school year. An evening of fun,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's investing more than $15 million to help rural communities make improvements to water systems in nine rural Iowa counties. The money loans and grants is part of a nationwide package of $192 million being offered for 71 projects in 29 states to improve rural water infrastructure. Two communities in the region getting the money include Dow City in Crawford County and Kimballton in Audubon County. A legal advocacy organization has filed a lawsuit in