Story written and told by Bob Protexter of Sioux City, Iowa and produced by Siouxland Public Media. This is my father's flag; of Donald Homer Protexter. This is my father's flag in memoriam . . . of his dedicated and diligent service to the United States of America. I have to write this because I knew he never would. This is my father's flag that is located in the row of flags in the front row of Graceland Park Cemetery that is located on Lakeport Avenue in the neighborhood of Morningside that

While the school year is winding down, food insecure kids who normally rely on school lunches have some options. There will be hundreds of meal sites across the state this summer where children can go to eat at no charge. The Department of Education’s Stephanie Dross coordinates the program, which she says strives to meet kids where they are. “And so we have more and more sponsors trying to go out into the community, right where the kids are in their home environment. So we’re seeing apartment

052419 532 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was in Sioux City today signing a bill into that extends the 1 cent sales tax. The statewide sales tax for school infrastructure improvements set to expire in 10 years has been extended through 2051. Sioux City Community School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman (GAUS-min) attended the signing ceremony downtown and said the sales tax has helped the school district in the past and it will also be helpful in the future. He says the money will help the

052419 504 A statewide sales tax for school infrastructure improvements set to expire in 10 years has been extended through 2051. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill extending that sales tax into law in Sioux City today (yesterday/Friday). Sioux City Community School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman (GAUS-min) says the state’s 1-cent sales tax has helped the school district in the past and will help them in the future. ((0524gausman 0:10)) We’ve got a couple of elementary facilities

052419 432 Planned Parenthood is asking an Iowa judge to put a law on hold that bars the organization from participating in two federally-funded sex education programs. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Ogden says the law shouldn’t be blocked because Planned Parenthood won’t be “irreparably harmed.” He says under the law, they could still provide sex education outside of the federal programs. 0524ogden2: 16 “Yes they will have to do it without the assistance of the CAPP and PREP grant money, but

052419 404 Crews have contained a large fire at a Hastings fertilizer plant. The fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the CPI Dry Fertilizer Plant and was contained just before 4 a.m. Friday. The blaze forced authorities to close U.S. Highway 6, but the road was reopened early Friday. A news release from the Adams County Emergency Management office says railroad tracks just north of the plant also were closed for a time during the fire, but have reopened. The Hastings Tribune reports

A man facing charges related to the death of a Sioux City man will be brought back from Mexico to face charges. Police arrested 24-year-old Ray Avila in Mexico earlier this week. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault causing injury in the death of 31-year-old Pete Johnson after a deadly assault in downtown Sioux City in July of last year. A former lawyer with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office is the newest justice on the Supreme Court in South Dakota. Patricia DeVaney

052319 532 Congress is trying to get a 17-billion-dollar disaster aid bill to the president’s desk before the Memorial Day recess. But Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst says the Senate isn’t interested in the version of the aid bill the House passed. She says it’s full of partisan antics. Disagreement remains over how much money will go to the U.S.-Mexico border but Congressional leaders say a deal has been reached on aid for Puerto Rico. Iowans recovering from flooding would also benefit. A

052319 504 The Trump Administration has announced another round of payments for farmers, to compensate for lower commodity prices amid trade tensions with China. IOWA Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said it’s needed because corn and soybean prices are below the cost of producing a crop. The first set of payments are scheduled to be made in late July or early August, but the final calculations aren’t set. The payments to individual farmers will be based on the impact trade has had on corn and

052319 432 Congress is trying to get a 17-billion-dollar disaster aid bill to the president’s desk before the Memorial Day recess. But Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst says the Senate isn’t interested in the version of the aid bill the House passed. She says it’s full of partisan antics. Disagreement remains over how much money will go to the U.S.-Mexico border but Congressional leaders say a deal has been reached on aid for Puerto Rico. Iowans recovering from flooding would also benefit. A