Category: Iowa

Government, Health, Iowa3 Comments

Siouxland restaurant inspection update

Gary Dickson

City, county and state food inspectors have been visiting Siouxland area restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, school cafeterias, hospitals and convenience stores in November and December.

Below are some of their findings over the past two months as reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. Continue reading Siouxland restaurant inspection update

Education, Government, IowaLeave a comment

Federal judge hears arguments in lawsuit challenging Iowa book law

Gary Dickson

A U.S. District Court judge heard oral arguments Friday about whether to stop enforcement of measures in an Iowa education law that ban certain books with sexual content from K-12 school libraries.

The lawsuit challenges sections of Senate File 496 that require schools to remove books with depictions of sex acts. It also challenges a provision requiring schools to inform parents if a student requests the use of a different name or pronouns than what they were assigned at birth. The lawsuit claims those and other measures violate Iowa students’ constitutional rights to equal protection, free speech, free association and due process, the lawsuit claims. Continue reading Federal judge hears arguments in lawsuit challenging Iowa book law

Crime, Health, Iowa, SiouxlandLeave a comment

Sheriff: Alleged rape of nursing home resident under investigation

Gary Dickson

The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says it is still investigating the alleged rape of an Iowa nursing home resident who was subsequently evicted and dumped at a homeless shelter.

It’s not clear whether the criminal investigation is focused entirely on the reported rape or includes how the resident was treated by the care facility in the days that followed the alleged incident. Continue reading Sheriff: Alleged rape of nursing home resident under investigation

Crime, History, Iowa, People, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Siouxland, Small towns, South DakotaLeave a comment

So, a few years ago this week . . .

Gary Dickson

Welcome to a new feature of The Siouxland Observer. It’s sort of like your hometown newspaper’s “Peeking in the Past” column — only different.

Here we present for your inspection, actual news items that appeared during the week of Dec. 10 – 16 1900 from area newspapers clipped from Newspapers.com. We thought you’d enjoy them. Of course, since they’ve been clipped just as they were printed, none have been edited to spare you the mirth or fear of what it was like back then. These may or may not be in any particular order. Higgledy-Piggledy, if you will. Sort of like the editor’s brain. Continue reading So, a few years ago this week . . .

Agriculture, Iowa, SiouxlandLeave a comment

Two cases of bird flu found In Woodbury County

Gary Dickson

A news release from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Wednesday said that the agency and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed two positive cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Woodbury County, Iowa.  

The affected sites are both backyard mixed-species flocks.  Continue reading Two cases of bird flu found In Woodbury County

Business, Iowa, Sioux City, SiouxlandLeave a comment

Restaurant inspection update: Rodents in the oven, mystery meat and insects

Gary Dickson

State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including insects, moldy salads, and beef that was hauled to a restaurant in buckets from a questionable out-of-state slaughtering operation.

One restaurant agreed to close due to the “heavy presence” of cockroaches, and for the 11th time in the past 29 months, state inspectors cited a Des Moines food store for the same violation: failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff to ensure the safe handling of food. Continue reading Restaurant inspection update: Rodents in the oven, mystery meat and insects

Agriculture, Environment, Iowa, Minnesota, Siouxland, South DakotaLeave a comment

Less rain results in a cleaner Big Sioux River, report says

Gary Dickson

Less precipitation means less pollution is running into the Big Sioux River, according to a 2023 water quality report. “You can see a pretty strong correlation between the amount of rainfall and water quality,” Friends of the Big Sioux River’s Emily Oyos said. “A very direct correlation.”

“We had a significantly less amount of rain than 2022, and that has resulted in better numbers,” said Rachel Kloos, with Friends of the Big Sioux River. Otherwise, the results reveal many of the same problems as in past years. Continue reading Less rain results in a cleaner Big Sioux River, report says

Community, Iowa, Music, Nebraska, Sioux City, Siouxland, South DakotaLeave a comment

Christmas at Morningside tickets available beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1

Gary Dickson

The Morningside School of Visual and Performing Arts will present Christmas at Morningside on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1 in Eppley Auditorium on Morningside’s campus, with tickets going on sale at 8 a.m. on Nov. 1. This year’s program entitled “Dawn of Redeeming Grace” will feature an extensive range of Christmas and holiday music performed by Morningside choirs under the direction of Dr. Ryan Person and Dr. Josh Nannestad, the Morningside University wind ensemble under the direction of Dr. Christopher Brandt, and M Avenue Jazz led by Dr. Erik Mahon.

“Christmas at Morningside is a beloved tradition at Morningside and throughout the Siouxland community,” Heath Weber, Dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts Department, said. “We are delighted to combine stunning choral and instrumental music with captivating visual presentations that will surely ignite the Christmas spirit in everyone!” Continue reading Christmas at Morningside tickets available beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1

Family, Health, Iowa, South DakotaLeave a comment

A new era of vaccines leaves old questions about prices unanswered

Gary Dickson

The world is entering a new era of vaccines. Following the success of COVID-19 mRNA shots, scientists have a far greater capacity to tailor shots to a virus’s structure, putting a host of new vaccines on the horizon. These shots are welcome since RSV can be dangerous, even deadly, in the very old and very young. But the shots are also expensive. So their advent is forcing the United States to face anew questions it has long sidestepped: How much should an immunization that will possibly be given — maybe yearly — to millions of Americans cost to be truly valuable? Continue reading A new era of vaccines leaves old questions about prices unanswered