Tag: news

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Why requiring the national anthem in Iowa schools isn’t enough of a patriotic push

Gary Dickson

Go ahead, you wise and patriotic members of the Iowa General Assembly: Pass a law that requires the daily singing of the national anthem in schools.

House Study Bill 587 is in committee now. Fast track that thing to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk.

We must start converting our students into patriots before they get into the dangerous habit of critical thinking. Continue reading Why requiring the national anthem in Iowa schools isn’t enough of a patriotic push

Business, Health, Iowa, South DakotaLeave a comment

New year brings new restaurant inspections in Siouxland

Gary Dickson

Below are some of their findings over the past month as reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing and the South Dakota Department of Health which handle food-establishment inspections at the state level.

NOTE: There are some differences between the inspections of Iowa and South Dakota. One difference between the inspections is that Iowa’s inspectors put down a date for when violations or concerns are to be resolved. While there is a place for a date on South Dakota’s forms, none of the inspectors put down a date that violations needed to be resolved/fixed. It appears that South Dakota’s motto of “Freedom Lives Here” is being applied to the state health department’s inspection division. Continue reading New year brings new restaurant inspections in Siouxland

Health, IowaLeave a comment

State allegedly rejected previous complaint about nursing home rape suspect

Gary Dickson

An Iowa caregiver alleges state nursing home regulators declined to investigate her complaint last spring against a man now being investigated for the alleged rape of a nursing home resident.

The female caregiver was working at Friendship Home in Audubon last April when she allegedly filed a complaint with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing about the behavior of a male coworker. Continue reading State allegedly rejected previous complaint about nursing home rape suspect

Crime, South DakotaLeave a comment

Union County Sheriff’s department arrest data for December 2023

Gary Dickson

Total arrests coming through the Union County Jail in December: 75

Total number of individuals incarcerated in jail awaiting trial, sitting out sentences, or awaiting extradition: 28

Below are the charges for the month stated above. You may notice that there may be more charges than arrests. This is due to individuals facing multiple charges. Continue reading Union County Sheriff’s department arrest data for December 2023

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The dog ate my farm bill and other Republican excuses

Gary Dickson

The new five-year federal farm program, which was due on the president’s desk no later than Sept.  30, 2023, is missing. Republicans, who run the U.S. House of Representatives, don’t have a good answer about why it is missing.

In fact, the explanation for what happened to it is little more than a reworking of the age-old “the dog ate my homework” excuse used to “explain” missing arithmetic homework assignments by school kids for years. Continue reading The dog ate my farm bill and other Republican excuses

Government, IowaLeave a comment

What you need to know to participate in the 2024 Iowa caucuses

Gary Dickson

Iowa Republicans will cast their vote for the GOP presidential nominee on Monday, kicking off the process of deciding who will run in the 2024 presidential election.

Candidates including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spent the final days before the first-in-the-nation contest holding events with Iowans and encouraging people to show up to their precinct caucuses to participate.
Caucusgoers planning to weigh in on the GOP presidential nomination must attend their precinct caucuses in person to participate. Iowa Democrats also will hold in-person caucuses on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, alongside Republicans, but no expression of presidential preference will take place at the in-person events. Democrats are holding a mail-in ballot process with results to be announced on Super Tuesday in March.
Here’s what Iowans planning to participate in the caucuses need to know: Continue reading What you need to know to participate in the 2024 Iowa caucuses

Crime, Health, Iowa1 Comment

Correctionville nursing home rape suspect was subject of prior police complaints

Gary Dickson

The western Iowa man suspected of sexually assaulting an Iowa nursing home resident was the subject of a prior police complaint that “fell off the radar” without being pursued by authorities, according to police officials.The home’s parent company, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, continued to provide work for the man in other Iowa nursing homes that it operates, inspectors found.

Seven months before the alleged rape, in March 2023, the suspect in the case was working through a temp agency at Friendship Home in Audubon when a female co-worker complained to management that the man had been making suggestive remarks to his female colleagues, sent them photos of himself masturbating. Continue reading Correctionville nursing home rape suspect was subject of prior police complaints

Community, Iowa, North Sioux City, Sioux City, Siouxland, South Dakota, TransportationLeave a comment

Snow emergencies declared in North Sioux City and Sioux City

Gary Dickson

The National Weather Service is placed our area under a winter storm warning effective at midnight tonight. In anticipation of the storm, some Siouxland communities are declaring snow emergencies.

We are listing those snow emergencies here as they come in.

Drive safely tonight and tomorrow as you drive to work and school. Continue reading Snow emergencies declared in North Sioux City and Sioux City