The Exchange 080118.
Coming up next on The Exchange, President Donald Trump has put tariffs on commodities like corn, soybeans and steel, to help even out America’s trade deficit with China. However, Iowa farmers are already feeling the pain with lower prices and fears for the future.
Also, the sounds of the upcoming African Night.
And another Small Wonder with Jim Schaap. That and more coming up on The Exchange, but first, this news.
Introduction
Welcome to the Exchange, on Siouxland Public Media, I’m Mary Hartnett.
Officials involved in a Sioux Citry expo center project say the venue could bring tourism and business dollars to the region. they are encouraging a county to stay committed to the effort.
Woodbury County officials talked last week about reconsidering their financial support to a nearly-$12-million venue that could bring farm and trade shows to the community.
Marty Dougherty with Sioux City told Woodbury County officials Tuesday how the planned expo center has evolved in scope and size and how it could bring more people to the area.
Dougherty says the 100-thousand square-foot venue could help the region compete with large nearby out-of-state cities.
We need more people to move to Iowa and we need more skilled workers, families and young professionals and these are the kinds of things that they want. 0:07
Dougherty adds it’s an effort to grow the community and bring young people to Iowa.
A county official says he feels Sioux City clarified what the final project will look like. It’s undecided if the county will reduce any of its $1.5 million dollar contribution.
County Supervisor Rocky DeWitt says he’s not sure what the county will do going forward
((0801dewitt 0:12))The project looks a little more solid and at least the county board now has an idea of what the final project is probably going to look like and the uses for it, so I feel better about that.
Construction on the expo center is slated to start in summer 2019.
In March, President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on several American commodities, to try again more favorable trading relations with China. One of them was steel, which caused some concern in the industrial and construction worlds. However, the tariffs on commodities like corn, soybeans, and pork have started to hit Iowa farmers where they live. Chuck White is a soybean farmer in Spencer, and he is also a regional executive direction for Region one of the Iowa Soybean Association. White says he has been talking to farmers in Northwest Iowa about the effect of tariffs on their bottom line.
That was Chuck White a regional executive director for Region One of the Iowa Soybean Association. Harris is a corn and soybean farmer in Clay County.
While Chuck White has a "boots on the ground" perspective of the commodities tariffs, Morningside College Professor Patrick Bass sees tariffs in an economic, historical and cultural perspective. Bass is a professor of history and the chair of the Morningside College History Department. Bass says trade deficits are not serious with one country, but the overall trade deficit might be more serious if we could actually calculate what he calls “Invisibles.”
Pat bass
That was Morningside College of History Patrick Bass. Bass is also chair of the schools Department of History.
An event this weekend invites the community to experience Africa through food, fashion, music and more. Our arts producer Ally Karsyn has this story about the annual festival and what it means to local African-born families like the Okines.
Brianna Martinez and Alexis Bell have created a new project, Sonder. The first piece of this project uses interviews performed by Laura Lemme during her year in Sioux City. As Laura talked with many people, proving that everyone has their own stories and journeys that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Sonder
Sonder is a project that emphasizes that no one is an extra in another person’s life. It is produced by Brianna Martinez and Alexis Bell who encourage others to tell their own stories and to listen to the stories of others.
Robin Hood of De Smet
