Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he will work with his colleagues to restore the 15% ethanol fuel blend for sale year-round. On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed the rule enacted by the EPA that allowed E-15 to be sold between June and September, a move that was encouraged by then-President Trump.
The decision to allow E-15 to be sold year-round put that blend on a par with the popular 10-percent ethanol blend, which has been available for sale all year for decades. Grassley says he'll push for a legislative solution to the issue to give some certainty to farmers and producers as he says the court ruling is a "big hit" to ethanol. "
Starting today, Iowa health officials are changing how often they'll report COVID-19 data. Nebraska made the switch last week.
Officials say they will now update the state's coronavirus website once a week on Wednesdays. Previously, the site was updated several times daily.
They will continue to report positive cases, deaths, vaccine information, and hospitalizations. But they have removed and archived several pages, including long-term care outbreaks.
Officials say they plan to decommission the entire coronavirus website by late summer. They will switch to reporting coronavirus information on the state health department's website.
Officials say the move comes as other states have decreased the frequency that they are reporting coronavirus information. But say they are ready to reinstate operations if necessary.
More federal funding is on its way to South Dakota for safely opening and operating its schools. The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday it had approved emergency relief funding for South Dakota, five other states, and the District of Columbia.
For South Dakota, it means another $127 million has been released to the state on top of the $254 million sent in March. The South Dakota Department of Education's plan says one priority for the funding is addressing students' mental health needs, the Argus Leader reported.
