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News and resources regarding COVID-19

NEWS 7.20.21: C19 Concerns, DACA Decision Fallout, Critical Race Theory Petition, and More

Siouxland District Health

Local health officials are making a push for more people 12-years and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Siouxland District Health says cases are going up around the country, especially in areas with lower vaccination rates. A post on social media says the vaccine is free and easily available in Siouxland. People can call their local health departments, pharmacies, or doctors to set up an appointment.

Meanwhile, UnityPoint Health in Des Moines reports 95% to 99% of their COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has reinstated a mask policy to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Tribal Council approved the changes for all public, indoor buildings on the reservation effective Tuesday.

Credit Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

Emergency crews suspended their search for someone in the Missouri River Tuesday afternoon.

Dispatchers received a call that someone had either fallen or jumped from the railway bridge over the Missouri River.

One of the state’s biggest children’s hospitals has been at capacity or close to capacity every day for the past several weeks.

An official with Blank Children's tells KCCI Television in Des Moines this is a result of an increase in children being treated for COVID-19, RSV and other illnesses. 

This week the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that children over the age of 2 wear masks when they head back to the classroom in the fall.

Even though last week saw some heavy rain in the region, precipitation is still below normal in northwest Iowa.

Iowa State University Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong tells Radio Iowa corn is getting into the pollination phase and more rain would be a big help.

DeJong says Iowa’s soybean fields will soon be entering a critical phase, too.

DeJong says they haven’t seen any real disease issues with the crops but bugs -are- becoming a problem for some growers.

A federal court’s decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, has meant more waiting for Iowans, according to legal experts. The court’s ruling in Texas last Friday found DACA unconstitutional, which means many peoples’ status is up in the air, according to Jody Mashek. She’s the co-legal director at Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice. She says people can still apply for DACA, but their applications won’t go anywhere.

“It's got to be excruciating for people who have an initial application pending. Probably a little scary too, they've voluntarily submitted their information to the federal government, when maybe the federal government most likely did not have any knowledge of them.”

Mashek says the decision is not necessarily final, and that the case still needs to go through the appeals process.

Nebraska athletes who are part of a newly formed nonprofit are among those who signed a petition Monday opposing a proposed University of Nebraska Board of Regents resolution objecting to “any imposition of critical race theory” in academic curriculum. The Omaha World-Herald reports that nonprofit United College Athlete Advocates' petition had gathered more than 1,300 signatures by Monday morning. Former Nebraska golfer Daniel Pearson is a cofounder of United College Athlete Advocates, and Husker track and field athlete Sadio Fenner, a UCAA representative at Nebraska, helped lead the charge on the petition. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism.

A fraternity of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys has withdrawn its sponsorship of a street dance in Scotland, South Dakota, in September. David Finnell applied on behalf of the group to have the street dance from noon until midnight Sept. 18 in the Bon Homme County community. The City Council approved the request to close a section of the city street as required for alcohol consumption and food vendors. Finnell, in a Facebook message to KELO-TV Monday, said that the Proud Boys were dropping sponsorship of the event out of concerns for safety. He did not elaborate.  

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