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Drought Conditions Continue in Iowa; LULAC Environmental Event Wednesday

  304 News 072621

State Democrats are calling on Gov. Kim Reynolds to fill the vacant seats on the Iowa State Board of Public Health. The bipartisan board oversees state health department policy and advises the governor on public health issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic. But it was unable to meet earlier this month as seven of its eleven seats are vacant.

The next few weeks could be key in the direction of Iowa’s drought, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The Iowa DNR’s Tim Hall says Iowa’s dry conditions held about the same in the last week with around 70% of Iowa in some form of drought — and around 25% with severe drought conditions, according to Radio Iowa.

Hall says the overall picture is still better than one month ago. Hall says Iowa has reduced the coverage of drought across the northern part of the state — so the rains have helped. Hall adds that the DNR is trying to keep a careful watch on north-central Iowa down through central Iowa through the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River.  

The Iowa League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, is hosting its first statewide conversation Wednesday about the environment and Latinos’ place in it. Newly appointed Climate and Environmental Justice State Director Cristina Muñoz De La Torre says the topic will be how to balance protecting the environment  while also protecting the people who work for industries that most impact it—like agriculture and meat packing. Both sectors have large Latino populations. 

The Sioux City Council today will vote on a plan to create a fully accredited aviation program. In June, the council voted unanimously to invite proposals for the lease of land and the construction of a new hangar facility for Oracle Aviation, LLC.  The council is also being asked to reject an alternative proposal from Sioux Gateway Airport's current fixed base operator to use an existing building and hangar for a pilot training academy. Oracle has plans to establish a partnership with Morningside University at the city-owned airport.

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