The commander of Sioux City’s 185th Refueling Wing urged governors from the tri-state area to advocate for a new runway. It’s a project she says is long overdue and needed to keep the unit viable. The cost for improvements is around $185 million.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s been working with the state’s federal delegation to get the Air Force to upgrade the facility.
“To make sure that they continue to allocate the funding that has been promised to the Air Force here. And so, we knew we're going to do everything we can to follow through with that.”
Reynolds made her comments at the Tri-State Governors Conference in Sioux City Wednesday.
Almost 20 years ago, the 185th transitioned from F-16 fighter jets to refueling tankers, and the runway isn’t long or wide enough to allow the planes to take off fully fueled.
Second District Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson held a teleconference Thursday morning where she called for solidarity across Washington in support of Israel.
Hinson criticized lawmakers who have yet to unequivocally denounce Hamas. She also called for a refreeze of the 6 billion dollars released to Iran as part of September’s prisoner swap.
The Republican Congresswoman said that she’s optimistic that Washington can unify in support of Israel as the conflict escalates.
“There is widespread bipartisan support in Congress for Israel, and so I’m hopeful we can come together, put politics and disagreements on other issues aside, and show our friends we’re going to stay true to our word and get them what they need.”
The remarks come as the Republican-led House is in the process of electing a new speaker. The death toll in Israel currently includes 25 Americans.
A proposed merger between Iowa's UnityPoint Health, operator of UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's and other clinics in Sioux City, and the New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services, has fallen through, according to the Sioux City Journal.
In March, UnityPoint said it had signed a letter of intent to explore the formation of a new healthcare organization with Presbyterian Healthcare. The system would have employed around 40,000 people. UnityPoint did not explain why the deal collapsed.
A new district associate judge has been appointed for eastern portions of Siouxland.
Governor Reynolds has announced her appointment of Hunter Thorpe as a district associate judge in Judicial District 2B. Thorp is an assistant county attorney at the Boone County Attorney’s Office.
Thorpe fills a vacancy created following the retirement of Steven Van Marel. Judicial District 2B covers 12 counties, including Calhoun, Carroll, Pocahontas, and Sac counties.
The Iowa Department of Transportation this week approved more than $2.7 million dollars in funding for seven recreational trail projects across the state.
At a meeting Tuesday, the Iowa Transportation Commission approved the funding for projects in Dallas, Jasper, Buchanan, Cedar, Polk, Decatur and Shelby counties.
The funding comes from the State Recreational Trails Program.The commission also approved roughly $2.7 million in grants and loans for rail infrastructure projects in Clinton and Fremont counties.
