Gill Hauling has been a longstanding business that collects garbage and recycling in Siouxland towns. Gill officials have been wanting a new, larger site in Northeast Nebraska, but it will not be in South Sioux City, after a packed house spoke against it Monday.
About 50 people packed the South Sioux City Council chambers during their meeting. South Sioux residents spoke against Gill Hauling building a facility, and the council decided to go along with that input.
The council members voted against pursuing tax-increment financing to help Gill locate on the city’s west edge near Golf Road. Some people contended that South Sioux City residents were not adequately informed about the possible Gill Hauling plans.
Also in the council meeting, the members applied for the Creative Arts District designation by the Nebraska Arts Council. That district is proposed to run along Dakota Avenue from 16th to 29th streets.
If approved by the state agency, South Sioux City would receive $10,000 in planning funds to apply for future grant funds that could help the area launch creative arts pieces. There are currently 31 Creative Arts Districts in Nebraska.
*Additionally, the number of statewide special ballot measures that will go before voters in South Dakota and Nebraska in November continues to grow.
The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Elections Division on Tuesday announced certifying the Paid Sick Leave initiative petition for the November 5 general election ballot. That came after county election offices completed signature verification within the required 40-day period.
The measure has been pushed by people who want to change things for Nebraskans who work at least 30 hours a week, but don’t have paid sick leave from their employers.
The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans group had turned in 138,000 voter signatures.
The measure to be decided on November 5 would require businesses with 20 or fewer employees to fund a minimum of five paid sick days a year for full-time employees. Bigger businesses would be required to fund seven days.
Iowa does not have any statewide ballot measures.
*In other news, a staffer for Governor Kim Reynolds said she’s discussing a summer food aid program for kids as a deadline approaches Thursday for notifying the federal government if Iowa will participate next year.
Reynolds rejected the Summer EBT program for this year, which would’ve provided $29 million dollars of federal food assistance to about 240,000 kids over the summer. Instead she provided $900,000 to expand existing state free summer meal sites.
Anti-hunger advocates delivered a petition to Reynolds last week with more than 3,500 signatures urging her to join the program in 2025.
The governor’s spokesperson said, quote, “We continue discussing our options with the Summer EBT program looking ahead to the August 15 deadline.”
Petition backers say the meal sites should be a complement to the direct food assistance to families through Summer EBT, not a replacement for that program.
*The hospital in Greenfield, Iowa, is partially reopening this week, after it was severely damaged when a EF-4 tornado went through the town in May.
The tornado that struck Greenfield on May 21st didn’t hit the Adair County Memorial Hospital directly. But high speed winds and flying debris caused enough damage that it had to close down. Many services were moved into the Greenfield elementary school.
Catherine Hillestad is the CEO of the hospital. She said it remains under a lot of construction, but outpatient and specialty clinics are reopening.
Hillestad says the hospital is still working towards reopening the emergency room and resuming inpatient services.
