The Democratic National Convention that played out in Chicago is now over, and Kamala Harris was officially selected as the nominee to take on Republican former President Donald Trump in the November election.
A Democratic delegate from Vermillion, South Dakota, on Friday said the four days were a great bonding with national Democrats and an opportunity she will never forget. Leslie Gerrish is a businesswoman and Chairwoman of the Clay County Democratic Party.
“It was also this just kind of magical week, where it was so kind – and I think the term that comes to mind and what everybody has been talking about – was how joyous it was, just a celebration,” she said. 13 secs
Gerrish said the South Dakota delegation got a prime arena floor spot next to Minnesota people, who got a lot of attention since that is the state of Vice President nominee Tim Walz. She said the speech by Harris to conclude the convention Thursday addressed policy details on reproductive rights and gun control, and was inspiring.
“It was peaceful and strong. It was full of kindness and a lot of hope. We were all on our feet the whole time, we couldn’t even stop smiling,” she said. 10 secs
Gerrish said the political reality is that Trump will win the state of South Dakota. But she pointed to the enthusiasm that Harris is harnessing that will help down ballot Democratic candidates in the state and elsewhere.
A Trump campaign email on Friday called Harris “a liar and a fraud.”
The 20 South Dakota delegate votes for Harris were announced by Chante Reddest, who is a member of the Lakota Tribe. Also at the convention was South Dakota College Democrats president Mohamed Mohamed.
*The first day of school has arrived in Iowa, as Friday marked the beginning of the year for many schools in Northwest Iowa.
Some schools had full days, while others scheduled a shorter opening day.
The Sioux City School District had more than 60 new teachers among the roughly 2,400 employees who work in a variety of instructional and support roles. The district has an enrollment of just under 14,500 students.
*Additionally, the state of Iowa has launched a new website aimed at making it easier for Iowans to find child care.
Iowans can now visit childcareconnect-dot-iowa-dot-gov to search for open child care slots near their home or on their route to work. The search can be filtered by location, type of child care, quality ratings, and more, but the website doesn’t include prices.
Governor Kim Reynolds says this will help parents who need daycare, plus also policymakers who want to see which parts of the state need more investment in child care.
“We believe Iowa is the first state in the nation to integrate and display near real-time child care data from multiple sources in this way, while also improving our child care system statewide,” Reynolds said.
State officials say the child care search website cost about $5 million dollars and was paid for with federal American Rescue Plan funding.
It will take an estimated half a million dollars per year to maintain.
Reynolds says she’s continuing to look at ways of making child care more affordable.
*In other news, a Long-Term Recovery Group has formed in Northwest Iowa to provide extra support to flood victims. Jean Logan is the Executive Director of the Community Action Agency of Siouxland. Logan said the assistance is mainly focused on Woodbury County but is also available for other areas just outside the Sioux City metro area.
“I don't want anyone to feel like they've been forgotten about, right? And the people that are professionally involved with disasters realize this. That's why a group like this is really important to form," Logan said.
Logan says there is a critical need for contractors to help people get back into their damaged homes. People can also get help with food insecurity, financial assistance, and mental health services.
