Regina Roth continues to provide financial gifts to many Sioux City metro entities, and the latest involves a $1 million gift that will allow Morningside University to add a laboratory.
Morningside officials announced the creation of the Animal Science and Food Safety Lab, for which construction will begin in 2025.
The lab will be located in the Walker Science Center, to be used by students in the existing Regina Roth Agricultural and Food Studies Department.
Morningside President Albert Mosley said the Roth gift will be beneficial in training students for leadership roles in agricultural industries and towards global food system sustainability.
*Additionally, the year is nearing an end, and the main baby-delivering hospital in Sioux City has announced the most popular baby names of 2024.
The most frequently picked name for baby boys is a repeat of 2023, as for the second year, with Mateo. UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s released the top 10 names for boys and girls on Friday.
After Mateo, the rest of the top five names for boys were Liam, Oliver, Noah, and Cooper.
The top five girls names were Emma, followed by Gianna, Ivy, Amelia, and Lainey.
More than 2,000 babies have been born this year at the UnityPoint Hospital in Sioux City.
*In other news, a record-breaking number of domestic travelers are expected between December 21 and January 1, with AAA forecasting the potential for 3 million more travelers compared to last year.
About 90 percent of those travelers will drive to get to where they want to be for the holidays. With an increase of cars on the road, drivers can expect to see additional hazards, said Shawn Steward, a spokesperson for AAA South Dakota.
As people drive, the price of unleaded self-serve gasoline had an uptick for only the third time over the last 18 weeks dating back to August.
The average price this week rose by 4 cents to $2.74 per gallon.
According to AAA, the statewide average price of $2.74 is 2 cents less than a year ago at this time, and the current national average is $3.03.
That weekly gas report was compiled just prior to Wednesday, when gas prices in Sioux City jumped by 20 to 25 cents per gallon in one day. Now, many Siouxland stations are selling unleaded in the range from $2.59 to $2.85 in the days right before Christmas.
*Additionally, a person who graduated from Okoboji High School is returning to become the superintendent of that school district.
Will Dible was selected and will soon be confirmed by the Okoboji School Board, as first reported by KUOO News.
Dible also worked in the area as a principal at nearby Spencer HIgh School, before moving onto his current post as superintendent with the Alburnett School District.
Dible has degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and University of Iowa. He was selected from three finalists, and his Okoboji superintendent duties will start in July 2025.
*In other news, this week the Iowa Geological Survey is celebrating 10 years since joining the University of Iowa.
The government office used to be part of the state Department of Natural Resources and has since been part of the university’s College of Engineering.
Keith Schilling is the State Geologist of Iowa and Director of the Iowa Geological Survey. He said state geological surveys first started when settlers began crossing the US and needed information on the land.
“It's kind of a continuation of that first exploratory mission, and the job never ends. You know, we get better data…some of these issues that we've had since 130 years ago, are still around that we're trying to, you know, even do a better job of characterizing,” Schilling said.
Schilling said IGS gets money from the federal geological survey for things like mapping Iowa’s surface and bedrock resources. He says any funding cuts to the federal survey could have “big implications” on those duties.
