Siouxlanders are having to navigate three days of severe heat through Sunday, when the high temperatures could reach 100-plus degrees every day.
There is an Extreme Heat Warning from the National Weather Service through 11 p.m. Sunday for all three Siouxland states.
As the Lewis Pool in the Morningside area of Sioux City opened at 1 p.m. Friday after the adult lap swim, more than 20 young people were waiting at the entrance. At that time, the heat index in Sioux City had hit 101 degrees.
People are being encouraged to drink lots of water, wear light clothing and only work outdoors in the morning or late at night. Little relief is expected in the overnight hours, as the heat indices will only drop from 80 to 70 degrees.
*Additionally, the Sioux City NAACP on Thursday hosted its first Juneteenth event since 2020.
According to Monique Scarlet, the NAACP President, Sioux City hadn’t had a Juneteenth celebration for the past 4 years due to the coronavirus pandemic and fluctuating city leadership. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the 1860’s.
Jim Tillman, Youth Director of NAACP, told Siouxland Public Media, “It represents the African American history and this is part of America's history and it’s a big part of it, it’s a great celebration.
In addition to a presentation on the history of Juneteenth, local artists performed music and people danced. Food was provided by Louis Bros Family Style BBQ Food Truck and Cafe.
Quincy Louis Senior, the owner of Louis Bros Family Style BBQ Food Truck and Cafe, said, “Slaves had to tend to their households and what not so slaves were given scraps to create meals from which thus created soul food.”
*in other news, the number of cases of measles continues to grow in Iowa and South Dakota, and the latter state is launching a series of shot clinics.
State health officials say they confirmed three additional cases of measles in Iowa on Thursday.
The new cases bring Iowa’s total count to six cases this year.
They were confirmed in a woman between the ages of 18 and 40 and two children under the age of 18. All three live in eastern Iowa and were unvaccinated, and the cases were locally acquired through household contact.
The state’s previous three confirmed cases were all determined to be travel-associated. Five of the six Iowa measles cases were in unvaccinated people.
The nation is in the middle of seeing an outbreak of the highly contagious virus. The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed nearly 1,200 cases.
Health officials say they encourage people to make sure they are up to date on their MMR vaccination, which is 97 percent effective against measles.
The South Dakota Department of Health is holding a series of public vaccination clinics in response to newly confirmed cases of measles in South Dakota.
Health officials say they’ve identified two more measles cases, bringing the state’s total to four this year.
South Dakota state epidemiologist Joshua Clayton said getting vaccinated is the best way to stop the spread of the highly contagious virus. He’s encouraging anyone who’s not vaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status to attend one of the 11 clinics. Most of those clinics are in West River counties, none are in Southeast South Dakota.
Measles symptoms appear in two stages, according to the Department of Health. In the first stage, the individual may have a runny nose, cough, and a slight fever. The eyes may become reddened and sensitive to light while the fever consistently rises each day.
*In a Friday press conference, city of SiouxCity officials again noted that more affordable housing units are being added at the site of the former West Middle School.
Those new homes are priced at about $230,000, and two of the six that have been built have been sold. Five more homes in that development will be finished by the end of this year, bringing the total to 11 in the endeavor.
The Isabella Square housing project can come with federal downpayment assistance of $30,000, for families with a total income of $73,000 or less.
