Two colleges in Sioux City will merge, as St. Luke’s College will be added into Morningside University by the end of 2026.
A press release from Tuesday said the merger will enhance educational opportunities in healthcare and support academic excellence.
St. Luke’s College has operated the college for decades to train nurses. St. Lukes will operate independently during the transition period.
Both institutions are committed to making sure students can complete their degrees on time and with minimal disruption. Employees from St. Luke’s will go through an evaluation process to see if they are a match for roles at Morningside.
Once on campus, St. Luke’s students will have access to Morningside athletics, student organizations, and housing.
In the release, Jane Arnold, Market President of UnityPoint Health – Sioux City. “This new collaboration with Morningside University will strengthen educational and employment opportunities for future healthcare professionals here in our community for many years to come.”
The previous president of St. Luke’s College resigned last month and took the role of President of Western Dakota Technical College.
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has legalized the use of medical and recreational marijuana on reservation lands.
*In other news, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has legalized the use of medical and recreational marijuana on reservation lands.
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska this week became the first reservation in the state to pass comprehensive regulations for cannabis use. This follows the state’s efforts to regulate the substance, after voters approved a ballot measure allowing the use of medical marijuana.
Omaha Tribe Attorney General John Cartier said the Tribe is prepared to defend its sovereignty in the court system, if state officials oppose the decision.
Cartier also said this move will boost the tribe’s economy since it opens up Tribal land for more businesses. Cartier said that’s important because of upcoming federal budget changes that have passed, so it is important for “tribes to capture as much revenue as we can.”
The White House released a budget request for 2026, proposing cuts to Native American programs.
*Amid a period of strict immigration enforcement, some restaurants in the two largest cities of Nebraska have announced they are temporarily closing their doors.
In Omaha, Fernando’s Café and Cantina owner Mitch Tempus said he received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requesting employee documentation.
Tempus said the restaurant is cooperating fully, but that the inquiry resulted in workers being terminated, so both locations of the cafe are no longer able to operate at full staff.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said mass deportations of undocumented immigrants are planned for every industry. Rollins said that extends to agriculture and there will be “no amnesty” for migrant workers on farms.
In related news, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden on Tuesday told South Dakota Public Broadcasting that he supports strict enforcement. Concerning an immigration crackdown on farm workers. Rhoden said that could hurt South Dakota’s key industry, which relies on the immigrant workforce.
Rhoden said something that concerns him is how business owners who employ undocumented immigrants have been treated in the past, since some are given false information from workers. If businesses are presented with counterfeit documents that look real, they have to accept it.
*Additionally, a rally march is planned for South Sioux City on Thursday afternoon to protest racism, injustice and inequality.
The event is called United We Stand, and begins at 5 p.m. as people will walk from 1700 Dakota Avenue to downtown Fourth Street in Sioux City. It is being organized by Sweetwater Uprising and Siouxland Good Troublemakers groups.
Jess Lopez-Walker on Wednesday said many of the funding changes in the federal budget Big Beautiful Bill will negatively impact the lives of many working people, so they should make their voices heard.
*State officials say they plan to end a program for Iowans who have severe mental illness in January 2026.
The Integrated Health Home program, or IHH, is a Medicaid-covered network of professionals who coordinate care for Iowans with severe mental illnesses.
Iowa Health and Human Services officials have been discussing the future of the program for more than a year with providers and users.
But Billie Butler, the CEO of Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services in southwestern Iowa, says the announcement comes as a shock. Butler is concerned about transferring the agency’s members to the state’s new services., since that can be a lot for vulnerable people to process.
HHS officials say they’re planning the transition in phases and will begin working with providers this month on the process.
