The Exchange

On November 2nd, voters in Sioux City will head to the polls to cast their ballot for city council.

An hour-long edition of The Exchange presents highlights from a League of Women Voters candidate forum held on October 14th at City Hall for the four people seeking one of three open seats.

The candidates include incumbents, attorney Dan Moore and Alex Watters, Director of Talent and Community Engagement at Morningside University.   

This week on The Exchange, we hear from the speaker at this year's Morningside University Waitt Lecturer, who reassess the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Also, a Sioux Falls journalist recenlty featured in the Washington Post, explains the trust industry in South Dakota that was exposed in Pandora Papers. And Siouxland Public Media's Sheila Brummer is at the Sioux City Conservatory of Music talking about a new benefit planned for this weekend at the Warrior Hotel.

This week on The Exchange we present with the nine canidates for the Sioux City Community School Board.  The election is November 2nd.

This week on The Exchange, we preview the Sioux City International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, September 30th and runs through Sunday, October 3rd. 

First, we hear from the editor, owner and publisher of the Storm Lake Times, Art Cullen. The Pullitzer Prize winning paper is featured in a new documentary that is being featured at the festival. It's called Storm Lake.  Also, we talk talk with SIFF board members Greg Giles and Leslie Werden about the films, and other activities at the 2021 film festival. 

This week on The Exchange, an author has written a how-to book for parents in dealing with racism and white privilege. We talk with Brian Kiely.  We also talk with author of a New York Times' bestselling memoir about her childhood.  Qian Julie Wang and her family came to the United States from China, and found that life in America was not going be easy.  

This week on The Exchange, we review some of Siouxland's most important events.

One was the rejection of a mask mandate by the Sioux City School Board. The other event was the groundbreaking on the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center.  

We also look forward to changes coming for cities and higher education as we, hopefully, emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in the next few years. And, we get a up-close look at food insecurity in Siouxland.

This week on The Exchange, we hear the details of a new lawsuit filed against the state of Iowa over it’s ban on mask mandates in public schools.  

Also, how to wean yourself off your electronic devices, because you may not realize you are addicted.

And we talk with some of the artists from last weekend’s ArtSplash event, and also with the one of co-founders of the Sioux City International Film Festival that is coming up in October.

We also talk with the artist who painted a new mural on West 7th Street in Sioux City.

304

As the rate of new COVID-19 infections remains high in Iowa, the state's top health official says they are working on more rapid testing options. 

As the spread of the virus remains high across the state, demand for COVID-19 testing has skyrocketed.

Interim state Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia says testing is widely available across the state. But the department is seeing some issues for those who need rapid testing.

This week on The Exchange, we focus on issues that affect Native Americans in Siouxland.

This week on The Exchange, we hear both sides of a controversy over the use of American Recovercy Plan Act funds for the new Woodbury Count Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City. Some residents and labor leaders saycoronavirus money should go to help those hurt by the pandemic; not to cover the escalating costs of the LEC.  The Board of Supervisors says the higher costs have been caused by supply chain issues that were caused by the pandemic.  We hear comments from this week's supervisors' meeting. 

School is back in session in Siouxland and across the country. Parents and kids are beginning their second year while dealing with the coronavirus.  The Sioux City Public School Foundation has endeavored to help students with keeping safe, learning in difficult times, providing band instruments and graduation gear. The foundation has three main pillers to its mission.  I talked with the foundation’s Mickey Nelson and Michael Rohlena about those pillars and how they are put into practice in the Sioux City public schools.

This week on The Exchange, we take a look at how international events and issues, like the US military pullout from Afghanistan and the resurgance of the coronavirus, are affecting Americans and Siouxland residents.

This week on The Exchange, Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett and Sheila Brummer host a discussion about COVID-19, the Delta  variant, vaccination rates, masks and safety.  Also, we talk with Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman about how schools are going to operate safely this school year. 

  This week on The Exchange, we hear from Native American tribal leaders about the treatment of the homelessness in Sioux City. Also, with cases of COVID-19 increasing in Iowa and Woodbury County, we talk with public health leaders about what we can do to protect ourselves. And we talk with the author of a new book about a long ago racial incident created by white supremicists that mirrors the behaviors seen at the January 6 at the Captial building in Washington. 

This week on The Exchange, we talk about the West and its history, and what is going on there today.

Now that it is high summer, national parks are crowded with tourists. But those parks have been created in places with deep Native American roots.  Today we talk with the creators of a new podcast where Native American voices tell stories of times before the creation of the national parks.

Also, how going west became an emancipatory move for many American women.  

The week on The Exchange, we tell stories of people and groups who have searched from their place in the world and found it.  

But first, we preview RAGBRAI as it returns to the road after being sidelined last year by the coronavirus pandemic.  This year, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa begins in Le Mars.  We talk with one of the local organizers. Mitch Christoffel helps chair the local committee.

Thousands of people gathered at Grandview Park in Sioux City, Iowa on July 2-3, 2021 to watch more than 20 artists on two different stages after a year off due to COVID-19.

Saturday in the Park brought a chance for performers to finally play in front of a live audience after the intensity of the pandemic.

Veterans and new fans alike enjoyed fun under a warm sun with diverse music, unity, and solidarity.

This week on The Exchange, as we commemorate Independence Day, we take a fresh look at some familiar stories in American history.  We talk with the author of a new book about the rise of President George Washington.  David O. Stewart says the first president, despite being a privileged white man in 18th century society, worked hard and used his ability to overcome the elements and forge alliances with political opponents.  He also wrestled with the problem of slavery, and how to set free the enslaved people on his plantations. 

On Tuesday, June 15th, a gathering took place at the Sioux City Public Museum with dozens of concerned community members after the heightened awareness following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year.

The Sioux City Human Rights Commission, joined forces with the Sioux City Police Department and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office for the event called “Strengthening and Improving Community Relationships.”

The purpose, highlighting de-escalation techniques in stressful situations, especially during traffic stops.

This year, for the first time, Juneteenth is being observed as a national holiday.  President Joe Biden signed the oberservance into law on Thursday. 

This week on The Exchange we talk with the President of the Sioux City Chapter of the NAACP, Ike Rayford about Juneteenth, one year after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.  Rayford says he is thrilled that Juneteenth is finally national holiday.  However, Ike says he is still concerned about some state laws that restrict information about the history of slavery and racism in America.

This past year subverted everyone’s idea of normal, but probably no group more so than students. In a class titled Truama in our Society, Dr. Carolina Hotchandani, Goodrich professor of English at the University of Nebraska Omaha, saw her Medical Humanities class as an opportunity to collectively mourn what had been lost. She asked her students to record and share the stories of someone they knew, quilting together the experiences that were otherwise lived through in solitude. 

This week on The Exchange, we talk with two authors. One is written by a journalist who followed the Democratic Presidential candidates, and the other book is about the lives of our First Ladies. 

First we hear from Edward-Isaac Dovere, the author of Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats Campaigns to Defeat Trump.  Dovere spent two years with several Democratic presidential campaigns.  He looks back at the reacton of the candidates, and former President Barack Obama, to the Presidency of Donald Trump.

The Exchange aired live from the Sioux City Farmers Market on June 2nd.  We spoke with the market's organizer Becky Barnes about how the market works and what kind of plans she has for the future. We also talked with Roger Caudron, who helped create the farmer's market.  We also spoke with vendors and producers at the market.

Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett and Sheila Brummer are the hosts. Enjoy. 

This week on The Exchange, we take a look at efforts to create a more fair, equitable and compassionate world. We will look back a year since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, and talk with Sioux City NAACP leader Ike Rayford. Also, we talk with a researcher who is part of an ongoing study on the reasons behind the disproportionate number of missing and murdered indigenous women and children in Nebraska. And we talk with the author of a new book that celebrates the heroism of Japanese American soldiers during WWII.

This week on The Exchange, we confront Iowa's doctor shortage and take a look at some local efforts to promote healthy living.  

We also hear about a new youth orchestra program put together by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.

And we talk with Russ Wooley about a new play at Lamb Regional Theater that will be presented through Saturday, May 22nd. 

This week on The Exchange, how the medical victories of the past can help us move forward in dealing with the coronavirus.  Today, we hear some little-known stories of  medical and scientific innovations that doubled the human lifespan in the 20th century.  We talk with the force behind the new PBS Series Extra Life: The Science of Living Longer, Steven Johnson.  The series begins this week.  

Also, science is getting closer to giving people expanded, and some say, superhuman abilities. We talk with  researcher David Broyles about the future of superhuman powers. 

This is week on The Exchange, we talk with the author of a new book tells the story behind the legend of the Whitman Massacre back in 1847, and we a hear A Small Wonder from Jim Schaap that talks about the backstory of Marcus Whitman's wife Narcissa, who, along with her husband Marcus, was killed in the massacre in what is now Washington state.

The murder of George Floyd prompted protests across the country and highlighted the need for more awareness and education.

Last week, a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts.

Chauvin now faces sentencing that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.

Last summer after Floyd’s death, the Junior League of Sioux City held a discussion on diversity with local leaders.

The conversation continued on Tuesday, April 20th at Camp High Hopes with the President of the Local Chapter of the NAACP Ike Rayford.

This week on The Exchange, how women can take control of their financial futures by making some simple changes, also what rural Iowans can expect from the state’s broadband expansion plan, and how Morningside College has brought back hands-on learning with its agricultural and food studies program. . We also hear about the progress of wind energy in Iowa and we hear about the online offerings of a First Amendment forum at the Greenlee School of Journalism at Iowa State University, and this week we talk to one of the orgainizers of Sioux City's first Holistic Health Fair.

This week on The Exchange, we hear two little-known stories of the Holocaust. We recognize the Days of Remberence of the Victims of the Holocaust, which is, a day of commemoration in Israel for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and for the many members of the Jewish Resistance.