*The day after a blizzard blew into Siouxland with 5 inches of snow and heavy winds, there were still some people without electrical power midday Thursday.
The Sioux City area had more than 7,000 homes experiencing outages on Wednesday evening, and that amount dropped to just under 1,000 as of noon.
The biggest total was 405 homes without power in the small town of Whiting, south of Sioux City.
Law enforcement officials cited one death due to a collision related to the blizzard, which involved a person killed on Interstate 29 near Sioux City.
*In other news, Iowa could create its own nutritional guidelines for school meals, under a bill that passed out of the Iowa House.
The state would request an exemption from things like federal sodium limits, and whole grain guidelines.
The new nutritional requirements would have to prioritize animal-based protein, dairy products, vegetables and fruit, in that order.
Supporters say the federal guidelines are obsolete, and that the new priorities will support local farmers.
Democratic Representative Austin Baeth on Wednesday said the bill is misguided nutritionally.
“These are the guidelines based on science, folks that have been demonstrated to create the healthiest chance to give our kids. And instead, this bill says no, ‘I think we here in Iowa know better.”
The Legislative Services Agency estimates the bill will cost the state an extra $600,000 in its first year and nearly half a million dollars every year after.
*Additionally, a measure in the Nebraska Legislature would allow every county in the state to carry out elections entirely by mail ballots.
Currently, only counties with populations under 10,000 can apply to the Secretary of State to mail ballots to all registered voters.
In the 2024 general election, 11 of the state’s 67 eligible counties used all-mail voting.
State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh supports removing the population limit.
She said there are many benefits to all mail elections, including reduced costs and higher voter turnout.
Beth Ferrell, of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, said the bill would give counties more flexibility in how they conduct elections.
Ferrell predicted most urban counties probably would keep their current practice in place.
The bill had no in-person opponents during the Wednesday hearing, but conservative senators on the committee had questions about how the proposal could impact election integrity.
*One of the biggest sports events in Sioux City began Thursday, as the 43rd annual championship tournament of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is underway.
Sixteen teams qualified for this portion of the national NAIA tourney, in games that will be played up to the championship contest on Tuesday, March 25.
The national women’s basketball tourney has been played in Sioux City for28 years.
Community leaders like it not only for the good level of basketball that can be enjoyed, but also for the boost to the regional economy.
Two Siouxland teams are in the field, which typically boosts attendance at the Tyson Events Center.
Dordt University, of SiouxCenter, is the defending national champion, and the team plays this evening at 6 p.m.
Briar Cliff University, of Sioux City, plays its first game at 8 p.m. Friday.
*VITA, a volunteer income tax assistance program, is free and available at the Center for Siouxland until April 15th.
Susan McGuire, VITA Program Coordinator, told Siouxland Public Media News that Center for Siouxland typically prepares 2,500 tax returns each season.
The service, McGuire says, targets “low to moderate income households as well as the elderly and English language learners.”
