Good morning, Sioux City.

Emma DeRuyter, an Iowa State student and founder of A Chance to Dance - Le Mars, won a $5,000 scholarship for her nonprofit work that provides kids with dance classes, shoes and leotards, and she is using the award to help pay her tuition this semester.

Le Mars (the only Iowa town in the contest) was named a semifinalist on Jan.

21 and is ranked third behind towns in Louisiana and Texas, with national finalists set to be announced this spring.

Iowa gas prices fell by 4 cents to an average of $2.47 per gallon for the week of Jan.

15 to Jan. 21, showing a small drop from the previous week.

Northwest Iowa remains the state's leader in farmland values as Sioux and Lyon counties post per-acre prices of $15,983 and $15,764 respectively — well above the state average.

The survey credits strong livestock profitability, keeping demand high amid a modest statewide rise in 2025.

The Cavemen team, consisting of six Siouxland boys including one (with a heart condition), qualified for the Iowa State First Lego League and will compete at Iowa State University on Feb.

7.

Sergeant Bluff Public Library offers a virtual reality experience that brings Holocaust survivors’ stories to life with headsets from the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

Visitors can reserve one of ten headsets (available until Friday, Jan. 30) and explore five different journey options as part of Holocaust remembrance.

Wells donated $150K to expand Remsen St. Mary's school facilities + the donation will fund improvements to classrooms and common areas for students.

St. Michael’s School in South Sioux City held an emergency meeting Sunday and now must raise $5.7 million by Feb.

28 to create an endowment to keep its Pre-K–8 program open. Without enough funds, the school will close after this school year—putting teachers’ contracts at risk.

Private college leaders warned Tuesday that House Study Bill 533—allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees—could lead to closures and job losses and lawmakers said they will move the bill out of committee by next week.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Woodbury County supervisors advanced a plan to purchase 14 LifePak 35 monitors — costing nearly $800,000 — to replace decade-old EMS equipment, with the new monitors set to provide real-time patient data to hospitals and improve rural emergency care.

The city will expand the quiet zone to cover more railroad crossings (Jackson Street, Virginia Street, Court Street and Iowa Street) starting at 12 a.m. Jan.

30. Residents should expect reduced train noise in these downtown areas.

Sioux City Streets division said a traffic signal at South Lakeport Street and Highway 75 has flashed red since Nov.

25 after a power line fell in high winds, and repair parts are expected within the next month.

Comedy for a Cause

5:30-8:30 p.m. — Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City Riverfront — Ticket sales support a nonprofit — Enjoy an evening of laughter with Brent Reed while contributing to a great cause for Siouxland Foster Closet.

Artificial Stars - Indie Rock from Sioux City

8-11 p.m. — Vangarde Arts — $10 at the door — Experience the dark, introspective sounds of Artificial Stars and local artist Alex Erwin in a night of emotional indie rock.

Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest

2-3 p.m. — Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center — Free entry, donations encouraged — Celebrate student creativity and eloquence at the local Poetry Out Loud competition.

Wildlife Encounters Live Animal Program

1:30-2:15 p.m. — Briar Cliff University — Free entry — Explore fascinating habitats and meet the animals from Wildlife Encounters of Nebraska.