BLIZZARD WARNING CONTINUES
Plymouth County is under a Blizzard Warning until midnight tonight, and a Wind Chill Warning until noon Tuesday. The National Weather Service says flurries to light snow will push east throughout the day today. Winds today will be between 20 and 30 miles per hour, gusting to 35 Miles per hour, creating ground blizzard conditions. Moderate travel impacts are expected. Colder temperatures along with strong winds will promote dangerous wind chills through Tuesday, with wind chills 20 to 45 below zero each night. The high temperature Sunday will be 10 below zero, and the Monday high -6.
CAMPAIGN STOPS AFFECTED BY THE STORM
Due to the winter storm and blizzard warning for our area, Donald Trump has called off his appearance in Sioux City at the Orpheum Theater this (Saturday) evening.
The Trump campaign instead will host a tele-rally featuring former President Trump, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird tonight (Saturday) at 7 p.m.
The Trump campaign says messages across social media and good old-fashioned telephones will keep Iowa caucus-goers excited as Monday’s caucus night approaches.
Trump’s scheduled appearance Sunday in Cherokee has also been called off.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign says the Republican Presidential hopeful will extend his schedule of events this weekend, despite the weather. This morning, Ramaswamy plans to be in Spencer, at noon in Okoboji, at 2 p.m. in Rock Rapids, and at 3:30 at the Orange City Town Hall. This evening, he plans to be in Cherokee at the community center, and at 8:30 tonight at Stoney Creek Hotel in Sioux City.
SEMI ACCIDENT
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a semi-trailer rig loaded with cattle. The accident occurred at the intersection of B40 and Jefferson Avenue, northeast of Orange City. The driver, 21 year old Tucker Gaer of Newell, South Dakota, attempted to turn onto Jefferson. The trailer entered the ditch and the tractor and trailer rolled into its side. Gaer was not hurt, but damage to the rig was extensive. The accident occurred during blizzard conditions. Area farmers provided trailers, machinery and gates to help unload the cattle from the trailer.
IOWA DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD CAUCUSES MONDAY
Iowa Democrats will hold Caucuses Monday, too, but they no longer go first in their party’s presidential nominating process. The party has begun mailing out presidential preference cards. And Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says the results from that mail-in process will be announced March 5th.
Hart says Iowa Democrats still take their role in the political process seriously.
Arguing over candidates in person will not be Monday night’s focus, according to Hart. She says it will be about party business.
Like The Iowa Republican Party’s Caucuses, the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses will begin at 7 p.m. Monday.
SIOUX CITY WINS $6M TO BUY 15 ‘CLEAN’ SCHOOL BUSES
5 The Sioux City Community School District has won a federal grant of almost six-million dollars to buy 15 new school buses, what are considered “clean” buses. Shelly Reimer, a grant project officer with the U-S Environmental Protection Agency, says the grant process was very competitive and Sioux City stood out as an ideal candidate for the effort.
The electric buses are proving to be the most popular option, according to Reimer, and she says the clean buses will help to improve the air quality for children and their families, as they’re low- or zero-emission vehicles.
She says the E-P-A is hearing very positive feedback from other school districts that have already made the switch from diesel to electric buses.
In addition to being better for the environment, she says the clean buses will be cheaper for school districts to operate.
Other Iowa school districts have a few weeks to apply for similar grants. The E-P-A is taking applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program through January 31st.
