The Crittenton Center of Sioux City has received a $20,000 grant from the Le Mars United Way to support its Child Development Center in Le Mars. This funding will help provide high-quality child care, preschool, and after-school programming for families across Plymouth County, addressing a growing demand for accessible and inclusive early childhood education.Since opening its doors in January 2024, the Crittenton Child Development Center in Le Mars has served over 120 children, including 43 in school-age care.
The United Way grant will be used to maintain child care slots to meet the growing gap in availability across Plymouth County, provide tuition assistance for families experiencing crisis or financial hardship, including those impacted by domestic violence, job loss, or housing instability, reduce barriers by offering on-site health screenings minimizing missed work for parents and enhance care through enrichment programs and partnerships with schools and community centers, ensuring holistic child development.
Sioux City Democrat Nominated for District 1 State Senate Special Election
Iowa Democrats Wednesday night nominated Catelin Drey as their candidate in the August 26 special election for state Senate district 1. The election was set by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to fill the vacancy created by the death of Rocky De Witt on June 25.
Drey’s family is originally from North Dakota. She came to Sioux City to attend Morningside University, where she earned a degree in Spanish and photography.
Drey’s early career spanned international education, where she taught first grade in Honduras, and social work.
Drey is a wife and mother, and the founder of Moms for Iowa, a grassroots initiative focused on making public policy accessible to Iowans, particularly parents. Drey is a past president of Siouxland Go and a former board member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland. Drey is an account supervisor at Antidote 71.
Woodbury County Republicans have chosen Christopher Prosch as their nominee for Iowa State Senate District 1 for the special election next month. Prosch is a small business owner that has worked in politics for over a decade. He is the founder of the political-media and sports management consulting firm Felix Strategies.
Feenstra Introduces Updates to Livestock Indemnity Program
Fourth District Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra has introduced a bill to make needed updates to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) so that Iowa cattle and livestock producers receive a fair market price for their livestock.
Under current law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency only makes annual updates to LIP payment rates. Feenstra’s legislation would make these price updates quarterly to accurately account for turbulent and unpredictable market conditions.
Feenstra said that when severe storms strike or animal disease spreads, Iowa cattle producers deserve a fair price for deceased livestock.
Drought Conditions Continue to Improve in Iowa
The latest U-S Drought Monitor shows most of the middle of the state has no drought conditions, which is about 64 percent — and is up from 57 percent last week. Less than four percent of the state has areas of moderate drought, including one county in northwest Iowa, and that’s O’Brien County, six in the southeast, four in south-central, and two in eastern Iowa. Around 36 percent of the state is abnormally dry, in sections along the eastern and western edges. Just 20 percent of the state had no drought conditions at the start of the year.
