Woodbury County Planning and Zoning Commission holds town hall in Salix to discuss data centers
On Monday night in Salix, the Woodbury County Planning and Zoning Commission held a town hall to hear public input on data center permitting regulations for unincorporated areas of Woodbury County. 39 people signed in to the meeting, but the number of attendees looked to be “much more in person” according to Woodbury County Zoning Commissioner Daniel Priestley.
Priestley says the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors tasked the Zoning Commission to get public input on data center regulations for unincorporated areas of the county. Salix is the third location the Woodbury County Zoning Commission has hosted a town hall in on this issue, with a Correctionville town hall planned for January 18th.
The public arguments against data centers outnumbered arguments for them.
Priestley strongly encourages the public to reach out to their county representatives to voice their concerns on the data center issue, but emphasized that different cities will have different policies in place.
A video of the Salix town hall meeting will soon be posted on the Woodbury County website, which is linked below. Past town hall meetings are currently available to view.
https://www.woodburycountyiowa.gov/committees/zoning_commission/
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Agape Community Services now providing outpatient care
Agape Community Services, a licensed provider for substance use disorder treatment based in Sioux City, is now providing outpatient care for the Siouxland area. They provide services for addiction, recovery, mental health, and fatherhood.
Rachelle Rawson, the Founder and CEO of Agape, is excited to “change the world, save lives, and help set people free.”
Agape takes a different approach to programming than other providers in Siouxland.
While inpatient services are only tailored to men today, there are plans for Agape to expand inpatient care to women and teens in the future.
For more information on Agape, visit their website at agapesiouxland.com or call 712-244-LOVE.
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Dordt education students excel on Foundations of Reading Test
Dordt University education students achieved an 82 percent pass rate on the latest Foundations of Reading Test (FORT). With the state average at 52 percent, Dordt’s students scored well above the state benchmark. According to the Iowa Department of Education’s 2026 FORT Pass Rates, Dordt received the second-highest pass rate in Iowa.
The Foundations of Reading Test is a standardized examination taken by college students majoring in elementary and special education. In addition to measuring individual candidates’ knowledge and readiness to teach literacy, the results provide insight into the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs.
According to Dr. Abby De Groot, the Director of the Teacher Preparation Program at Dordt, literacy is an essential skill in the classroom: “Reading is integral to learning in any subject. Each discipline has unique text structures, academic vocabulary, and writing demands, even at the elementary level. Having a strong understanding of the science of reading equips our students to teach well in all areas, and it also better equips teachers to reach all students, even those who would traditionally struggle to read.”
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Iowa receives over $216 million to advance rural health
Iowa was awarded just over $216 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), marking the next phase of the state’s multi-year Rural Health Transformation Program, Healthy Hometowns. The additional $7 million in Year 2 funding, compared to Iowa’s Year 1 award of just over $209 million, reflects continued confidence in Iowa’s implementation of Healthy Hometowns and the state’s leadership in transforming rural health care delivery, expanding access to essential services including cancer treatment and prevention, and building long-term sustainability for hospitals and clinics across rural Iowa.
Healthy Hometowns is designed to ensure rural Iowans can access high-quality care close to home. Through strategic investments in clinical services, technology modernization, workforce development, and care coordination, Iowa is working to build a more resilient rural health system.
