-
By: Diana Johnsen djohnsen@kcautv.com On Saturday, at Wal-Mart and the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City, the Sioux City Police Department helped parents create "children identification kits". TheMore>> On Saturday, at Wal-Mart and the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City, the Sioux City Police Department helped parents create "children identification kits". More>> By: Diana Johnsen djohnsen@kcautv.com On your mark…get set...paddle! About 130 kayakers took to the Missouri River in the "3rd Annual South Dakota Kayak Challenge" on Saturday. "It's an opportunityMore>> About 130 kayakers took to the Missouri River in the "3rd Annual South Dakota Kayak Challenge" on Saturday.More>> By: Hollie Hojek hhojek@kcautv.com Rain, rain go away, come back and other weekend but this one. The rain in the forecast isn't ruining everyone's plan, but it is keeping some campers away. The sunMore>> Siouxland Campgrounds Still Packing in the People Despite Poor Weekend WeatherMore>> By: Tim Seaman tseaman@kcautv.com On Thursday, a pretty cool relay put on by law enforcement officers from across the state ran through central Iowa for the Special Olympics Torch Run. The event helpsMore>> When the torch arrived Sioux City West sophomore JJ Reeg–Beckner had the honor of igniting the Special Olympic cauldron. Reeg-Beckner was selected from more than 2,500 athletes to finish the run.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News (AP) About 110,300 South Dakotans are expected to travel over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a slight decline from last year. AAA says that mirrors an expected dropMore>> About 110,300 South Dakotans are expected to travel over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a slight decline from last year.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News (AP) Nebraska students showed improvement in this year's statewide writing proficiency test. Nebraska Education Commissioner Roger Breed announced Friday that 66 percentMore>> Nebraska students showed improvement in this year's statewide writing proficiency test.
Nebraska Education Commissioner Roger Breed announced Friday that 66 percent of 8th graders met or exceeded state standards, a 2 percent increase over the previous year.More>> By Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com Iowa investigators say the discovery of blood of a missing 15-year-old girl has diminished hope of finding her alive. Bill Kietzman of the Iowa DivisionMore>> 15-year old Kathlynn Shepard went missing on Monday.More>> By: Scott Larson slarson@kcautv.com How comfortable do you feel strolling the streets in Sioux City? That's a question that the Blue Zones Project is asking. And today they brought in an expert toMore>> Walkable and Livable Communities Institute's Dan Burden assists Sioux City & Blue Zones Project with working out more pedestrian friendly roads.More>> Law Enforcement Monitors Holiday Travel
By: Sam Doerr sdoerr@kcautv.com With Memorial Day looming, highways will see a increase in traffic. It's something local authorities are well aware of so they're taking steps to ensure a safe weekendMore>> With Memorial Day looming, highways will see a increase in traffic. It's something local authorities are well aware of so they're taking steps to ensure a safe weekend for everyone.More>> 15 Siouxland Teachers Get Jobs Back
By: Sam Doerr sdoerr@kcautv.com Fifteen Sioux City teachers are headed back to the classroom. This comes a day after the Iowa state legislator passed an education reform bill giving the school districtMore>> Fifteen Sioux City teachers are headed back to the classroom. This comes a day after the Iowa state legislator passed an education reform bill giving the school district more money than it planned on.More>>
By: Scott Larson
slarson@kcautv.com
The Fiscal Cliff bill recently passed in Congress not only brought the nation back from going over the edge, but it also has some language which will help out local industries. Andrew Kline is just starting his career in the wind industry, celebrating his one year anniversary with Anemometry Specialists in Alta, Iowa. Andrew sells wind and solar equipment, a business that he is passionate about, saying, "I knew what I wanted to do and that was small wind and sales."
Kline and the wind industry in general (which employs approximately 7,000 Iowans according to the Iowa Wind Energy Association) caught a big break when the government extended tax credits for the wind industry as part of the larger Fiscal Cliff bill. Rob Hach, President of Anemometry Specialists, says that without the incentives, there would be tremendous uncertainty and likely layoffs. Hach says, "We were looking at layoffs. Absolutely. We were looking at cutting up to 50% of our staff at one point...but we've done a lot of things to diversify our company."
With the tax credit extension, Rob sees a bright future for an industry that continues to grow more self–sufficient. "We're not putting anything into the atmosphere, we're not putting anything into the ground water, we're not pulling away from our natural resources...away from crop ground to process petroleum or other resources. So wind is plentiful!"