The North Sioux City Economic Development Corporation (NSCEDC) named 5678! Dance Studio as NSCEDC’s August Business of the Month. Pictured are, from left, NSCEDC Directors Jamie Wankum, Kathy Gunderson and Dan DeMarest, Head Ballet Instructor, Coach Rebecca McNamara, Owner Melissa Strong, NSCEDC Board President Mike Huber, NSCEDC Directors Dustin Pratt and John Stevens and NSCEDC Executive Director Andrew Nilges.

THOUGHTS FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS By Dakota Valley Administration Providing up-to-date, relevant and easily accessible information for our Dakota Valley School District families is one of our top priorities. In tandem with that goal is the desire for a consistent brand that positively represents our district and creates recognition of Dakota Valley School District.

The Dakota Valley boys golf team competed in their second meet in two days at the beautiful Madison Country Club in Madison, SD Aug. 16.

By Beth Sherard-Hutcheson times1@iw.net The public filled the North Sioux City City Council Chambers Aug. 15 to voice their concerns and outrage on the airport expansion.

The American Rescue Plan Act grant agreements were approved at the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement District (CID) Board of Supervisors meeting Aug. 15. The first grant is for the water main looping project which would add another water main going under the interstate to connect in the Two Rivers Business District to create redundancy in the system. The CID was awarded $257,100 toward the total cost of $857,000. The grant for the parallel sewer line project, in the same vicinity as the water main project, was approved. The grant was for $155,776 toward the total cost of $519,220.

In a two week period, the Siouxland Miracle Riders, raised over $42,000 to help mothers reach their newborn babies after having a C-Section. UnityPoint Health sent a list of a few things, but the one that stood out to the Miracle Riders was the bassinets for newborns in the Mom and Baby wing of the hospital.

By Beth Sherard-Hutcheson times1@iw.net The unofficial end to summer has begun as students returned to school Friday, Aug. 19.

Public university students will be greeted with classroom saving as they prepare to head back to campus in the coming weeks. The South Dakota Board of Regents Institutions implemented First Day Access to enhance university affordability for students.

The South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) began the process of revising its transfer policy to improve students’ ability to seamlessly move their earned credits between the state’s public universities and technical colleges. The efforts to revise the existing policy stems from the BOR’s newly adopted strategic plan objective of increasing transfer enrollment through improved access.

Governor Kristi Noem released draft social studies standards for K-12 students in South Dakota. “South Dakota’s children deserve the very best social studies education in the nation,” Noem said.