UnityPoint Health – Sioux City is pleased to announce the construction of a new UnityPoint Clinic location in Dakota Dunes. UnityPoint Clinic – Dakota Dunes will offer additional convenience to residents in the Dakota Dunes and North Sioux City communities by providing healthcare services close to home.

Before the Sioux Point Road realignment project grand opening was held (June 22), the North Sioux City City Council approved payments for the construction at their meeting June 20. The first was change order #5 which reduced the cost of the project by $39,845.39 and change the completion date to June 30.

After a little over four months, Sioux Point Road is once again open. The City of North Sioux City held a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 22 at 4 p.m. and declared the road officially opened. What had been planned to be a 30 day closure, turned into a few months due to unforeseen circumstances with third party utility confl icts.

As of June 16, golf carts being utilized by golfers heading to Two Rivers Golf Course were able to take a safer route thanks to a decision made by the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement (CID) District Board of Supervisors.

The Elk Point-Jefferson High School Parking lot was recently utilized for more than just parking. On Wednesday, June 6, the Elk Point Community Ambulance, Elk Point Police Department, Elk Point Fire Department, North Sioux City Ambulance Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Emergency Management and Mercy Medical utilized the parking lot for a mass casualty training.

The North Sioux City Fire Department did a joint training with the North Sioux City Police Department June 10. They practiced various lake rescue techniques of conscious and unconscious victims. Along with rescue training, the departments did lake familiarization with boat launches in both non-emergency and emergency situations.

The Omaha Zoo came to the North Sioux City Library on Thursday, June 15. Educators from the zoo talked about a variety of animals ranging from snakes, turtles, sharks, gorillas, penguins and insects. Hides, shells and even cockroaches were brought to display and show those in attendance.

Leader-Courier will have an early deadline for the July 6 edition. Anyone needing to place an advertisement, public notice, an obituary, or story idea, needs to submit it to us no later than Noon on Thursday, June 29.

The Dakota Showdown Horse Trainer Challenge is underway this summer, providing 20 rescue horses and ponies with a unique opportunity to find their forever homes. Organized by Gentle Spirit Horses Rescue, this exciting event will showcase the incredible partnership between these equines and 20 dedicated volunteer trainers. The highly anticipated finale will be held on Aug. 12-13 at the Horseman’s Sports Arena in Mitchell, SD, with the horses and ponies competing in basic skills, over trail obstacles and finally presenting a freestyle exhibition open to the public.

The insect pictured at right, looks like a butterfly, but isn’t. It is in fact a moth – a cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) to be exact. This moth is the largest native moth to North America. They can feature a wingspan of up to 7 inches.