THE SIOUX CITY SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPROVED SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS.

THE BOARD VOTED 7-0 TO APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR NEARLY 309-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE BLEACHERS AT EAST HIGH SCHOOL. THAT WORK WILL TAKE PLACE OVER SUMMER VACATION.

THE BOARD ALSO VOTED TO SPEND 226-THOUSAND DOLLARS ON TWO CONTRACTS FOR ASPHALT REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT AT SEVERAL CITY SCHOOL SITES.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reducing the amount of water released into the Missouri River in light of the heavy rains that fell this weekend in Nebraska and Iowa.

The corps says that releases from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, S.D., were lowered from 28,000 cubic feet per second to 26,000 and again Monday to 22,000.

Similar reductions are under way at other upstream reservoirs. 

The corps' Jody Farhat says the reductions are needed to prevent flooding along the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
    

The river is expected to temporarily fall below the navigation target of 31,000 cubic feet per second in Sioux City.

THE ANNUAL SIOUXLAND STEAK DINNER TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C. IS NEXT WEEK. IT'S THE 58TH YEAR GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS LEADERS FROM THE TRI STATE AREA ARE TRAVELING TO THE NATION'S CAPITAL TO PUSH FOR SUPPORT FOR LOCAL PROJECTS.

SIOUX CITY'S CITY MANAGER PAUL ECKERT SAYS RECOVERY AND MITIGATION PROJECTS RELATED TO LAST SUMMER'S MISSOURI RIVER FLOOD ARE STILL A TOP PRIORITY:

ECKERT SAYS THE COST WILL RUN ABOUT TWO MILLION DOLLARS WITH ALL FLOOD PROJECTS COMBINED REACHING NEARLY 12 MILLION DOLLARS:

THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE OFFICALLY RUNS NEXT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. RANDY RENSHAW WILL BE BROADCASTING IN WASHINGTON D.C. WITH OPEN LINE BEGINNING MONDAY.

AFTER LAST SUMMER'S MISSOURI RIVER FLOOD MADE THE WINNAVEGAS CASINO AN ISLAND, THE SLOAN, IOWA CASINO WAS ABLE TO REOPEN BY USING "DUCKBOATS' TO TRANSPORT CUSTOMERS.

CASINO PATRONS TOOK A LIKING TO THE AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES AS THEY RODE THROUGH THE FLOODWATERS.

WINNEBAGO TRIBAL CHAIRMAN JOHN BLACKHAWK SAYS THEY'RE NOT READY TO GIVE THE DUCKBOATS UP QUITE YET:

BLACKHAWK SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS AND APPRECIATES THE CUSTOMER LOYALTY TO THE DUCKBOATS:

WINNAVEGAS JUST DEDICATED A NEW HOTEL AND CONTINUES TO UPGRADE PARKING LOTS THAT WERE DAMAGED BY LAST SUMMER'S FLOODING.