THE MIDWEST ECONOMY IS GETTING STRONGER. THAT'S ACCORDING TO DR. ERNIE GOSS, AN ECONOMIST FROM CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY WHO CONDUCTS TWO MONTHLY SURVEYS ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH:
 

GOSS SAYS RISING FUEL PRICES ARE A WILD CARD FACTOR IN ECONOMIC GROWTH...AND SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS DONE LITTLE TO DEAL WITH THEM:

  
ON EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, GOSS SAYS NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA SHOULD RETURN TO PRE-RECESSION EMPLOYMENT LEVELS LATER THIS YEAR. HE SAYS IOWA WON'T REACH THAT LEVEL UNTIL 2013.

GOSS WAS IN SIOUX CITY TO SPEAK TO THE SIOUXLAND INDUSTRIAL ROUNDTABLE AT BEV'S ON THE RIVER.
    

IOWA NEEDS AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FUND TO HELP CITIES ATTRACT COMPANIES TO BUILD NEW FACILITIES IN THE STATE.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO DEBI DURHAM, DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS.

THE FORMER SIOUX CITY CHAMBER PRESIDENT SAYS THE 25 MILLION DOLLAR PROPOSAL IS ONE OF THE THINGS GOVERNOR BRANSTAD NEEDS TO ATTRACT QUALITY JOBS TO IOWA:

DURHAM SAYS LIKE THEM OR NOT....INCENTIVES ARE THE WAY OF THE WORLD IN BRINGING NEW JOBS TO IOWA, TO HELP FEND OFF COMPETITION FROM OTHER STATES PURSUING CORPORTE EXPANSIONS:

SHE SAYS SIOUX CITY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT IN A RECENT ATTEMPT TO ATTRACT A CHEESE MANUFACTURER TO BUILD HERE, ONLY TO SEE THEM CHOOSE BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA INSTEAD.

DURHAM MADE HER COMMENTS ON KSCJ'S OPEN LINE WITH RANDY RENSHAW.

SIOUX CITY EAST FOUGHT OFF REPEATED CHALLENGES FROM WEST DES MOINES VALLEY AND WON THEIR OPENING 4A GAME AT THE IOWA BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT 66-60.

EAST TRAILED BY 5 AFTER ONE QUARTER, BUT PUT ON A STRONG SURGE AND WENT UP AT HALFTIME BY A 29-26 MARGIN.

THE RAIDERS WENT UP BY 13 IN THE 3RD QUARTER, BUT THE TIGERS CAME BACK  AND CUT THE EAST LEAD TO 48-42 AT THE END OF THE PERIOD.

VALLEY CONTINUED THEIR 19-4 RUN TO TAKE A 54-52 LEAD WITH 4:24 TO PLAY, BUT CONSECUTIVE BASKETS BY ADAM WOODBURY GAVE EAST THE LEAD FOR GOOD.

EAST WENT UP BY NINE, AND VALLEY COULD NEVER GET CLOSER THAN FIVE AFTER THAT.

EAST WILL TAKE A 20-3 RECORD INTO FRIDAY'S 1:30PM SEMIFINAL GAME. VALLEY ENDS THEIR YEAR AT 18-6.

AS SPRING APPROACHES, CITY CREWS ARE STEPPING UP EFFORTS TO REMOVE LITTER FROM NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND STREETS.

THE CITY HAS ALREADY SPENT 11-THOUSAND DOLLARS THIS YEAR ON LITTER REMOVAL, AND RESIDENTS CAN HELP CONTROL THAT COST TO TAXPAYERS BY SIMPLY NOT DISCARDING TRASH ON CITY PROPERTY.
  

CAPTAIN LISA CLAEYS OF THE SIOUX CITY POLICE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT ISSUES AT LEAST TWO CITATIONS FOR LITTERING PER MONTH.

THE CITY IS PLANNING FUTURE COMMUNITY CLEANUP DATES WITH LOCAL VOLUNTEERS.
   

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING, YOU CAN CONTACT THE CITY UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AT 279-6222. YOU MAY ALSO REPORT LITTER ISSUES TO THE CITY POLICE AT 279-6440 OR TO CITY FIELD SERVICES AT 279-6886.