Senators from Iowa and Nebraska are quickly weighing in on President Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL oil pipeline project.

Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns says the President apparently lacks faith in Nebraska to select a route through the state and is turning his head on an opportunity to create thousands of jobs in middle America.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the president is favoring extreme enviromentalism over job creation and an energy partnership with a friendly neighbor.

But Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson says Obama's rejection is what he predicted would happen if Congress intervened for political purposes and tried to rush the project by setting an arbitrary deadline.

Nelson says the root cause of the decision was Nebraska not working proactively with TransCanada years ago in determining a pipeline route through the state that addresses safety and enviromental concerns as other states did.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada to refineries in Texas. It would pass through South Dakota and Nebraska.
    
 

CITY MANAGER PAUL ECKERT SAYS TWO WAY TRAFFIC ON 5TH AND 6TH STREETS DOWNTOWN MAY RETURN SOONER THAN EXPECTED.

DOWNTOWN PARTNERS AND MERCY MEDICAL CENTER ARE AMONG THOSE WHO SPOKE IN FAVOR OF TWO WAY STREETS AT TUESDAY NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL C-I-P BUDGET HEARING.

ECKERT SAYS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE RECEPTIVE TO MAKE THE CHANGE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, AS OPPOSED TO CURRENT PLANS TO DO IT IN 2016:

ECKERT SAYS THERE'S NOW MORE SUPPORT FOR THE TWO WAY TRAFFIC THAN IN PAST YEARS:

THE CITY COUNCIL WILL LIKELY TAKE UP THE ISSUE AT A MEETING LATER THIS MONTH. 

 SIOUX CITY POLICE AND CRIMESTOPPERS ARE MAKING MORE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN FIGHTING LOCAL CRIME.

OFFICER JEREMY MC CLURE SAYS WEBSITES LIKE FACEBOOK ARE BEING USED TO GET CRIME INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC:

MC CLURE SAYS THE TIPS LEFT VIA FACEBOOK ARE ANONYMOUS, JUST LIKE PHONE TIPS TO CRIMESTOPPERS:

   
POLICE HAVE RECEIVED ALMOST 6500 TIPS SINCE THE CRIMESTOPPERS PROGRAM BEGAN IN THE 1980'S. THOSE TIPS HAVE SOLVED 332 CASES AND LED TO 234 ARRESTS.

A senior Obama administration official says the White House will reject a Canadian company's plan to build an oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced, says a February deadline set by Congress doesn't allow for a proper review of the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline project.

The Feb. 21 deadline was set by a GOP-written provision as part
of a tax bill that Obama signed into law just before Christmas.

Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns says the President apparently lacks faith in Nebraska to select a route through the state and is turning his head on an opportunity to create thousands of jobs in middle America.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the president is favoring extreme enviromentalism over job creation and an energy partnership with a friendly neighbor.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada to refineries in Texas. It would pass through South Dakota and Nebraska.