SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT WILL LIKELY HAVE NEW AIR SERVICE TO CHICAGO BEGINNING EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THE AIRPORT BOARD UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO RECCOMEND THAT AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES BECOME SIOUX CITY'S NEW AIRLINE REPLACING DELTA'S MINNEAPOLIS ROUTE WITH TWO DAILY FLIGHTS TO CHICAGO.

THE CHANGE TO AMERICAN EAGLE WAS CAUSED BY DELTA THREATENING TO PULL OUT OF SIOUX CITY WITHOUT A FEDERAL SUBSIDY.

AIRPORT BOARD PRESIDENT DAN KAPLAN SAYS THAT LACK OF COMMITMENT FROM DELTA WAS A FACTOR IN CHANGING AIR CARRIERS:

AIRPORT BOARD MEMBERS WERE IMPRESSED WITH AMERICAN'S OFFER WHICH INCLUDED A PROMISE TO MARKET THE CITY AS A DESTINATION AND CONSIDER ADDING A SOUTHERN ROUTE TO DALLAS IF THE CHICAGO FLIGHTS ARE SUCCESSFUL.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION  WILL SOON ACT UPON THE RECCOMENDATION TO PROVIDE A TWO YEAR FEDERAL SUBSIDY FOR AMERICAN EAGLE.

The flood recovery process is far from finished in Riv-R-Land Estates, where the waters have receded but much of the mess remains.

The Siouxland Recovery Fund and the Siouxland Salvation Army are offering some help, providing $183,000 for homeowners.

The money is to be used mainly for smaller repairs to furnaces, water heaters, electrical and plumbing.

Riv-R-Land Estates Homeowners Association treasurer Kim Blaeser says gutting flooded homes, tearing down sheet rock and drying out the wood dried has been a huge task this fall.

She says everyone wants to believe they will get back home again. 

Riv-R-Land officials estimate that it will take around $1.3 million to make a lot of the homes livable again.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM SKYWEST, A PARTNER OF DELTA AIRLINES, MADE THEIR PITCH TO PROVIDE AIR SERVICE FROM SIOUX CITY TO MINNEAPOLIS TO CITY LEADERS.

SKYWEST WOULD PROVIDE TWO DAILY FLIGHTS TO MINNEAPOLIS USING 50 SEAT PASSENGER JETS...SIMILAR TO WHAT DELTA AIRLINES USUALLY DOES AT SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT.

BRAD RAWSON OF SKY WEST SAYS THE AIRLINE WOULD LOOK TO EVENTUALLY INCREASE SERVICE FROM THE TWO FLIGHTS IF THE MARKET SUPPORTS THAT.

SKYWEST IS COMPETING FOR A TWO YEAR ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE FEDERAL SUBSIDY WITH AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES, WHO WOULD FLY TO CHICAGO INSTEAD OF MINNEAPOLIS.

AIRPORT BOARD DIRECTOR DAN KAPLAN WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT HE DIDN'T HEAR MORE OF A LONG TERM COMMITMENT FROM SKY WEST.

THE AIRPORT BOARD WILL VOTE ON WHICH CARRIER TO RECCOMEND FOR THE AIR SERVICE CONTRACT THURSDAY MORNING.

PIERCE STREET BETWEEN 14TH AND 18TH STREETS IS ALMOST READY TO RE-OPEN TO UPTOWN TRAFFIC.

CIVIL ENGINEER ERIC SMITH SAYS THE CONTRACTOR HOPES TO RE-OPEN THE STREET WITHIN THE WEEK:

ELSEWHERE PAVING ON THE KINGS HIGHWAY BRIDGE IS CONTINUING THIS WEEK.....AND WORK ON  WESLEY PARKWAY IS NEARLY COMPLETE WITH PAVING OCCURRING ON THE CONNECTION TO 14TH AND HAMILTON BOULEVARD.