MAYOR BOB SCOTT AND CITY MANAGER PAUL ECKERT ARE HEADED TO JAPAN THIS WEEKEND.

THE MAYOR SAYS THEY WILL LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO VISIT WITH OFFICIALS FROM YAMANASHI CITY, WHICH IS OUR SISTER CITY:



SCOTT SAYS HE HOPES THE TRIP MAY LEAD TO FUTURE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES HERE AT HOME:



SCOTT AND ECKERT LEAVE SUNDAY AND WILL RETURN NEXT FRIDAY.

WE ALL GET ANNOYED WHEN WE HAVE TO WAIT AT A RAILROAD CROSSING WHEN A LONG FREIGHT TRAIN IS ROLLING BY.

THE CITY WILL SOON START PHASE TWO OF A RAIL STUDY TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEM AREAS.

SPOKESPERSON JILL WANDERSCHEID SAYS THE CITY HAS RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO HELP FUND THE STUDY:



MEETINGS WITH THE RAIL COMPANIES AND THEIR USERS WILL BE SET UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS PART OF THAT STUDY.

The Siouxland Trails Foundation and Women Aware are teaming up to present the 9th annual Tri-State Trails Tour on Saturday.

The registration and starting point is at the Tyson Event Center.

Bob DeSmet of Siouxland Trails says riders can pedal through Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota in a short period of time on one of three different routes:



The riders can pedal from one to 60 miles depending on their preference.

Registration begins at 8am in the Tyson Events Center lobby.

FOR MANY YEARS A SMALLER REPLICA OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY GRACED THE FRONT PARKING LOT OF THE SIOUX CITY AUDITORIUM.

THE STATUE WAS PUT INTO STORAGE WHEN THE TYSON EVENTS CENTER WAS BUILT, BUT IT'S NOW BACK ON DISPLAY INSIDE THE SIOUX CITY PUBLIC MUSEUM.

MAYOR BOB SCOTT HOPES A PERMANENT DISPLAY CAN BE FOUND FOR LADY LIBERTY:



SCOTT SAYS HE GETS ASKED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH WHERE THE STATUE DISAPPEARED TO AFTER THE TYSON CENTER WAS BUILT.