SIOUX CITY, Iowa  — Sioux City firefighters got a taste of irony while out on a call Thursday. KCAU-TV reports that a little before 5 p.m., Sioux City Fire Rescue responded to an oven fire at Firehouse Subs on Sergeant Road. When officials arrived, the fire had already been put out by an employee with a fire extinguisher, and officials stayed around airing out the building.

Officials say it’s not every day they get to respond to a fire at home base. Lt. Josh McClure told KCAU “There’s a lot of irony, and we do appreciate they they do a lot of support with some grants that they do for the fire department. So we definitely appreciate Firehouse Subs and the work they do in different communities. And yeah, it’s not very often we get to say we’re establishing firehouse command.”

The restaurant will be closed down until health inspection gives the okay. While no one was injured, McClure emphasized the importance of people knowing how to use a fire extinguisher.

(Radio Iowa) – Mental health experts say Iowa is facing a critical shortage of providers, especially during the stressful holiday season, though some patients are turning to telehealth for care. Tarrah Holliday, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, treats up to 30 patients daily at Zion Integrated Medical Services in Atlantic. Holliday says there are only about 300 psychiatry providers statewide. “There are lengthy wait lists,” Holliday says. “Some offices you can get in within three months. Some, it takes up to six months.” As a solution, Holliday says 75-percent of her clients are turning to telehealth, and some even live three hours away.

“Many patients really prefer and feel more comfortable in their own environment,” she says, “and that has been extremely beneficial for them.” The I-S-U Extension reports Iowa is 45th in the nation for mental health care providers per capita. “Oftentimes, especially this time of the year, my colleagues and I are working extra hours and overbooking ourselves to ensure that patients get in and are able to be seen and their needs met,” Holliday says, “because this is a difficult time of year for them.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60-percent of Iowa communities experience a shortage of mental health care. To be considered a Health Professional Shortage Area the population-to-provider ratio must be at least 30,000-to-one.

(Radio Iowa) – The state’s top economic development official says if lawmakers create a tax credit for production of sustainable aviation fuel, Iowa could land a refinery. There are already refineries in Georgia, North Dakota and Montana producing the renewable fuel for airplanes, but Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi (like “Debbie”) Durham says there’s a market for several more around the country.

“We believe Iowa’s the perfect place to do that and actually there’s a lot of interest from the private sector to do that, based on our lead activity,” Durham says. “When you look at our overall competitive nature of our taxes, when you look where the supply is from a transportation point of view, when you look at what we’re proposing, just simply having a conversation around a production tax credit would be, I think, just stuff to move the needle a little bit because there is plenty of room in this marketplace for growth.”

Durham says the governor will reveal the specifics on tax-related recommendations in January. Durham suggests some long-standing tax credits the state has offered businesses are up for a potential overhaul. “We’ve done research on other states, the states we compete with,” Durham says, “because we want to make sure we’re not outliers in doing something.” Durham says the state tax credit for research and development is critical, but can be adjusted.

However, Durham says change is needed in the state’s 20-year-old High Quality Jobs Program. It has provided tax breaks to Iowa businesses expanding their operations here and to out-of-state companies launching an Iowa location. Durham says the program’s tax credits and exemptions were created to buy down Iowa’s corporate tax rate, which was among the highest in the country.  “Even at a 7.1% corporate flat rate now, or a two tier, getting to a goal of 5.5% with single factor — all of just makes us pretty competitive and so those incentives are not as meaningful,” Durham says. “…We don’t need as many tax incentives, we don’t need as much tax incentives, but they need to look differently and they need to function differently.”

Durham has been Iowa’s top economic development official since 2011.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is not yet ready to say how she’ll vote on President-elect Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon. During an appearance on Fox News, Ernst indicated she has not gotten to yes on Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be U-S Secretary of Defense. Ernst says she had a very thorough discussion with Hegseth on Wednesday about allegations that have been made against him.

Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the U-S Senate, is a sexual assault survivor. Ernst says a number senators want to make sure that any allegations against Hegseth have been cleared before his confirmation vote.

Ernst indicated the vetting of Hegseth will continue for the next month or so, until his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ernst is a member of the panel. Another Republican on the committee praised Hegseth after meeting with him today (Thursday). However, South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds says he wants Hegseth to be able to respond publicly to the accusations against him at the committee’s confirmation hearing in January.