(Radio Iowa)  – This year’s inductees into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame are being announced.

Association president Ralph Kluseman of Dubuque says this year’s crop of honorees is nothing short of outstanding. “We celebrated our 25th year last year and now we’re starting our 26th season and, obviously, this class of 2023 is just building on all of that success we’ve had over the years here because we’ve got so much talent in Iowa,” Kluseman says. “The biggest challenge we’ve got is trying to find a way to get everybody honored because every year, the nomination process seems to grow larger and larger.”

Since the organization was incorporated in 1997, more than 500 entities and over 1,900 individuals have been inducted in the hall or won awards. Inductees must have a minimum of 25 years of experience in the music industry. “We’ve got all these categories, between the Band category, the Border Band category, the Out-of-State Band category, the Promoter category, the list goes on,” he says, “the Individual category, Women Who Rock, DJs, Radio Stations, Support Person, then we’ve got the Lifetime Achievement Awards.”

This year’s Labor Day weekend concert series in Arnolds Park will kick off with a Rock the Roof show on Thursday, August 31st. The following night, the audience will hear from a band that’s been together nearly four decades.  “Friday night, I’m really excited because we’re going to have what Rolling Stone magazine says is the best Beatles tribute on Earth, ‘1964, The Tribute,’ is going to play that night on Friday night, September 1st,” Kluseman says, “and they are going to be inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame this year.”

This year’s inductees include: Band: House of Large Sizes, Mercurys, The Rathbones, Renegade, and Rushmore; Promoter: John Murren, Brent Stockton; Individual: Bobby Berge, Andy Blumenthal, Christopher Jon Furman, Kevin Hanick, Ed Hart, Sam Irish Sr., Andy Krayer, Craig MacGregor, Ron Smith; Women Who Rock: Rebecca Braun, Melanie Rosales-Underbrink; Radio Station Category: KNOD, Harlan; and the Lifetime Achievement Award: Jimmy Ryan.

See the full list at iowarocknroll.com.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Cass EMS personnel were dispatched at 3:09-p.m. to a rollover accident west of Atlantic.  According to the report, a GMC Yukon occupied by five people rolled over. The accident occurred at Highland Road  (G-30) at Indian Creek Road. All five occupants were initially said to have been injured, but the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. No one was trapped in the vehicle, all the occupants were outside as of 3:15-p.m.

Update 3:17-p.m. : Injuries were minor, but there was an infant involved that they wanted checked-out.

We’ll update with more information as it becomes available.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa National Guard’s adjutant general is retiring on March 1st. Major General Benjamin Corell has been in the National Guard for 37 years. “My wife has sacrificed much for my career. We’ve got seven grandkids,” Corell says. “My grandparents influenced me growing up, gave me the values that I have. I want to put some values in my grandkids that have been passed down through my family.”

Corell grew up on a farm near Strawberry Point. His wife saw an ad for the Iowa National Guard in the newspaper and Corell joined a unit based in Oelwein in 1986. In 2017, Corell assumed command of the famed “Red Bulls” in the 34th Infantry Division. Governor Reynolds appointed him to lead the Iowa National Guard in August of 2017 and she will name his replacement.

(Radio Iowa) – The Home Builders Association of Iowa is urging the legislature to pass new limits on city rules for construction and renovation of residential property. Dan Knoup, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines, says building codes should govern life and safety issues, not aesthetics. The group says ordinances that forbid the use of things like vinyl siding or require a certain number of windows drive up the cost of building houses, condos and apartments. Hubbell Homes vice president Rachel Flint oversees construction of the company’s home building operations in central Iowa. She says they’re not asking to get rid of building codes.

A senate subcommittee has advanced a bill that would limit residential building codes that include design standards. Angela Caulk, a lobbyist for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, says the group has concerns. “We are kind of worried that some of the language having to do with the abundance of codes, with how broad that is, could produce a race to the bottom where people will are just looking to see if they can make the cheapest residential housing,” she says. Tom Cope, a lobbyist for the American Planning Association’s Iowa Chapter, says the group hopes senators make some adjustments to the bill.

“We do have members that do come from communities with older housing stock that want to be able to have the ability to maybe provide an incentive to developers by saying: ‘If you do a certain design standard you might be able to qualify for tax abatement or those types of opportunities,'” Cope said. The bill would allow cities to maintain design standards for some historic structures — and homeowners associations that have rules for roofing, siding or other design elements could stay in effect. The bill does NOT apply to retail, commercial or industrial properties.

(Dedham, Iowa) – One person is dead and another was injured during a collision early  this (Wednesday) morning near Dedham, in Carroll County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2016 Chevy Tahoe was traveling westbound on Highway 141 and approaching the intersection with 330th Street, at the same time a 2023 International semi was traveling eastbound past the same intersection. The SUV went left of center and collided with the semi in the eastbound lane before it struck cable barriers on the north shoulder and came to rest. The semi came to rest in the south ditch. The accident happened at around 5:50-a.m.

The driver of the SUV, 29-year-old James Stovall, from Mobile, AL, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. The driver of the semi, 34-year-old Derek Pittenger, of Owens Cross Roads, AL, was injured and transported by Carroll EMS to St. Anthony Hospital, in Carroll.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.

(Manning, Iowa) – The IKM-Manning School Board has approved a measure that will appear on the ballot Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The measure asks voters to approve the use of $7.9 million in school infrastructure sales service and use tax revenue bonds toward a series of construction and renovation projects on the Manning campus, including:

• A New gymnasium
• A New commons area
• New locker rooms
• A New spark/fire room

School officials say the work would take place in the northeast corner of the building. To view a diagram with details on the work to be completed, visit https://bit.ly/ikmmprojects. With an approved vote, the district would use Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE)—also known as the statewide one-cent sales tax for education—to complete the projects above. Officials say “This would have no impact on property tax or sales tax rates in our community.”

The measure will pass if more than 50% of voters approve it. This is different from a bond issue, which requires more than 60% approval. The District will share more information and answer community members’ questions as the matter moves forward.