(Radio Iowa) – The 83rd Annual Orange City Tulip Festival begins today and it will have something unique this year. A brand-new tulip has been developed, and although it is not in bloom, the bulbs are available for sale.

Tulip Town Bulb Company owner Keri Drescher says the Dutch Heritage Boosters asked if they could partner with her for the new tulip. “I didn’t know a lot about it, but basically it’s new to the U-S, and it’s exclusive to Orange City,” she says. Heritage Booster member Jodi Vander Zwaag says they got the idea when the Consulate General from the Netherlands visited Orange City last year and told them something surprising.

“When we’re in the park he mentioned that we should baptize a tulip and we’re like oh,” Vander Zwaag explained. After figuring out what this meant, they got in contact with a bulb company in the Netherlands that develops exclusive bulbs. They found out the process takes between seven to ten years, but there was a bulb available with orange in it if they wanted it. “So the process went really fast for us and we you know figured out how you baptize a tulip we were able to name it so the Oranjestad DHB,” she says. The name means Orange City, Dutch Heritage Boosters; to honor the Dutch heritage and the Dutch Heritage Boosters.

Oranjestad DHB tulip

Vander Zwaag says that the final act is to baptize the tulip. Not knowing how that’s done, she learned one was just baptized this spring in Chicago. She says it involved the consulate pouring champagne on the tulips. The Oranjestad DHB tulip, is bright yellow with orange to apricot tips, and can be purchased at the festival which runs through May 17th.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report three people were arrested on drug charges Wednesday afternoon. At around 3:30-p.m., Officers with the Red Oak Police Department conducted a search warrant on a residence in the 400 block of N. 4th Street. As a result of the warrant and investigation, Police arrested 54-year-old Kenneth Gerald Owens, 47-year-old Chrystal Rush Stewart, and 60-year-old Robert Wade Abraham, of Red Oak.

Owens was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Gathering where marijuana is used, and Possession of Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,000. Stewart was arrested for Gathering where marijuana is used. Her bond was also set at $1,000. And, Robert Abraham was charged with PCS/Marijuana – 2nd or subsequent offense, Gathering where marijuana is used, and Poss. of paraphernalia. His bond was set at $2000. Abraham was also taken into custody on a valid warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense. Bond on that was charge was $2,000, cash-only.

OSCEOLA, Iowa [KCCI] — A former southern Iowa county attorney who was convicted in 2021 of operating while intoxicated — her second offense — and child endangerment is back in the hot seat with a third offense OWI arrest. KCCI reports, that according to court records, Michelle Rivera, former Clarke County attorney, was arrested in Osceola on Tuesday evening after a car collision where the car she was driving struck another vehicle shortly after 5 p.m.