Climbing Kites has rapidly become a leader in the burgeoning world of THC-infused beverages, bringing a new kind of social drink to the Midwest. Dave Moore (CEO) and Scott Selix (co-founder) share their journey, the legal landscape, and the cultural shift toward these unique products.

Hear the full show: https://iowapodcast.com/dave-moore-scott-selix-climbing-kites 

If you think Iowa is flat, you've never ridden the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad. Director Mike Wendel explains how the tracks were almost completely lost in 1983, but saved. He also tells how you can enjoy the railroad in open air cars, with dinner, or even on specialized bikes that go over the 150 foot bridge! 

The railroad opens for their regular season this weekend, May 24th. Wendel, who is the Director of the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum and History Center, gives us an overview of the rich history and the how the tracks were saved for recreational purposes by Boone residents to the tune of over 2.5 million dollars, and why the trains were converted from steam to electric, and then back again.

See show links and notes here: https://iowapodcast.com/boone-scenic-valley-railroad-mike-wendel

The Orange City Tulip Festival is this weekend, you should go. Executive Committee Promo Chair, Jennie Droog gives you a sneak peek at the events, food, and festivities. She also tells us about their obsession over authentic period-accurate costumes. Oh, and yes, we had to ask about the "other" tulip festival. Do they compete with Pella? Are there secret cage matches?

Droog has been involved with the Orange City Tulip Festival since her birth. She's been a volunteer for years and now helps run the annual festival. She explains the history of their Dutch heritage and gives a sneak peek at all the work involved in planting 50,000 tulips. She also digs into the mind-blowing economic impact the festival has on the town of Orange City. 

See the full show notes and photos at https://iowapodcast.com/orange-city-tulip-festival-jennie-droog

How bad was the tornado damage in Minden, Iowa? You have no idea. Mayor Kevin Zimmerman gives a heartbreaking update on how the local Sheriff's department shut down access to the city, their water treatment plant was completely destroyed, and almost all businesses are currently shut down. 

Minden was hit extremely hard by the tornado's that hit the western part of the state. One life has been lost and three injured. While a single life lost is one too many, once you understand the full state of the damage, it's a miracle more people weren't injured. 

Our sincerest condolences to the family of Nicholas Ring who tragically lost his life in the disaster.

https://iowapodcast.com/minden-iowa-tornado-mayor-kevin-zimmerman

Many of Iowa's farmers' markets open this weekend and exclusive we discussed what to expect with three of the state's largest. Taryn Kafer of The Dubuque Farmers' Market, Amelia Klatt of the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market, and Missy Carter of The Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport join the show to discuss why their market is the best. Combined, Des Moines, Dubuque, and Davenport represent more than 800 vendors and are attended by over 50,000 every weekend in the state of Iowa. And they each have their own bragging rights as well. Des Moines is the largest, Dubuque is the oldest in the state, and Davenport was voted #1 in the state. 

Listen to this very special journey across three of Iowa's largest farmers markets. https://iowapodcast.com/iowa-farmers-markets 

Lola's Fine Hot Sauce used to be an iconic Iowa brand that had achieved some impressive national success. But those days are over. Founder Taufeek Shah announces Lola's achieved what most consumer packaged goods (CPG) business owners only dream of: national distribution in Walmart. He discusses starting in an Iowa farmer's market, how COVID actually helped them grow, and teases 7 new products.

Lola's is now a national brand competiting with Tobasco, Frank's Red Hot and Cholula. Shah touches on why he was crazy enough to enter a crowded hot sauce market, their brand new manufacturing center in Florida, and discusses why, to his surprise, Lola's started flying off the shelves during the COVID-related shutdowns. 

See the full show notes and photos here: https://iowapodcast.com/taufeek-shah-lolas-fine-hot-sauce 

In a fascinating interview, the Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), Scott Marler explains why 2023 had more fatalities than 2022, and why the COVID-related shutdown had a bizarre impact on Iowans lead foots. He also shares how roads are being re-engineered to accommodate mistakes we make when driving, and how they're anticipating the future of self-driving cars. 

376 Iowans lost their lives on Iowa roads last year, which is more than 2022 fatality rate of 338. Did you know you have a 1 in 366 chance of getting in a wreck this month? And in your lifetime, a 1 in 107 chance of getting killed in a car wreck? Marler's vision is to bring that number to 0, he discusses distracted driving, where most wrecks happen, and states the obvious: people are still not wearing seatbelts. (What the heck?)

https://iowapodcast.com/scott-marler-road-deaths

749,000 fish in Iowa waterways were killed when 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer was accidentally dumped into the East Nishnabotna River near Red Oak. Dr. Michelle Soupir, a Professor at Iowa State University with expertise in Nonpoint Source Pollution, waterways and watershed explains the impact, and cautions on drinking water in some parts of the state.

On March 9th, a valve at NEW Co-op was accidentally left open causing the spill, which has now killed an estimated 40,000 fish in Missouri. While Des Moines Water Works can utilize specialized treatment for high levels of Nitrate and Ammonia, not every water treatment plant in the state has the necessary technology. Dr. Soupir says water treatment plants are continuously checking water quality, but cautions Iowans downstream to check their well water. 

Listen to the discussion on treatment and how Iowa can prevent disasters like this in the future. https://iowapodcast.com/michelle-soupir-fertilizer-spill-new-coop-red-oak

Governor Reynold signed HF 2612 into law, impacting all nine Area Education Agencies (AEAs) in the state. Senators Lynn Evans, a Republican, and Sarah Trone Garriottt, a Democrat came in studio to discuss how this negatively or positively impacts Iowans, and why they disagree on aspects of this bill. 

Republicans say this was designed to bring accountability, transparency, and consistency to AEAs, turning over AEA’s to local school districts. Democrats say it dismantles and fragments a working system meant to be adaptable, possibly allowing people to fall between the cracks. It’s a complicated issue, and they both explain their perspective. 

A few notes: 

First, Justin Brady’s focus on interviews like this is to be fair, give equal time to both, and not ask questions that may be considered unfair. At the end, he offers closing statement time as a backstop to make sure both voices were heard. 

Second, you’ll notice we don’t address the increase in teacher pay in this interview, because both parties have already been clear on their support for an increase in teacher pay. We focused on the core areas of disagreement.

Hear the full show:  https://iowapodcast.com/iowa-aea-law-hf2612-lynn-evans-sarah-trone-garriott  

Why are these famous people all coming to DMACC in Iowa? Time Magazine's “100 Most Influential People,” Dr. Alan Stern; National Geographic’s “Adventurer of the Year;” Maureen “Mo” Beck; National Geographic Explorer Dr. Niall McCann; Commander Susan Kil-rain; youngest person to pilot a NASA space shuttle mission; and Jonathan Frakes, Commander Ryker on StarTrek. Provost Dr. Anthony Paustian says how you can attend.

CI Week, which stands for Celebrate Innovation, happens annually at DMACC West and is always standing room only. The digital stream hits 65,000 live viewers every year. We dig into the event’s history, and discuss the overview of topics. For example, Susan Kilrain’s “GI Jane” experience where she demanded she complete the men’s requirements, and Dr. Alan Stern who was on the Titan Submersible’s last successful dive before it imploded exploring the Titanic wreckage.

Hear the full show:  https://iowapodcast.com/ci-week-anthony-paustian