Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Archives for Human Interest

Calling husbands the old fashioned way at the Iowa State Fair

By

Rose Beauregard calling her husband.

A 65-year-old eastern Iowa woman is the Iowa State Fair’s Husband Calling Champion.

Rose Beauregard of Center Point cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled into the microphone on the Pioneer Hall stage at the State Fair.  Beauregard told reporters it helps to have a husband with the two-syllable first name of Clifford.

“I do practice on my husband, but I do more practing on my grandson and my camping club,” she said. “We camp every month.”

Beauregard began entering the contest in 2003 and this is the first time she’s won.

“I just wanted to win one time,” she said. “The older I get, the harder it is to take that deep breath.”

Rose Beauregard talks about her win.

Now that’s she’s won 2018 Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest, Beauregard is retiring from the annual competition, but not the private practice of husband calling.

Like most couples, she and her husband have cell phones and she uses hers to reach him, but Beauregard said there are still times at home when a good yell out the back door is needed.

“Our kitchen opens up to our backyard,” Beauregard said, “and when you’re in the backyard, you usually don’t have your cell phone anyway.”

Beauregard beat 10 other competitors, including a first-time contestant who is a newlywed and another competitor who’s entered the contest for more years than she can remember.

Remembering Aretha’s generosity surrounding her final Iowa performance

By

Music fans are mourning the passing of the “Queen of Soul.” Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer Thursday at her home in Detroit at age 76.

Franklin headlined the 25th annual Saturday in the Park show in Sioux City’s Grandview Park in 2015. Promoter Dave Bernstein says he had tried several times to book Franklin, then one day he got a phone call from a private number.

“I answered the phone and I hear on the other end of the line: “Dave Bernstein, Aretha Franklin,'” he says. “It was Aretha called me…wanting to talk specifically about the hotels and make those arrangements herself.”

Franklin took care of the bookings in Sioux City.

“She came in and put down her own credit card for the incidentals for all her band. She took care of all the business herself. That was the one word of advice her management gave me — because she’d been rumored to be difficult to deal with, but she was actually a pleasure to deal with — and the one guy said, ‘Hey, as long as you realize all the business goes through Aretha and none of her entourage, you’ll be fine.'”

Franklin traveled to Sioux City in her tour bus and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. Bernstein says she asked the bellhops to wait until all of her dresses and cases of sheet music were brought into her room.

“When she was ready and everything was there, she sat down on the couch, pulled out her purse, pulled out a big wad of $100 bills and, one at a time, they ushered them in, she whipped out a $100 bill and gave it to them,” Bernstein says. “All of those kids walked out with $100 that Aretha handed them.”

Franklin performed all of her hits like “Respect” and ‘Natural Woman” at the Sioux City show which would be her last Iowa performance. She received a nice review next day in the Sioux City Journal. Franklin sent Newspaper Editor Bruce Miller a bouquet of flowers and a thank you note for his kind words about her show.

(Reporting by Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)

Applishus Apple Eggroll wins Iowa State Fair best new food prize

By

The 2018 “People’s Choice” for best new food at the Iowa State Fair is the Apple Eggroll.

“We’re using the same filling that we used in our apple tacos last year, only we’re dicing the apple instead of slicing it…People are getting a change to taste the really good caramel that we’ve had for over 30 years,” says Connie Boesen, the owner of the four Applishus stands on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Her products are not frozen, but made fresh in each stand. She was in one of the stands early this morning, teaching new employees how to roll out the egg roll crust since she anticipates a boost in business due to winning the “best new food” competition.

“We have a huge repeat business for all of our product,” she says. “It’s great to see the reaction. Now, we’re just hoping we can keep rolling, keep up with it.”

Boesen’s father, Ken Fulk, was the long-time manager of the Iowa State Fair and she grew up on the fairgrounds. After running the Applishus business for more than three decades, Boesen says she still likes apples — well, a specific type of apple.

 “The reason I started this is I do not like caramel apples that were with red apples,” Boesen says. “I love Granny Smith — the tart with the sweet — and in order to come into the fair, I wanted something different, so I slice the apple, so it’s easier to eat and I found a candy company that makes a tremendous caramel.”

State Fair officials say the Brown Sugar Pork Belly on a Stick from the Iowa Pork Tent and the All Iowa Belly Up Burger from The Rib Shack were “stiff competitors” in the best new food competition.

The Apple Eggrolls are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and deep fried, then served with caramel sauce. The price? Five dollars for two Apple Eggrolls, with caramel on the side for dipping.

Historic World War II ship to travel up Mississippi for stops in Dubuque and Bettendorf

By

LST 325

A historic U.S. Navy ship that provided a crucial service in the pivotal D-Day invasion of Normandy, France during World War Two will sail up the Mississippi River this month, docking for tours in two Iowa cities.

Known as LST 325, the landing ship tank changed the course of the war, according to volunteer Chris Donahue, who serves on the ship’s board of directors. “It can go to any unimproved beach in the world without the use of port facilities,” Donahue says, “unload 20 battle-ready Sherman tanks, about 30 trucks and 200 troops.”

The LST was commissioned in 1943 and served in multiple battles in North Africa and Italy before heading to Normandy for the D-Day invasion — part of the largest armada in history — on June 6th of 1944. Because of its versatility, Donahue says the U.S. never lost an invasion once this type of ship was put into use, allowing the military to land tanks and troops right on the beach.

“The LST won the war,” Donahue says. “Between ’43 and ’44, it was the most sought-after ship because they had all these invasions to do. We talk a lot about Europe on our ship because it was at every major European invasion. The 60-some-odd landings in the Pacific after D-Day and the LST was at the forefront of all those.”

The LST 325’s home port is on the Ohio River at Evansville, Indiana, which produced more LST’s than any other shipyard in the country. More than 1,000 LSTs were built during the war, but this is the only one remaining that’s preserved and able to sail under its own power.

“I won’t say it’s full of holes but it’s got holes in it from German aircraft,” Donahue says. “It’s got some dents and bends in the sides. Other than painting it up, we wanted to keep it as it was.” The ship is almost as long as a football field and measures 50 feet across. It craft is being brought to the shores of Iowa so aging veterans who were carried into battle aboard one of them some 74 years ago can get another look.

Donahue says the tours are very popular. “Really, people of all ages, and we do see a lot of the old timers, this means a whole lot to them, some of the guys who were on these,” Donahue says. The rare ship will dock at the Port of Dubuque from August 23rd through the 27th, and then will visit the Isle Casino Hotel in Bettendorf from August 30th through September 3rd. Tours are available daily for a fee, while World War Two veterans can come aboard for free.

Iowa auctioneering champ sold Elvis Presley’s plane

By

Jeffrey Garber

A 24-year-old from Lincoln, Missouri is the 2018 Iowa Champion Auctioneer. Jeffrey Garber comes from a family in the industry and he’s been a professional auctioneer for six years.

“Engaging the crowd and pulling those bids in and working for the seller and trying to get top dollar and the rhythmic chant,” Garber said. “It’s an adrenalin rush for me.”

Garber is a contract auctioneer, so he travels the country conducting auctions.

“I was fortunate enough to sell Elvis Presley’s jet, which was kind of cool,” Garber said. “I’ve sold a lot of memorabilia such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Moon Walk’ shoes…so I’ve been very fortunate in my few short years behind the microphone.”

Garber speaks three languages: English, German and the sing-song chant of the auctioneer.

“A lot of people wonder if I’m musically talented and the answer to that is: ‘No!’ Garber said, with a laugh. “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but for some reason, I can chant and I think God has blessed me in the fact that I grew up with it. A lot of my family were auctioneers, so it comes second nature to me.”

Garber was one of five finalists who competed today in front of a large crowd at the Iowa State Fair. This is the 53rd year for the contest that’s run by the Iowa Auctioneers Association.

NASA solar probe will carry experiment designed by U-I physicist

By

NASA depiction of solar probe.

You think it’s hot on the Midway at the Iowa State Fair? A NASA space probe, designed in part at the University of Iowa, will be launched tomorrow morning on a mission to the sun.

U-I physicist Jasper Halekas, a co-investigator on the Parker Solar Probe, says his main experiment is focused on what’s known as the solar wind. “It’s ionized hydrogen and helium and electrons,” Halekas says. “Those compose what we call the solar wind which is this stream of hot plasma that flows out from the sun constantly at around a million miles an hour.”

Halekas’ helped to design SWEAP, which stands for Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons. It’s housed in three clusters of instruments onboard the spacecraft. With a reflective heat shield comprised mostly of carbon foam, the compact car-sized probe is built to withstand the incredibly scorching heat of the sun.

Jasper Halekas

“We’ll get to about 25 times closer to the sun than the Earth is, which is about seven times closer than any human-made object has ever been before,” Halekas says. “In actual terms, that’s about four million miles.” By comparison, the closest planet to the sun, Mercury is about 36 million miles from the sun, so he says this probe will get “right in there.”

The spacecraft will do a fly-by of our solar system’s second planet, Venus, in order to use its gravitational pull to “slingshot” the probe closer to the sun. “About two months into the mission, we do our first fly-by of Venus and about a month after that, only three months after launch, we do our first close pass of the sun,” Halekas says. “Then, over the course of seven more years, we do six more fly-bys of Venus and nudge ourselves closer and closer and closer into the sun.”

The front of the heat shield will have to withstand temperatures of around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooling system is so amazingly efficient that the back of the spacecraft, in the shadow of the heat shield, will be below room temperature.

Launch of the solar probe is scheduled for about 2:30 AM/Central on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket.

Audio: Matt Kelley interview with Halekas: 7:00.

 

Norwalk preparing to host visitors form Kosovo

By

Norwalk delegation in Kosovo.

Officials in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk will host a delegation from their sister city in Kosovo next week.

Norwalk economic development director Hollie Askey says four elected officials from the town of Vushtrri are in the group as well as three generals from the Kososo Security Force. A busy week of activities is planned, including trips to the Iowa State Fair and an Iowa Cubs game.

“Tours of the downtown, the capital, the Supreme Court building, Terrace Hill,” Askey says. “We’ll have a private showing of the movie, ‘With A Cup of Sugar,’ and then we’ll have a big night, Thursday the 16th, where we’ll do a Kosovo flag raising ceremony at City Hall, followed by a public reception at Warrior Run Golf Course.”

That film chronicles the relationship between Kosovo and Iowa. It dates back to 2011 with a partnership between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Force. One goal of this visit is to broaden that partnership by establishing global trade opportunities.

“We have a lot of similarities in our industry and business climate and we have a lot of ways to connect our businesses,” Askey says. “That’s really our primary purpose, besides connecting and sharing with educational opportunities and cultural opportunities, but really with our business and trade industry, we feel like several of our companies can connect and expand.”

Askey was among four Norwalk leaders who were a part of the Iowa delegation that went to Kosovo in May, and this will be the first sister city visit to Norwalk for officials from Vushtrri. “They have so much love for Americans and they’re so appreciative of our help during the war and our help rebuilding their nation that they are so willing to do anything right now,” Askey says. “They even have a new industrial park program where they are offering free land and no property taxes to American businesses that want to build or expand there.”

Language shouldn’t create any barriers during the visit, as Askey says most Kosovars speak excellent English. The delegation from Vushtrri is scheduled to arrive on Sunday, departing next Friday, the 17th.

 

Maddie Poppe booked as opening act for 2019 Iowa State Fair

By

Maddie Poppie singing the National Anthem at the Iowa State Fair.

Iowa’s “American Idol” winner helped kick off the 2018 Iowa State Fair by singing the national anthem this morning.

State Fair officials announced Maddie Poppe of Clarksville will perform on the same State Fair Grandstand stage the first evening of next year’s fair, August 8. A year ago, Poppe was playing at farmers’ markets and coffee shops, wondering if she’d ever get a break.

“There were so many times when I kind of wanted to give up, honestly, because I didn’t know if it was going to work out for me,” Poppe said this morning during a question-and-answer session with Iowa’s governor. “…Little did I know that I was just one, “Yes,” away from my whole life changing.”

Poppe’s concert next year — on the state fair’s largest stage — won’t be her first time singing at the fair. She and her sister competed in the Iowa State Fair’s Bill Riley Talent Search

Maddie Poppie poses for a picture along with her boyfried Caleb Lee Hutchinson.

“I remember thinking, like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool. We made it to Des Moines!'” Poppe said. “And we were cut the first round, but it’s o.k.”

After living in Los Angeles for five months, Poppe is now on an American Idol concert tour. Poppe told the state fair crowd she misses home.

“I guess you don’t really realize what you have until you’re away from it,” Poppe said. “…You know, you don’t drive by in your car and wave to everybody. That’s what we do here, you know?”

Poppe signed autographs and posed for pictures after the opening ceremony. Her boyfriend and fellow American Idol contestant Caleb Lee Hutchinson joined her for the events at the fair.

Community groups trying to help Clinton residents forced out of apartment building

By

Several local agencies have come forward to help residents of the Lafayette Towers apartments as they are being forced to move from the downtown Clinton building.

Clinton City officials arranged a meeting Tuesday afternoon to help coordinate that assistance. Clinton Mayor Mark Vulich said the city was not directly involved and the closure was due to the electric bill not being paid since February of this year. Roger Pavey of Eastern Iowa Community Action said Alliant Energy would not turn off the power on Thursday as residents had been notified. Pavey said the company would work with them on the situation.

He told the residents that they are not in this alone and he says while it may be easy to blame the power company — they have a very large unpaid bill — and are still giving residents more time. There are an estimated 25 to 35 units in the building that are occupied.

“They’re going to give us time. They are giving all of you time and they are giving us time to do what we can to help you,” Pavey says. Pavey said the Community Action Agency has some aid to help people re-locate. Other agencies also spoke about some of the services they can offer-but said residents should work with Community Action first.

(By Dave Vickers, KROS, Clinton)

 

McElroy Auditorium gets new name taking the Waterloo venue back in history

By

A new sign is now attached to a century-old arena on the National Cattle Congress Fairgrounds in Waterloo. McElroy Auditorium quietly underwent a name change last week and is now called The Hippodrome.

“We wanted to bring the arena back to its old roots,” says Jim Koch, co-manager of the fairgrounds. “If you Google ‘Hippodrome Waterloo’, (the search) comes to this building from year’s ago and brings up all kinds of old photos and everything.”

The name isn’t new. It’s the original moniker attached to the building when it first opened in 1919. The arena has been known as McElroy Auditorium since the around 1965. There is no known documentation to clarify the exact year when the name was changed to honor R.J. McElroy. He was a prominent Waterloo broadcaster and philanthropist who died unexpectedly that year at the age of 56.

Koch says he’s getting positive feedback from those who have noticed the unannounced name change.

“It’s like, ‘oh, that’s cool’,” Koch said. “That’s all it is. We’re not trying to offend anybody. We’re just bringing back the historical name.”

The National Cattle Congress Board of Directors recently approved the name change, although Koch admits the switch has been under consideration for about five years.

The Hippodrome, which turns 100 years old next year, is a member of the the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The iconic venue has hosted some the nation’s biggest stars over the years, including Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, KISS, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Destiny’s Child and Nelly.

On Feb. 20, 1984, President Ronald Reagan kicked off his re-election campaign at McElroy Auditorium. The arena was the original home of the Waterloo Black Hawks hockey team for 33 years. The Waterloo Hawks, one of the original NBA teams and the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four professional leagues, also played home games at the historic arena from 1948 to 1951.

(By Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Oelwein)