Iowa
Meet the Clog Fathers: One of Iowa’s Red Bull Soapbox Derby teams
Red Bull Soapbox Race in Des Moines
Check out the fast moving soapbox cars as they tore down East Walnut Street in Des Moines on Saturday during the Red Bull Soapbox Race.
Bryon Houlgrave, Des Moines Register
A couple of months ago, Treyton Turnbull didn’t even know what a soapbox race was.
That was until the incoming junior at Iowa State University was sent an advertisement for the May 31 Red Bull Soapbox Race in Des Moines in a group chat with his friends.
“I saw the ad for it on Instagram and I initially sent it to the group chat as a joke,” said Ryan Sales, an incoming sophomore at University of Northern Iowa. “Everyone agreed to do it, and I remember being in my dorm room filling out the application thinking there’s no way we’ll get in.”
“When we got the email saying we made it, I was so pumped for it,” Sales said.
What began as a joke has turned into five hometown friends becoming fully immersed in soapbox racing, studying past Red Bull competitions to see what succeeded as they crafted their cart.
Their team name Clog Fathers pays homage to the classic mob drama “The Godfather” while also drawing inspiration from the team’s hometown of Pella and its deep Dutch heritage.
“Growing up, we’d always go into town for Tulip Time, so we wanted to make our cart Dutch- or tulip-themed,” Turnbull said. “We thought about doing a windmill or corn because of Iowa, but we landed on a clog because we thought it would be fun to race down a hill in a giant shoe.”
Besides Turnbull and Sales, the group includes Donovan Helle, Nicolas Stanley and Kaiden Hol. Helle attends Central College, while Stanley and Hol are students at Des Moines Area Community College.
What will the Clog Fathers’ Red Bull Soapbox car look like?
The chassis of the cart comes from a four-wheeler and the outside frame will be in the shape of a clog that was pieced together from some spare metal scrap. The name of the cart is the Clog Cruiser.
“Going into this our expectations of what we were going to achieve were low, like we thought the car would look like a wreck,” Sales said. “But we’ve done a couple of test runs so far, and it’s actually come together a lot better than we were expecting.”
Besides some members taking a welding class in high school, Turnbull said none have an engineering background or any experience making a soapbox car.
“We’re kind of just figuring it out as we go,” Stanley said.
Turnbull said the team has invested more than $400 in constructing the Clog Cruiser. He said they have secured sponsorships from local businesses in Pella to offset some of the costs.
“We’re really scrounging around because I just got through freshman year of college, barely able to eat on finals week, so I can’t afford to fund a whole car,” Sales joked.
Turnbull will drive the cart with Stanley sitting behind him to distribute weight. As far as the team’s expectations for the Clog Cruiser, they’re keeping them relatively tempered.
“Our goal is just to make it to the finish line,” Stanley said. “We’re prepared to take a tumble or two if it means making it to the end.”
How to watch the Des Moines Red Bull Soapbox Race
The Red Bull Soapbox Race series premieres on Discovery. Each episode takes place in a different city. Des Moines is among six cities for the 2025 tour, including London and Madrid. Full episodes can be viewed via Discovery’s YouTube channel.
Where is the 2025 Red Bull Soap Box Car Race in Des Moines?
The Red Bull Soapbox Car Race is at the Iowa State Capitol grounds in Des Moines, located on East Walnut Street.
The event starts at noon May 31 and is free for spectators. The top three teams will receive trophies and prizes.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
-
World3 minutes agoVideo: A Small Election Could Change British Politics
-
News6 minutes agoInside Trump’s Touring Exhibition of American Heroes
-
Politics11 minutes agoVideo: Erika Kirk’s Message for Women at Turning Point USA
-
Lifestyle41 minutes agoThe second life of a classic: ‘Amores Perros’ is remastered and back in theaters
-
Technology51 minutes agoValve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027
-
World56 minutes agoFrom bear hugs to handshakes: How India lost its edge with Trump while Pakistan quietly gained ground
-
Politics1 hour agoNew poll reveals where Americans stand after Trump agreement with Iran
-
Health1 hour agoNo sex for 10 weeks? Championship team’s playoff strategy raises eyebrows
