Iowa

Hippo Campus brings a 'Flood' to their native Midwest

Published

4 months ago

December 19, 2024

Hippo Campus brings a 'Flood' to their native Midwest

Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, Zach Sutton, Whistler Allen and DeCarlo Jackson are the forces behind Hippo Campus. This Twin Cities band has found significant success since their 2017 debut full-length, Landmark. “Buttercup” and “Way It Goes” are featured on that first album, and both boast over 100 million streams on Spotify.

Lucius Pham

Iowa Public Radio

Hippo Campus lead guitarist Nathan Stocker shreds at Hinterland.

Their latest record, Flood, came out Sept. 20. Their fourth album explores introspective themes of growing up and existentialism, all while maintaining Hippo Campus’ signature upbeat sound. The thirteen tracks on the album are just a few of the songs they’ve written over the last few years.

“We spent a lot of time on [Flood]; we were really serious this time. I mean, every record we approach, we kind of try to have a new sort of idea going in. And this one was just to be less focused on the computer side of things and just try to focus on the songwriting,” Allen said. “So we spent about three years writing over 120 songs… we had about ten albums worth of music but had to cut down to 13.”

Hippo Campus brings a ‘Flood’ to their native Midwest

Flood was recorded over just ten days at Sonic Ranch, which is a sizeable secluded recording studio on the border between Texas and Mexico.

“We went down there with Caleb Wright and Brad Cook producing, and they’re both wizards. Yeah, it’s a magic place. It’s the middle of the desert, and it’s real hot, real sweaty, real and surreal, real surreal… you have to set aside a lot of distractions when you’re in that environment, in that space, and that allows the music to kind of just step forward in a way that it wouldn’t otherwise,” Stocker said.

The members of Hippo Campus met while attending the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Multiple members have a history of studying classical forms of music, like lead singer Luppen, who started out in opera.

a portrait of Hippo Campuses lead singer.

“I think our technical training informs our musicianship as individuals, which allows us to sort of communicate with our instruments in a way that is arguably easier than communicating with our words sometimes,” Jackson said.

The band has had a pretty extensive history of touring, including a multitude of festival performances, headlining shows and opening for bands like Modest Mouse and My Morning Jacket.

“We started this band opening for those bigger names like Modest Mouse. It was completely unexpected, like, never in a million years would we ever share a stage,” Stocker said. “But as far as influences go, it seems like we draw a lot inspiration from the smaller bands that we see kicking around. As we sort of age up through the scene, there’s… a new class entering, those bands come here like the most inspiring sometimes.”

Hippo Campus performing at Hinterland. — Hippo Campus performing at Hinterland 2024

Despite having accomplished so much, Hippo Campus have their eyes set on even more success. They anticipate playing with even more of their favorite acts, including MJ Lenderman, who they almost played with in Iowa this year.

Hippo Campus played a wonderful set at Hinterland, which included songs from their now-released album. One of those songs is “Paranoid,” a track that’s been getting heavy rotation on Studio One. Despite traveling the world, the Midwestern natives still enjoy coming back to the region where it all began.

“[We’re] honored to be back. The rest of the world is great, but Iowa’s where we want to be, the Midwest,” Allen said.

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Iowa

Iowa has just one billionaire. How did the richest Iowa’s net worth change?

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2025

Press Room

Iowa has just one billionaire. How did the richest Iowa’s net worth change?

Iowa is home to one lone billionaire and he lives in a town of 6,000 people.

Every year, Forbes releases a list of the richest people in the world. Iowa only has one person representing the state on the list and he is from Adel.

Who is the richest person in Iowa in 2025?

Harry Stine is the richest person in Iowa and the state’s only billionaire, according to Forbes.

Stine started farming at 5 years old. He still owns a small home down the road from his business headquarters in Adel, according to Forbes. Stine is dyslexic and moderately autistic. He is 83 years old and is married with four children.

How did Harry Stine become the richest person in Iowa?

Stine owns Stine Seeds and thousands of acres of land in Iowa, according to a Forbes article in 2014. He built his agriculture empire by licensing corn and soybean genetics to Monsanto and Syngenta, according to Forbes.

In the 1990s, Stine “struck highly lucrative licensing deals with large multinational corporations across the globe, which form the backbone of his empire,” Forbes said.

What is the richest person in Iowa’s net worth?

Stine’s net worth reached new highs in 2025, surpassing $10 billion. His wealth has continually been on the rise since 2020, according to Forbes. In 2024, Forbes recorded his net worth at $9.7 billion.

How does Stine compare to other billionaires?

In 2025, Stine ranked in 264th place among more than 3,000 billionaires in the world tracked by Forbes. This is a drop from 2024 when he was ranked No. 237. Tesla CEO Elon Musk topped the Forbes global billionaire chart with a net worth of $342 billion.

Are there any other billionaires with Iowa ties?

While Stine is the only billionaire to reside in Iowa, he isn’t the only Iowan to become a billionaire.

Julia Koch is an Iowa native and she has a net worth $74.2 billion. Julia Koch and her three children inherited a stake in Koch Inc. after the death of her husband, David Koch. Julia Koch moved to New York in the 1980s to work as an assistant to fashion designer Adolfo.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

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Iowa

Former Ferris State All-American lineman Bryce George commits to Iowa

Published

21 hours ago

April 18, 2025

Press Room

Former Ferris State All-American lineman Bryce George commits to Iowa

Former Ferris State University offensive lineman Bryce George has officially made the jump to Division I.

The 6-foot-5, 314-pound offensive lineman officially committed to the University of Iowa on Friday over offers from USC and California. George made 41 appearances, including 38 starts at Ferris State the past three seasons and helped anchor an offensive line that averaged 45 points per game on its way to a third Division II national championship in four seasons.

George earned first team All-American honors from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), as well as being selected to the Associated Press All-America Second Team.

The former Detroit Edison Public School Academy product will have one year of eligibility left at the college level and joins an Iowa offensive line group that returns three starters in center Logan Jones, left guard Beau Stephens and right tackle Gennings Dunker.

George, who was rated a 3-star transfer portal prospect, is expected to compete for playing time with the Hawkeyes, who averaged 5.12 yards per carry last season, which ranked third in the Big Ten Conference.

The Ferris State football program will be looking to replace five offensive linemen this offseason after the departure of George and Lawrence Hattar, who transferred to Michigan, as well as All-American linemen Tim and Bob Anderson, and Jarvis Windom.

Earlier this week, former Ferris State quarterback Trinidad Chambliss committed to Ole Miss after earning All-American honors this past season with the Bulldogs. Standout standout Kannon Katzer has also earned the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left and is currently being recruited by multiple Big Ten schools, including Michigan State.

The Bulldogs defense will also have to replace some key production as defensive back Jacarvis Alexandre committed to Jacksonville State University on Friday, while linebacker Sefa Saipaia committed to Bowling Green earlier this week and defensive back Major Dedmon remains in the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer.

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Iowa

Essex tornado: Twin twisters in Iowa, warning in Yorktown and Imogene | Watch

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2025

Press Room

Essex tornado: Twin twisters in Iowa, warning in Yorktown and Imogene | Watch

Twin tornadoes were heading for Essex, Iowa on Thursday. The National Weather Service also issued a warning for Yorktown and Imogene. Locals and storm chasers posted videos of the wedge twister on social media, warning others about the size and damage.

Twin tornadoes were heading towards Essex, Iowa(Unsplash)

The warning, activated at 8:51 PM CDT, covers northeastern Fremont County, southwestern Montgomery County, and northwestern Page County, with Essex directly in the storm’s path

Read More: Easter weather: THESE states will face severe thunderstorms this weekend

NWS warning for Iowa counties

The National Weather Service, in a press release, said that a ‘life-threatening’ tornado emergency was issued for Essex, Iowa. At 8:49 PM CDT, radar and eyewitness reports confirmed the tornado, described as ‘extremely dangerous and potentially deadly’, located 3 miles west of Essex, approximately 13 miles southwest of Red Oak. Moving east at 30 mph, the tornado is expected to reach Essex around 8:55 PM CDT.

The agency further warned of catastrophic damage, including complete destruction of mobile homes, severe damage to homes and businesses, and deadly flying debris. Hail up to 2.75 inches in diameter was also reported, adding to the storm’s destructive potential.

“This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the National Weather Service stated in an urgent bulletin. “Take cover now!” Residents were advised to seek immediate shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Those in mobile homes, vehicles, or outdoors were urged to find the nearest substantial shelter to protect against life-threatening debris.

The tornado’s path threatens widespread devastation, with potential for flattened homes, overturned vehicles, and significant infrastructure damage. Social media posts from storm chasers and weather enthusiasts captured the tornado’s intensity, with one describing it as a ‘very large, serious tornado’ hitting Essex. Authorities emphasized the need for immediate action, warning that even areas outside the tornado’s direct path could experience dangerous winds exceeding 100 mph.

Local emergency services are on high alert, and residents are urged to stay tuned to local media and weather alerts for updates. The warning remains in effect until 9:15 PM CDT, with officials continuing to monitor the storm’s progression.

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