Iowa Department of Transportation officials have asked a driver to change their personalized license plates after receiving complaints alleging the plates are a reference to Adolf Hitler’s political manifesto “Mein Kampf.”

It’s not uncommon to see personalized license plates on the streets of Iowa, but one plate that read “M3INKPF” caught the attention of state officials after it sparked outrage on Reddit, a social media network, when a user posted a photo of a car displaying the plates on a busy road on Thursday.

Mein Kampf, translated to “My Struggle,” is a political manifesto written by the Nazi Party leader and published in 1925. The manifesto has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

The plate was seen on a BMW, a popular German automaker that has admitted to having ties with the Nazi Party during World War II. Prisoners of the Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary Nazi organization, were put to work for BMW in 1941 and inmates from concentration camps were forced to become laborers in 1942, according to the BMW Group’s website. Around 29,000 forced laborers made up 50% of BMW’s workforce by the end of 1944.

Some of the users on the social media post defended the plate’s message, claiming it was a reference to the BMW’s M3 model and the maker’s factory generated software called WinKFP. However a majority claimed it was a direct reference to the manifesto.

Officials received at least three complaints in addition to being tagged about the plate on social media, Andrea Henry, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Transportation, told the Des Moines Register. The DOT has asked the driver to a choose a different license plate message.

More: Iowans love their vanity license plates. Here are the stories of how some got theirs.

According to the department’s administrative rules regarding personalized plate messages, there should not be a term of vulgarity, contempt, prejudice, hostility, insult or racial or ethnic degradation when choosing a license plate message.

All drivers who want vanity plates must submit an application and explain the meaning of the plate. Henry said the provided explanation was unrelated to Hitler’s manifesto. It said: “bmw-m3 for me ink my personal friends at a tattoo artist.”

The plate was issued approximately mid-May of this year, Henry said. She declined to provide the Register the name or contact information of the driver who requested the plate as that information is confidential under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.

Quasqueton, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is on a mission to remove or modify almost every low-head dam in the state. Still, it could be a while before that task is complete.

The dams are harmful to the fish that live in these waterways and pose a large risk of drowning.

The dam at Palisades-Kepler State Park is one of approximately 172 low-head dams left on major rivers in the state of Iowa.

InvestigateTV found there is no national inventory of low-head dams and less than a third of states track where they are located.

The state of Iowa has a map of every single one.

”Those dams come across loud and clear that they’re a hazard and that you should avoid them,” Nate Hoogeveen, director of river programs for the Iowa DNR.

The Iowa DNR says these dams are “extremely dangerous.”

The water running over the top of the wall causes a reverse current which kills 1.7 people on average per year.

”No matter your experience level never decide to enter that area. Whether you’re an angler from downstream. Not if you’re a boater from upstream. It’s just super dangerous,” Hoogeveen said.

The DNR wants to remove or modify every low-head dam to make them safer for people and the fish in the stream.

The project started in 2008. Since then, 38 dam projects have been complete, one being in Quasqueton.

”It was just a regular low-head dam, probably about a 5-foot drop,” said Orlan Love, a member of the Quasqueton city council.

In 2014, the dam on the Wapsipinicon River at Quasqueton was turned into a rock arch rapids.

The added rock displaced a lot of water, helping to remove the dangerous reverse current. Since then, there haven’t been any safety concerns.

These modifications can even open the river to recreational activities.

”Theoretically you can run a kayak or canoe over the rock arch rapids,” Love said.

The DNR hopes all low-head dams can be removed or transformed like the one in Quasqueton.

“That’s a career goal for me,” Hoogeveen said. “And for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. I’m certain this will keep going long beyond me.”

Hoogeveen said it could be a century until they’re all done. The DNR does not own every low-head dam in the state. Communities work with the DNR to get the projects started.

“At the rate we’re going, it’s probably a century timeline to be honest,” Hoogeveen said. “A part of that’s a matter of communities being ready for it.”

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

Iowans love pork and and they love football.

That is why the Iowa Pork Producers Association is bringing back the viral promotion involving Iowa State University athletes who throw around the old pig skin.

In hopes of encouraging people to buy more ham and bacon, the Iowa Pork Producers Association used a name, image and likeness deal with the last names of Iowa State football players.

Conveniently enough, the last names of ISU Cyclone football players Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon make for a convincing ad campaign: “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon.” Since the first promotion, Cyclones Alec Cook and Zach Lovett joined the team.

When the promotion first dropped last year, it went viral with millions of views and a feature on ESPN SportsCenter’s social media account, according to the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The Sports Business Journal also named the partnership the Best NIL Deal of 2023.

The promotional campaign is coming back for 2024 and the association is looking for more Cyclones to join.

More: Hardly anyone recruited Caleb Bacon in high school. Now he’s a football star at Iowa State

What’s new for the ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ campaign?

Hamann will no longer take part in the promotion. He recently decided to leave Iowa State’s football program to focus on his engineering degree, according to the IPPA. A video came out of Hamann saying goodbye to his fellow teammates.

But this isn’t the end of the campaign. The IPPA is looking for more students to join the promotional cast.

Where can I watch the 2024 ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ promotional videos?

Videos can be found on the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s YouTube or social media. Every Monday at 10 a.m. for the next seven weeks, new tryout videos of Cyclone students will air to see if they fit into the “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” mantra. The series will end Oct. 7, just in time for National Pork Month known as Porktober.

Pork promotion donates to food banks

For every student who takes part in the ad campaign, IPPA will donate $1,000 worth of pork to a food pantry of the student’s choice. Last year, $13,000 worth of pork was given to food pantries. Donations from the most recent video will go toward the following food banks:

• Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, in the name of Myles Purchase
• DMARC in Des Moines, Iowa, in the name of Tyler Moore
• Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners in Plymouth, Minnesota, in the name of Tommy Hamann
• Lake Mills Food Shelf in Lake Mills, Iowa, in the name of Caleb Bacon
• Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, in the name of Alec Cook
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, in the name of Zach Lovett

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