The 9 weirdest Iowa news stories from 2024

From a water buffalo chase to a bowling prodigy’s perfect game, explore nine of the most unusual and memorable Iowa news stories from 2024.

1. Birthday Wishes Come True

Dallas Grave of Sioux City loved motorcycles. His fascination began when he met a group of motorcyclists while running his lemonade stand in the fall. As any kid might, Dallas asked for a motorcycle ride for his 11th birthday. His mom, Ashley Kirkes, posted an invite on Facebook to see if anyone might be willing to give Dallas a ride. Some 250 motorcyclists from around the Sioux City area showed up! The Sioux City Jeep Club and several sports cars drove by the family’s home as well. The motorcyclists filled the street and brought cards and gifts for Dallas, who was grinning from ear to ear! 

2. Water Buffalo on the Loose

It’s not every day you see a water buffalo in Iowa, let alone one wandering the streets of residential Pleasant Hill. The buffalo, nicknamed PHill, escaped from its owner while being transported to slaughter. Residents were warned to steer clear of the suffering creature while authorities attempted to capture it. A gunshot from the local authorities wounded the water buffalo in the process, but it managed to evade capture for five days. It was later spotted, tranquilized, and safely transported for treatment at Iowa State University Large Animal Hospital for its injuries and dehydration. The Animal Rescue League of Des Moines signed over care to Iowa Farm Sanctuary in Oxford, where he now lives. 

3. Tornado Record

We didn’t promise it would be all good news. 2024 was a year of big storms. According to the National Weather Service, a record 125 tornadoes touched down across the state of Iowa. That’s particularly startling when you realize that the average number of tornadoes per year is around 50. Most of those tornadoes occurred in April and May (49 tornadoes touched down each month!) at the start of the storm tracker season, which is also a bit unusual. Luckily, the vast majority of tornadoes in 2024 were category EF0 or EF1, with only two of the storms reaching EF4 power. The deadliest storm hit Greenfield on May 21, killing five people and wiping out nearly the entire central Iowa town. 

4. Wacky Fair Food

The Iowa State Fair never disappoints when it comes to wacky dishes for fairgoers to sample during Iowa’s event of the summer. 2024 was no different. This year’s fair featured unique delicacies like: 

• Deep-fried bubble gum, which actually didn’t feature any bubble gum but just mimicked the sensation with a big, gooey deep-fried marshmallow that tastes like the color pink.
• A two-foot lobster roll, which is just plain unheard of in a landlocked state like Iowa. Fairgoers couldn’t even carry—let alone eat it—themselves!
• Deep-fried pepperoni chips—extra crispy, minus the pizza.
• A Hot Cheeto Float, which sounds more like a dare than something you actually want to consume.

5. Chappell Roan Headlines Hinterland

Hinterland makes headlines in Iowa every year. The big splash for 2024 was summer sweetheart Chappell Roan playing on Sunday afternoon. While the crowd donned their pink pony hats, Chappell showed up to perform dressed as a nun, a costume that was made possible with the help of the Theatrical Shop in Des Moines. She was singing on the Day of the Lord, after all. Hinterland 2024, with massive crowds and excessive heat, also saw performances by Orville Peck, Hozier, Vampire Weekend, Mt. Joy, and Noah Kahan. 

6. Service Dog Joins the Band

Winnie isn’t an ordinary service dog. This golden retriever is also a member of the University of Northern Iowa Marching Band. Winnie is a service dog for 20-year-old UNI Sophomore Gabi Reissen, who plays percussion and suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS, a chronic condition that causes an abnormally rapid heart rate when standing up from a sitting position. Winnie helps alert Reissen and others if her heart rate gets too high. Reissen, who didn’t want to give up being part of a band, transferred to UNI in 2024 specifically because she knew the marching band program would allow Winnie to participate, too. Winnie knows all the turns and stops for each performance, and her wagging tail stole the hearts of fans right away. 

7. Perfect Game

Pierce Abbotts has been bowling since he was just six years old. Now nine years old, Pierce has his own bowling ball and shoes and regularly shows up at the Spare Time Lanes and Lounge. He uses two hands to bowl (a technique used by many pros) to throw the ball harder and faster. And it’s a technique that is working for him. When Pierce entered a local tournament and threw strikes in his first four frames, onlookers started to notice. One guy offered $20 if he bowled a 300 game. And that he did. Pierce bowled a perfect game and is the youngest recorded bowler to do so in the country. 

8. Taco Bell Fan Honored

When Iowans have a passion for something, they make it count. Blake Hundley of Cedar Falls shared his passion for Taco Bell by creating a dedicated fansite, www.livingmas.com, in 20217. Known as Taco Bell Blake to people all over the world, Hundley was honored as the 2024 Superfan of the Year. This is the first award of its kind. He accepted the trophy from NFL football star Davante Adams on the community’s behalf at the company’s Live Más event in Las Vegas. Hundley’s appreciation for the fast-food brand is more than a decade strong. Hundley even hosted his graduation party at the local Taco Bell. 

9. Iowa DOT Stays Funny

In January, when the Federal Highway Administration came out with guidelines saying that overhead electronic signs should not include messages with obscure meanings, references to pop culture, or those intended to be funny, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) laughed in their face. While they were encouraged to put up messages for motorists that were “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear,” the Iowa DOT believed they could still accomplish that while tossing in some humor. Some of their messages included: 

• May the 4th be with you. Text I will not.
• Don’t be a stinker. Use your blinker.
• Your mom called. Are you buckled?
• Get your head out of your apps. Drive safely.
• Eddie says don’t tweet & drive. The Twitter’s full.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.