MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa school board has upheld the decision to drop the “Mohawk” name and mascot. In November, the Mason City School Board voted to end use of the Mohawk nickname after the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council of Akwesasne, New York, objected to the mascot. The topic was put on the agenda for the Monday night meeting in response to a presentation by members of the Facebook group, “Mason City Mohawk Save the Name.” But the board held firm with its decision. Around 20 people spoke at the meeting, and they were about evenly split in supporting or opposing the decision to change mascots.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man charged earlier for his participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was arraigned Tuesday on a new federal indictment that includes a felony count that could carry up to 20 years in prison. Leo Christopher Kelly, 36, of Cedar Rapids, who has been free on pretrial release, appeared via video for his arraignment. He says he’s not guilty.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Lawmakers in Iowa say that the time has come for the state to reform its marijuana laws. Democratic State Senators Joe Bolkcom, Janet Petersen and Sarah Trone-Garriott say they will propose an amendment to the state Constitution that would legalize the sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older. Bolkom adds, “It’s time for Iowa voters to have a direct voice in creating a new system that regulates marijuana, like alcohol, for adult use. In 2020, more than 4,300 Iowans were convicted of marijuana possession, and Iowa taxpayers are on the hook for tens of millions of dollars annually for this failure.”

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Palace Entertainment announced Tuesday it would be acquiring Adventureland Resort in Altoona. Adventureland has been owned and operated by the Krantz family since 1974, containing more than 100 rides, shows and attractions.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Designers at Iowa State University are about to start making houses by printing them with a giant 3-D printing machine. Once it’s set up on a job site, the machine slowly builds up structures, layer by layer. The plan is to use the 3D house printer to build an entire neighborhood in Hamburg, Iowa — a town devastated by flooding in 2019.