Monthly Archives: May 2012

May 23

US 20 in the five-year plan

Real, tangible evidence of progress (2011 USDA aerials via Iowa Ortho Server) Decades in the planning, it’s almost here — parts of it anyway. The final relocation of US 20 (but not the final four-lane paving) is on schedule. The … Continue reading

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May 22

North Tama girls stay in Class 1-A

The North Tama school district is tied for fifth-highest enrollment in grades 9-11 in the new class structure laid out by the IGHSAU effective with softball season. This is a good thing, because it means less competition against larger schools. … Continue reading

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May 21

Conferencepocalypse III: Geography note

While the Pac-10 was ready to swallow the Big 12 South minus Baylor plus Colorado, it was as far “west” as its expansion targets allowed. Even then, when the state of Arizona was in Pacific Time, there would have only … Continue reading

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May 20

Officially old

Today the North Tama Class of 2012 graduates. They were kindergartners when I was a senior, so they were the last students I shared the school with. The Class of 2019, just finishing fifth grade, was born after I graduated. … Continue reading

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May 20

No Golden Domes for Clyde or Jack

Iowa State is one of three BCS teams within a 500-mile range of Notre Dame that the Fighting Irish have never played in football. The echoes have never been awakened at Clyde Williams Field or Jack Trice Stadium. The other … Continue reading

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May 19

The die-hardest of the die-hards

Why my parents are the biggest, most loyal Cyclone fans ever: They recorded episodes of “The Jim Walden Show” in fall 1994. As in, the “oh-fer” season. As in, 0-7-1 and still making an effort to watch the recap of … Continue reading

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May 19

Iowa, Illinois not communicating on I-74 bridge

As noted in the previous post, the Iowa DOT released its five-year draft May 8. The only items for the I-74 Mississippi River bridge area concerned right-of-way and some paving. There had been $63 million set aside for bridge construction, … Continue reading

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May 18

Viking Road interchange with IA 58 – How?

The Iowa DOT’s draft five-year plan released this month still puts the big money toward urban interstate projects, but it has a couple of surprises inside. One of the projects of note is IA 58 and Viking Road in Cedar Falls, … Continue reading

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May 17

Huskers still have a spot for Iowa State

…but Northwestern is starting to make itself feel right at home there. Northwestern’s dominance against Nebraska in the latter’s first year in the Big Television Big Ten Conference has Husker fans scratching their heads in “this shouldn’t happen to us! … Continue reading

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May 17

About those KU plates in Missouri

Maybe not. (Lawrence Journal-World) Note at the end, again, a Missourian suggesting that it’s all Kansas’ fault that the teams won’t play each other anymore.

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