Here are many of the stories I missed while covering the US 34 bridge opening last week. I hope this means I won’t have a story drought later this week! (If I do, just come back here and read the ones you skipped.)
- The New York Times had a lengthy piece about the continued disappearance of rural Iowa and growth in urban areas. Laurens-Marathon was used for illustration of the rural side. The editing process omitted the name of the school district Dave Wilkerson works for — Waukee — that continues to add the equivalent of a rural district in enrollment every year. Political and immigration components of this continued change in Iowa are also discussed.
- National Journal encourages hipsters to move to Des Moines. NOOOOOO! [prepares hipster repellent]
- Remsen-Union and MMC approve grade-sharing plan (Sioux City Journal) — but haven’t determined who gets what. Here’s a story from before the vote.
- The new Top of Iowa superconference is hashing out details on scheduling for 2015 (Britt News Tribune). It will start out with 18 districts from Algona Garrigan to North Butler.
- Speaking of the latter, North Butler considers closing Greene Elementary (KWWL). All elementary students would be moved to Allison; the high school is separate in Greene.
- Grundy Center is closing a school building, but that building is not currently used for classes (KWWL). It was built in 1939.
- US 30 expansion on “back burner” (Clinton Herald). The Lisbon-to-De-Witt segment won’t be four-laned any time soon.
- Old bridge over I-35 at Cumming exit torn down earlier this month (WHO)
- Old school in Farrar still “haunted”, so here’s a story for Halloween (Cityview)
- South Page superintendent tries to assuage enrollment concerns (KMA).
- Ottumwa is getting a Culver’s (KTVO)