Monthly Archives: December 2015

Dec 31

Ten years ago today: Dan McCarney’s last bowl game

Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 31, 2005: A photo I didn’t use so long ago of a fan-made sign at the ISU-TCU Houston Bowl. Remember the chaos at the end of the Nebraska-Michigan Alamo Bowl? Remember when instant replay in college football wasn’t a thing? … Continue reading →

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Dec 30

Des Moines represents ‘backwoods rubes’ in column

Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’ll cost you $400 to eat at the Times Square Olive Garden on New Year’s Eve night. To those of us foolish enough to think income of $250,000 a year is nothing to sneeze at, forking over four Benjamins (before tax) for … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Des Moines represents ‘backwoods rubes’ in column
Dec 29

Year in review: Completion of US 20 in Illinois and Indiana

Posted on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, at 3:00 PM by Jeff

October 9, 2015: US 12/20/45 share the road for a while on Mannheim (not Steamroller) Road. In October I went after one of the more prominent missing segments in my highway travels: US 20 between Rockford and about Portage, Indiana. I … Continue reading →

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Dec 29

Year in review: Every mile of every Iowa highway

Posted on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

With 2540 pages of new books to read, added to 1250 pages from last year, what better thing to do than make some year-end posts? On June 8, I completed a goal I had been building toward for more than … Continue reading →

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Dec 28

In-depth guides to Route 66

Posted on Monday, December 28, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

August 4, 2010: Replica early cutout highway sign at the Chandler (OK) US 66 Interpretive Center. Traveling Route 66 is something every roadgeek (or at least those in the western half of the country) gets the urge to do. I … Continue reading →

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Dec 25

Your present: Updates from 2014 added to pages

Posted on Friday, December 25, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

That and a $15 iTunes card will get you a dozen songs. October 22, 2014: Opening of the new US 34 bridge from Iowa to Nebraska. I finally put pictures from fall 2014 and especially the opening of new US … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Your present: Updates from 2014 added to pages
Dec 24

A highway created and a state un-clinched

Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2015, at 10:14 AM by Jeff

November 21, 2012: Well, this sign on new 20 didn’t last long. It will be replaced with one reading “North 71 South 471 / Storm Lake / Early”. Iowa Highway 196 probably died today. [OR NOT: see bottom] The highway running … Continue reading →

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Dec 23

Photo 28,000

Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 8, 2015: US 67/State Street heading toward I-74 in Bettendorf. The view ahead will change as part of the I-74 bridge construction project. It’s hard to tell how many standalone I-74 shields with the state name will remain after … Continue reading →

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Dec 22

At least the number is in the right place

Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

January 30, 2012: This sign on I-35 in Texas could have an interstate shield in its future, I-14, running west along US 190 to Fort Hood. Embedded in the five-year highway bill recently signed into law is designation of more … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on At least the number is in the right place
Dec 21

Reverse-engineered football brackets, analysis for 2015

Posted on Monday, December 21, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

After the Iowa high school football playoffs ended, I took the finals and started working backwards to create a post-hoc bracket for the season. I had two tools I didn’t last year: The IHSAA published a list of qualifiers in … Continue reading →

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