Monthly Archives: July 2017

Jul 31

Grandpa, tell me ’bout the good old days

Posted on Monday, July 31, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

While taking a short trip recently, I didn’t take the iPod and bounced around on the radio instead. I was delighted to come across a station playing REAL country music — the ’90s songs I have had on CDs and … Continue reading →

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Jul 28

Minnesota, ISU coaches share birth date a year apart

Posted on Friday, July 28, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Big 12 and Big Ten have both had their football media days now, and I have noticed a disturbing trend: There are coaches there who are approximately my age peers. This started with Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury (Aug. 9, 1979), … Continue reading →

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Jul 27

Three all-private semifinals in state baseball tournament

Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Three of the eight semifinal matchups in the 2017 Iowa high school state baseball tournament will be between private schools. Mason City Newman and Remsen St. Mary’s, Dyersville Beckman and Iowa City Regina, and Davenport Assumption and Dubuque Wahlert all … Continue reading →

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Jul 26

Anchors, away

Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 9, 2017: The Sears store in Peru, Illinois, will close before the end of the year. Peru, Illinois — I needed a pit stop, Wi-Fi, and food, in that approximate order. Peru Mall, the only major shopping center on … Continue reading →

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Jul 25

St. Ansgar school building preserved, for now

Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In contradiction of a Mitchell County Press-News story that I blogged about 11 months ago, the St. Ansgar school board reversed its decision to sell its 1928 school building to the city development council. A nonprofit group formed a counterproposal … Continue reading →

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Jul 24

A flash of time circuits

Posted on Monday, July 24, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I’m going to geek out for a moment about the Ready Player One trailer released last weekend. Specifically, I’m looking at the “Back to the Future” trilogy reference dropping in at the 1:42 mark. (Ready Player One is a book, … Continue reading →

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Jul 21

Lincoln Highway routes in Belle Plaine, Part 2

Posted on Friday, July 21, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 7, 2013: Preston’s Station in Belle Plaine as it appeared in the centennial year of the Lincoln Highway’s creation. In 1924, the Lincoln Highway through Belle Plaine had almost nothing in common with what we think of as the … Continue reading →

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Jul 20

Lincoln Highway routes in Belle Plaine, Part 1

Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 7, 2013: Downtown Belle Plaine is a block south of today’s  signed Lincoln Highway route. Main Street, formerly 12th Street, is now one-way eastbound. It’s time to refine the history of the Lincoln Highway in Belle Plaine, and along … Continue reading →

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Jul 18

The Peosta not-quite-freeway

Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The future Southwest Arterial and Swiss Valley Road interchanges planned on US 20 southwest of Dubuque will cut down, but not eliminate, at-grade intersections between the west side of Dubuque and Peosta. There was a public meeting last month on … Continue reading →

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Jul 17

The end of AEA 267, and the mystery of AEA 8

Posted on Monday, July 17, 2017, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Thirteen months after I put Area Education Agency 267 on my “worst names in Iowa” list, something has been done about it. As of July 1, the agency — made up of the former AEAs based in Clear Lake (2), Marshalltown (6), … Continue reading →

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