Author Archives: Jeff

Aug 26

Tiny town, big exhibit

Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The sign along Kansas Highway 9 said “Open every day”, and given that it was Sunday, I was going to give a museum in tiny Logan a chance. I was extremely not disappointed, and got a sneak peek at a … Continue reading →

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Aug 22

And away we go (but not me)

Posted on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

(because someone jumped on the last two weeks of August before I even had a chance to look) (I wanted to see the Belfast Titanic museum, sigh) God bless you and your straight-outta-2000 website with football games time-coded to God’s … Continue reading →

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Aug 20

RIP, Pizza Palace

Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 10:17 AM by Jeff

Let the record show that I had the last two deep dish/pan slices from pizzas bought at Traer Pizza Palace. (I was told the mediums we were able to get were “the last” non-thin crusts.)

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Aug 18

And, per say*, and

Posted on Monday, August 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Latin phrase per se means “by itself” or “in itself.” Many many years ago in the English language, the alphabet ended with “&.” As Merriam-Webster says: “When the 27th quasi-letter & was referred to it was called & per … Continue reading →

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Aug 15

A classic car story with a twist

Posted on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

What if you could get the car associated with your childhood memories back? And it was in approximate driving condition? Well, when I went to Conrad’s Black Dirt Days in June, I found someone who did just that.

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Aug 13

Breakdown of 2026-30 highway plan

Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 8:35 AM by Jeff

It’s moderately confusing to have the Iowa DOT release its five-year programs on the fiscal year, but that’s been the case since it formed in 1975. That means that the contracts for 2026 started July 1. I waited until the … Continue reading →

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Aug 11

One-stoplight play

Posted on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Community members put on the play “One Stoplight Town” at the Wieting Theatre in Toledo on July 12. It was a good play. Perhaps the most emotional part for me, though, was learning that the lead was played by someone … Continue reading →

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Aug 08

‘God bless Harry Truman’

Posted on Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Two related, but discrete, items from the past week show us the significance of the loss of the Greatest Generation. First, from Pew Research: Reflecting on the United States’ actions, 35% of Americans today say using the atomic bomb on … Continue reading →

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Aug 06

Update on historic Toledo, CR school buildings

Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Orient-Macksburg is dead-but-not-dead. We know that. But did you know that a campaign to save Harrison Elementary School in Cedar Rapids more or less succeeded? Also, Toledo’s historic school is being replaced by a site at the Iowa Juvenile Home.

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Aug 04

Tractorcade coverage from Washington, Iowa

Posted on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade switched sponsors from WMT to KXEL this year, partially because one of the main coordinators switched jobs. The 26th edition of this ride was in June, and for 2025 they started in Mount Pleasant and … Continue reading →

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