Author Archives: Jeff

Jul 15

Apollo 11 at 50: The beginning

May 29, 2009: Outside a low-rise midcentury government building, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Iowa connection: James Van Allen. I have been to just about every major installation related to the Space Race that isn’t in California. At both Cape Canaveral and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Apollo 11 at 50: The beginning
Jul 12

How about a Fair-a-thon on IPTV?

August 14, 2014: Iowa Public Television hosts a governor debate at the Iowa State Fair. Please, no questions about the blogger’s fair priorities or the practicality of wearing suits in August. Being a Friend of Iowa Public Television doesn’t mean … Continue reading

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on How about a Fair-a-thon on IPTV?
Jul 11

Psst…want a black market brownie?

The Newton school district has banned homemade snacks and treats for fear of “allergies”, reports the Newton Daily News. Forget fireworks; now the Iowa Legislature needs to legalize bake sales. In unrelated news, something special may or may not have … Continue reading

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Psst…want a black market brownie?
Jul 10

Floyd interchange plans released

A DOT meeting July 16 will go over plans to build an interchange at the US 18/218 intersection on the south side of Floyd. The plans and a silent video rendering are already available. The four-lane will stay almost in … Continue reading

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Floyd interchange plans released
Jul 09

Relocated IA 17 will maintain corners

The plans for changing IA 17 east of Boone are available. The meeting is Thursday at United school. The final decision was the “Red plan” from a set of proposals three years ago. According to the maps, IA 17 will continue … Continue reading

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Relocated IA 17 will maintain corners
Jul 08

An Ohio mapmaker with ‘creativity’ and ‘whimsy’

The AP has a neat little story about the man who’s been in charge of designing the non-highway area on the back of the Ohio state map for nearly 20 years. There’s a video*, too, about the Easter eggs he … Continue reading

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on An Ohio mapmaker with ‘creativity’ and ‘whimsy’
Jul 05

Three-lane projects pushed in Des Moines, Sioux City

Three-lane conversions are still getting substantial advocacy from the Iowa DOT. In Des Moines, the city council has approved a pilot project to change Euclid Avenue (US 6) from four lanes to three for 10 blocks in the Oak Park … Continue reading

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Three-lane projects pushed in Des Moines, Sioux City
Jul 03

‘Tama County Rejects Good Roads Program’

Traer Star-Clipper, July 4, 1919, non-capitalization in original: “Tama county voted against hard roads Monday by 1,165 majority. Everybody familiar with what was going on knew several days before what the result would be. When the highway commission rejected Toledo’s … Continue reading

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on ‘Tama County Rejects Good Roads Program’
Jul 02

100th anniversary of Iowa ratifying 19th Amendment

Today marks 100 years since Iowa ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, extending the right to vote to women. The amendment would be approved in time for the 1920 presidential election. Here’s what Ella Taylor, wife and mother of … Continue reading

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous, Tama County | Comments Off on 100th anniversary of Iowa ratifying 19th Amendment
Jul 01

Partial archives of Traer, Toledo papers posted online

The whereabouts of probably the only remaining existing copies of the Traer Star-Clipper dating back to its founding remain unknown since the newspaper office closed more than a year ago. But about four and a half years after I discovered … Continue reading

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Partial archives of Traer, Toledo papers posted online