Author Archives: Jeff

May 23

Burlington’s Cascade Bridge continues to deteriorate

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The hole in the Great River Road isn’t getting any better. The Cascade Bridge on the south side of Burlington, closed for a decade now, sits and waits for the city to put it out of its misery. They found … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Burlington’s Cascade Bridge continues to deteriorate
May 22

Photo(s) 34,000

Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Also approximately my 2500th blog post (depending on when this actually goes up). April 19, 2017 Abandoned schools aren’t unique to Iowa. They’re scattered across the Great Plains. I found emphasis on that as I drove across the southern tier … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sequences, Trip Reports | Comments Off on Photo(s) 34,000
May 21

Year-old truck stop may not reopen

Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

At the beginning of February 2018, a Love’s Travel Center opened at the I-29/US 34 interchange, the only truck stop between the IA 2 exit and Council Bluffs. Thirteen and fourteen months later, two “bomb cyclones” — the Midwestern equivalent … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Year-old truck stop may not reopen
May 20

Essex holding on to its high school

Posted on Monday, May 20, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In a update to this post, there has been a change in the Essex school district’s strategy. In a series of KMA stories: A school board member resigned in early March because he felt he was “going in a different direction … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Essex holding on to its high school
May 17

The unwatched masses

Posted on Friday, May 17, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

For purposes of comparison continuity, numbers come from the tvseriesfinale.com website. A TV show has a series finale Sunday. You might have heard about it. It’s “last show that everyone watches at the same time” (in 2017!). It’s “the last show … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The unwatched masses
May 15

Southwest Arterial behind schedule

Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Despite the headline on this KWWL story, Dubuque’s Southwest Arterial is going to take a little while longer. City officials had been hoping for completion of the road by the end of this year’s construction season. But the wet, cold … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Southwest Arterial behind schedule
May 14

The ghost of IA 402

Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Added to the DOT’s five-year plan last year, for work this year, is a resurfacing project for IA 21 from IA 8 to US 20. It’s your typical hot-mix asphalt, flaggers ahead, etc., but the December letting packet had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on The ghost of IA 402
May 13

Everly will lose its school

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

“The Everly Cattlefeederettes won the sectional tournament at Hartley last week. Members of the squad are Jeanette Olson, Vicki Birchard, Cindy Fliss, Janet Scharnberg, Jo Scharnberg, Connie Selk, Lynda Nordstrom, Jan Scharnberg. Judi Walton, Jean Cadwallader, Linda Nath and Sua … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Everly will lose its school
May 10

150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

August 5, 2016: The restored Union Pacific depot in downtown Cheyenne WY has an inlaid map of the eastern portion of the Transcontinental Railroad. However, it marks Omaha as the terminus. A century and a half ago today, the United … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Maps | Comments Off on 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad
May 09

You don’t need a weatherman…

Posted on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I’m pretty much obligated to repost this, right? Here is the 2008 presidential election by National Weather Service CWAs! I've also included a 2008 to 2016 margin change map and the original 2016 map again. Despite Obama's decisive win in … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on You don’t need a weatherman…