Author Archives: Jeff

Feb 13

Grundy Center fights back against three-laning

Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I don’t know if the Iowa DOT is attempting to impose or merely strongly suggesting that small cities get their main thoroughfares changed from four lanes (two in each direction) to three (one in each direction with a center turn … Continue reading →

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Feb 12

Ankeny, Waukee think about third high schools

Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Ankeny is preparing to add a third high school in the early 2030s, the Des Moines Register reported last month — and Waukee may not be far behind. The two districts in Iowa that, between them, seem to be opening at … Continue reading →

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Feb 11

Retail apocalypse comes to Tama County

Posted on Monday, February 11, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The news of Shopko closures that happened earlier this year has gotten worse. Ten Iowa cities already found out their store was closing. But Feb. 6, that list was expanded to the point that 24 of Iowa’s 36 Shopko/Shopko Hometown stores … Continue reading →

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Feb 08

Tower Terrace Road meeting moved to Feb. 28

Posted on Friday, February 8, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Iowa DOT meeting on upgrading I-380 to six lanes on the north side of the Cedar Rapids metro, including an interchange at Tower Terrace Road and rebuilt interchange at Boyson Road, is now Feb. 28 after a weather postponement. … Continue reading →

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Feb 07

The final countdown

Posted on Thursday, February 7, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

TFW you think about how your favorite pep band songs were more than a decade, and some MUCH more than a decade, old…two decades ago.

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Feb 06

Essex school district could be in trouble

Posted on Wednesday, February 6, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Essex, Iowa’s fourth-smallest district operating a high school, is telling parents it faces a “challenging dilemma.” KMA reported on a Jan. 26 meeting where Superintendent Paul Croghan said it was time to start looking at whole-grade-sharing options with neighboring districts. All … Continue reading →

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Feb 05

US 20 in Wisconsin, barely sort of

Posted on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A two sentence press release with an up and down: The Iowa DOT is requesting public input on the proposed bridge improvements to U.S. 20 over the Mississippi River, in Dubuque County. Could it be? Is four lanes over the … Continue reading →

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Feb 04

Clay Central-Everly looks at its options

Posted on Monday, February 4, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 3, 2016: It says “Royal Public School” but it’s now the elementary school for Clay Central-Everly. An addition and the main entrance are off to the right. The Clay Central-Everly school district in northwest Iowa, where enrollment has dropped … Continue reading →

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Feb 01

Seattle tunnel project an infrastructure achievement

Posted on Friday, February 1, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

When a major highway project happens in a big city anymore (and by “big” I mean “pro-team caliber”), the news is notable precisely because it doesn’t happen that often. Last year, for example, we had the long-long-long-term completion of Interstate … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Seattle tunnel project an infrastructure achievement
Jan 31

South Page gives up sports

Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

March 11, 2011: A dugout remains for an abandoned baseball diamond beside the abandoned Coin school. Coin is one of five tiny towns that formed the South Page Community School District in 1959. At its January board meeting, the South … Continue reading →

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