Author Archives: Jeff

Apr 23

Big 80/380 interchange meeting today

Posted on Monday, April 23, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 30, 1970: Initial construction stage of the I-80/I-380/US 218 interchange in Johnson County, via Iowa Geographic Map Server. It was built as a cloverleaf, but US 218 to the south would come after I-380 opened. You know it’s important … Continue reading →

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Apr 20

Kyle Munson’s last day at Register

Posted on Friday, April 20, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The number of my former co-workers who remain at The Des Moines Register has taken a hit this year. No fewer than four (that I know of) have checked out in six weeks. That includes columnist Kyle Munson, whose last … Continue reading →

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Apr 19

Little Lowden Lincoln Highway link lost

Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 6, 2013: This malfunctioned photo is of the 155th Street bridge over Yankee Run near Lowden. It was a 15-ton limit then, lowered to 10 tons in 2014. Both the National Bridge Inventory and Bridgehunter say it was built … Continue reading →

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Apr 18

Gladbrook school building: Now what?

Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 7, 2015: Will all or part of the Gladbrook school complex come down? It seems inevitable. Of course, eventually, the question had to be asked. Now that the Gladbrook-Reinbeck school district will remain intact, what is going to be done … Continue reading →

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Apr 17

Traer shaker gallery featured on WHO

Posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Ruth Rasmussen’s massive salt-and-pepper-shaker collection was shown on WHO last week, along with some footage of the Winding Stairs.

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Apr 16

Prelude to a deluge

Posted on Monday, April 16, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Snows in very early April are routine enough. Anything on or after the first day of Iowa Spring (April 15), though, is something to record. Dad did that. Friday, April 16, 1993 … Last night we had an inch to … Continue reading →

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Apr 13

HMS bond issue passes

Posted on Friday, April 13, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In a close to a mini-saga I’ve covered before, voters in the HMS school district finally approved an elementary school attached to the existing high school in Hartley and new classrooms/gym in Sanborn (story/schematics: KIWA). This was the FOURTH vote … Continue reading →

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Apr 12

Two-year project maintains IA 122 one-ways

Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I’m not quite sure why this isn’t listed on the DOT’s public information page, but this construction season is the first part of a two-year project to rebuild IA 122 in downtown Mason City. The KIMT story has views of … Continue reading →

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Apr 11

Webster City to absorb Northeast Hamilton

Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

May 28, 2012: Northeast Hamilton completed a major construction project at the beginning of the decade, and then began sending high school students to Webster City in 2015. Now what happens to the Trojan? The Northeast Hamilton school district formed in … Continue reading →

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Apr 10

Tama County next to kiss its ash goodbye

Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A two-fer on the emerald ash borer front: Sites near each other in Le Grand served as the confirmation of the bug in Marshall and Tama counties. Strictly speaking, Traer and Dysart are not within the treatment radius from this … Continue reading →

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