Author Archives: Jeff

Jul 04

Happy Calendar Date of Significance

Remember the joke, “Does Britain have a Fourth of July?” It was funnier when Americans actually remembered the reason the day was special. But now, we get stuff like this. This was the image in an e-mail from MidAmerican Energy: … Continue reading

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Jul 03

OABCIG consolidation passes

June 24, 2017: The school in Odebolt was a sticking point in previously failed reorganization votes. Residents were afraid the town would lose its school. The Odebolt-Arthur and Battle Creek-Ida Grove school districts will consolidate in 2018, the Sioux City … Continue reading

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Jul 01

Canada’s sesquicentennial

June 26, 2007: Inside Ottawa Parliament Hall, Ottawa, Canada. For anyone in the Great White North (or Great White Slightly Northeast, depending) who reads this blog, here’s a commemoration of the unified Dominion of Canada. Iowa exports $3.3 billion of … Continue reading

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Jun 30

Front of Sparks Garage has collapsed

April 17, 2016: Sparks Garage in Beaver. A Lincoln Highway landmark in central Iowa has entered its death throes. The Sparks Garage in Beaver, established in 1912 but abandoned for decades, deteriorated significantly in the past year. The cinder blocks … Continue reading

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Jun 29

A southward expansion of West Des Moines

West Des Moines has had its eyes on northeastern Madison and northwestern Warren counties for a while now, and the concept is taking a step into reality. The city intends to build a bridge over I-35 between the IA 5 … Continue reading

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Jun 28

History of the Lincoln Highway in Wyoming

Wyoming Public Television made an hourlong documentary for the centennial of the Lincoln Highway in that state. It won an Emmy. It’s entertaining and informative, and I’m going to link to the station’s page with the video although I first … Continue reading

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Jun 27

Worst. Temp. Job. Ever.

June 20, 2016: Hello, I must be going. The Carroll Kmart was not in the large list of nationwide Kmart closures announced at the beginning of the year, but was included in a less-publicized round in spring. Two months after … Continue reading

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Jun 26

Blog solution. Maybe.

As you can see from editing of the last post, something Very Very Bad happened last week, causing quite a consternation. Through some digging, it appears my blog contracted the equivalent of a disease so bad and rare the doctor … Continue reading

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Jun 24

Lincoln Highway: Sutherland, Nebraska

August 6, 2016: Mural on side of building on side of Lincoln Highway/US 30 in Sutherland, Nebraska, about 6 miles east of the Mountain/Central time zone boundary. NOTE: I am getting a WordPress fatal error “undefined function current_action()” and until … Continue reading

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Jun 22

Lincoln Highway: Marshalltown, Iowa

March 26, 2010: Closeup of the clock tower at the Marshall County Courthouse. The Lincoln Highway’s original route through Marshall County went right through Marshalltown. It wasn’t relocated onto a straightaway until the end of 1947. The route through the … Continue reading

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