Author Archives: Jeff

Feb 03

Smoothing out Swiss Valley Road curve

Posted on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The point east of Peosta where US 20 angles sharply northeast toward Dubuque has been there since 20 was realigned in Dubuque County in 1959, near where the four-lane road ended at the time. In the decades since, traffic has … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Smoothing out Swiss Valley Road curve
Feb 02

Clearview is dead

Posted on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 13, 2015: The exit sign for the new US 63 interchange with IA 3 is signed in Clearview. Note the “L”s especially, and how the lowercase letters aren’t that much shorter than the capitals. The interchange replaced a four-way … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Clearview is dead
Feb 01

It’s caucusing time

Posted on Monday, February 1, 2016, at 10:02 AM by Jeff

Because of my job, I am not able to participate directly in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. I can, however, see candidates, and I saw nearly a dozen of them in this election cycle — so many that some have dropped … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on It’s caucusing time
Jan 29

Oh look, chopped liver

Posted on Friday, January 29, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Spot the missing word: Whether you prefer to read siouxcityjournal.com on your laptop, tablet or phone, our new design gives you an optimal viewing experience tailored to your digital device of choice. Give up? It’s “desktop”. The SCJ and the Waterloo-Cedar … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Oh look, chopped liver
Jan 28

License Plate Letters — EAG

Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2016, at 10:08 AM by Jeff

September 13, 2011: Iowa’s southernmost state park, Nine Eagles, is on J66 between Davis City and Pleasanton in Decatur County. We’ve broken into the E’s.

Posted in License Plates | Comments Off on License Plate Letters — EAG
Jan 27

’11 maps that explain the Iowa caucuses’

Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Maps maps maps! Of course I have to link to this. The report from America magazine, a Catholic-focused publication, has county-by-county breakdowns of recent election results and what I’ll call election-adjacent information. The caucuses are one of the few times, … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on ’11 maps that explain the Iowa caucuses’
Jan 26

North Tama to play football in Des Moines metro area

Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 10:15 AM by Jeff

North Tama’s new football district includes its southwesternmost opponents ever, extending down to a school in the village of Norwoodville. Where is Norwoodville, you ask? Well, it certainly was not a place I have mapped out in the recently updated … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sports | Comments Off on North Tama to play football in Des Moines metro area
Jan 25

This is supposed to be a flattering piece about Des Moines

Posted on Monday, January 25, 2016, at 10:12 AM by Jeff

Because “it’s not cool unless there’s a graffiti festival” is a New York value. In the late period of caucus season, the coastal media has a habit of rediscovering Iowa in “wow, we found pockets of civilization here” articles and … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on This is supposed to be a flattering piece about Des Moines
Jan 23

ISU’s epic collapses among ‘best games’ of 2015

Posted on Saturday, January 23, 2016, at 11:02 AM by Jeff

From SB Nation: 39. OKLAHOMA STATE 30, TEXAS 27 (SEPT. 26) 38. OKLAHOMA STATE 35, IOWA STATE 31 (NOV. 14) 37. BAYLOR 31, KANSAS STATE 24 (NOV. 5) 36. KANSAS STATE 38, IOWA STATE 35 (NOV. 21) The Big 12 race was Oklahoma’s domain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on ISU’s epic collapses among ‘best games’ of 2015
Jan 22

Iowa DOT now yelling its press releases

Posted on Friday, January 22, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT GETS CONVEYED WHEN YOU DO IT IN ALL-CAPS. (Something happened at the start of the year, not sure what, but now everything on the news page has an all-caps headline.)

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Iowa DOT now yelling its press releases