Author Archives: Jeff

Jan 21

Lincoln Central was a zombie district for four years

Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Estherville-Lincoln Central, like many other small- to medium-sized school districts in Iowa, is consolidating all of its operations on one campus. In this case, there are separate buildings in one large area, and the newest addition will take the last … Continue reading →

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Jan 20

The interesting part of Photo 29,000

Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 30, 2015: The first leg of my trip to Door County included clinching US 63 in Minnesota (again) post-Rochester bypass reroute. I then went to the east end of MN 60 as it crossed the Mississippi River. This was … Continue reading →

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Jan 19

What if we swapped US 6 and 275 in Omaha?

Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at 10:09 AM by Jeff

By the end of this year, Broadway through Council Bluffs will no longer be part of the Iowa highway system. US 6 will have to be taken off its straight route through the city and moved onto I-29 and I-80. After … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous, Maps | Comments Off on What if we swapped US 6 and 275 in Omaha?
Jan 18

Utah could overtake Iowa in population in 2020

Posted on Monday, January 18, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Speaking of up-and-coming locations zooming past more-established ones, the Census Bureau put out its 2015 state population estimates at the end of the year. Iowa crept upward, but it’s no match for what’s going on in the South and West. … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Utah could overtake Iowa in population in 2020
Jan 15

North Liberty special census blows Newton out of the water

Posted on Friday, January 15, 2016, at 10:14 AM by Jeff

The result of North Liberty’s mid-decade special census is out, and the city’s bigger. Much bigger. It added the population equivalent of Spirit Lake in five years to reach 18,228. Depending on the outcome of a Waukee special census being taken for … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on North Liberty special census blows Newton out of the water
Jan 14

We cannot allow a corn-license-plate gap

Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Nebraska has held much tighter control over specialty license plates than Iowa, but in the past few years that has loosened. Now Nebraskans can have specialty plates for Creighton University, the state’s sesquicentennial (2017), and members of the military. But … Continue reading →

Posted in License Plates | Comments Off on We cannot allow a corn-license-plate gap
Jan 13

Falling behind Futility U

Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

When Bill Snyder started his first year as Kansas State’s football coach, three months before Taylor Swift was born, the Wildcats trailed in their series with Iowa State by 20 games. The Iowa State program as a whole had about … Continue reading →

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Jan 12

Adair-Casey losing its high school

Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

(Here would be a good spot for a Duffy cartoon: The Adair water tower with a frowny face.) The school district that won the first two state championships in Iowa’s current 8-player-football classification is no longer able to continue on … Continue reading →

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Jan 11

‘The Good Wife’ goes to ‘Iowa’

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Prime-time CBS drama “The Good Wife” focused Sunday’s episode on fictional presidential candidate/Illinois Gov. Peter Florrick running against the actual candidates for the 2016 Democratic nomination. In the end, the Iowan who got shown in the best light might have … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on ‘The Good Wife’ goes to ‘Iowa’
Jan 08

North Tama smallest public school in 11-man football

Posted on Friday, January 8, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The classifications (but not districts) for the next two years of Iowa high school football are out, and North Tama finds itself looking up. With 107 students in grades 9-11 (the “BEDS number”), North Tama will be the smallest public … Continue reading →

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