Author Archives: Jeff

Sep 12

Advice for the Class of 2025

Posted on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I made the Iowa Capital Dispatch last week with my Substack piece from the previous week about being old obsolete washed-up 25 years removed from my senior year of high school.

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Sep 10

Big Boy in Belle Plaine

Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 10:01 AM by Jeff

I managed to scrape together a story about Big Boy’s travels while barely returning to work on time. (The train showed up late.)

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Sep 05

‘Big Boy’ train coming through eastern Iowa

Posted on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Union Pacific’s No. 4014, the “Big Boy” steam locomotive, is passing through Iowa on a “Heartland of America” tour. There are two remaining stops for public view, at Belle Plaine at noon today and Grand Mound at 11 AM … Continue reading →

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Sep 02

Walz not interested in Iowa’s vote

Posted on Monday, September 2, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I guess we’re really not a swing state any more if a major vice-presidential candidate is saying things like this: “For those not from Minnesota, just to be clear, there’s a lot of great state fairs in the country, this is the … Continue reading →

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Aug 29

Stop hitting bridges!

Posted on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Iowa Department of Transportation is having a special September letting. Contracts are accelerated rather than waiting until the normal date later in the month. Four of the lettings are in Bremer, Polk, Scott, and Story counties. All of them … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Stop hitting bridges!
Aug 27

My Iowa State Fair column for 2024

Posted on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I had an idea fall into my lap, and I didn’t take it. Also, it rained that Monday, the first time it’s rained on me at the fair since 2015. However, I had a good second idea, and that’s what … Continue reading →

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Aug 23

Hills school to be demolished

Posted on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 2, 2024: Hills Elementary is just off US 218 … but not for long. Hills Elementary School, which was closed at the end of the 2023-24 school year, will be demolished after just short of 60 years in existence. … Continue reading →

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Aug 21

Hess Road-La Porte Road under construction

Posted on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A construction project on Hess Road and La Porte Road on the south side of Waterloo started last week. The plan dates back to 2020 (large slideshow PDF here). It starts with a new roundabout at Hess and Shaulis roads and … Continue reading →

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Aug 19

What’s the frequency, Jim and Beth?

Posted on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In what appears to be a long-delayed follow-up from a request entered in 2021, KCRG is changing its antenna signal. However, the station is remaining branded as Channel 9 and this only affects antenna users. According to the station’s website, … Continue reading →

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Aug 15

Lighthouse Inn supper club burns down

Posted on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Lighthouse Inn supper club on Mount Vernon Road east of Cedar Rapids, a Lincoln Highway landmark, burned to the ground on Wednesday. Stories: Gazette, KCRG.

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