Author Archives: Jeff

May 14

I-74 bridge monument will be preserved

Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2015, at 10:01 AM by Jeff

The official name of the I-74 bridge is the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, in memory of those who served in World War I. When replacement for the 1935 and 1959 spans is built at the end of this decade, the monument … Continue reading →

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May 13

Five-year plan includes completion of four-lane US 20

Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at 10:20 AM by Jeff

June 25, 2006: This little four-lane segment in Iowa, the US 20/59 duplex at Holstein, may not be isolated for much longer. The Iowa DOT released its draft five-year plan Tuesday (PDF) (press release), and the entire segment of US … Continue reading →

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May 12

Remembering Farragut, Hamburg school buildings

Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The brick once-high-school buildings in Farragut and Hamburg, built in 1924 and 1928, respectively, will close at the end of this year, KMA Radio reports. (Intro, Farragut, Hamburg, conclusion.) The linked articles interview school officials about the inevitability, and teachers … Continue reading →

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May 11

Ottumwa has two empty school buildings

Posted on Monday, May 11, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A story from KTVO says that one unused school building in Ottumwa (Walsh) “has run the full course of useable life” and another (Wildwood) would cost millions of dollars to renovate for non-class use. A short Internet search shows that … Continue reading →

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May 08

RAGBRAI to pass Kinnick Stadium, maybe UNI-Dome

Posted on Friday, May 8, 2015, at 10:06 AM by Jeff

Weeks after the 2015 RAGBRAI route was announced in March, the finalized route in and out of Coralville was added to the map. On the Saturday morning of the ride, bicyclists will go past “the corner of Melrose and Melrose” … Continue reading →

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May 07

Cleghorn school will close

Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2015, at 10:05 AM by Jeff

The 94-year-old school building in Cleghorn will educate students for one more month. The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn district will close the building, used for fourth through sixth grades, to save $130,000 a year, says the Sioux City Journal. The district will still … Continue reading →

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May 06

Iconic Stanton water tower taken down

Posted on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 17, 2014: This water tower in Stanton has looked like a coffee pot for 45 years. The water tower in Stanton painted and tweaked to look like a coffee pot has been taken down, reports the Omaha World-Herald. It … Continue reading →

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May 05

2015 Iowa highway map released online

Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Two months later than expected, the official state transportation map is available through iowadotmaps.com. Changes are minimal, but Tama County had a few of them. The Iowa Juvenile Home is no longer marked. The Tama-Toledo “urban area” is no longer … Continue reading →

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May 04

Options out for major makeover of IA 141 interchange

Posted on Monday, May 4, 2015, at 10:37 AM by Jeff

Back in ancient times (the 1970s), “Rider Corner” was a modest rural trumpet interchange on I-35/80, named after the railroad siding at Meredith Drive. Now, it’s a bustling suburban area, with a SuperTarget nearby and an underpowered four-lane to the … Continue reading →

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May 02

Marshalltown makes the Onion

Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 10:23 AM by Jeff

Iowa Restaurant Patron Can Remember Every Breakfast Ruined By Presidential Candidates America’s Finest News Source made a slight misstep with the Nixon reference, as Iowa’s “first in the nation” caucuses didn’t become A Thing until 1976.

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