Author Archives: Jeff

Jul 05

Behold the power of polka

Posted on Monday, July 5, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Tama County’s festivals are back this year, and three of them will offer a chance to polka until you drop. Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen will be making three appearances: Tuesday, July 6, in Clutier, starting at 7 PM … Continue reading →

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Behold the power of polka
Jul 01

Newell to get new ‘core’ building?

Posted on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 5, 2014: The oldest portion of the Newell-Fonda Community School opened on February 5, 1912. “The new building marks an era of progress in the Newell schools. In coming years, it will be a monument of foresight of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Newell to get new ‘core’ building?
Jun 30

Iowa history update

Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

One of my 1993 4H projects is now out of date.* Johnson County, Iowa, is now named … Johnson County, Iowa. From NPR: It will still be Johnson County. But henceforth, the county is taking its name from a different … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Iowa history update
Jun 28

H45 switch in Arispe

Posted on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Union County and the town of Arispe are “exchanging responsibilities for certain streets,” reports the Creston News Advertiser. It was supposed to be done in 2018 but didn’t get formalized. Officially, H45 has run along Forbes Street, as can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on H45 switch in Arispe
Jun 25

Nevada S14 bridge moves to comment stage

Posted on Friday, June 25, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It looks like I have to change something I mentioned in a post about the five-year plan. A press release regarding a new bridge for S14 over US 30 in Nevada, and the public comment page, both say that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Nevada S14 bridge moves to comment stage
Jun 23

Early Centerville continues to vex me

Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Pinning down early highways in places that fall in the “large town” category is often difficult. Records are sparse and, because the state was not in charge of routes within city limits until later, county maps omit detail and city … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920 Highway Sytem, Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Early Centerville continues to vex me
Jun 21

IA 150 construction affecting RAGBRAI

Posted on Monday, June 21, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It turns out there was a reason for moving RAGBRAI away from Brandon and Urbana: Riders would have been going through a construction zone. According to Vinton Newspapers, IA 150 is being resurfaced between Vinton and Independence, including paving the … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on IA 150 construction affecting RAGBRAI
Jun 16

Apple Photos: A grotesque dumpster fire that actively hates me

Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Due to my iMac’s demise, I now have to use Apple’s Photos application, which replaced iPhoto. Apple threw iPhoto to the curb to the point it disabled the app after a certain OS version, and the Places function had not … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Apple Photos: A grotesque dumpster fire that actively hates me
Jun 14

Here fishy fishy fishy

Posted on Monday, June 14, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Iowa DNR says that starting tomorrow, anyone with a fishing license may take as many fish as they can catch at Otter Creek Lake in Tama County. The lake is going to be “dewatered”, according to the press release, … Continue reading →

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Here fishy fishy fishy
Jun 11

Gardiner school has been demolished

Posted on Friday, June 11, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

You probably haven’t heard of Gardiner. But if you’ve driven US 169 in Dallas County, you saw the extinct map dot’s once pride and joy, a two-story brick school building. Stories, with pictures, from the Perry News and Raccoon Valley … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Gardiner school has been demolished