Author Archives: Jeff

Jun 09

Illinois maps it up

Posted on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Illinois has just enacted maps for legislative and state supreme court (!) elections for the 2020s — but NOT congressional districts. Iowa and other states have been told that it is absolutely impossible to get anything close to the real numbers … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on Illinois maps it up
Jun 07

I-80/380: Watch your exit points

Posted on Monday, June 7, 2021, at 10:15 AM by Jeff

A few weeks ago, the I-80/380 interchange got some modifications related to where traffic gets on and off. Now, westbound 80 to northbound 380 comes at the overpass of US 6 and the railroad, which is VERY soon after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on I-80/380: Watch your exit points
Jun 07

Captain Kirk’s birthplace moved

Posted on Monday, June 7, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, the most famous Iowan who hasn’t been born yet, isn’t where it used to be. Or not where it was supposed to will have been. (“I hate temporal mechanics,” said the Miles O’Briens. Mileses … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Captain Kirk’s birthplace moved
Jun 04

Four-lane US 30 in Tama County open

Posted on Friday, June 4, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Ten years and nine days after what I think is the first announcement about it, the new four-lane US 30 in Tama County from Tama to near IA 21 opened Thursday Wednesday*. (Story: Tama-Toledo News Chronicle) This is a complete shift … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on Four-lane US 30 in Tama County open
Jun 03

Dubuque highway chronology updated

Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

August 23, 2020: Southeast corner of the Southwest Arterial at US 61, looking northwest. Note the wrong-way multiplex. The city names look seriously undersized to me. I would’ve made them larger and put them on the same line (“Dubuque / … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Maps | Comments Off on Dubuque highway chronology updated
Jun 01

Notes on 2021 Iowa map

Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I guess Map Day is officially the Friday of Memorial Day weekend now. Here’s the big new PDF. Dubuque’s Southwest Arterial is marked on both the main map and Dubuque inset. IA 32 is dead, US 52 has been removed … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on Notes on 2021 Iowa map
May 28

Names are hard

Posted on Friday, May 28, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Traer Star-Clipper, September 26, 1930, notes added: New service station to open about Nov. 1 Wieck Bros. plan largest and best-equipped structure of its kind in town — work now in progress Rapid progress is being made on the construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Names are hard
May 27

The unbelievable part of ‘Superman and Lois’

Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The whole super powers thing? I’m basically a Superman apologist (Synderverse excepted). Clark Kent at his gosh-darn-shucks-iest moving back to the family farm and town he loves? I will eat that up. Star reporter quitting in statement fashion in light of … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on The unbelievable part of ‘Superman and Lois’
May 26

Mocking Iowa’s 2020s congressional districts (4)

Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Census Bureau released its county-by-county estimates on May 4. By “released”, I mean “said in advance they would be available but I had to dig into nested folders and stumble on a straight-outta-1995 icon list that led me to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on Mocking Iowa’s 2020s congressional districts (4)
May 25

Casualties along the Tenderloin Trail

Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Iowa Pork dreamed up the Tenderloin Trail, a checklist of Iowa’s establishments serving the classic breaded tenderloin sandwich, in 2017. The checklist needs to be completed by July 1, according to Iowa Pork’s website. But not all the servers on … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Casualties along the Tenderloin Trail