Author Archives: Jeff

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
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