Author Archives: Jeff

Sep 17

941

Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Humboldt County town of Pioneer has unincorporated. After reading the funeral announcement — aka the City Development Board minutes of August 12 — it died of loneliness and apathy. (The word “apathy” is actually in there. There were only three … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on 941
Sep 15

Some positive sports news

Posted on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Carleton Effect: How Chatham, Ontario’s Bridget Carleton has helped turn the Minnesota Lynx offence around (via NBA Canada by way of Cyclone Fanatic) Carleton has only played in 22 games, but she’s already the highest-scoring former Cyclone in WNBA … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Some positive sports news
Sep 14

Pizza Hut closed in Grundy Center, Vinton, other towns

Posted on Monday, September 14, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Benton County is out of Pizza Huts. The restaurant in Vinton closed the day after Labor Day. It and 14 others in Iowa were shuttered as one of Pizza Hut’s largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy and announced it would close … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Pizza Hut closed in Grundy Center, Vinton, other towns
Sep 10

Football (still)(*)(?)(*)

Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

This weekend, the ISU football team is slated to play, a slate that is in easily erasable chalk this year. But instead of at the Fighting Ferentzes, it’s home vs. the don’t-call-them-ULaLa Louisiana (-Lafayette) Ragin’ Cajuns. Like I did for … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Football (still)(*)(?)(*)
Sep 08

Yup, we’re getting another license plate variety

Posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs, citing a state representative and Pottawattamie County treasurer, reports that the “Flying Our Colors” license plate will be available to the public starting in the middle of this month. This is one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in License Plates | Comments Off on Yup, we’re getting another license plate variety
Sep 04

Manilla school has come down

Posted on Friday, September 4, 2020, at 10:10 AM by Jeff

May 22, 2014: The entrance to the 1915 school building at Manilla. Here is a photo gallery from that day, including pictures from the inside. In 2014, I wrote for the Des Moines Register that the IKM-Manning school board had … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Manilla school has come down
Sep 03

Derecho claims the King Tower Cafe

Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2020, at 10:20 AM by Jeff

The King Tower Cafe on the east side of Tama is closed for good, the Tama-Toledo News-Chronicle reported last month. 🙁 “Unfortunately after the epidemic we were hit very hard financially after having to be closed for those weeks that we … Continue reading →

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Derecho claims the King Tower Cafe
Sep 02

Nevada city council favors west interchange

Posted on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at 10:30 AM by Jeff

The ongoing issue of making US 30 a full freeway between Ames and Nevada took another step last month. The Nevada City Council voted in favor of an interchange at Airport Road/W 18th Street/610th Avenue on the west side of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Nevada city council favors west interchange
Sep 01

Him Jarbaugh

Posted on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In working on my map of visited counties, I ran into a color problem. With a new color selected every two years (more or less), the palette of strong contrasts is running out. I’ve been through the box of eight, … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Trip Reports | Comments Off on Him Jarbaugh
Aug 31

Ankeny diverging diamond delayed

Posted on Monday, August 31, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A full opening of the rebuilt interchange of I-35 and 1st Street in Ankeny has been delayed, KCCI reports. It was supposed to be this week. The news story in the second link has a guide through the interchange, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Ankeny diverging diamond delayed