Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Jul 22

Analysis of RAGBRAI LII route

Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Between my vacation to the Lincoln Highway convention and trips home and the usual severe depression, I’ve been lax in posting links to my Substack stories, so they’re going to be a bit dated. But if you haven’t read them, … Continue reading →

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Jun 24

Plucked Peacocks and other TV station notes

Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

While doing Lincoln Highway research for Nebraska, I discovered that Elm Creek, a town along US 30, replaced its 100-year old school in 2022-23… …and had an amazingly well-preserved time capsule*… …and then I looked into what “NTV” was — … Continue reading →

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Jun 09

On the LightLine Bridge

Posted on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

My Substack column for May 3 questions the utility of the Alliant Energy LightLine bridge south of downtown Cedar Rapids once its original goal, using part of the abandoned Rock Island Railroad bridge, turned out to be infeasible.

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May 08

Circumnavigation detour: State lines

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In my circumnavigation report I split off a story dedicated to oddities in Iowa’s state borders. Did I put “Day 5 1/2” on here? If not, despite being 11 months old, it’s new to you!

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May 02

Who wants chili and cinnamon rolls?

Posted on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Iowa schoolkids, and former schoolkids, want chili and cinnamon rolls. I even looked up old lunch menus for a story about this Marion Historical Society fundraiser.

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Apr 30

An unusual problem in the news business

Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

There are times when newspapers aren’t delivered because of a blizzard, but at least we know where they are? I admit loving that the description on Seymour Herald’s Facebook page is “A weekly OFFICIAL WAYNE COUNTY NEWSPAPER, with hometown local … Continue reading →

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Apr 28

Really delayed spring cleaning

Posted on Monday, April 28, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

OK, so some of the info from this month-old post is outdated, but the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative additions list is important, and it’s another picture from Pi Day in Springville. (Me? A procrastinating mess? Never.)

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Apr 21

Swan to disincorporate

Posted on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 10:10 AM by Jeff

September 30, 2014: Swan, in far northwest Marion County, was bypassed by the state highway system when what today is IA 5 was realigned in 1928. The IA 316 bridge over the Des Moines River at Runnells was decades in … Continue reading →

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Apr 14

Pi Day, delayed

Posted on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Pie is always in season, not just March 14! Pi Day in Springville is a local holiday.

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Apr 14

Colona-oscopy

Posted on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

In Sunday’s print Des Moines Register, on the “Around the State” page, there was this curious item: In a page that is about stories from the state of Iowa, the Register ran a brief from a city in ILLINOIS — … Continue reading →

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