Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Mar 15

RAGBRAI map analysis, in dribs and drabs

Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

For the first time in decades at least, the full RAGBRAI route was not printed as a single map in The Des Moines Register. This year, the Iowa Life cover on the first Sunday of March was about… prom styles. … Continue reading →

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Mar 02

Chuck Offenburger writes about Diagonal

Posted on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at 10:04 AM by Jeff

Former “Iowa Boy” Des Moines Register columnist Chuck Offenburger is still a prolific writer and blogger — he wrote a book about Bernie Saggau and the IHSAA in 2005. Recently, he made the trip down to Diagonal to see basketball games … Continue reading →

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Mar 01

The appointment that never happened

Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 31, 2015: Dr. Haldy’s dentist office in Traer, on his last official day in business. I was supposed to see my dentist on caucus day. Instead, though, I found out in October that Willard Haldy, Traer’s dentist, planned to … Continue reading →

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Feb 25

Wagon Wheel Bridge irreparably damaged

Posted on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 7, 2013: The Wagon Wheel Bridge in Boone County was accessible to pedestrians after its closure to traffic. In the foreground is the portion of the bridge that was damaged in early August 2015 and removed. One of Iowa’s … Continue reading →

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Feb 17

Z is for Zero

Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, at 4:00 PM by Jeff

There’s nothing there.

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Feb 05

Sullivan’s corner on the Iowa-Missouri line

Posted on Friday, February 5, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Along Iowa’s southern border, a string of nearly forgotten iron posts marks where Iowa ends and Missouri begins. The westernmost marker, once the northwest corner of Missouri, is today at the southernmost point in the slightly bent line west of … Continue reading →

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Feb 01

It’s caucusing time

Posted on Monday, February 1, 2016, at 10:02 AM by Jeff

Because of my job, I am not able to participate directly in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. I can, however, see candidates, and I saw nearly a dozen of them in this election cycle — so many that some have dropped … Continue reading →

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Jan 29

Oh look, chopped liver

Posted on Friday, January 29, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Spot the missing word: Whether you prefer to read siouxcityjournal.com on your laptop, tablet or phone, our new design gives you an optimal viewing experience tailored to your digital device of choice. Give up? It’s “desktop”. The SCJ and the Waterloo-Cedar … Continue reading →

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Jan 25

This is supposed to be a flattering piece about Des Moines

Posted on Monday, January 25, 2016, at 10:12 AM by Jeff

Because “it’s not cool unless there’s a graffiti festival” is a New York value. In the late period of caucus season, the coastal media has a habit of rediscovering Iowa in “wow, we found pockets of civilization here” articles and … Continue reading →

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Jan 18

Utah could overtake Iowa in population in 2020

Posted on Monday, January 18, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Speaking of up-and-coming locations zooming past more-established ones, the Census Bureau put out its 2015 state population estimates at the end of the year. Iowa crept upward, but it’s no match for what’s going on in the South and West. … Continue reading →

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