Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Sep 30

End of an era

Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

KCRG, the last locally owned TV station in Iowa, becomes part of Gray Communications tomorrow. The increased contentiousness of cable and satellite carriage rights, including one with DirectTV earlier this year, was a factor in the deal. The sale means … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on End of an era
Sep 22

Did Phil Coulson drop someone off in Iowa?

Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2015, at 10:07 AM by Jeff

I was rewatching the season finale of “Agents of SHIELD” when something near the end jumped out at me. In the second-to-last scene, SHIELD Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Agent Skye (Chloe Bennet) visit Cal Zabo (Kyle MacLachlan) after his … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous, License Plates | Comments Off on Did Phil Coulson drop someone off in Iowa?
Sep 08

Last summer at Camp Tahigwa?

Posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Des Moines Register photojournalist Kelsey Kremer, a former Girl Scout and now counselor at Camp Tahigwa, has created a Web video and written commentary about what the camp in far northeast Iowa means to her. I made a blog post … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Last summer at Camp Tahigwa?
Sep 02

Center Junction disincorporation final

Posted on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at 10:05 AM by Jeff

I missed the final approval of Center Junction’s disincorporation in June (PDF) and it’s surfacing again because of the former town’s integration into the Jones County E911 rural street system (stories: KCRG, Anamosa Journal-Eureka). I move the Board acknowledge that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Center Junction disincorporation final
Aug 27

Sinclair blackout on Dish affects nearly every Iowa market

Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

For the umpteenth time in the past decade, Sinclair Broadcasting pulled the TV stations it owns off a cable/satellite provider’s lineup. This time it’s Dish, and while the blackout lasted less than 24 hours, the episode qualified as the largest … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Sinclair blackout on Dish affects nearly every Iowa market
Aug 24

Grundy County 12th-worst for ‘natural amenities’ in nation

Posted on Monday, August 24, 2015, at 9:56 AM by Jeff

The largest body of water in Grundy County is an artificial lake by Dike that’s less than 20 years old. (2014 USDA photo) By now you may have seen the Washington Post’s clickable map of a USDA database called the … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Grundy County 12th-worst for ‘natural amenities’ in nation
Aug 17

The Washington Post visits the Iowa State Fair

Posted on Monday, August 17, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

“It’s a cow made of butter. Use your imagination.” The Washington Post’s Philip Bump took the day after a whirlwind of presidential candidate stops at the Iowa State Fair and spent Sunday being a regular fairgoer and making a photo essay about … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on The Washington Post visits the Iowa State Fair
Aug 14

Advice for presidential candidates visiting our fair state

Posted on Friday, August 14, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’s the odd-numbered year before a presidential election, which means candidates of all stripes will be descending upon Des Moines’ east side to appear at the Iowa State Fair. As an Iowa State Fair lover and politics junkie, I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Advice for presidential candidates visiting our fair state
Aug 04

Iowa TV stations back on Mediacom

Posted on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A “for the record” type of post here: Multiple network affiliates serving areas in Iowa were off Mediacom cable systems for two weeks but are now back on the lineups*. This time, the retransmission-fee dispute was with Media General, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Iowa TV stations back on Mediacom
Jul 31

‘Largest ice cream cone in the world’?

Posted on Friday, July 31, 2015, at 10:05 AM by Jeff

July 22, 2015: Downtown Ackley during RAGBRAI. Anyone for ice cream? One highlight from last week’s RAGBRAI on Wednesday was a giant ice cream cone in Ackley. Inside, the owners serve, what else, ice cream! I don’t know what it … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on ‘Largest ice cream cone in the world’?