Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Jul 27

Can we PLEASE do something about Iowa’s postseason trophies?

Posted on Monday, July 27, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

November 19, 2010: What do you want on your tombstone trophy? (Center: Sara Stoakes, one-woman championship.) The state high school softball tournament was last week — AGWSR won its first title in that sport — and the baseball tournament is this … Continue reading →

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Jul 22

Where ‘7 million kinds of pie’ is an understatement

Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, at 10:08 AM by Jeff

July 21, 2015: Please do not lick your screen. The traveling celebration of Iowa on wheels otherwise known as RAGBRAI rolled into Eldora last night, and heads to Cedar Falls via Ackley and Parkersburg today. Pictures from the ride in … Continue reading →

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Jul 14

On the Iowa DOT director’s “fewer roads” statement

Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at 10:11 AM by Jeff

The director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, Paul Trombino, said recently the state of Iowa is going to have a smaller road system. This potentially explosive statement has been picked up by the Gazette, but before that, the Atlantic’s CityLab was … Continue reading →

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