Category Archives: Tama County

May 30

Ring the bells for Traer’s Big Birthday Bash

Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The original plan for June 3 was to have a kickoff for Traer’s sesquicentennial celebration that would culminate with the Winding Stairs Festival in August. Instead, the Big Birthday Bash got really big. Here’s a full schedule of events (via … Continue reading →

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May 24

Traer’s Q website restored

Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I have done my best Indiana Jones impersonation and plumbed the depths of the Internet Archive to bring back a little bit of the 20th century: Traer’s Quasquicentennial (125th) anniversary website. This set of webpages appears to have eluded multiple … Continue reading →

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May 08

‘Tama Jim’ featured on ‘Market to Market’

Posted on Monday, May 8, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Iowa PBS’s “Market to Market” show did a 6½-minute feature on “Tama Jim” Wilson last week. Wilson, originally from Scotland, came to the Traer area before the Civil War and eventually became Secretary of Agriculture under three presidents. I’m going … Continue reading →

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Apr 12

What’s next for NT after bond issue failure?

Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

North Tama’s year-plus planning for a decades-plus future of the school complex failed by six votes last month. Now, writes Superintendent David Hill, the board is looking for advice on what to do next. Tonight, the North Tama school board’s … Continue reading →

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Apr 05

Tama County V18 at US 30 closing for paving work

Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 10:05 AM by Jeff

Here’s a small but interesting construction notice from the DOT: V18 at US 30 is closing today “to do concrete paving in the area.” My theory is that it’s related to the old roadbed for 30 that was bypassed with … Continue reading →

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Mar 10

North Tama bond issue fails by six votes

Posted on Friday, March 10, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Based on my research, the core school building in Traer is likely among the 50 oldest in use in Iowa. Following Tuesday’s failed bond referendum, it’s going to be that way for a while longer. A $14.25 million bond issue … Continue reading →

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Feb 22

Special deliveries

Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

First, the old: The Reinbeck Courier bound volume archives have been relocated to Reinbeck’s City Hall. The story (both at the Marshalltown Times-Republican and Sun-Courier websites, the latter with more photos) references “the now vacant halls of the Tama Newspaper … Continue reading →

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Feb 20

Township population list misaligns certain numbers

Posted on Monday, February 20, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

While working on the Tama County Board of Supervisors post back in October, I wondered if there was a comprehensive list of populations of Iowa areas by township. This agglomeration of information, including cities independent of townships, is a building … Continue reading →

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Jan 02

New year, old calendar

Posted on Monday, January 2, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

*shrug* Hey, it works! You know where else you can get a calendar for 2023 that will work in many years? The Traer Sesquicentennial Store, which is now open online! 2023 is Traer’s 150th birthday, and I assure you, I … Continue reading →

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Dec 21

Tama County news, and newspaper news, updates

Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Tying up some stories and sprinkling in references to some new ones: The deadline for moving to 8-player football has passed, and as of this writing, the North Tama board had taken no action for at least the varsity level. … Continue reading →

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