Author Archives: Jeff

May 27

License Plate Letters — PPP (and new education plate)

Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’s triple time again! We’re up to, and already past, two-thirds of the way through the P’s. I’m still seeing D’s and E’s out there that either got accidental reprieves or will be replaced next year. Elsewhere in license-plate-land, a … Continue reading →

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May 23

Lansing bridge closed until further notice

Posted on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The IA 9/WI 82 bridge at Lansing has been closed again. The bridge was closed starting May 17 after one of the existing bridge’s piers moved. This isn’t the first time this has happened during construction of the bridge’s replacement … Continue reading →

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May 20

Boyson Road bridge flip today (maybe)

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The reconstruction of the Boyson Road exit on I-380 takes another step today. Part of the new bridge for the diverging diamond interchange has been built. Today and tomorrow — maybe — traffic will be switched to this bridge so … Continue reading →

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May 13

Circumnavigation report Day 6

Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The entire corner of southwest Iowa was explored in one day in 2015, with enough time to catch a football game.

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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 06

Multiple IA 14 detours in Grundy County

Posted on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’s going to be hard to get from US 20 to US 30 in Grundy and Marshall counties this spring — and more is on the way. As of Monday, the highway has a major closure between IA 175 and … Continue reading →

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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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