Author Archives: Jeff

Jan 21

Ladora Bank Bistro cashes out

This century, the Ladora Savings Bank building has gone from dead to resurrected to waiting for a new inhabitant. The “jewel box” bank that was a victim of the Depression was vacant in 2004 when it caught the eye of … Continue reading

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Jan 18

The other piece of 1920s highway left in Woodbury County

The previous post talked about a bridge on Correctionville Road being the last rural remnant of very early paving on the road that became US 20 in Woodbury County. There’s one urban remnant, too, whose time is limited but we … Continue reading

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Jan 17

A piece of 1920s highway left in Woodbury County

October 9, 2018: Model T’s drove on this bridge over Big Whisky Creek in Woodbury County, right near the place Correctionville Road dips closest to present US 20. One of the last two remaining pieces of one of Iowa’s first … Continue reading

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Jan 16

How long was the term of Iowa’s shortest-serving governor?

Baby boomers in Iowa’s Class of 1969 were one of three groups of students, and the most recent, to have a political oddity: A senior year with three governors. Twice before, Iowa had had governors serving under 60 days: Warren … Continue reading

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Jan 15

If cats are outlawed, only outlaws will have cats

October 20, 2018: I didn’t think I’d get a blog post hook for this fast friend in Washta (who didn’t want to sit for a picture), but … kittykittykittykitty! From a KMA story about a Shenandoah man’s call for cat … Continue reading

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Jan 14

The 2019 Iowa House, by gender and area

When the new Iowa House convenes today, one party will have a majority of women while a woman from the other party leads the chamber. Let’s look at the map (basemap from Legislative Services Agency, although it was horizontally scaled … Continue reading

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous, Maps | Comments Off on The 2019 Iowa House, by gender and area
Jan 11

Havelock has a post office again

July 23, 2009: The apparently-now-former Havelock post office. By August 2013, according to Google Street View, cluster boxes had been placed on the left side of the building. (Hard to believe this picture is nearly a decade old. — Ed.) … Continue reading

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Jan 10

A lesson on tolerance

Heavy headline, light subject. (The struggle is real.) See also the story from the Gazette.

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on A lesson on tolerance
Jan 09

Double diverging diamonds for Linn County

The most recent environmental assessment (large PDF) for an expanded I-380 on the north side of Linn County has something new for the state of Iowa: consecutive diverging diamond interchanges. Today, there is only one diverging diamond interchange in the … Continue reading

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Jan 08

A Transportation Commission meeting with a notable absence

The Iowa Transportation Commission is having its first meeting of the year today in Ames. The agenda is the most pedestrian possible. (Where’s the transfer of jurisdiction of those weird stubs still under state control?) But off camera, so to … Continue reading

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