Author Archives: Jeff

Jan 29

A milestone without fanfare

Posted on Monday, January 29, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

If the price of a stamp hits 50 cents and media outlets give it scant coverage, did it happen at all? Is it a sign of how much people aren’t mailing things? Or is it related to the fact that … Continue reading →

Posted in Post offices | Comments Off on A milestone without fanfare
Jan 26

Answering 538’s gerrymandering question

Posted on Friday, January 26, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Political/statistical analysis website 538 says fixing gerrymandering is hard. At one point it resorts to a computer algorithm that completely ignores all jurisdictional boundaries in a quest to make “competitive” districts. What if gerrymandering is a problem better solved by … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Answering 538’s gerrymandering question
Jan 25

Photo 32,000

Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Finding my 32,000th photo was more complicated than it should have been. It turns out that I accidentally mis-set the time on the camera (yes, you youths, there was such as thing as “manually setting date and time”) and so … Continue reading →

Posted in Sequences | Comments Off on Photo 32,000
Jan 24

IA 98, 1920-2017

Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 10:01 AM by Jeff

September 8, 2010: South beginning of IA 98, in unincorporated Leando. Leando (pop. 115) and Douds (pop. 152) were granted Census Designated Place status for the 2010 census. In the early 20th century, it was common for small-town newspapers to … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on IA 98, 1920-2017
Jan 23

John Deere’s and Maytag’s roles in Iowa highway history

Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Two former state highways in Iowa owed their existence to manufacturing. One of them stuck around until the Second Great Decommissioning. IA 386 was an oddball route that had both ends facing southwest. There’s only one thing of note along … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on John Deere’s and Maytag’s roles in Iowa highway history
Jan 22

ISU in two of top 10 college football games of 2017

Posted on Monday, January 22, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Every year, Bill Connelly of SB Nation ranks the top 100 college football games of the season. This year, two Iowa State losses, and one huge win, made their way on the list, at #84 (Oklahoma State), #8 (Oklahoma), and … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on ISU in two of top 10 college football games of 2017
Jan 19

Combination Bridge now spans less than half of Iowa’s statehood

Posted on Friday, January 19, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

While working on revisions to my Sioux City Highway Chronology page — for some reason I never uploaded new entries and a new 1972 map when I finished it; they’re there now — I got to thinking about the era … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Combination Bridge now spans less than half of Iowa’s statehood
Jan 18

Disharmony with Harmony-Van Buren merger

Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Some residents of the Harmony school district don’t want to be a part of a consolidation with Van Buren, according to this article from the Burlington Hawk Eye. In November, the AEA denied all requests to shift land from one district … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Disharmony with Harmony-Van Buren merger
Jan 17

Ankeny builds a county seat in a year

Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’s a three-paragraph, 30-second story from WHO, but it tells so much. According to the story, based on numbers from the city, Ankeny built 567 new single-family homes and 539 other residences in 2017. That makes for 1106 housing units … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Ankeny builds a county seat in a year
Jan 16

Seymour tornado recovery moving steadily

Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Seymour students displaced by a March tornado that severely damaged the school may be back in the school building in a few weeks, Iowa Public Radio reported at the beginning of the month. Elementary students are already back, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Seymour tornado recovery moving steadily