Author Archives: Jeff

May 17

IA 141 project has many parts to avoid one intersection

Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The DOT is having a meeting Thursday at Jester Park in Granger regarding changes to access to IA 141, with new construction. The plan wouldn’t make the highway controlled-access, but it wouldn’t be uncontrolled access either. The project would take … Continue reading →

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May 15

An intersection story and a (written) detour on bridges

Posted on Monday, May 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

One note about a minor intersection in Marshall County has led me to investigate the status of an even more minor location. The Marshall County Board of Supervisors approved turning the intersection of E35 (Main Street Road) and T37 (Zeller … Continue reading →

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May 12

KMEG ending news broadcasts

Posted on Friday, May 12, 2023, at 1:00 PM by Jeff

Sioux City CBS affiliate KMEG was the last in Iowa markets to come on the air, in 1967. It didn’t have local news broadcasts for 16 years, 1983-99. The entire news operation is being cancelled again. The Sioux City Journal (h/t … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on KMEG ending news broadcasts
May 11

Solution, meet problem

Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

King Charles wields the Holy Hand Grenade. https://t.co/Ra9RzIb3fn — Matthew D White (@MatthewDWhite2) May 6, 2023 Dangerous rabbit has bitten at least 2 Perry residents https://t.co/wqW0uGA03M — KCCI News (@KCCINews) May 10, 2023

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May 10

New law limits school bond vote dates

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

The Iowa Legislature’s push to limit yearly growth of property taxes, signed by the governor in the last week of the session, includes a change that affects school bond issues. Until now, a bond referendum could be held at any … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on New law limits school bond vote dates
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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May 05

Clearing up Clearfield

Posted on Friday, May 5, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Following a reader’s letter, I dug in on the history of the Clearfield school for the 1982-92 school years. It got so complicated I had to make a spreadsheet. The Clearfield district, on the Taylor/Ringgold county line, dissolved in 2014. … Continue reading →

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May 03

Peyton Manning, call your office

Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The above image comes from an Iowa DOT sign letting contract that is to be let May 16. The contract covers sign trusses and BGS replacement at four key interchanges: Both ends of I-880 and IA 29 at old IA … Continue reading →

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May 01

Truss no one

Posted on Monday, May 1, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 19, 2021: The underside of the Iowa approach to the old I-74 bridges. Deconstruction continues on the I-74 Mississippi River bridge following the decision last year not to bring it down with explosives. WQAD has a story about the … Continue reading →

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Apr 28

Fort Madison cuts sports sharing, then reverses course

Posted on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

When the Fort Madison school district voted to end its sports sharing programs early this month, it got the governor’s attention. The public school had been sharing multiple programs with students from Holy Trinity, and wrestling to Central Lee. In … Continue reading →

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