Author Archives: Jeff

Oct 09

Remsen won’t give up high school easily

Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2014, at 10:30 AM by Jeff

Remsen, population 1663, is at risk of becoming one of the largest towns in Iowa to lose its (public) high school in recent decades. A proposal has been made for whole-grade sharing with Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn with the high school in Marcus. … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Remsen won’t give up high school easily
Oct 08

New I-29 bridge ramp opening in Council Bluffs

Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, at 10:54 AM by Jeff

There’s a major advancement in the Council Bluffs Interstate Project happening this weekend. The flyover ramp for southbound I-29 to eastbound I-80 will open on Friday. This is a big move away from the directional-T-like interchange original to the 1960s. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on New I-29 bridge ramp opening in Council Bluffs
Oct 07

‘College GameDay’ in Mississippi

Posted on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Last week, ESPN’s “College GameDay” went to the Grove in Oxford, Miss., for the first time ever — and was there for Ole Miss to beat Alabama. This week, GameDay is staying in-state and going to Starkville for Mississippi State … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on ‘College GameDay’ in Mississippi
Oct 06

NYT college football map

Posted on Monday, October 6, 2014, at 10:51 AM by Jeff

Western Iowa and Lansing, we need to have a talk about state loyalties… I continue to have concerns about treating Facebook like it’s a statistically valid population sample, but the New York Times is doing it anyway again. After mapping … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Sports | Comments Off on NYT college football map
Oct 04

Moorhead school rescued from abandonment

Posted on Saturday, October 4, 2014, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

There are plenty of sad stories about abandoned Iowa schools, so when there’s a success, we should give credit where it’s due. East Monona hasn’t been a school district since 2004, and the building in Moorhead soon had problems, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Moorhead school rescued from abandonment
Oct 02

ISU football sets TV sports record

Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2014, at 10:41 AM by Jeff

But not the kind we wanted… (emphasis added) The Baylor/Iowa State college football game drew a 0.9 overnight rating on FOX Saturday night, down 25% from Arizona/Washington last year (1.2), down 68% from Texas/Oklahoma State in 2012 (2.8), and tied as … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on ISU football sets TV sports record
Oct 01

Eastbound

Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Effective today, I am working at the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Blogging may be intermittent/sporadic as I get settled in and make sure my Internet works. This is a timed post.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Eastbound
Sep 30

Second US 65 Bondurant stoplight activated

Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The four-lane US 65 diagonal through Bondurant gets a little more suburban with the addition of a signal at 32nd Street starting tomorrow. This is between Grant Street (former IA 945) and I-80. There will be another signal added to US 65 … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Second US 65 Bondurant stoplight activated
Sep 29

Beltway interstate designation talk rises again

Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 18, 2006: Two numbers, two opposing directions, and the occasional bout of confusion about what road you’re on. US 65 and IA 5 share the Des Moines beltway between US 69 and Carlisle. I have pointed out before that … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Beltway interstate designation talk rises again
Sep 26

License Plate Letters — CRX

Posted on Friday, September 26, 2014, at 1:37 PM by Jeff

I have seen some CQ’s out there, so this cycle does not look like it’s skipping letters. The replacement cycle has slowed down quite noticeably, although every once in a while I have seen an old 1997-series plate still floating … Continue reading →

Posted in License Plates | Comments Off on License Plate Letters — CRX