Author Archives: Jeff

Jun 26

Dike’s role in Nebraska highway history

Posted on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The 1953 state highway map has a crudely drawn line for what was to become IA 370 and the designation still attached to the town of Dike. That would change. It turns out a remark I made on one route … Continue reading →

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Jun 23

Ingersoll ‘road diet’ gives businesses indigestion

Posted on Friday, June 23, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A streetscape project on Ingersoll Avenue, just west of downtown Des Moines, has been a long time in the making. Now that part of it has been completed, the results are less than hoped for. The Des Moines Register reports … Continue reading →

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Jun 21

Lu Verne school closes in consolidation

Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It’s not ABCWLT, but it could have been. Algona-Burt-Corwith-Wesley-Lu Verne-Titonka, but officially just Algona Community, becomes Iowa’s largest consolidated single-high-school district on July 1. Western Dubuque remains larger, barely, and MVAOCOU is two separate districts, for now. A district that … Continue reading →

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Jun 19

More Iowa papers reducing print days

Posted on Monday, June 19, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

May 21, 2023: The fifth-to-last Sunday Mason City Globe Gazette carries an editor’s note about the paper eliminating three of its six print publication days. I bought this at the Lake Mills Casey’s for $4. Four of Iowa’s 11 newspapers that … Continue reading →

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Jun 16

Central command

Posted on Friday, June 16, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Let’s go rollin’ on the Turkey and Wapsipinicon rivers. Due to it name(s), the reorganization history of the school district headquartered in Elkader was elusive. First, Elkader and Littleport voted to form the Consolidated Center School District (Clayton County Register, … Continue reading →

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Jun 14

Mid-century Corridor school history

Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Information on schools in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area covers enough time and space that it was best to pull them out into their own post. Dates are from Cedar Rapids Gazette articles. Toddville merged with Alburnett in 1954 (1/24/54), … Continue reading →

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Jun 12

Strike up the band, strike out the band law

Posted on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Clarinda votes for bands. Authorizes two mill tax to pay for all. Clarinda, Iowa, March 28, 1921, voted almost two to one a two mill tax for the support of its bands of music. The tax will be available for … Continue reading →

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Jun 09

3 Tama County churches in United Methodist schism

Posted on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

More than 80 United Methodist churches in Iowa are ending their affiliation with the denomination. (Stories: Register, Gazette) The action is part of a slow-motion schism over gay rights that the COVID pandemic has made extra messy. The Garwin, Geneseo, … Continue reading →

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Jun 07

Jefferson Highway notes in Decatur County

Posted on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

This 1918 construction document for “Inter County Highway” shows the plan for a truss bridge south of Leon. Note the intricate illustration for the river. The 2023 Jefferson Highway conference starts today in Mason City. The Jefferson Highway, also known … Continue reading →

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Jun 05

Last bell at Crescent Elementary

Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 15, 2021: “Crescent Elementary School is the heart of the community,” the Council Bluffs district says on a webpage that probably won’t exist by this time next year. Crescent Elementary had its final day May 25. The student population … Continue reading →

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