Author Archives: Jeff

Mar 14

Two more consolation game stories

As promised a week ago. (The Hawk Eye is behind a paywall.) Times-Republican: North Tama finds peace in 4th place Times-Republican: Experience may have been North Tama’s ultimate undoing (I agree with this sentiment.)

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Mar 14

Tama County upgraded to “moderate drought”

In addition to the conditions lessening in much of the state, a good part of eastern Iowa is now just “abnormally dry.” More, plus map, at the Register’s website. If you look at the numbers, there’s a tiny tiny ray … Continue reading →

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Mar 13

Periods. Do. Not. Go. In. Phone. Numbers.

Attention Iowa Legislature: Please stop doing that. The proper style is with dashes, and preferably parentheses for area codes, no matter how many advertisements appear otherwise. Periods aren’t supposed to be used for dates, either, USA Today redesign notwithstanding. It is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Periods. Do. Not. Go. In. Phone. Numbers.
Mar 12

Somehow, this makes it worse

The NCAA/CBS “75 Years of March Madness: Top 10 upsets” list contains four of the six times a 15 seed beat a 2 seed. Hampton over Iowa State didn’t make the list. Neither did Coppin State over South Carolina. (The … Continue reading →

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Mar 11

2012 RAGBRAI map out

Available as a PDF from the Register’s web site. Historical route notes based on my research: This will be RAGBRAI’s first visit to West Des Moines. The closest it has been was 2004, when the overnight town was Waukee and riders … Continue reading →

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Mar 09

Whataburger trolls 40% of the Big 12

The “Big 12 Network” broadcasts of games often include ads for the Whataburger fast-food chain. This includes Iowa State-West Virginia, whose fans are literally hundreds of miles away from the nearest location. The northernmost Whataburger in the country is near … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography | Comments Off on Whataburger trolls 40% of the Big 12
Mar 08

North Tama places fourth at state basketball tournament

The North Tama Redhawks went up against two experienced boys’ state tournament squads in two days and the results of both were similar. Around the middle of each game, the turnovers and missed shots piled up and NT suffered crushing … Continue reading →

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Mar 08

Boyden-Hull 77, North Tama 52

KWWL.com Video from KWWL. Story from KCRG. More links later.

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Mar 06

State semifinals: Remembering Dinsdale, Part 2

Two years after losing in the semifinals of the 1950 boys’ state basketball tournament and finishing in fourth place, the Dinsdale Red Devils of Tama County made a return trip to the Iowa Fieldhouse. Once again, Dinsdale was the smallest … Continue reading →

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Mar 05

State semifinals: Remembering Dinsdale, Part 1

While 2013 is the first appearance of the consolidated North Tama County Community School District in the state boys’ basketball tournament, more than 60 years ago tiny Dinsdale almost lived its own version of the Hoosiers story twice. In Iowa … Continue reading →

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