Author Archives: Jeff

Jul 10

De Soto getting its first stoplights

Posted on Friday, July 10, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The DOT has an online meeting for a small project on US 169: “installation of traffic signals at the I-80 ramp terminals along with turn lanes.” This is on the north side of the town of De Soto, and based … Continue reading →

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Jul 09

Viking Road interchange complete

Posted on Thursday, July 9, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Pavement markings and cleanup on IA 58 at the Viking Road interchange in Cedar Falls were to be done earlier this week, a DOT press release says. I was a skeptic that it could be done, even when they said … Continue reading →

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Jul 08

2020 Winding Stairs Festival cancelled

Posted on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 10:05 AM by Jeff

The obvious and inevitable, again. It didn’t help that North Tama softball forfeited the rest of the season less than 36 hours earlier after “potential indirect exposure” to COVID-19. The Winding Stairs Festival Committee hearts couldn’t be more full due to … Continue reading →

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Jul 06

Requiem for an iMac

Posted on Monday, July 6, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I have in the past rambled about my late 2009 desktop iMac and how I was going to ride it until it died. Well, at 11:53 PM on June 15, it did. Specifically, the hard drive woke from sleep but … Continue reading →

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Jul 03

The Great Interruption

Posted on Friday, July 3, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Traditions are still no match for the plague. The latest victims: Pufferbilly Days in Boone and the Knoxville Nationals. But it’s not just the big stuff. Let’s look just in southern Benton County in the first half of 2018: February … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on The Great Interruption
Jul 01

Those old-time town shenanigans

Posted on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Have you heard how the Sioux Rapids Boosters slickered the smart guys up at Spencer? Well here is the tale. Sioux Rapids sent a bunch of boosters out in cars to advertise the Fourth of July celebration. Spencer merchants made … Continue reading →

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Jun 29

Some awful wallops

Posted on Monday, June 29, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Langland Lands Powerful Blows (Ames Tri-Weekly Tribune, February 19, 1919) Ole Langland, editor of the Cambridge Leader, takes some awful wallops at Ames people for wanting the Jefferson highway to pass through Ames in place of making the zig-zag through … Continue reading →

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Jun 26

Technical difficulties

Posted on Friday, June 26, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Please stand by?

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Jun 24

Woodbury County to sign Historic US 20

Posted on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Radio Iowa (via KSCJ) reports that Woodbury County will be signing its original US 20 route. This is another step for the Historic Route 20 Association in getting the highway recognized across the country. The only part of original 20 … Continue reading →

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Jun 22

Mixmaster ramps to get codes

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2020, at 10:10 AM by Jeff

In the June letting is a signage project labeled “statewide” but is entirely in Polk County, in two locations: the west and northeast (or east) I-35/80/235 mixmasters. The signs that look like mile markers will say “Ramp” at the top … Continue reading →

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