Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Jan 06

US 65 beltway is Polk County isthmus

Posted on Friday, January 6, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

It has annoyed me for a while that Altoona and Des Moines’ annexations in the early 2010s omitted the US 65 bypass between them, meaning that the two cities do not technically touch boundaries. It turns out that, intentionally or … Continue reading →

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Dec 21

Tama County news, and newspaper news, updates

Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Tying up some stories and sprinkling in references to some new ones: The deadline for moving to 8-player football has passed, and as of this writing, the North Tama board had taken no action for at least the varsity level. … Continue reading →

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Nov 07

Speaking of getting an hour back

Posted on Monday, November 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Did the Iowa State Fair make any actual announcement about cutting back its hours, or did it just happen? It was easy to remember, and there were stickers if you forgot: Buildings Open 9 to 9. But now the buildings … Continue reading →

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Oct 24

Congressional district table updated

Posted on Monday, October 24, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Legislative Services Agency’s second map of 2021 made things annoying when it came to numbers. The designation for the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts flipped. There’s something about a rule of “easternmost.” Eyeballing the map, the geographic center of the … Continue reading →

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Oct 12

Lincoln Way Burger King in Ames closed

Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Last week I drove on Lincoln Way through downtown Ames for the first time in a while. There have been changes since I was doing that regularly — though not nearly as many as US 65 through Bondurant — but … Continue reading →

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Oct 07

Meanwhile in Marietta

Posted on Friday, October 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

There is a tiny parcel of the Marshalltown school district, half a square mile, that isn’t directly connected to the rest of the district. It is connected via what, in the Iowa legislative redistricting process, is called “point contiguity” — … Continue reading →

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Sep 26

Rockwell lost its newspaper

Posted on Monday, September 26, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The continuing decline of rural newspapers is creating conflicts with state regulations. The last edition of the Rockwell Pioneer-Enterprise was September 8. The Iowa Newspaper Association website listed its circulation at 174 — and a mailing address in Buffalo Center. … Continue reading →

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Sep 16

Iowa stumps the smart set again

Posted on Friday, September 16, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Monday’s “Jeopardy!” started the show’s 39th season. It has a new, extended, and varying opening, with images of prominent champions (starting with Amy Schneider) and the studio audience. One thing, however, remains the same: Iowa remains largely a mystery to … Continue reading →

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Sep 12

Kolache confusion

Posted on Monday, September 12, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 26, 2012: A Czech list of the food offerings in Clutier on RAGBRAI XL. While checking out various Iowa State-related places before last Saturday’s football game*, I learned something about a former ISU player. Brent “Big Play” Curvey restarted his “Coaches … Continue reading →

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Aug 31

Taking a cruise to Decorah

Posted on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Viking Cruises has introduced a boat designed to ply not the oceans and seas of the world, but the Mississippi River. The Viking Mississippi will go from St. Paul to New Orleans on 15-day excursions. Decorah News reports that hundreds … Continue reading →

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