I'm attending Iowa AFL-CIO's event, “Day of Action for SD 16 Special Election” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/iaaflcio/eve...
11.11.2025 08:01
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I'm attending Iowa AFL-CIO's event, “Day of Action for SD 16 Special Election” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/iaaflcio/eve...
Glad to see my Rep Ross Wilburn at May Day Rally in Des Moines !
Labor agreements are between workers and employers collectively - not any one President.
If the President disagrees with the terms of the contract, he is welcome to raise his concerns during the next set of negotiations.
Time for the annual chat about how things are going in Ames. Live on khoifm.org 11:45am-1:15pm CST and streaming later.
The city of Nevada, Story County and IA-DOT should be planning for intermodal service where the rails cross under US 30 and near the recently constructed County Route S14 rerouting and grade separation. There are still open areas both north and south of US 30 for a station.
In the list of potential stations in Iowa in addition to Des Moines, my best guess are stations in Nevada (to service Ames and US 30), Iowa Falls (US 20), and Mason City (US 18).
Image of text: San Antonio - Minneapolis/St. Paul: This selected preferred route option could cover 1,292 miles in approximately 32 hours, serving 28 stations, including 18 not currently served by passenger rail. In addition to St. Paul, Minnesota, the route could serve a potential new station in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The selected preferred route option could provide additional service between San Antonio, Texas, and Fort Worth, Texas, and new service between Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Missouri; and Des Moines, lowa. “Des Moines, lowa” is highlighted in Orange.
![Not an FRA proposal for service
ROUTE SERVICE METRICS
Scheduled run time - average of both directions - approximately 32 hours
Route length - average of both directions - 1,292 miles
San Antonio, Texas - departure time - local time late morning
St. Paul, Minneapolis - arrival time - local time late afternoon+1
St. Paul, Minneapolis - departure time - local time midday
San Antonio, Texas - arrival time - local time early evening+1
Average travel time improvements - hours - 5
ROUTE STATIONS
Total number of stations - count of stations - 28
Stations in small communities - count of stations - 11
Existing stations adding new service - count of stations - 10
Average travel time improvements are for existing origin-destination pairs when using a selected preferred route option compared to an existing route
+1= one travel day +2= two travel days
Service Hours:
Daytime = 5:00 a.m. - 10:59 p.m.
5 a.m. - 7:59 a.m. early morning
8 a.m. 10:59 a.m. late morning
11 a.m. 12:59 p.m. midday
1 p.m.- 3:59 p.m. early afternoon
4 p.m. 5:59 р.m. late afternoon
6 p.m. 8:59 p.m. early evening
9 p.m. 10:59 p.m. late evening
Nighttime 11 p.m. - 4:59 a.m.
[Station list]
San Antonio [begin bracket]
San Marcos
Austin
Taylor
Temple
McGregor
Cleburne
Fort Worth [end bracket]
[2 unnamed stations]
[bracket text] Existing Stations
TEXAS
[separation line]
OKLAHOMA
[3 unnamed stations]
Tulsa
OKLAHOMA
[separation line]
KANSAS
[3 unnamed stations]
KANSAS
[separation line]
MISSOURI
Kansas City - Existing Station
[2 unnamed stations]
MISSOURI
[separation line]
IOWA
Chariton*
*Chariton has a population less than 50,000. It is labeled because the San Antonio - Minneapolis/St. Paul selected preferred route option intersects the existing California Zephyr long-distance route at Chariton, and a new station could provide a new connection with the California Zephyr.
Des Moines
[3 unnamed stations]
IOWA
[separation line]
MINNESOTA
St. Paul - Existing Station](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:onprenxfde366t74ec5pfp3v/bafkreiaxqfz37munoskevs7p4s3mmulglihhbveexlq5rnfluhgygdv77a)
Not an FRA proposal for service ROUTE SERVICE METRICS Scheduled run time - average of both directions - approximately 32 hours Route length - average of both directions - 1,292 miles San Antonio, Texas - departure time - local time late morning St. Paul, Minneapolis - arrival time - local time late afternoon+1 St. Paul, Minneapolis - departure time - local time midday San Antonio, Texas - arrival time - local time early evening+1 Average travel time improvements - hours - 5 ROUTE STATIONS Total number of stations - count of stations - 28 Stations in small communities - count of stations - 11 Existing stations adding new service - count of stations - 10 Average travel time improvements are for existing origin-destination pairs when using a selected preferred route option compared to an existing route +1= one travel day +2= two travel days Service Hours: Daytime = 5:00 a.m. - 10:59 p.m. 5 a.m. - 7:59 a.m. early morning 8 a.m. 10:59 a.m. late morning 11 a.m. 12:59 p.m. midday 1 p.m.- 3:59 p.m. early afternoon 4 p.m. 5:59 р.m. late afternoon 6 p.m. 8:59 p.m. early evening 9 p.m. 10:59 p.m. late evening Nighttime 11 p.m. - 4:59 a.m. [Station list] San Antonio [begin bracket] San Marcos Austin Taylor Temple McGregor Cleburne Fort Worth [end bracket] [2 unnamed stations] [bracket text] Existing Stations TEXAS [separation line] OKLAHOMA [3 unnamed stations] Tulsa OKLAHOMA [separation line] KANSAS [3 unnamed stations] KANSAS [separation line] MISSOURI Kansas City - Existing Station [2 unnamed stations] MISSOURI [separation line] IOWA Chariton* *Chariton has a population less than 50,000. It is labeled because the San Antonio - Minneapolis/St. Paul selected preferred route option intersects the existing California Zephyr long-distance route at Chariton, and a new station could provide a new connection with the California Zephyr. Des Moines [3 unnamed stations] IOWA [separation line] MINNESOTA St. Paul - Existing Station
Image of a report cover with text: FRA LONG-DISTANCE SERVICE STUDY U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study Report to Congress January 2025 Image of a P42 train engine in blue Amtrak livery.
January FRA Long Distance Service Study includes route through Iowa from San Antonio to Twin Cities.
It's like, are we trying to be number one in this stuff?
I'm glad you were there at Higher Ed, doing some real reporting, and not collecting some guv chum...
Happy first day of union contract negotiations!
Just a random sample of what I checked in today. I'm one of the lucky ones who still handles physical books.
Book spines showing the following titles: How to be a citizen Take back your brain Shame on you Being human in a virtual society Don't build, rebuild The peace formula Follow the science Gender in the digital sphere Narratives, nations, and other world products in the making of global history The reactionary spirit
New books, heading to the shelf today at Iowa State University Library
Iowa is leading the way! ... just not in a way we would want ...
... and if you squint hard, Coover ...
Why, isn't that a nice view of Gilman, Parks and Snedecor from Hach through a swirl of snow!
Largest mural designed by Grant Wood
universitymuseums.pubpub.org/pub/c4xx89hj
Stories to remember from 2024.
Still waiting for the Iowa pendulum to at least slow down so a swing the other way can begin.
www.bleedingheartland.com/2024/12/31/i...
Also available at archive.khoifm.org
Select December 30, 2004 episode of Capitol Week
Just heard on KHOI - Capitol Week, longest serving Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack to head World Food Prize.
@juliegammack.bsky.social cited as source by Laura Belin
#WorldFoodPrize
#TomVilsack
#CapitolWeek-Iowa
capitolweek.khoifm.org
Weather Radar with distinct straight lines covering the geographic area between Des Moines and Ames Iowa.
Weather Radar sure has everything nice and square today
And in due course, continue on to Des Moines and Omaha!
Nice and quiet there today. Not many out on a December day. We practically had the place to ourselves.
Des Moines River from the High Trestle Trail Bridge. With railing and square iron beams and blue LED strips.
On the High Trestle Trail Bridge over the Des Moines River. With railings and square iron beams and blue LED strips surrounding.
On the High Trestle Trail Bridge over the Des Moines River. With railings and square iron beams and orange sunset.
Sky at dusk from the High Trestle Bridge over the Des Moines River with peach color in the sky and reflected from the River.
High Trestle Trail Bridge at dusk
Foggy in Ames tonight
A Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat endorsement for cleaner air and better cooking
www.thecooldown.com/green-home/s...
This is my maybe too broad list. You may find more for your starter pack here.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
For now, we progressives can focus on organizing and pushing for local change. Whether or not Vilsack steps up, the work of addressing rural Iowa’s struggles and building a fairer future for all of us is worth the effort.
4/4
Looking ahead, if Joni Ernst faces a MAGA primary, Tom Vilsack might find a path to the Senate. If that happens, I hope Iowa’s angst can turn to excitement for what Tom offers, while addressing lingering concerns about rural challenges.
3/
At the same time, I share Art Cullen's concerns about missed opportunities. Vilsack’s ties to big agriculture left me feeling uneasy. We still are stuck with long-term corporate dominance in ag and in rural areas.
2/