Open Dialogue

Johnson County, Iowa

Last week Dubuque Street opened and this week the Park Road bridge opened, this means two of the main city infrastructure arteries that I use are no longer water clogged. Life is starting to feel normal again. Instead of flood pictures, the papers now have articles on FEMA and SBA loans. So, it's not completely back to normal.

Normally, one of the perks of living in Iowa City is the lack of depressing news. One of my favorite things to read in the Iowa City Press Citizen is the Johnson County news blurb. The other day's headline was, "Sheriff seeks owner of rescued heifer." A couple was boating on the Iowa River when they discovered a calf stuck between two trees in the water. They didn't have enough fuel in their boat to return with the calf, so deputies were called in. No tags were on the calf, so it has found a temporary home with a couple in Lone Tree.

Here's a Johnson County news blurb that could be considered tragic, "Man hospitalized after shooting self." But, after reading it, it's not. A man was "jumping on a bed with a .40-caliber handgun either in his pants or his waistband when it accidentally discharged..." He shot himself in the thigh. And, yes, his name was published. Imagine living that one down. Another example of why gun laws would be good. I do believe it is our duty to protect people from themselves.

Back to the flood. I get a weekly news e-bulletin from the UI. Click here for a link to photos taken by the UI News Service. They show various stages of flooding on campus with some good aerial photography.

posted by Susan @ 12:30 AM