This week's gomers

NOT AGAIN: More murder and mayhem in the small Iowa County town of Marengo struck last week. Curtis Bailey, 33, was killed July 19 at his home. His common-law wife, one of her sons and his friend were charged with first-degree murder. It was the community's second murder case in less than two months. On June 7, a woman was killed, also a domestic incident.

TROUBLING TREND: Charity care and bad debt at Iowa's 117 hospitals increased 18.6 percent in just the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2008. For the year 2008, Iowa hospitals gave $710 million in uncompensated care, an increase of 15.8 percent, or $97 million, over 2007. All of which means more Iowans don't have resources or insurance coverage to pay for some of their health care and hospitals face more financial challenges.

MORE ACTION: Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, is right. There's been lots of talk about developing watershed management plans across the state

but little action since the 2008 flood. The Rebuild Iowa

Advisory Commission said this is a priority. So let's see a state leadership coalition pull together a comprehensive

action plan sooner than

later.