Homers -- What's going right

SPECIAL COACH: Bob Wagner is a supervisor with the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department's special populations program. He's coordinated Special Olympics programs for 23 years and has been coaching those athletes for more than 30 years. And now he's been named Special Olympics North America's 2013 Coach of the Year after being selected from 120,000 coaches. Well deserved, no doubt.

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REGIONAL COLLABORATION: Legion Arts, long a culture and arts leader in Cedar Rapids and based in the revamped CSPS building, is partnering with Iowa City counterpart Public Space One. Legion Arts will serve as Public Space one's fiscal sponsor and the two organizations will collaborate on some shows and events.

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WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SUPPORT GROWS: Iowa taxpayers are ramping up their donations to the state's wildlife conservation fund, commonly known as the “Chickadee Checkoff.” Filers filling out their state tax forms can choose such a donation. Last year, more than 8,000 taxpayers contributed $133,000, the third consecutive annual increase after a 10-year decline from a peak of more than $200,000.