Gomers -- What's going wrong

SWAN SHOT: So what inspired someone to shoot to death one of the three trumpeter swans living at a pond on the Kirkwood Community College campus? The bird, a protected species, was shot multiple times during the obviously deliberate act last week. Call the TIP hotline at 1-(800) 532-2020 if you have information that can help.

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FUNDING FIX: Legislators last year shorted counties

$7 million toward the $88 million the state was supposed to provide for mental health services. Instead, they waived the property tax limit and gave counties the option to make up the shortfall by raising local property tax rates. Let's hope the ongoing mental health system reform effort ensures the Legislature lives up to its end of the deal.

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CAMERA SHORTAGE: Only 14 of 66 Cedar Rapids police patrol cars have working in-car cameras that provide evidence and monitor officers' work. The camera vendor filed for bankruptcy last year and, as malfunctions mounted, repairs couldn't be made. The city is upgrading with a new vendor, a process expected to take two years as aging vehicles are replaced. The good news: The new cameras are less expensive, yet more effective.