Homers: What's Going Right

WORKING LINK: Linn County's Link program, launched in 2009, is keeping more young offenders out of jail. It assigns a counselor to selected youth within 24 hours of their arrest to closely supervise the youth and work with family members to address conditions that may be problematic and steer them to community resources that can help. So far, only 7 percent of the 60 offenders served fell into trouble again, and minority youth taken to detention has declined 71 percent. Link's cost is offset by savings from keeping more juveniles out of the detention center, which costs $262 a day.

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FLU DOWN: No consolation for those folks who did suffer full-blown flu but this year's season was not as severe as first feared. The vaccine proved to be a good match for all three strains in circulation, a rare circumstance, state health officials said.

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GOOD SHOWING: United Way of Johnson County raised $2.3 million in the 2010 campaign, short of its goal of $2.45 million but still a solid showing considering the lingering effects of the economic recession. Also encouraging: 658 new donors, up 12 percent from 2009. The organization helps support 29 partner community agencies.