Gomers: What's going wrong

BEHIND THE RANKING: Iowa students ranked No. 2 in the annual ACT composite scores announced last week. Among states where more than half of the students take the college entrance exam, only Minnesota scored higher. OK, Iowa again scored well - compared to other states. But more important: Only 30 percent of the Iowa students did well enough to be considered prepared for college-level courses in English, math, reading and science. Not acceptable. The national average is worse:

24 percent.

lll

FOOD AID: The number of Iowans getting food assistance has jumped sharply since July 2008. It climbed nearly

17.6 percent the first year, then another 13.4 percent in the year ending in July. Federal aid, formerly known as food stamps, as well as local food kitchens and other social service agencies report sharp increases in demand. It's good so many can be helped, but root causes must be remedied.

lll

GAMBLING ADDICTS: Iowa public health officials say the number of Iowans seeking professional treatment for gambling addiction is up 5 percent this year. Another sign of the economic recession's fallout.