Gomers -- What's going wrong

COLD AND EXPENSIVE: Our long, cold winter is driving up street maintenance costs in most Iowa communities. In Cedar Rapids, as of Friday, there had been 36 winter “events” that had consumed nearly $3 million worth of salt, sand and public employee overtime - 58 percent more than last winter, and it's probably not over yet. North Liberty has nearly doubled its spending, and Iowa City is at nearly $600,000 - well over $100,000 more than last year.

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FELLER MUSEUM IN TROUBLE: Bob Feller is one Iowa's most famous native sons and probably the best baseball pitcher ever to come out of this state. The Van Meter farm boy became a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher even though he served four years with the Navy in World War II during the heart of his career. The small museum built in his honor in his hometown is in danger of closing for good because of financial problems that have escalated since Feller's death in 2010. Donations and museum membership have faded, and special event guests are harder to schedule without Feller's presence.

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WHEELCHAIRS DESTROYED: Specialized wheelchairs used by people with disabilities to play sports recently were found in Fairfax - hacked into pieces. Sportability, the non-profit from whom those wheelchairs and a trailer were stolen in December, estimates the equipment was worth about $15,000. No arrests had been made as of last week.

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