Homers and gomers

Homers: What's going right

SO FAR, SO GOOD: We're glad to see that the federal government's latest Agricultural Health Study report shows no strong link between atrazine - a popular, low-cost and effective weed killer used on two-thirds of Iowa's corn crop - and cancer. We're also glad the study, launched in 1993, will continue to monitor the effects of atrazine and other chemicals on 90,000 farmers and spouses in Iowa and North Carolina. Risk factors can take decades to identify.

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GREENER: Several Corridor summer festivals and events are “going green,” requiring or encouraging vendors to use biodegradable packaging and other products, provide recycling bins and/or have educational booths. They include the Coralville RAGBRAI stop, Iowa City Summer of the Arts events and the FRY Fest in Coralville.

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CHARGE TO SUCCESS: A new youth group, organized by the African American Family Preservation and Resource Committee, wants to help make Cedar Rapids a place that does a better job of helping its black population succeed. The group, including many teens, plans to engage other teens and young adults who want to be involved in the initiative.

Gomers: What's going wrong

SWEET CORN DELAY: If you were hoping to sink your teeth into Iowa-grown sweet corn this Fourth of July, you likely were disappointed. Cool, wet conditions this spring delayed the crop, which probably won't be ready to eat for at least several days in most areas of the state.

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BAD BRIDGES: We've known for several years that the condition of many Iowa bridges is deteriorating, and the latest news is troubling confirmation: Nearly 22 percent of the state's 24,722 bridges used by motorists are structurally deficient, almost double the national average and the third-worst figure in the nation, according to a report gleaned from Federal Highway Administration data.

Making this all worse is that Iowa, with its unusually extensive road system, including farm-to-market routes, faces a major shortfall in transportation funding that, in part, pays for bridge maintenance and construction.

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FASTER: Less than half of the state's $85 million in Jumpstart assistance targeted for business disaster recovery has been allocated 2 1/2 years after the program was created, keeping many businesses at risk.