Homers -- What's going right

VOLUNTEER LEADERS: Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa has the highest concentration of volunteer services provided to communities of any JA chapter in the nation. The local chapter adds to the region and state's strong volunteerism record. Iowa City ranks fourth nationally and Cedar Rapids 10th among midsized U.S. cities, with rates of 44.3 percent and 38.2 percent, respectively, of the their residents involved in volunteer activities. Iowa ranks No. 5 nationwide among states with a rate of 36 percent.

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HOT BED OF NOTABLES: Johnson County beats the Big Apple and Los Angeles when it comes to the rate of producing “notable” people. A Wikipedia analysis by a Harvard researcher found that one in 862 people born in Johnson County between 1946 and 1964 grew up to be notable, the third-highest rate in the nation behind Boson and San Francisco. And most of the Johnson County natives are accomplished in various professional fields, not in pop culture. The college town environment of innovation and a variety of opportunities are among likely factors.

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TEACHING STAR: Cedar Rapids Washington High School teacher Kyle Phillips was named one of 14 national Rising Star award winners, and one of two from Iowa, by the Journalism Education Association. We add our applause and thanks - journalism remains vital for an informed, engaged democracy.