Homers -- What's going right

ONLINE HELP: An Iowa City team has joined nine other crisis centers across the country that field online chat requests through crisischat.org. The local team, through the Crisis Center of Johnson County, handles about one-third of all requests, most of which come from teenagers and young adults who are more comfortable seeking help online. More volunteers are being trained to handle the escalating demand. The phone line service also remains busy.

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KIBBIE KUDOS: We add our voice to those who last week honored Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg. The longtime state legislator was feted by the governor, other lawmakers, and students, staff and administrators from Iowa's modern, respected community college system - the one Kibbie created with his legislation in 1965.

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PASSING IT FORWARD: Audrey Gibbs and her West Union family recently benefited from ABC's “Extreme Home Makeover” project. In turn, they held an open house fundraiser the last weekend of January, with proceeds going to the Spece family of Independence, which also had been a candidate for the makeover program.