Homers: What's going right

FACE TO FACE: New Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett actively has engaged constituents during his first month on the job. Notable were the two open meetings with flood victims. Corbett says he wants to stay grounded and accessible.

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ECONOMY IMPROVING?: The Iowa Leading Indicators Index, a monthly gauge of the state's economy, improved for the third straight month in December. More significantly, all index components showed positive changes in December compared to the 12-month average, the first time since April 2007. The index includes grains and livestock profits, building permits and number of unemployment claims and manufacturing hours.

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HELPING HAITIANS: It's heartening to see so many schools, staff and students in Cedar Rapids and the region responding to the humanitarian crisis in earthquake-devastated Haiti. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, for example, moved up its annual Kids Against Hunger/ONE campaign, in which thousands of dollars are raised and meals packed and shipped to Haiti. Other schools are doing things like coin drives, homeroom competitions and talent shows to raise money.