Homers: What's going right

PANTRIES STOCKED: Despite the recession, residents donated nearly 80,000 pounds of food for Linn County food pantries during the Freedom From Hunger food drive. That was 5,000 pounds under the 2007 record, but will go a long way toward meeting the demand on pantries this year as the economic downturn persists.

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2 DARTMOUTH PRESIDENTS: The inauguration of a new president at Dartmouth College had two ties to Iowa. New college President Jim Yong Kim, a South Korean native, grew up in Muscatine and was valedictorian and president of his high school class. He is the first Asian-American to lead an Ivy League school. Also speaking at his inauguration Tuesday was Frances Vernon, senior class president and daughter of Monica Vernon, Cedar Rapids City Council member, and her husband, Bill.

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COMING BACK: Challenges remain but more than 90 percent of downtown Cedar Rapids office building owners say they'll restore their buildings to pre-flood use, according to NAI/Iowa Realty Commercial's annual report. Also, retail occupancy throughout the Corridor has weathered the national recession better than most areas.