Homers -- What's going right

HELPING NEPAL: The U.S. Department of Justice thinks enough of the Cedar Rapids Police Department to tab local officers to travel to Nepal at federal expense sometime in 2014 and train officers there as part of an exchange program.

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TOWARD REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE: A diverse group of Eastern Iowans has set an event it hopes will launch a civil, productive ongoing discussion about sensible gun use and regulation and potential solutions that respect rights. Ripples to Waves will show a 2010 documentary about the ripple effect of gun violence, produced by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Coralville Performing Arts Center, 1301 Fifth St. People with viewpoints from all sides of this difficult issue are encouraged to attend.

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IOWA PROFESSORS HONORED: Randall McEntaffer, a University of Iowa assistant professor in physics and astronomy who does research for NASA, and Steven Cannon, an Iowa State University-based research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, were among 102 professionals given the federal government's highest honor for scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers.