Sad happenings in my hometown

[Cairycat]

Two weeks ago, there was a 10-year old boy who drowned in the Iowa River near the Center Street Dam in Marshalltown. On the Fourth of July, three young children drowned in the Iowa at a different spot in Marshalltown. All four children were children of immigrants.

The town I grew up in sometimes has difficulty accepting people who are different. But the people there are basically caring and good-hearted. (I think that's true all over Iowa.)

Here are a couple quotes from the article about the most recent drownings in the Marshalltown Times-Republican:

Marty Mitchell, funeral director at Mitchell Family Funeral Home, said it is no time to point fingers. He said he has spoken to the family and it is time to support the family during this tough time.

"The family needs to be loved and supported, not challenged," he said.

"Tears come in English as they do in Spanish as they do in every language," he said. "Hurt is hurt in every language."

Several families have already dropped off or donated money for tickets to the Marshalltown Family Aquatic Center to the Mitchell Family Funeral Home, he said. The tickets are for those who cannot afford safe, water-based activities for their children.

[catbyte]

1. There's been a lot of drownings in southwest lower Michigan too

for the second year in a row. It's pretty ironic because all the local TV stations have been going out of their way to run water safety segments all the time, but still people are drowning. I think it's because they're trying to escape the heat. The earliest drowning was in March when temperatures hovered near 80, for crying out loud. And the GOPbaggers are still claiming climate change is a hoax. Yeah, right. It will be over 100F for the second day in a row for the first time since 1933 or so. That's unheard of this close to Lake Michigan.

Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Taz, Nigel, and new baby brother Sammy, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"Dogs Aren’t Luggage--HISS!”

[knitter4democracy]

3. This heat is making us crazy, that's why.

We're Michiganders, not Floridians. This heat is crazy-making.

[liberal N proud]

2. Sad story, I was listening to it yesterday driving home from Iowa.

[mattvermont]

4. so very sad

I grew up 10 miles north of Marshalltown...I know that river well.