A meeting between federal and city officials and residents of the
flooded out Normandy Drive area of Iowa City started out folksy
Saturday, but grew more tense as answers grew less specific. The more
than 250 residents were more than happy with Dave Loebsack (pictured
above with neighborhood resident Steve McGuire), offering applause for
the congressman's physical labor sandbagging the neighborhood.
Loebsack announced that he had canceled a visit to Iraq and
Afghanistan that was scheduled for next month to focus on flood
relief. "For some months to come, the district staff and I will be
working almost exclusively on this," he said. "It's going to be a long
process, no doubt about it. I know what I'm doing when I'm back (in
the district.) It won't be sandbagging, but it'll be cleanup."