http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/ Diamond, IA News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/753e964dc4e5f77e8094876ea6e0b65c.html MASON CITY The Christmas Cheer Fund got a boost Thursday when it learned it would receive 1000 from the Worth County Development Authority http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/d60bd15b60ff20e1f00f68e6b3089620.html TriState Area residents will have an opportunity to participate in a unique shopping experience during Puttin' on the Glitz 2008 Fire and Ice from 4:30 to 9 pm Friday in Keokuk http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/6b12df54187cec642e917b98a759f0dc.html Kristi Henke and Chris Hagan of Kingsley exchanged wedding vows Oct 18 2008 at Kingsley United Methodist Church with Pastor Roger Kurtenbach officiating Parents of the couple are Ron and Pearl http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/f77653a8b4a159c853db4882c0883de6.html Dubuque succeeds in privatizing some city services but outsourcing also has its limitations BY ANDY PIPER TH STAFF WRITER http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/ac39f6690ed23637891151470d29bfa6.html SWALEDALE A patchwork of green pink purple and blue are adding a little pizzazz to a plain white barn at 5200 Killdeer Ave near Swaledale http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/046b4f041c3dbc97a1846b1aecda5328.html There's a lot to be thankful for even in tough uncertain timesSure maybe the big stuff comes to mind for many of us first and8212; good health family a job that puts a roof over your head clothes on your back and food on the table All important blessings to be sure But I've also been considering those everyday miracles that make life rich and livable and in some cases bearable And that got me thinking about a woman I met last month We were walking out of a city open house showcasing flood protection plans As we rode an elevator down and exited on the ground floor I asked her what she thought of the gathering Her name was Sonja I didn't get her last name It wasn't a journalistic interrogation just two people talking and sharing And even though the open house was all about the big momentous tasks of recovery Sonja was more interested in telling me about the small miracles that pulled her through some very dark daysLike a lot of flood victims she was forced to evacuate quickly She left behind her cat Harley Davidson and later asked police to check in on her pet She says they took one look at her home swamped to the roof line and figured Harley was a goner But a few days later volunteers from Missouri who saw a record of her call asked if they could check again She figured if they found him at least she could bury him But it turns out Harley survived after climbing to the only dry spot in the house the top of a tall china hutch She told me about going to a convenience store after the flood for a cup of coffee and realized that she didn't have enough change Frustrated and exhausted she returned to her car closed her eyes and asked God to take over and8212; autopilot she called it Just as she's getting ready to pull out she looked down and saw some coins in her cup holder It was enough for coffee Sonja said she decided to salvage a few muckcaked knickknacks from of her flooded home While her husband cleaned them he found a diamond anniversary ring lost years ago She told me how she searched in vain through piles of donated clothes for something that would fit her husband an average sized guy who evacuated with little more than the shirt on his back As she's commiserating with a volunteer about her troubles a woman arrives carrying a big bag she's brought to donate It was full of clothes her husband's sizeSonja is facing problems so big that most of us would buckle under the burden And yet there she was smiling as she recounted these stories Call them fruits of faith or good luck or coincidence but she received enough small blessings to sustain her battered belief that things might just be OK when the clouds finally lift She couldn't have been more thankful How many times have all of us had moments like this when we find that tiny island of comfort in a sea of turbulence It's happened again and again in this town over the last five and a half months When you add them all up those islands form the ground where our hopes for the future are anchored And even with giant tasks and painful decisions still looming we can stand on that ground and give thanks http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/134fc5ede7c82ed45c2e9763f313f7ef.html PLEASANTVILLE What a difference one night can make http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/diamond/content/8763e874507a92e7250ab8bec95165c3.html The Lee County Salvation Army has launched its annual holiday Kettle Drive with area volunteers ringing bells and greeting shoppers at several area stores