Gustav

Happy Labor Day!

Like many of you, I'm working instead of enjoying a three day weekend. But I'm not complaining. Some people didn't get a weekend at all ... like Sonya. We were sitting at a local restaurant Saturday with a friend we worked with at Channel 5 when Sonya's cell phone rang. It was our boss, telling her she was going to be leaving for New Orleans later that day. We were disappointed our reunion lunch was cut short, but glad she would be covering this story. Some of you may remember that Sonya was in New Orleans shortly after Katrina hit, and returned for the one year anniversary. Last Friday marked the three year anniversary of that storm, and it made our hair stand on end to watch Gustav swirling off the coast, with forecasters predicting its path and strength. I can't imagine what it must be like for people who lived through Katrina and returned to rebuild. Sonya will be bringing us reports about the effects of Gustav and what the storm means to people who were still recovering from Katrina, in addition to sharing the stories of Iowans who are in Louisiana to help. More than 245 members of the Iowa Army National Guard are deployed to southern states, and Bobbie Bishop with the Central Iowa Chapter of the American Red Cross says at least 40 Iowa volunteers on are the ground as well. Keep them, and the people of the southeaster part of our country in your thoughts this week.

EEK