As a host and videographer from Iowa Public Television prepared to interview Charles City Mayor Jim Erb, they discussed the highlights of their visit.
Videographer Rick Fuller and Host Dan Kaercher were in town last Thursday and Friday to shoot a segment of a show that will highlight the impact of this year’s floods on Iowa communities and the ongoing recovery efforts.
As the two men sat outside City Hall waiting for Erb to arrive, they looked up and down the Cedar River.
Fuller said he didn’t see quite the level of devastation he had expected. That observation ties into one of the messages that will appear throughout the show — even though the area appears to be back to normal, many people are still recovering and still in need of help.
“(This show) is built on the idea of not forgetting people who are still affected,” Fuller said.
Communities highlighted in the show will include Columbus Junction, the Arts Campus at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and rural Cedar Falls.
While in Charles City, the IPTV crew interviewed City Administrator Tom Brownlow, resident Gene La Bounty, Ken and Karen Vanderlee and Mayor Erb.
Erb’s interview took place near the pedestrian walking bridge — one of the three bridges that survived the flood. Charles City’s historic suspension bridge did not and was lost.
Kaercher said he expects the show to air in early December.
After a cold, rainy interview, the IPTV crew said they were looking forward to dinner at Plaza Mexico — a business that was forced to close for several weeks while its owners repaired flood damage.