Officials from Midwest cities and towns are finally getting a chance to reevaluate flood control after flood waters have begun to recede, some for the first time this year.

In 2007, reports started filling newspapers and websites about the poor treatment of wounded veterans in aging federal hospitals, including those being built and run by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

In one respect, Tangier Island, Va.’s situation has been the same for centuries: Its shorelines are still eroding into the Chesapeake Bay.