After being imprisoned five months in the Republic of Georgia, Loren Wille (willy) is returning home to Iowa. The social worker faced criminal charges after a fatal car wreck in July but charges were finally dropped a few days ago. Wille says the pressure exerted by state and federal officials on the Georgian government paid off. Wille was in the former Soviet republic working for Catholic Relief Services. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley was among the government leaders who pushed for Wille’s release, and talked with Georgian officials late last week. Wille says he wants to continue doing humanitarian work, but will rest for a while and give thanks for his release. Wille was interviewed in Istanbul. He’s due to arrive in New York this afternoon and is due to fly into Cedar Rapids tomorrow, arriving at 3:45 p-m central time.
