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Keokuk Renews Sister City Agreement

Keokuk, IA – Keokuk has renewed its longtime bond with a Japanese city. Keokuk mayor Dave Gudgel and the mayor of Kai City, Yoshimaro Fujimaki, signed a new sister cities agreement. Last night's ceremony kicked off the latest exchange between the cities as 15 junior high students and five chaparones, from Kai City, will spend the next few weeks in Keokuk. Keokuk Sister Cities Association founder, Rita Noe, says the program helps the children, from both countries, realize they have more similarities than differences. While in Keokuk, Noe says the Japanese students will take a boat trip down the Mississippi River, visit Nauvoo, and attend some stock car races and a rodeo practice. They will stay with host families from across the city. Noe says over 100 students have traveled from Kai City to Keokuk for exchanges. The original sister cities agreement was signed in 1998. It was renewed because Keokuk's original sister city merged with 2 other towns, in 2004, to create Kai City.