30 mayors from across Iowa sign letter to ensure Iowa has same resources as other states dealing with invasive beetle

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today wrote Secretary Vilsack to ask that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) allow Iowa to receive the same amount of funds that other states have received as they combat the emerald ash borer?an invasive species that could potentially cause billions of dollars in damage in Iowa.

Mayors from 30 Iowa municipalities, representing over 900,000 Iowa residents, have signed on to Braley's letter including mayors Bill Gluba of Davenport, Shane McCampbell of Burlington, and Bob Gallagher of Bettendorf.

"Communities all over our state are, or soon will be, dealing with costs associated with the ash borer?and these mayors know firsthand that these pests don't just harm trees, they harm city budgets as well," Braley said. "Resources were available to communities in other states when they were battling the ash borer infestation and I'm going to do everything possible to ensure that Iowa is treated fairly."

"The city of Davenport has aggressively begun surveying and treating ash trees across our city, but this preparation comes at a significant cost," Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba said. "Federal resources would ensure we can survey, treat, and remove infected ash trees to protect our city and its residents from the effects of the ash borer."

States that found cases of the beetle in years past were given resources to aid in the mitigation and removal of infected trees, but federal funding has since been drastically cut, leaving states like Iowa with limited resources to combat the problem.

"We hope that you will work to expand efforts to control and eradicate the emerald ash borer, and restore funding for this effort," Braley's letter reads.

Iowa is home to over 3 million ash trees. Each infected ash tree must be removed to maintain safety on public and private land, costing roughly $1000 for the removal and disposal of each tree.

The ash borer has now been confirmed in more than 20 states. Just days ago, Johnson county became the tenth Iowa county to identify the ash borer. The first infestation in Iowa of the emerald ash borer was found in Allamakee County in 2010 and has since spread to Des Moines, Black Hawk, Cedar, Jefferson, Union, Bremer, Wapello, Jasper, and Johnson counties. It is widely expected to spread to other parts of the state in the near future.

In February, Braley introduced legislation restoring funding to a program that helps combat the emerald ash borer. His legislation also funded two grant programs that would be available to communities facing significant costs from tree removal.

In March, Braley wrote a letter to congressional leaders urging that the funding be included in the 2015 appropriations bills.

The letter to Secretary Vilsack signed by Braley and the 30 mayors can be found HERE.

The loss of a child is the worst experience of a lifetime, say many parents; but, for children, the loss of a parent can lay the foundation of a lifetime of grievances, says Karolyn Rogers.

"I was only 5 when I lost my father and, while there's no good time to lose a loved one, it was a tender age to lose him; the circumstances of his death - and how my family dealt with it - left a palpable void," says Rogers, author of the new book, "When Daddy Comes Home," (http://www.karolynrogers.com/), which details her journey of healing through researching her father's death while serving his country in World War II.

The way her family dealt with the devastating loss was by not talking about it, she says.

"I simply adored my daddy, Pfc. Tom T. Wilmeth, and I'd never received closure on his passing. I lived knowing that my children and grandchildren would never know their granddaddy, and I probably would have made better decisions earlier in my life if I had him growing up - or, at least, better understood his passing," says Rogers, who reviews how researching his life and death finally provided what was missing in her heart.

•  Pay attention to spiritual signals. On Feb. 17, 2001, Rogers was brushing her teeth, hurriedly trying to get to a friend's wedding on time, when, "I remember it clearly; out of nowhere, a white light surrounded me," she says. "I heard something tell me that I was supposed to tell what it was like to be an orphan with a widowed mother as a result of war."

•  Start investigating what you know. While she knew her mother had two boxes of letters from her father that were kept throughout the years, it felt like there was an invisible boundary between Rogers and those letters. "This exemplifies why so many remain unfulfilled decades after the loss of a loved one; it's like there's a scab there that's protecting you and others," she says. The process of reviewing the letters was so emotionally fraught that it took nearly a year to complete.

•  Ask yourself, "Are there others in my position?" Pfc. Wilmeth died during the waning days of WWII - in Patton's secret Third Army - a surprise Rogers found out while finally doing the research in her 60s. She figured out she was one of 183,000 American orphans from the war; she wasn't alone and was able to reach out to many others. Even those family members involved in isolated missing-person cases can find support groups and possibly be guided to helpful resources.

•  Preserve materials involving your loved one. Over the past century, the media for storing family memories have changed and changed again. They include pen-and-paper letters, emails, and taped voice recordings and videos, as well as digital records. A basic internet search will lead browsers to local and national companies that can professionally save and restore old materials. There are also companies that can help preserve digital files, although a basic external hard drive is an easy way to save them.

About Karolyn Rogers

Karolyn Rogers lost her father when she was a small child. Pfc. Tom T. Wilmeth was killed during Gen. Patton's advance on Berlin in the waning days of World War II. The loss devastated her family and left Rogers with a lingering void, until she began researching her father's life. She learned her dad earned the Purple Heart and many other decorations, he was a loving and caring husband and father, as evidenced by the many letters he sent from Europe to his family in Oklahoma. With the hope of inspiring others who've suffered loss, Rogers has built a chapel in memory of Pfc. Tom T. Wilmeth and has recently published "When Daddy Comes Home," (http://www.karolynrogers.com/).

Join us as we welcome Frederick Morden to the German American Heritage Center as he presents "The Symphony Immigrates to America: From Wiener Schnitzel to Melting Pot" Sunday, June 22nd at 2pm.

How and when did symphonic music grow new roots in the USA? Frederick Morden, retired orchestra-music director, conductor & composer will answer this and more. His talk is a wonderful musical history guide to our exhibition, "100 Years - 100 Stories: Celebrating a Century of Excellence of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra."

This program is sponsored by Humanities Iowa, Western Illinois University Foundtion, Charles B. Preacher Foundation, The Riverboat Development Authority, and the Downtown Davenport Partnership.

MILWAUKEE (June 17, 2014) - The following students have been named to the Dean's List for the spring 2014 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

from Bettendorf, Iowa:

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university that draws its more than 11,500 students from all 50 states and more than 75 different countries. In addition to its nationally recognized academic programs, Marquette is known for its service learning programs and internships as students are challenged to use what they learn to make a difference in the world. Find out more about Marquette at marquette.edu.

-30-