Declaration covers damage from May and June storms, flooding

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today welcomed the disaster declaration by the President for 47 Iowa counties.  Last month, Loebsack and Braley lead the Iowa delegation in urging President Obama to approve Governor Terry Branstad's request for disaster assistance.  Now that the request has been approved, the counties are eligible for Public Assistance.

"I am pleased the President took swift action to assist those affected by the severe storms and flooding," said Loebsack.  "It is important that our communities have the resources necessary to clean up, repair and replace damaged areas, and to take necessary steps to prevent further damage.  I will continue to work with Iowa families, businesses, and communities to ensure we recover from the earlier storms and that all necessary steps are taken to prepare for possible future flooding."

Specifically, the counties of Appanoose, Benton, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Clayton, Crawford, Davis, Delaware, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hardin, Henry, Ida, Iowa, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lyon, Mahaska, Marshall, Mitchell, Monona, Monroe, O'Brien, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Poweshiek, Sac, Sioux, Story, Tama, Wapello, Webster, Winnebago, and Wright Counties were included in this declaration.

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Iowa Flag Officer will advocate for energy policies that will strengthen national security

MASON CITY, IOWA - Ret. Army Major General Gary Wattnem, a distinguished flag officer residing in Iowa, is traveling to Washington, D.C. on July 9-11 to meet with Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin to discuss the importance of energy security and how it impacts national security.

Wattnem, with his decades of Army experience, will provide the Senators with the first-hand knowledge they need to truly understand the risk the United States will face unless significant changes are made to energy security policies.

The most pressing item on Wattnem's agenda is the permit approval for the Keystone XL Pipeline that will contribute to U.S. energy independence by transporting desperately needed domestic and Canadian oil to American refineries.

"The United States and Canada have an established and friendly trading partnership and this pipeline would eventually provide us with twice of what we currently import from the Persian Gulf," Wattnem said. "If Washington is serious about increasing our economic, energy, and national security then it needs to act fast and get this pipeline built."

The State Department has conducted four separate environmental impact assessments that repeatedly conclude that the pipeline would not have significant impacts on the environment. Despite the overwhelming public support for the pipeline, a final approval for its permit has been put on hold.

Wattnem will also press the Senators to fix the Renewable Fuel Standard, a series of mandates for the production of renewable fuels established in the Energy Independence Act of 2007.

In order to comply with RFS mandates, American fuel supplies have been blending 10 percent ethanol content into fuel. They are approaching the point at which refiners are no longer able to meet the ethanol blending mandates. This will put refiners in the situation of either having to produce 15 percent ethanol or 85 percent ethanol, which could cause engine damage in military vehicles and hurt the economy.

"We need to avoid these unrealistic regulations that severely impact our economic and energy security," Wattnem said.

Wattnem is a member of Vets4Energy, a group of volunteer veterans from a variety of branches and ranks of the military. Dozens of other Vets4Energy are joining Wattnem on Capitol Hill to meet with their Senators. They hail from 25 other states and have fought in every U.S. war or engagement since Vietnam.

About Ret. Army Major General Gary Wattnem

Wattnem served a tour of duty at the Eastern Area Military Traffic Management and Terminal Service in Brooklyn, N.Y. During 1970 and 1971 he served in Vietnam with the 71st Transportation Battalion at Long Binh, Republic of Vietnam.

He entered the Active Reserve in November of 1971. His assignments included Company Commander of the 404th Signal Company in Waterloo, Iowa, and Signal Officer of the 394th Ammo Battalion in Ames, Iowa.  He then was assigned to the 103rd COSCOM at Fort Des Moines where he served in a number of assignments including Battalion Commander.  He was then selected as Commander of the 56th Material Management Center at Fort Snelling, Minn.

In September of 1993, he became the Chief of Staff of the 19th Theater Army Area Command in Des Moines, Iowa. In August of 1996, he assumed command of the 3rd Corps Support Command in Des Moines. He was selected as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at the Pentagon in 1999.  He retired in 2004.

We are very excited to announce the endorsement of Senator Tom Harkin!

"We are already seeing increasing intensity and frequency of storms, droughts, and heat events caused by climate change, and that trend is just beginning," said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). "The Great March for Climate Action may be just what's needed at this time to wake-up America to the urgency of climate change, and I commend Ed Fallon for getting the ball rolling. I wish the Climate March every success and hope it helps spur the Congress into action to address this critical challenge to the planet."

Which brings me to this week's Calls to Action:

(1) Invite a US Senator, member of Congress, mayor or state lawmaker from your area to endorse the Climate March. Click here for a full list of endorsing individuals and organizations.

(2) Check out this heart-warming story about a retired Des Moines minster, Bob Cook, who plans to go the distance in next year's March. Please share it with your local media contacts. Better still, share your own story about why you are marching and/or supporting the March. We inspire others to take action not only through our commitment to marching but through the power of our personal witness as well.

Thanks, and have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend! Oh, and if you're planning to come to the 80-35 Festival this weekend in downtown Des Moines, check out our booth, which will feature a big map showing the March route, and a fine beverage we're calling "climate-aid."

-40 Years and Still Going Strong-

DAVENPORT, Iowa, July, 1, 2013 - Get ready to celebrate a major milestone: NorthPark Mall is proud to announce the celebration of its 40th anniversary in the Quad City area.

NorthPark Mall officially opened on Wednesday, July 11, 1973, with a mere 700,000 square feet. At the time, the shopping center was the largest enclosed mall in the entire state of Iowa. Over the years, NorthPark Mall has provided thousands of jobs to local employees, new products to the increasing shopper base and a convenient place where families could get all their shopping completed in one stop.

Today NorthPark Mall is home to nearly one million square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment and employs thousands of Davenport-area residents. The center is anchored by JC Penney, Von Maur, Younkers, Dillard's and Sears and offers guests over 135 retailers. Since the mall opened the community has been an integral part to the success of the shopping center and that holds true today.

"Great activities for families and kids are an important part of what our mall offers the community," said Aleshia Chiesa, Marketing Manager, NorthPark Mall. "NorthPark is a staple of the community and we expect to keep it an invigorating shopping experience for everyone."

The community is invited to celebrate the mall's 40th anniversary with a formal ribbon-cutting that will take place on July 11, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., refreshments will be provided at the entrance to the food court and near Barnes and Noble. Local city officials, including the Chamber of Commerce will be attending.

For a complete listing of family-friendly activities at NorthPark Mall, visit www.north-park-mall-ia.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive the most up-to-date information.

Macerich is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com.

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