WATERLOO, IA -- Tomorrow, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will join the riders of RAGBRAI XL as the annual bike ride makes its way from Cedar Rapids to Anamosa.  

Friday July 27th, 2012

8:00am	Rep. Bruce Braley and Carolyn Braley depart for Anamosa RABGRAI XL Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is the sponsor of legislation enacted earlier this month that bans the chemicals used to make a dangerous synthetic drug called K2 or spice.  Grassley's measure is named for David Rozga, an 18-year-old Iowan who committed suicide shortly after trying the product, bought from a local store.  This week, the Drug Enforcement Administration is leading a national crackdown against the manufacturers, distributors and vendors of synthetic drugs.  Grassley made the following comment on the national crackdown.  The DEA's press release is available here.

"The Drug Enforcement Administration is doing exactly what needs to be done.  These drugs are poison.  It's a testament to the cynicism and greed of manufacturers, importers, and distributors that these products were ever put on store shelves.  But now that these drugs are illegal from Florida to Alaska, law enforcement is right to crack down and spare more kids the cruel fate of my constituent, David Rozga.  I realize drug manufacturers will continue to change formulas to skirt the law as fast as we can enact it.  If they have any conscience, they'll find legitimate ways to make money instead of preying on 18-year-olds.  Congress will enact new laws as needed."

 

Eastern Iowa crop and livestock producers dealing with drought-related issues are invited to
attend an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach program Monday, July 30 to learn more
about options available to them. Jackson and Clinton County Extension will be hosting the 1- 3
p.m. program at Buzzy's in Welton. There is no charge to attend the webinar.

Livestock
Livestock issues covered during the program will include options to help producers manage
immediate needs related to stressed pastures and reduced hay supplies. Denise Schwab,
Extension Beef Specialist, will discuss early weaning to reduce cow requirements, supplemental
feeding on pasture, feeding value of drought stressed corn silage, proper ensiling and potential
for nitrate toxicity for corn harvested as silage or green chop.

Crops
Members of the Extension Crops Team will cover the topics of crop growth and development
under drought conditions and feeding drought damaged crops. "We will look at current
conditions, short-range and long range forecasts, impacts of drought on forages and crops, and
impacts on disease and insect development," said Virgil Schmitt, Extension Agronomist.

In addition to the Jackson and Clinton County Extension Offices, Fidelity Bank & Trust and US
Bank at Clinton and Maquoketa are co-sponsoring this program.

For more information on the program, contact the Jackson County Extension Office at 563-
652-4923. Additional drought related materials can be found at the ISU Extension & Outreach
drought disaster web site http://www.extension.iastate.edu/topic/recovering-disasters

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Davenport, IA / July 25, 2012 - It's not always easy to bring the lesson into the classroom, especially if it involves the health of our Country's rivers. That is why Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) has found a way to bring the classroom to the river with their new barge. This new 150-foot long barge features a handicapped-accessible classroom, which can host up to 60 attendees at a time, as well as sleeping quarters for an 8 person Living Lands & Waters crew. The new barge will be in Davenport for an educator workshop Monday, August 6^th and Tuesday, August 7^th.

The educator workshops will bring teachers and instructors on board for day long programs on a number of different topics ranging from History to Biology to the Navigation of our waterways, which they can then bring back to their classroom. This is also a chance for teachers to learn about the opportunity of student workshops, which will be conducted in various locations throughout the school year. Living Lands & Waters has been conducting educational workshops since 2003, but this experience could only be attended by teachers and instructors.  "We developed these workshops to give teachers a hands on look at our river environment with lessons they could take back to their students.  The instructors who attended were so engaged, but all said this would have much more of an impact if their students could be on the barge for something like this," says Tammy Becker, coordinator of the LL&W's Educational Workshops.  Over the years, LL&W held 92 teacher workshops for more than 1,700 teachers and educators. There were over a 100 different presenters in these presentations and over 60 different topics covered.

"This is a big collaborative effort that will affect so many students nationally.  A first hand look at our rivers will have an impact on these kids for years to come," says Chad Pregracke, LL&W founder.   LL&W plans to begin focusing on High School Juniors and Seniors. "We plan to work with teachers to customize workshops to dove-tail with the curriculum they are currently concentrating on, be it ecology, history or economics," said LL&W founder Chad Pregracke.

"This is really taking the education of our rivers to a whole new level and it could not have been done without the help of the many businesses who believe in what we're doing," expressed Pregracke.  The floating classroom was made possible by the generous support of five of LL&W's long-term partners: ADM, AEP River Operations, Ingram Barge Company, Caterpillar and Cargill as well as a number of Unions who gave so many hours of labor to help complete this project.

Chad Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America's major rivers and to the education of people about environmental issues. From his single boat beginning, LL&W has grown to an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats.  LL&W engages thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental education workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a-River-Mile programs and the Million Trees Project.  Recently, LL&W founder Chad Pregracke was honored by the Points of Light Foundation.  This distinguished honor, established by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush was awarded during a televised ceremony from the Lincoln Center which featured all of the living former presidents.   Chad ads this honor to many others he's received in recognition of his achievements since founding LL&W.  They include a Jefferson Award, and awards from the American Institute for Public Service; Heroes of Conservation Nomination and Field & Stream Magazine.

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