May is Cancer Research Month - a time for our country to pause and recognize the landmark accomplishments and life-saving promise of this critical research.  And, we are reminded during this month, that one of the best ways we can fight this epidemic and save lives is to continue to research cures, causes, treatments and prevention tools.

Despite the advancements that have been made in recent years, cancer remains one of the greatest health concerns in our nation.  It is estimated that in 2010, over 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in the United States, causing more than 550,000 deaths.  This makes cancer the second most common cause of death in this country. In Iowa in 2010, an estimated 6,400 Iowans will die from cancer, 14 times the number caused by auto fatalities.

In the past years, we have made great strides. Early detection has increased survival rates and new tools have greatly improved the five-year survival rate for many types of cancer, but there is still much work to be done.  That is why as Chairman of both the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds medical research, and as Chairman of the Committee that oversees health initiatives, I have actively fought to provide funding at both the national and local levels for cancer research, screening and prevention initiatives. In fiscal year 2011, the National Institutes of Health will fund $5.8 billion in cancer research.  And last year, I secured $370 million for cancer screening and prevention efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Out of those funds, Iowa runs the Iowa Gets Screened program and Care For Yourself programs, which provide free or low-cost screening for colon, breast and cervical cancers. Iowa schools and institutions such as the University of Iowa are also helping to lead the way in cancer research, and I have been honored to help secure nearly $21 million in NIH funding in 2010 for critical research into lung, prostrate and pancreatic cancer, as well as the role of nutrition in cancer prevention.

With Congress focusing on deficit reduction and cost-cutting it will be tempting for some to reduce funding for cancer research that can lead to better treatments, better screening tools and more effective prevention of cancer. But as a nation, we cannot afford to put transformative science on hold, particularly now, when strong investments in medical research could pay extraordinary dividends to our health and economic well-being. Even when considered in purely economic terms, it is estimated that every one percent decline in cancer mortality saves the United States economy $500 billion. I will fight to ensure that critical funding for cancer research is not cut.

For more information please feel free to contact any of my offices or visit my website at harkin.senate.gov.

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The Downtown Partnership's popular petunia flower baskets will return throughout Downtown Davenport and the Mississippi riverfront Saturday, May 14.

More flower baskets will be displayed this year - 572, which grew from last year's number of 532. There will also be 116 ground planters bursting with the vibrant colored flora. The new baskets can be found surrounding the Hotel Blackhawk and a portion of 3rd Street between Ripley and Harrison Streets that was recently streetscaped.

According to Adam Holland, Director of Downtown Operations, the flowers are a mix of "Supertunias" that sweep over the top of the baskets as they grow. The wire baskets will be brimming with eye-popping violet, fuchsia, and "tequila sunrise" petunias, which will be in full bloom in June. The Green Thumbers, a local business and chamber member, supply the plants for the project.

Funded by downtown property owners in the Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), the baskets annually provide downtown Davenport with a fresh look in the spring and summer for its residents, visitors and employees to enjoy.

The Downtown Partnership, a division of Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, is a non-profit organization focused on the strategic growth and beautification of historic downtown Davenport. As administrators of the Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), the Downtown Partnership provides leadership and advocacy for downtown economic development, planning, cultural vitality, events, marketing, and clean-and-safe initiatives.

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BOURBONNAIS, IL (05/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Katelyn J. Flynn, an English major from Davenport, graduated magna cum laude with Olivet Nazarene University's first cohort of 14 students in the undergraduate Honors Program. She has been accepted at Regent University School of Law, Virginia Beach, Va.

Honors Program graduates received their degrees along with 1,683 other graduates during the 2011 Commencement convocations Saturday, May 7, in the Betty and Kenneth Hawkins Centennial Chapel.

"Our Honors students are bright young adults who give me faith for the future of our country," said Dr. Sue Williams, director of Olivet's Honors Program. "They are going out to serve others, not just to acquire. I'm proud of them. Several of them are going either to graduate school or taking jobs right out of college due, in part, to their scholarship and being in this program."

Launched in 2007, Olivet's Centennial year, the Honors Program immediately attracted academically talented students with unique interests and special academic ambitions. The goal of the program is to encourage and nurture the students in the integration of Christian faith and scholarship, preparing them for servant leadership in the Church and the world.

Each student was accepted into the program based on his/her ACT score, application, essay and an on-campus interview. During their years at Olivet, each completed a rigorous program of specially designed honors-level courses in addition to fulfilling all academic requirements for their majors. They also completed many community service opportunities and attended several cultural events. The culmination of their work was their mentored research and presentation of that research at an honors research symposium.

Olivet Nazarene University is an accredited Christian, liberal arts university offering over 120 areas of study. It is centrally located in the historic village of Bourbonnais, Illinois - just 50 miles south of Chicago's loop - with additional School of Graduate and Continuing Studies locations in Rolling Meadows and Oak Brook, Ill. and throughout Chicagoland.