CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has long been known for its lush, leafy neighborhoods. But it took only 45 minutes last summer for a rare storm called a derecho to plow through the city with 140 mph winds and leave behind a jumble of branches, downed powerlines and twisted signs. It took weeks for power to be restored to everyone. Repairs still continue on homes and businesses, but the city is largely back to normal, except for the trees. Now, city officials, businesses and nonprofit groups have teamed up with ambitious plans to somehow transform what is now a city of stumps back into the tree-covered Midwestern oasis along the Cedar River.
Cedar Rapids tries to turn city of stumps into tree oasis
