Marathon Pundit: Greensburg city manager to be Laura Bush's guest at State of the Union address

On May 4, 2007, almost the entire town of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed by Category F-5 tornado--winds reached 205 mph, the tornado was 1.7 miles wide.

I traveled to Greensburg two months later, and discovered that remarkable progress in rebuilding the town had been made.

On Monday Steve Hewitt, Greensburg's city manager, will be in Washington and will be seated with to First Lady Laura Bush during the president's final State of the Union address.

From the Dodge City Globe:

Greensburg has won national attention since officials voted last month to rebuild the town's city buildings using the highest national environmental standards for construction. It is believed to be the first town in the country to set that goal.

The buildings will use recycled building materials, alternative energy sources and fixtures to conserve water. While they cost more to construct, the buildings generally are cheaper to operate and maintain.