Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Kathy Turner of Clermont (standing) and Violeta Aleman of Decorah wrapped red ribbons around lamp posts on the lawn of St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville. Just as the women finished their task, church bells began to ring in rememberance of the 389 meatpacking plant workers detained by federal authorities one year ago.
Postville, a city that has proclaimed itself to be a “hometown to the world,” is often too diverse to speak with one unified voice. Today, on the one-year anniversary of an unprecedented immigration raid at the town’s Agriprocessors, Inc., meatpacking plant, cultural diversity — and all that it entails — is still the most apparent feature of the town.
A small contingent of religious leaders and volunteers gathered at local churches this morning to mark the moment the raids began one year ago with the ringing of church bells. The somber mood of those standing and listening was so prevalent that one gentleman pointed to greenry being blown of a tree on the lawn of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church and proclaimed that even nature was weeping.
The ringing of the bells — once for each of the 389 plant workers detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agents during the raid — continued for more than one hour. Yet even as bells continued to toll and echo throughout the community, visitors and media were already moving away from the churches and into downtown to observe a Jewish parade, marking the holiday of Lag B’Omen.
Inasmuch as the gathering earlier in the morning was sober, the Jewish displays of children wearing bright, handcrafted hats was festive. Town visitors who were just moments before bowing their head in silent repose found it difficult to restrain smiles and waves as the children and their parents marched by.
The participants marched from their school, through downtown and into the local fairgrounds. The rest of the day will be one of picnics and fellowship for the families who are celebrating. At the church, where a prayer vigil is scheduled for late this afternoon, there will be more sobriety.
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