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.
A small group of volunteers is helping the Iowa Civil Rights Commission battle discrimination in the state.Volunteers from the The AmeriCorps Vista Program have helped the financially strapped agency conduct research and increase public awareness about the commission and its work enforcing civil rights law and investigating discrimination complaints.
Commission volunteers Crystal Schrader, Jake Beckwith, Karen Miranda and Jennifer Fath have worked on a variety of research and outreach projects at the commission since August 2007. VISTA volunteers serve one-year terms at non-profit organizations or government agencies across the country. The volunteers can receive either a $4,725 educational grant or a $1,200 cash stipend at the end of the program.
The commission, which has struggled to add more staff, has relied heavily upon the busy volunteers, said Ralph Rosenberg, the commission’s executive director.
After graduating from Adrian College in Michigan with degrees in English and Spanish in 2006, Beckwith, 24, was looking for a way to help people, he said.
“It’s not always an immediate realization that you’re making a difference, but you just keep working at it every day,” he said, of his work at the commission. “Every effort you make is improving equal opportunity.”
Schrader, 29, who is working on a master’s degree in theology and last year worked for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps., with immigrants and refugees in Baltimore, MD., agreed. She said she has been amazed as Iowans recount their experiences with discrimination.
“Just appalled at how blatant sometimes the discrimination is,” she said.
The volunteers have worked on several research and outreach projects, including:
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter