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.
At least two Iowans will be dining at the White House tonight as Pres. Barack Obama celebrates the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his administration’s first state dinner.
Iowa Sen. Swati Dandekar, a Democrat from Marion, and her husband, Arvind, a prominent local businessman, traveled to Washington, D.C. on Monday to attend tonight’s event.
Swati Dandekar
Dandekar, who is the first Indian-born American citizen to be elected to a state legislature in the United States, has been a fixture of local and regional volunteer boards and commissions since she and her family came to Iowa from India in 1973. She began her political career in 1996 when she was overwhelmingly elected to the Linn-Mar Community School District Board of Education.
Six years later, she was elected to the Iowa House and, in 2008, she won a seat in the Iowa Senate.
Since joining the legislature, Dandekar has been instrumental in the state’s outreach to India. She was the sole legislative member selected by then-Gov. Tom Vilsack as a part of a delegation to India to explore trade opportunities. The 25-member delegation met with government officials, technology executives, agricultural importers and education officials. Upon the group’s return to Iowa, Vilsack hailed the trip as one of the most successful in state history, and said that Dandekar was key to that success.
As a result of the visit, Iowa State University’s president signed agreements with two universities in India for student and faculty exchanges, and began discussions for research collaboration. The president of Des Moines Area Community College also entered into an agreement with the Sehgal Foundation in India for two-year training campuses, which are similar to Iowa’s community colleges, and provided additional exchange and collaboration opportunities.
Representatives from Iowa’s soybean industry met with Indian officials interested in importing oil, and built on the strong foundation already set by Iowa native Norman Bourlag. The delegation also set the stage for negotiations between a Marshalltown company and an Indian technology firm.
While officially welcoming the Indian Prime Minister to the U.S. on Tuesday morning, Pres. Barack Obama spoke of the strong bonds of friendship and respect between the two countries.
“[Y]our visit, at this pivotal moment in history, speaks to the opportunity before us — to build the relationship between our nations, born in the last century, into one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” Obama said.
“And today, our nations are two global leaders, driven not to dominate other nations but to build a future of security and prosperity for all nations. Mr. Prime Minister, as we work to build that future, India is indispensable.”
Follow Lynda Waddington on Twitter
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