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.
The skies continue to rumble and spit intermittent rain, but with each passing hour another inch or two of previously wet areas in Linn County begin to dry. Residents have begun the migration from protecting and maintaining to sorrow and clean-up.
The Cedar River found its crest Friday morning at a record-breaking 31.12 feet. By 3 p.m. on Saturday, officials were reporting that levels had dropped to roughly 27 feet. Before the Cedar had pushed to the limits of its fury, more than 1,000 blocks (9.2 square miles) had been submerged and 25,000 residents displaced. Early estimates indicate the city experienced more than $736 million in property damage.
As previously covered areas are exposed, residents are faced with the stark reality of the damage. A thick coat of soot covers nearly everything the water touched. Debris ranging from trash bags to furniture to large appliances can be found hanging from power lines or atop roofs. Roadways and nature trails have taken a beating from strong currents. Manhole covers are missing. Windows broken. “Leftovers” are evident in all areas, rural and urban, that were affected by the flood waters.
The National Weather Service has indicated that it does not expect the Cedar River to drop to a non-flood level of 12 feet until June 24. Locals find it ironic that the flood levels of 1993 would now be considered a welcome sight.
The area of most immediate concern to public officials is the dwindling supply of clean drinking water. Business leaders, state legislators and elected officials have all encouraged residents and local businesses to drastically cut water usage. E-mail messages offering tips for the usage of collected rain or water from sump pumps have become a staple of local newscasts.
Despite all residents in and around Cedar Rapids being told to only use the available water supply for drinking and the City of Marion sharing its supply, municipal employees report that if consumption levels aren’t drastically reduced, the current supply will only last another three or four days.
“We’re still using water at a greater rate than we’re producing,” Pat Ball, utility director, said in a Saturday press conference.
The city’s water supply became an issue when flood waters contaminated three of the city’s four wells. The last well, located on Edgewood, would have also become a victim of the flood had it not been for a sea of volunteers who gathered to protect it from the river.
Gov. Chet Culver has now listed 83 of Iowa’s 99 counties as disaster areas and has also said that he is not ruling out the possibility of a special legislative session, if necessary, to deal with the aftermath of the flooding.
Nationally, 18 of Iowa’s counties have been named in a presidential disaster declaration. Those counties are: Adams, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Hardin, Johnson, Linn, Marion, Page, Story, Tama, and Union.
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