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 75,000 weekly readers of Des Moines alt-weekly Cityview have weighed in, and The Iowa Independent’s Jason Hancock is their choice for “Best News Commentator or Columnist.”
The paper announced the winners of the annual “Best of Des Moines” readers poll in this week’s issue, with categories ranging from “Best Beer Selection” to “Best Place to See Beautiful People.” Hancock beat out two prominent television personalities — WHO-TV sportscaster Andy Fales and KCCI-TV anchor Kevin Cooney.
From Cityview:
Best News Commentator or Columnist
Jason Hancock, www.IowaIndependent.com
When David Yepsen announced last year that he was stepping down from his perch at The Des Moines Register after nearly three decades as Iowa’s premiere political journalist, the search began for someone to fill the void. Cityview readers apparently weren’t impressed with the Register’s pick (Kathie Obrada… something or another), so they turned to the online world and Jason Hancock of IowaIndependent.com. Hancock (a Cityview alum, for the record) proves that quality journalism isn’t dependent on a $51 million printing press. And while the daily metro paper may be fading fast, daily news is alive and well thanks to muckrakers like Hancock.
Cityview, owned by Des Moines-based Big Green Umbrella Media, has been publishing the “Best of Des Moines” poll for more than a decade.
Hancock joined The Iowa Independent in 2008 as a political reporter. He previously followed the Iowa Caucuses and the state General Assembly for Cityview; state and local politics for the New Albany (Ind.) Tribune; and communications, technology and transportation for the Des Moines Business Record. A native of Louisville, Ky., Jason graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism and political science.
He took over as editor of the site in December.
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