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.
Lt. Gov. Patty Judge will be evaluating the state’s response to Postville this afternoon when she meets with residents during a community meeting.
According to information released by the state, Judge plans to “review support the state has provided and is available to the community, discuss steps the state is taking to working with residents on short and long-term needs, and get input from residents on other issues.” Judge also plans to announce new aid to the community and those affected by the string of incidents at Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant which was once the region’s largest employer. Three AmeriCorps-VISTA members are anticipated to begin work with community leaders and residents next week.
The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Turner Hall, the site the city has proclaimed to be a neutral site for all types of emergency and long-term assistance for former workers and residents in need. At last estimate there were 600 individuals remaining in the community — several hundred of them Jewish — in need of assistance.
Judge comes into the community on the day that Agriprocessors’ bankruptcy trustee has resumed limited poultry production at the plant. Joseph Sarachek, the court-appointed trustee, faced high emotions yesterday as former workers demanded to know the process by which workers were selected to come back into the plant. Their requests for information, however, were not sated by Saracheck.
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