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 Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee will chose a new chair Saturday, but by most accounts the die has already been cast and Des Moines City Councilman Michael Kiernan will be the choice.
That’s because while Central Committee members will be voting, they will likely take their cues from Gov. Chet Culver, and Culver has made it clear that Kiernan is his pick to lead the party into the 2010 election.
Rumors swirled in the weeks leading up to the vote about whom Culver would tap to run the party. Several sources said Culver wanted Lt. Gov. Patty Judge to take the position, but those close to the discussion said party officials were wary of having the new chair serve two masters, since Judge will be trying to get re-elected along with Culver in 2010.
Former Congressional candidate Becky Greenwald’s name was also mentioned, as was Andrea McGuire, who ran as Michael Blouin’s running mate in the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Kiernan, 33, was elected as an at-large member of the Des Moines City Council in May 2004. His current term ends in 2010.
He served as Culver’s campaign manager when he successfully ran for secretary of state in 1998 and as communications director for Lt. Gov. Patty Judge when she was Iowa secretary of agriculture. He also ran one of former Des Moines Mayor Preston Daniels’ campaigns.
In 2001 he founded his own public relations company, The P.R. Group. He also was a co-developer in the now defunct Metro Market, an indoor farmers’ market in Des Moines.
He founded his own public relations company, The P.R. Group, in 2001 and was co-developer of the now-defunct Metro Market.
Kiernan’s father was a member of the Madison County Board of Supervisors and his mother served as a secretary for the Iowa Democratic Party. He lives with his wife, Erin, who is an anchor for Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-TV, in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood.
While it is still possible for another candidate to throw their hat in the ring before Central Committee members vote, most believe that is unlikely. The new chair will hold a press conference Saturday at noon.
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