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.
Iowa Independent writers are fanned out across the state, observing and, in some cases, participating in tonight’s precinct caucuses. Based on early reports, turnout — particularly on the Democratic side — is breaking records almost everywhere.
Our own Dana Boone reports that her Des Moines precinct was forced to find a new location for its Democratic caucus. John Deeth sends in a note that his Democratic caucus in Iowa City Ward 10 has hit 315 participants. The previous record for attendance there had been about 230. In Carroll Ward 1, Douglas Burns reports high turnout as well. Democratic turnout is likely to break attendance records.
On the Republican side, State GOP Chair Ray Hoffmann told Iowa Independent that attendance looks very high, as well. He speculated that based on the turnout levels he has heard, that party’s record could also be broken tonight.
Matt Richter, who is running the GOP caucuses in Dickinson County, reports record-breaking turnout on both sides.
And one final note: the state’s largest Democratic precinct (by delegates), Grinnell Ward 1, is reporting lower than usual turnout because of relatively low student participation. In that precinct, only Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards initially met the 15% threshold for viability, according to a reader’s report. But when Sen. Hillary Clinton’s group was deemed unviable, her supporters shifted to support Sen. Joe Biden, creating a third viable group.
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