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.
District Court Judge Joel Novak was recently presented with the Iowa Judges Association Award of Merit for his contributions to the association.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Judge Novak has served as a district court judge with the highest integrity,” 5th District Chief Judge Arthur Gamble said in a prepared statement. “He has handled every kind of case from misdemeanor to murder, medical malpractice and complex commercial litigation. He studiously catalogs each decision of the Iowa Appellate Courts. He shares his judicial scholarship each year as a faculty member for our new judge orientation.”
The judge, having made a name for himself as the “marrying judge,” was the subject of an April 2006 article in the Des Moines Register. He is especially sought after in the Latino community because of his ability to speak Spanish.
“The two best things a judge can do is preside over adoptions and weddings,” Novak said in that interview. “Any other time I’m dealing with people’s problems. When I look back, believe me, I see the faces of the couples in my mind. It warms my heart.”
Novak, Des Moines, was appointed to the bench in 1979. Born in Rock Island, Ill., he graduated from the University of Iowa in 1962. In 1965, he earned his law degree from the same institution. From 1965 to 1979, Novak was a trial lawyer with a private firm. He belongs to the Polk County and Iowa State Bar associations. He is married with four children.
The Iowa Judges Association represents the interests of all active, senior and retired judges and appellate judges in Iowa.
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