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 Gov. Chet Culver announced the members of the Iowa Power Fund Board of Directors Tuesday in Des Moines. Culver also introduced Roya Stanley, Iowa’s new director of the Office of Energy Independence.
The Power Fund and the Office of Energy Independence were created by the Iowa Legislature earlier this year to spur development of new energy technologies in Iowa and to develop and implement a plan for Iowa’s independence from foreign sources of energy by 2025.
Stanley has been active for 25 years in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. For the past seven years she has been employed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Co., as a liaison working with officials and agricultural leaders across the country. Before going to the NREL she spent 18 years in Des Moines, working for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and as the state Energy Bureau chief. During that time she led the development of state energy efficiency initiatives. She also worked to lay the groundwork for the development of a switchgrass research project.
In her new job Stanley’s duties will be to coordinate administration of the $100 million Iowa Power Fund, coordinate existing state and federal energy policy programs, pursue new research investment funding from public and private sources and develop the plan for energy independence.
Stanley will work directly with the Iowa Power Fund Board of Directors. Public board members include chairman Fred S. Hubbell, of Des Moines; Lucy Norton, of Clive; Glenn Cannon, of Waverly; Peter Hemken, of Des Moines; Carrie LaSeur, of Mt. Vernon; Patricia Higby, of Cedar Falls; and Thomas Wind, of Fairfield. Also on the board will be Iowa Department of Economic Development director Mike Tramontina, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Rich Leopold, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.
Ex-officio non-voting members of the board include Sen. Roger Stewart, D-Preston; Sen. Hubert Houser, R-Carson; Rep. Nathan Reichert, D-Muscatine; Rep. Chuck Soderburg, R-LeMars; and representing Iowa’s colleges and universities, Gregory Geoffroy, Kent Henning and Mary Jo Dolan.
Hubbell and Higby will also serve on a separate due-diligence committee that will monitor and review the projects. Other members of the due-diligence committee will be Franklin Codell, of West Des Moines; Vern Gebhart, of Marion; Floyd Barwig, of Ames; Ted Crosbie, of Ames; and William C. Hunter, of Coralville.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter