DES MOINES, IA (12/06/2011)(readMedia)-- Gary Slater, CEO/manager of the Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, was elected the 2012 chair of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) during the final business session of the 121st IAFE Annual Convention held Nov. 28 through Dec. 1 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

Slater grew up on a 600-acre crop and livestock farm in the small town of Eolia, Mo. After graduating from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in animal science and a master's degree in food science and nutrition, Slater began his career as a livestock field man. He then joined the Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, as a livestock supervisor, where he served for five years. Slater joined the Iowa State Fair in 1991, where he was in charge of planning the special events, free entertainment, and booking the facilities for off-season use. After five years, Slater left to serve the National Pork Producers Council as manager of the World Pork Expo. Slater managed World Pork for six years, holding the event in both Des Moines at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and in Indianapolis at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Knowing that his first love was fairs, Slater received the opportunity to return to Missouri in 1997 to manage the Missouri State Fair. He spent four years in a rebuilding mode, helping to restore the Missouri State Fair to physical and financial success and was instrumental in formulating a master plan for the fair. In 2001, Slater accepted the position of manager of the Iowa State Fair. After one year as manager, Slater accepted the position of CEO and manager of the fair.

Slater earned IAFE Certified Fair Executive designation in 1998 and was elected IAFE Zone 5 director in 2002, representing Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. He served as IAFE treasurer from 2007-2009, as second vice chair in 2010, and most recently as first vice chair. He has also played an active role on several IAFE committees.

Slater and his wife Mary have three children: Madeline, 17; Ali, 15; and Andrew, 12.

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In 2008 Barack Obama's campaign shtick was "change." That resonated because President Bush was spending too much and the country meant to change Washington. But Obama meant to change the country.

The Cameras in the Courtroom Act of 2011 would require television coverage of all open sessions of the Court, unless the Court decides, by a vote of the majority of justices, that doing so would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the Court. A similar bill was approved by a bipartisan majority of the Judiciary Committee last Congress.

In addition, on November 15, Grassley asked Chief Justice John Roberts to provide audio and video coverage of the landmark Supreme Court proceedings of the federal health care reform law.  Grassley said that broadcasting the health care reform law proceedings would not only contribute to the public's understanding of America's judicial system, but provide an excellent educational opportunity on a case that has the potential to have a far reaching impact on every American

"Nine Justices have a tremendous amount of influence on the lives of the people of this country, yet people know very little about the highest court in our country.   In fact, next year, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about a law that has the potential to impact every American.  Allowing cameras in the Supreme Court will help bring much needed transparency to a process that is largely unknown to the American public," Grassley said.

The Cameras in the Courtroom Act only applies to open sessions of the Supreme Court - sessions where members of the public are already invited to observe in person. Public scrutiny of Supreme Court proceedings will produce greater accountability, transparency, and understanding of our judicial system.

A hearing on the Cameras in the Courtroom Act will be held tomorrow in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. The hearing will be chaired by Senator Amy Klobuchar and will feature testimony from Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady. More information on tomorrow's hearing - including a link to the live webcast - can be found here.  Klobuchar, along with Senators John Cornyn and Richard Blumenthal, are also cosponsors of the bill.

In addition, Grassley is the author of bipartisan legislation that would allow the chief judge of federal trial and appellate courts to permit cameras in their courtrooms.  The bill would direct the Judicial Conference, the principal policy-making entity for the federal courts, to draft nonbinding guidelines that judges can refer to in making a decision pertaining to the coverage of a particular case.  It also instructs the Judicial Conference to issue mandatory guidelines for obscuring vulnerable witnesses such as undercover officers, victims of crime, and their families.  Included in the bill are safeguards to protect vulnerable witnesses, to exclude jurors from broadcast, and to allow a judge to use his or her discretion in determining whether to allow cameras in the courtroom.

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DAVENPORT, IA–The Scott Area Landfill, operated by Waste Commission of Scott County, is debuting new improvements for landfill customers on Thursday, December 8. The new improvements include an automated scale and a citizens' convenience area.

The new automated scale is for customers who frequently use the landfill, such as the City of Bettendorf and City of Davenport. These frequent customers will be given a code, which they will type into a keypad and the truck's weight will automatically be recorded. This will save the truck drivers time by not having to wait in the regular scale line or get out of their vehicle to go in to the scale office. Because the frequent customers will be diverted to the automated scale, other landfill customers will have shorter wait times in line. This improvement will greatly reduce vehicle idling, thereby reducing air emissions.

The citizens' convenience area includes a new trash unloading area for small loads and updated areas for drop-off recycling, appliances, scrap metal, oil, oil filters, antifreeze and car batteries. The new trash unloading area was designed for customers in cars, vans or pickup trucks with small loads of garbage. These small loads will be diverted to a concrete bunker near the office for unloading, rather than the actual landfill. The new trash unloading area is of benefit to these customers in that it will take less time for unloading, is safer due to not being around other large trucks or heavy equipment and they will not have to drive into the landfill.

The Scott Area Landfill is located at 11555 110th Avenue (County Road Y-48) in Davenport and is open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Waste Commission of Scott County is an inter-governmental agency whose mission is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. The Commission (Board) is comprised of the mayor of Davenport, a Davenport alderman, mayor of Bettendorf, chair of the Scott County Board of Supervisors and the mayor(s) of an outlying community in Scott County. For more information about the Commission, please call (563) 381-1300 or visit www.wastecom.com.