A coalition of local, state and national community, consumer, farmer and labor organizations will hold a town hall meeting titled “Unleash Food Democracy: Taking on Corporate Power in our Food System” at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Best Western Metro North Hotel in Ankeny. The meeting is a response to the joint U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture antitrust workshop in Ankeny on Friday. For more information, contact Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement at (515) 282-0484 or iowa@iowacci.org.

The Central Iowa chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners is seeking nominations for two awards: the Aspiring Woman Business Owner Award and the WBO/Member of the Year Award. The Aspiring Woman Business Owner Award will be given to an emerging entrepreneur who has opened a business in Central Iowa and has been active in the programs of the Women’s Enterprise Center of the Institute for Social and Economic Development. The WBO/Member of the Year Award will be given to a chapter member whose ongoing leadership, commitment and service contributions have supported the chapter and women business ownership in the community. To nominate yourself or someone else by the March 29 deadline, <a href="http://www.womenmeanbusiness.biz

” target=”_blank”>click here.

CDS Global Inc. is expanding its partnership with Texterity Inc., a leading provider of digital magazine editions, in an effort to enhance its digital subscription fulfillment solution and increase the company’s presence in the consumer magazines market. CDS Global claims that it will be able to offer an enhanced solution that integrates print and online editions.

Principal Financial Group Inc. has pledged approximately $250,000 in relief for Chile, after an earthquake hit the country hard on Feb. 27. Principal is making the donation through the Chilean Red Cross and Hogar de Cristo, a Chilean disaster relief group. Principal has operated in Chile since 1995 and has about 300 employees there.

The number of Americans filing continuing unemployment claims jumped to 4,558,000 for the week ended Feb. 27, up 37,000 from the prior week, the U.S. Labor Department announced today. According to CNNMoney.com, economists had expected continuing claims to remain unchanged. Read more.