(Radio Iowa) – If you are still working to get all your 2020 tax information together — you now have more time. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller explains ;”The federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will now be automatically extended from April 15th to May 17th,” Miller says. “This postponement applies to individual taxpayers — including individuals who pay self-employment tax. People don’t need to do anything, they don’t need to file any forms, or call the I-R-S to qualify for this automatic tax filing and payment relief,” according to Miller.

The tax deadline was moved last year from April to July because of the issues surrounding the pandemic. Miller says some of those same issues led to the second straight movement of deadline day. He says the includes the latest economic impact or stimulus payments that the I-R-S is working to send out. Miller says if you are on track to file your taxes now — you should go ahead and file. “Even with the new deadline the I-R-S is urging people to first of all, electronic file, and do it as soon as you can,” Miler says. “For people who are entitled to refunds or additional stimulus payments — we encourage them to go ahead and file and not wait until May 17th.”

And he says if you still can’t get your taxes done by May 17th, you can file for an extension. “Remember that an extension of time to file your tax return is not an extension of time to pay your taxes. So, we remind taxpayers that they should pay their federal income tax due by May 17th to avoid interest and penalties,” Miller says.

You can find out more information at I-R-S.gov.

(Radio Iowa) A bill under consideration in the Iowa Senate calls for a 10-fold increase in the state income tax credit for volunteer firefighters, E-M-Ts and reserve law enforcement. Cyndi Peterson is a lobbyist for the Iowa Firefighters Association, which represents volunteer firefighters. “While people may think this is a huge jump in one year, I think we’re catching up,” Peterson says.

The tax credit for volunteers who serve as firefighters, emergency medical personnel or reserve police officers was increased from 50 to 100 dollars in 2014. The bill would increase it to a thousand dollars. Peterson says there’s little — if any — type of reimbursement for the volunteers who respond to fires and medical emergencies in their communities, particularly in rural areas.

“There are some volunteer firefighters that get, like, $1 per call or they get some very minute amount of money,” she says. Senator Adrian Dickey of Packwood, who is a volunteer firefighter, is the bill’s sponsor. “It gives the fire chief or the supervisor a tool to try and incentivize their members or their volunteers to attend their training sessions,” dickey says, “to train on some of the things they need to do, that they’re required to do.”

The bill won approval in a Senate subcommittee Thursday. By one estimate, up to 20-thousand Iowans are currently serving as volunteer firefighters. The one-hundred-dollar per year state tax credit for volunteer E-M-Ts and firefighters was expanded in 2014 to include reserve officers who work as volunteers in Iowa police and sheriff’s departments.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in the Iowa Legislature are again rewriting the state’s gun laws with a bill that would allow people to buy guns and carry a concealed handgun without first obtaining a state permit. The bill that passed the House Wednesday with all Republican votes and one Democrat would eliminate current state permit requirements which carry with them background checks to ensure the person obtaining or carrying a gun isn’t disqualified from ownership due to past felonies or abuses. Supporters says it improves Iowans’ basic right of self defense outlined in the Second Amendment but opponents say it will make Iowa much more dangerous for police and citizens and will make it much more difficult to stop gun violence before it happens.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A decommissioned eastern Iowa nuclear plant could become the site of a new massive solar energy project. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that NextEra Energy of Florida this week laid out plans with nearby landowners to build a solar farm near the now-idle Duane Arnold Energy Center. The company said the project, planned for 2023, could bring in a $700 million capital investment and about 300 construction jobs. The solar farm would stretch across 3,500 acres near the plant in Palo and would produce up to 690 megawatts of solar energy — even more than the nuclear plant had generated.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers points to a quickly recovering economy in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states as the survey’s individual indicators soared and the overall index rocketed to its highest reading since it began in 2006. The overall index of the Rural Mainstreet Survey shot up more than 18 points to 71.9 in March from February’s 53.8. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss credits in part sharp gains in grain prices, federal farm support and the Federal Reserve’s record-low interest rates. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County arrested a man from Coin, Thursday, following a traffic stop. 48-year old Gary Lynn Runyon, Jr., was arrested for Driving while license is barred, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.

Runyon was transported to the Page County Jail where he was booked into the jail later posted bond before being released, pending future court proceedings.

(Radio Iowa) – A state panel meets tomorrow (Friday) to set official estimates of state tax revenue for the next 15 months. Robust projections could lead House Republicans to accept the Iowa Senate’s plan to accelerate state income tax cuts. But House Speaker Pat Grassley says a 2018 law includes a benchmark that state tax collections grow by at least four percent before the tax cuts are triggered to kick in.

“We might sit here tomorrow and revenue has grown to a point where it’s not an issue, but if that’s not the case, we’re going to take a cautions approach to looking at the triggers,” Grassley says. Governor Kim Reynolds supports removing that tax revenue measurement, so a series of promised income tax cuts automatically take effect in 2023.

“We recognize that’s been a priority of the governor’s so we’ll engage in those conversations,” Grassley says. Another factor in the tax debate has been federal pandemic relief money, which is not to be used by states to cut taxes. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a statement, saying states may cut taxes — so long as an accounting shows the extra federal funds aren’t the reason a state is in a position to cut taxes. Grassley says he hasn’t seen that statement, but lawmakers will look at potential tax changes if it doesn’t jeopardize the federal aid.

“We obviously want to get money back in the pockets of hardworking Iowans, but we also want to do that in a responsible way that we don’t end up upside down like some of our neighbors,” Grassley says. Last month, the governor of Illinois proposed corporate tax changes that would raise 932 million more in taxes. The State of Illinois faces a budget deficit. Iowa has nearly a billion in cash reserves and the state’s economic emergency fund.

The Atlantic Police Department reports 26-year-old Bryce Baker, of Atlantic, was arrested on separate charges, twice in one week. On March 8th, Baker was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Institution, and Public Intoxication. And, on Monday, March 15th, Baker was arrested again. This time on a Cass County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree.

Chief Dave Erickson reports also, 22-year-old Sean Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested March 8th, on Cass County warrants for Child Endangerment, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth, and Theft in the 5th. The following day (March 9): 32-year-old Justin Patton, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd of subsequent offense; 33-year old Randy Frazier, of Atlantic, was arrested for Compulsory Education Violation/1st offense; and, 27-year old Mark Nyanchoka, of Clive, was arrested for Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations.

Baker and Patton remained in the Cass County Jail, as of March 18th.

In the year 2000 KJAN celebrated our 50th Anniversary. A very popular cookbook with recipes from area residents was put together as part of that 50th celebration. We have recently had a large number of inquiries from listeners wanting to get their hands on a copy of that cookbook. We were able to get that cookbook into a digital format for everyone to be able to view and download. We hope you enjoy!

E-Book PDF: Open in New Window | Download (9.0MB)

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City park has been renamed for a late resident and the first Black winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The Iowa City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved changing the name of Creekside Park to James Alan McPherson Park. McPherson enrolled at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop after graduating from Harvard Law School, and in 1978, won the Pulitzer for “Elbow Room,” a collection of short stories. He joined the Writers’ Workshop faculty in 1981. He died in 2016. The park that now bears his name was recently renovated and features a new playground, shelter, basketball court, and restroom.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers points to a quickly recovering economy in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states as the survey’s individual indicators soared and the overall index rocketed to its highest reading since it began in 2006. The overall index of the Rural Mainstreet Survey shot up more than 18 points to 71.9 in March from February’s 53.8. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss credits in part sharp gains in grain prices, federal farm support and the Federal Reserve’s record-low interest rates.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Des Moines – Iowa seniors and Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to be aware of current Medicare card scams in our state.  To learn more about Medicare scams impacting Iowans, register for our live event on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. at https://bit.ly/3s0g8Ua. “It’s important for Iowans to protect their Medicare number and not give it to unknown callers,” SHIIP/SMP Director Kristin Griffith said. “Medicare will rarely contact you by phone, and if so, you can also hang up and call Medicare back to confirm that the call is legitimate and not a scam.”

Medicare scams include the following:

• Scammers falsely tell Medicare beneficiaries that Medicare is issuing new Medicare cards.  Medicare isn’t issuing new cards and Medicare employees don’t contact participants through unsolicited calls, emails, or visits. Medicare communicates with beneficiaries via mail.
• Scammers falsely allege Medicare is issuing new plastic or metal Medicare cards or black and white Covid-19 Medicare cards.  The scammers state that in order to get your new card, you need to provide personal identifying information such as your Medicare number, birth date or even financial account numbers. Medicare will never ask for your personal information or Medicare number unless you contact Medicare yourself.
• Scammers falsely allege Medicare is replacing the Medicare card due to suspicious activity, or promise the new Medicare card will give them new and enhanced Medicare benefits not available with their current card. Scammers often threaten that the current Medicare card is going to be deactivated.  This is not true.
• “Spoofing” is a process often used by scammers.  Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers also often use “neighbor spoofing” so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency like Medicare or Social Security Administration that you may already know and trust.

If you suspect Medicare fraud, errors, or abuse contact Iowa SHIIP/Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-800-351-4664 or www.smp.iowa.gov.