(Radio Iowa) – As 2021 draws to a close, some Iowans are dusting off those shoeboxes or file folders with the past year’s worth of receipts, bank statements and financial papers in preparation for the annual tax chore. Des Moines C-P-A Jeff Strawhacker says there are a few changes this year that will impact many thousands of Iowans. “There’s this provision called the Advanced Child Tax Credit and many people were getting advance payments on that. That all has to be reconciled when they file the return to see if they qualified for those advance payments, if they qualified for the full credits, etcetera,” Strawhacker says, “so that will be a little change for them.”

CPA Jeff Strawhacker

Many Iowans got three pandemic-related economic stimulus checks from the federal government over the past two years, though only one of those three checks is a concern on our latest tax returns.  “If they remember, in 2020 we had two rebate checks that came out that had to be reconciled on the tax return to see if maybe you qualified for an additional rebate,” Strawhacker says. “There was a third one in the spring of 2021 and the same process will have to happen on the 2021 returns.”

Some Iowans traditionally make their charitable contributions at year’s end, however, Strawhacker says recent tax law changes have made those donations something people now do more out of the goodness of their hearts — and less as a tax write-off. “A couple of years ago they increased the standard deduction levels to a fairly high amount so that took away a lot of the benefit of charitable donations,” Strawhacker says. “Depending on where they are on that itemized versus standard deductions scheme, the deductions may not benefit them from the federal but still may from the state.”

If making a big year-end deduction to charity isn’t good from a tax standpoint, he suggests you consider putting more toward your retirement plan instead. For many Iowans, those W-2s should be arriving in our mailboxes or via email in a little over a month, so those who are eager for a refund check will be able to get to work. “Returns should be ready to be processed by end of January-early February,” Strawhacker says. “If they have some investment income, those statements might be delayed a little bit to allow the investment companies to do their accounting and send out correct statements, so those may be pushed back to even late February/early part of March.”

He reminds, its vital to always be aware of your tax situation, employer contributions, retirement plans, mortgage rates and new legislation — to make sure you’re doing things efficiently and to your best financial advantage.

(Cedar Rapids) – One person died during a storm-related accident Wednesday night in eastern Iowa’s Benton County. According to the State Patrol, a 2020 Freightliner semi was traveling south on Highway 151 at around 8:30-p.m., when it was struck by a strong gust of wind and went out of control. The vehicle rolled onto its side and came to rest in the east ditch. The driver – who was not wearing a seat belt – died at the scene. The victim’s name was being withheld pending notification of family.

The accident remains under investigation.

AMU officials report that about 500 customers are without power following storms that rolled through on Wednesday evening. Officials were working on a plan to fix the outage at about 5:30 p.m.

That outage includes the KJAN studios and others on the north side of town.

DES MOINES – A lecture and recital series that traces the origins of various musical genres created by women. An exhibition about the earliest sketches and paintings of central and western Iowa paired with contemporary photos of the same locations. Another exhibition about underrepresented communities in Iowa. These are three of the 31 projects that will receive a Humanities Project Grant, according to an announcement today from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. The statewide grant program supports public humanities projects and educational programs that encourage contemplation, spark conversation and invite communities to explore the human experience.

The department received 40 eligible applications and awarded a total of $364,769 in grants. Funding for the new program comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency, which last year recognized the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs as its interim state humanities council partner in Iowa. The list of grant recipients spans 17 Iowa cities, including Arnolds Park, Council Bluffs, Dubuque and Muscatine. Grants were awarded to historic sites, museums, community groups, colleges and universities, libraries, and organizations that focus on culture and art.

Among the notable projects that received funding, is the Historic General Dodge House in Council Bluffs, which was awarded $2,600 to develop an exhibit of 40 sketches and paintings by George Simons, which are among the earliest images of central and western Iowa. These images will be displayed with contemporary photos Buck Christensen shot of the same locations.

To date, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, in its role as the state’s interim Iowa Humanities Council, has awarded more than $1.6 million to support the humanities in Iowa, through multiple rounds of relief and recovery grants and the new project grants.

(Radio Iowa) – The Covid patient count in Iowa hospitals continues to escalate. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there were 823 patients with Covid in Iowa hospitals by the middle of this week, a six percent increase from last Wednesday. More than 100 of those patients are on ventilators and nearly 83 percent of Covid patients in intensive care units in Iowa have not been vaccinated against the virus.

The death toll from Covid in Iowa is approaching 77-hundred. IDPH reports 130 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 7,680 since the start of the pandemic. The additional deaths were reported between Oct. 6 and Dec. 9. The number of new positive tests in the last seven days is down from 9,736 on Monday to 9,012 on Wednesday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate decreased from 11.7% to 11.3%.

The number of long-term care facilities reporting outbreaks increased from 15 to 16. There have been 4,432,001 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 69.7% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 73.3% of those 12 and older with at least one dose

(Atlantic, Iowa) – What some meteorologists are calling an “Unprecedented” weather event is staged to sweep across Iowa this afternoon and evening, bringing destructive winds and tornadoes. Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon tells KJAN News this storm system could present as strong or stronger straight line winds than the August Derecho that caused millions of dollars in damage across the state.

The storm system is expected to push through from west to east at up to 80 miles per hour.

Kennon advises you to keep abreast of the latest developments in this fast mover.

Once the storm front passes through, you need to be prepared to encounter downed power line and tree limbs, not to mention debris from area properties. In your home or business, remember to go the interior of your structure when strong winds and tornadoes are in the area.

(Bedford, Iowa) – Authorities are investigation the circumstances surrounding a southwest Iowa death. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the State Division of Criminal Investigation are conducting an investigation into a death that occurred over the weekend, in New Market. Darrell Simmons, DCI Special agent in charge, said additional information was being withheld, pending the results of an autopsy by the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Those results are expected later today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has rejected an application to make a woman convicted of murdering her nephew eligible for parole. Iowa governors have the power to grant clemency, converting a life sentence to a period of years in prison, so an inmate would be eligible for parole. The Board of Parole had unanimously recommended Governor Reynolds consider the case of Denise Rhode. Rhode was sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 death of her nephew. The baby suffered a brain injury while she was babysitting him at her home in Norwalk. Governor Reynolds says it remains unclear whether Rhode has truly accepted responsibility for her actions nearly 33 years ago.

Reynolds says there was a difference in how Rhode described the crime on her clemency application form and what Rhode said during an interview with the Board of Parole. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports Iowa governors have commuted the sentences of just 40 people in the past 52 years.

(Adair County, Iowa) – Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ryan DeVault reported today (Wednesday) on Twitter, “And so it begins.” Pictures he provided in his post showed a straight truck with damage from straight-line winds. The caption read “The top on this box truck was ripped open by the already strong winds this morning, along Interstate 80 in Adair County!” Trooper DeVault urged those who must travel today, to “Drive safe and as always and most importantly, keep both hands on the steering wheel!”