Iowans who shop online using Amazon will have to pay more, starting Sunday. The popular website will begin charging the six-percent Iowa sales tax as of January 1st. Victoria Daniels, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, says Iowans who buy items for themselves will be charged that tax, but not necessarily if they’re buying a gift for someone who lives out-of-state. “It depends on where the item is being shipped,” Daniels says. “For example, if you purchase something online but it’s being delivered to Illinois. Illinois law will then dictate what sales tax is charged, or not charged, to the person who is receiving the gift.”

Daniels says the change was not an effort by the state to make money. She says officials at Amazon approached the state first. It’s unclear how much money Iowa may rake in from the tax via Amazon purchases. “What we do know is, a couple of years ago, we did an estimate about what would come in potentially if the federal government were to pass legislation requiring remote retailers to collect the sales tax,” Daniels says. “We estimated at that time it would be anywhere between $18- to 24-million.”

Online retailers that don’t have “brick and mortar” stores in the state typically haven’t forced customers to pay the sales tax. “Target and Walmart and other stores that have a physical presence here, yes, they are required to collect the state sales tax from Iowa customers.”

Amazon already charges sales tax in about 30 other states. Amazon revenues in 2015 reportedly exceeded 100-billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Creston Police Department took reports about a theft and incident of vandalism, Wednesday. A resident told Police that sometime between 10-p.m. Saturday and 9:30-a.m. Wednesday, someone took a black 2010 R&W trailer from the 200 block of N. Cedar Street. The loss was estimated at $2,500.

And, a Creston resident living in the 200 block of N. Oak Street, said someone broke out a window in the rear of her home. The incident, which happened at around 8:50-p.m., Wednesday, resulted in a loss of about $100.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Cass County Conservation has teamed up with the Atlantic’s Orscheln’s store, to help feed the Trumpeter Swans (at the Schildberg Recreation Area, in Atlantic). From now until January 31st, you can buy a bag of Whole Cleaned Corn at the registers and Orscheln’s staff will put it aside for the Trumpeter Swans. Four bags fill the feeder.

And, don’t forget to join Cass County Conservation Staff at Atlantic’s Schildberg Recreation Area on Saturday, January 7th, 2017.  CCC Staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour beginning at 11:00 a.m. with the last one being presented at 2:00 p.m.

The Schildberg Quarry is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, on the north side of Highway 83.

IF THE WEATHER IS “BAD” OR THE SWANS ARE NOT AT THE QUARRY…the program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a light lunch available. The event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Atlantic Public Library.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man whose body was found in a field near Fort Dodge was a homicide victim. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner says 51-year-old Donald Preston, of Fort Dodge, was shot to death by someone.

The Iowa Criminal Investigation Division said Wednesday that Preston had last been seen by relatives in Fort Dodge on Dec. 22. The discovery of his body was reported Monday morning, and authorities it appeared to have been in the field overnight. No arrests have been reported.

At least six people have died in traffic crashes in Iowa since the start of the Christmas to New Year’s holiday period. That has increased the total number of roadway fatalities this year to 397. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Nate Ludwig says it’s the most traffic deaths recorded in the state in eight years. “We haven’t been over 400 since 2008. Right now, the traffic fatality count is 397 and that is 82 more than last year at this time,” Ludwig says. The rise in traffic fatalities is blamed on three main factors; distracted drivers, motorists not wearing seat belts, and speeding.

“We’ve seen a lot of fatalities this year that have been attributed to high speed,” Ludwig says. “We’re not talking about just barely speeding…this is 80 to 90 miles an hour.” Ludwig believes too many people “take driving for granted” and are overly aggressive. “Everybody is in a hurry, they wait until the last minute to leave, and then they try to make up time,” Ludwig says. “I spoke with some Troopers in the Des Moines area who said that they’ve never seen so many vehicle on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and the day after traveling at 80, 90, 100 miles an hour on the interstate.” Ludwig says while the number of traffic deaths this year in Iowa is appalling, it’s not just a number.

“It doesn’t click with people, but this number is somebody’s loved one, somebody’s wife, husband, parent…and it’s an alarming number,” Ludwig says.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak say they arrested 18-year old Michael Wade Hamilton, of Red Oak, this (Thursday) morning, on alcohol-related charges. Hamilton was taken into custody at around 1:25-a.m. in the 300 block of E. Valley Street, on charges of Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors, and Possession of Alcohol by a person 18-to 20-years old. He was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $300 cash bond.

A study finds suicide rates among farmers are the highest of any occupational group and the numbers have steadily risen since the Farm Crisis of the 1980s. Brandi Janssen, director of Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, says a federal study shows the suicide rates among farmers exceed rates in other high-risk populations, including veterans.

“They compared workers in the agricultural, forestry and fishing industries with all other occupations and they found suicides among agricultural populations were higher than any other occupational group,” Janssen says. “This was a big surprise to many people.” Janssen says most people think the 1980s had the highest rates of farmer suicide. However, using the numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, she found a 50-percent higher rate of suicides today than those tracked by the National Farm Medicine Center several decades ago.

“Rates were about 58 suicides for every 100,000 male farmers, that was in the 1980s,” Janssen says. “The rates that the CDC reported just this year among men in farming were 90 per 100,000. So they’re significantly higher than they were even at the time that we associate with the most economic stress and challenge in agriculture.” Janssen says there is no single cause for suicide, but it most typically occurs when there are stressors like economic challenges. There are things to watch for in your loved ones.

“Certainly, a change in behavior is sometimes a sign something is going on,” Janssen says. “People may become more emotional, maybe they are quicker or more irritable or they seem to look traditionally depressed, they seem down and sad or stop doing activities they like. There are often warning signs.” Janssen says there is more help available now than in the ’80s, and people should not be reluctant to seek it. One place is the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985.

(Radio Iowa)

The song lyric says this is “the most wonderful time of the year,” but the stress of the holiday season can also put you at greater risk for a life-threatening medical episode. A heart doctor in Omaha-Council Bluffs says it’s well-documented that cases of cardiac arrest rise between December 25th and January 7th. “Unfortunately, the incidence of heart attacks during the Christmas season goes up, significantly,” Dr. Pompili says. “Studies over the last ten years have shown that the chance of having a cardiac event goes up by five percent.”

Dr. Vincent Pompili, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, says risk factors for heart attacks include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history and smoking. “A number of factors are exacerbated during the holiday season, including emotional stress,” Pompili says. “Also, just the high-fat diet that we partake in during this time of year adds to that.”

He says the biggest mistake people make is that they don’t seek help when they notice a potential problem.  Pompili says, “Many times people, because family members are in town, avoid going and seeking medical care during the holiday time when they have chest pain and avoid making it to the emergency room when they have symptoms of a heart attack, which makes things worse.”

The number-one day of the year for heart attacks is December 25th followed by December 26th and January 1st. If you think you might be having heart trouble, call 9-1-1. Don’t try to drive yourself to the hospital unless there’s no other option, as ambulance personnel can start treatment right away. Plus, they’re trained to revive you if your heart stops.

(Radio Iowa)