(Radio Iowa) — Iowans can save some money if they’re doing back-to-school shopping this weekend — or for themselves if they don’t have kids — with the annual Sales Tax Holiday. John Fuller, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, says this is the 20th year for the holiday, which runs today (Friday) and Saturday. “A couple of things to keep in mind are, it basically covers clothing and footwear that are less than $100,” Fuller says. “So, if you buy an article of clothing or a pair of shoes that costs less than $100, that’s tax-free during those two days.”

There is often some confusion about what is — and isn’t — covered during the holiday. “There’s a lot of items that people wonder sometimes is that considered clothing,” Fuller says. “For instance, a work uniform would be considered clothing, but a shoulder pad for your son’s football team would -not- be considered clothing.”  There’s an online resource that should clear up all questions. Fuller says, “If your listeners go to tax.iowa.gov and look for the bright shopping bags, that webpage has a lot of information as well as a big list that says what is exempt and what is taxable.”

Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Kristina Wiltgen says this holiday is particularly important for communities on Iowa’s northern border. Wiltgen says, “Anytime you can give retail store customers an incentive to stay local to do their shopping that’s obviously a huge benefit, especially with our proximity to Minnesota, which is always tax-free on their clothing.”

Iowa’s Sales Tax Holiday began at 12:01-a.m. today (Friday) and ends at 11:59-p.m. Saturday.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Marshalltown’s largest employer has announced $1 million in aid to its employees and the community as they recover from the July 19 tornado that tore through the city.
JBS USA employs 2,300 people at its Marshalltown pork facility. The tornado that hit Marshalltown was among a flurry of twisters that swept through central Iowa, injuring at least 17 people and flattening buildings in three cities

Martin Dooley is president and chief operating officer of JBS USA Pork, and he says he’s lived and worked in Marshalltown for several years, “so this devastating event resonates with me personally.” The Des Moines Register reports that the company donated $200,000 to Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc., a nonprofit that serves children and families in vulnerable situations, and $200,000 to the Rebuild Marshalltown Fund.

Red Oak Police report a man was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Clarke County warrant for Failure to Appear in court, on a Public Intoxication/3rd or subsequent offense, charge. 58-year old Dennis Edward Elliott, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 3:55-p.m. in the 100 block of W. Reed Street, in Red Oak. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond.