AMERICAN AIRLINES SERVICE TO WATERLOO REGIONAL AIRPORT RETURNS TO NORMAL BEGINNING IN JUNE. THE CARRIER WILL OFFER FLIGHTS TO CHICAGO AT 9:35 A.M. AND 6:44 P.M., WITH TWO RETURN FLIGHTS FROM O’HARE AIRPORT EACH DAY. THE SCHEDULING CHANGE IS IN LINE WITH ADJUSTMENTS AMERICAN AIRLINES HAS BEEN MAKING ACROSS ITS NETWORK AFTER REDUCING FLIGHTS DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IN A STATEMENT, WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART CALLED THE SERVICE “CRITICAL TO THE CEDAR VALLEY’S OVERALL ECONOMY.”
IN THE MIDDLE OF INCOME TAX SEASON, CEDAR RAPIDS ATTORNEY GORDON FISCHER SAYS THAT NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK WHICH WILL AFFECT YOUR 2021 TAX FILING. FISCHER WAS A GUEST WEDNESDAY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. LAST MONTH, THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE EXTENDED THE FEDERAL TAX FILING DEADLINE FROM APRIL 15TH TO MAY 17TH DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THE IRS SAYS REFUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH E-FILED RETURNS ARE TYPICALLY ISSUED WITHIN 21 DAYS.
CEDAR RAPIDS WAS NAMED IOWA’S OUTSTANDING METRO COMMUNITY DURING THE IOWA TOURISM CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY. OTHER RECOGNITION WENT TO THE HOTEL AT KIRKWOOD CENTER AS OUTSTANDING LODGING PROPERTY, NEWBO CITY MARKET – OUTSTANDING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE; THREE PINES FARM IN CEDAR FALLS WAS NAMED OUTSTANDING ATTRACTION, AND WATERLOO’S BLACK CAPITAL OF IOWA BUSINESS PASSPORT PROGRAM WAS THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER.
GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WANTS TO TAKE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS TO PLACES WHERE IOWANS ARE LIKELY TO BE GATHERING THIS SUMMER. FARMERS MARKETS AND SPORTING EVENTS ARE AMONG LOCATIONS WHERE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS COULD SOON BE HOLDING MASS VACCINATION CLINICS. REYNOLDS SAYS HER GOAL IS TO HAVE 65% OF IOWANS VACCINATED BY MAY AND 75% BY JUNE. FROM 70% TO 85% IS ESTIMATED AS ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT HERD IMMUNITY. IOWA HAS FULLY-VACCINATED JUST OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE AS OF WEDNESDAY; THAT’S 32% OF THE POPULATION.
IT’S TOO LATE TO GET A DEDUCTION FOR YOUR 2020 TAXES. THAT’S ONE REASON TO PLAN AHEAD FOR 2021, ACCORDING TO CEDAR RAPIDS TAX ATTORNEY GORDON FISCHER, WHO ADDS THAT TAX-DEDUCTIBLE GIVING CAN LEAD TO A VIRTUOUS CYCLE, IF PROPERLY TRACKED. SOME TAX PREPARERS NOTE THAT A LARGER STANDARD DEDUCTION HAS MADE CHARITABLE GIVING LESS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THOSE WITH SMALLER INCOMES. HEAR FISCHER’S FULL KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
IOWA IRISH FEST ORGANIZERS HAVE ANNOUNCED THE BANDS WHO WILL PERFORM THIS AUGUST. AFTER 2020’S EVENT WAS CANCELLED, MANY GROUPS THAT APPEARED IN 2019 WILL RETURN. GAELIC STORM AND SCYTHIAN WILL HAVE PRIME SPOTS IN THE IOWA IRISH FEST SCHEDULE AMONG 18 BANDS REVEALED THIS WEEK. IOWA IRISH FEST IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 6TH THROUGH 8TH IN DOWNTOWN WATERLOO.
SCAMMERS ARE TARGETING PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 HEARD FROM INDEPENDENCE REALTOR CURT MARTIN WHO HAS ENCOUNTERED THE SITUATION. HE SAYS CRIMINALS POST PICTURES OF A RENTAL PROPERTY ONLINE AND TRY TO COLLECT A SECURITY DEPOSIT, EVEN THOUGH THE HOME OR APARTMENT ISN’T ACTUALLY AVAILABLE. MARTIN NOTED THAT THE CURRENT TIGHT HOUSING MARKET MAY MAKE THESE SCAMS MORE COMMON AS RENTERS HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING A LEASE.
JUST OVER HALF OF IOWA LICENSES OR ID CARDS QUALIFY UNDER FEDERAL “REAL ID” RULES. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RELEASED THAT UPDATED FIGURE RECENTLY. A REAL ID HAS A GOLD CIRCLE CONTAINING A WHITE STAR IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. REAL ID’S WILL BE REQUIRED TO BOARD A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OR VISIT A FEDERAL BUILDING JUST OVER TWO YEARS FROM NOW, BEGINNING IN MAY OF 2023.
IOWA THOROUGHBREDS WILL BE ON THE TRACK TOMORROW WHEN RACING SEASON BEGINS AT PRAIRIE MEADOWS IN ALTOONA. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, PRAIRIE MEADOWS HANDICAPPER JOHN HERNANDEZ TALKED ABOUT CONDITIONS FOR HORSE BREEDERS IN THE STATE. HERNANDEZ SAYS THE REDUCTION PRE-DATES COVID-19 AND IT IS TOO EARLY TO KNOW WHAT IMPACT THE PANDEMIC MIGHT HAVE ON STATE BREEDERS.
