(Radio Iowa) – The U-S-D-A will become responsible for the Iowa Wesleyan campus in Mount Pleasant when the university closes May 31st and U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says it’s too early to tell what’s next. “Our folks will work with the community to see what the options could be,” Vilsack says. “I mean there’s a variety of opportunities to think about. I’ve asked the team to be very creative about this.” Last week, the university’s board of directors voted to close the school at the end of the current semester.

“Right now the community’s hurting. There are people whose lives are turned upside down and in that circumstance and situation you’ve got to be able to say to them: ‘We feel for you and we’re going to try our level best to create something good out of this that will help the community,” Vilsack says. Iowa Wesleyan has had significant operating losses for years and nearly closed in 2018. The university owes 21 million on a U-S-D-A loan and another five million dollars on a bank loan that was guaranteed by the U-S-D-A.

“One of the reasons we invested and have invested in other colleges across the country is that they’re an economic driver. They’re a job creator…A lot of opportunity can be generated by a college in a regional area,” Vilsack says. “Wesleyan, I think they did an evaluation. They had a $50-70 million dollar impact on the community every single year, so that’s real and obviously the community is going to have to be dealing with the potential of how do we replace that.” Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, was mayor of Mount Pleasant in the late 80s and early 90s. Vilsack says he’d like U-S-D-A staff to avoid dividing the 60 acre campus into parcels and selling off individual buildings.

“I’d like them to start working with the college to see whether or not there are other universities or colleges that might be interested. Are there other folks that might be interested in a campus of some kind? Are there agencies of the federal government, for example, that might be thinking about training facilities and could this be an opportunity,” Vilsack says. “People need to think creatively at this point to try to keep it as a whole, if possible, and keep it as the economic driver that it has been.”

Vilsack’s wife Christie is a Mount Pleasant native and Tom Vilsack told reporters yesterday (Thursday) that she recently resigned from Iowa Wesleyan’s board of trustees and Vilsack says that means he may now speak and be involved in decisions about the campus property. Five years ago, the Vilsacks hosted a three day event on Mount Pleasant radio station K-I-L-J that raised more than a million dollars for Iowa Wesleyan.

(Radio Iowa)- The April 18th federal tax filing deadline is rapidly approaching and the I-R-S plans to open its Des Moines office Saturday to take questions. I-R-S spokesman, Christopher Miller, says no appointment is necessary. “Opening the I-R-S Taxpayer Assistance Center on Saturday we hope gives people who work during the week and can’t get away the chance to have their issues resolved with someone face to face without an appointment,” Miller says. He says they usually get a variety of questions during these types of events.

“We expect to help people this Saturday who maybe have a balance due and they want to make a tax payment. Perhaps they want a copy of their transcript,” he says. “They may have refund questions or need to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Or maybe they’ve received a notice or a letter from the I-R-S.” He says It is important for people to know there’s one thing they can’t do.

“We do not prepare tax returns at the Taxpayer Assistance Center. Not only this Saturday but at any time,” he says. Your can get information on free tax filing on the I-R-S website. Miller says be sure to have everything you need before coming in. “Almost everyone needing help from the I-R-S this Saturday should bring a copy of their most recent tax return. Any letters or notices from the I-R-S they received — two forms of I-D if they’re trying to verify their identity. And if possible social security cards for you or any dependents if necessary,” Miller says.

The assistance center is open from 9 a-m to 4 p-m Saturday at 210 Walnut Street in Des Moines.