The Internal Revenue Service is making its annual appeal to taxpayers to sign up for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The director of the program for the I-R-S, Ken Corbin, says if you made money working in 2015, you may be eligible. “Any person who has earned income from employment — whether you are running a business, farming or self employed — could potentially qualify for E-I-T-C,” Corbin says. He says taxpayers all across the country take advantage of the tax credit.

“Nationwide last year, over 27 million families received more than 66 BILLION dollars in Earned Income Tax Credit dollars,” according to Corbin. “The average E-I-T-C refund to those families was over two-thousand-400 dollars.” He says there are still one in five people who may be eligible, who don’t know about the credit, or don’t file for it. “Meaning that more than one million of the taxpayers are not putting E-I-T-C dollars to work for them,” Corbin says. “Anyone with earnings of 54-thousand dollars or less should see if they qualify at

I-R-S-dot-gov, search word: E-I-T-C.” Corbin says many Iowans do take advantage of the credit. “Over 200-thousand Iowans claimed E-I-T-C last year, bringing in a combined refund amount of over 450-thousand dollars back into the economy of Iowa. With an average refund of more than two-thousand-200 dollars,” he says. You may’ve checked in the past and found you weren’t eligible for the credit. Corbin says you should check again, especially if you’ve had some major changes in your life.

“Marital status changes, they might have children, employment changes, changes in their income,” Corbin says. He says you should check each tax year to see if changes might make you eligible. Corbin says you can still file and claim the E-I-T-C tax credit even if you are not required to file a tax return.

(Radio Iowa)

The Creston Police Department says a resident in the 300 block of N. Sycamore Street reported Saturday, someone stole Albuterol Sulfate out of his kitchen cabinet. The inhalation aerosol is typically used to treat wheezing and shortness of breath caused by breathing problems such as asthma. The loss was estimated at $35.

And, late Sunday night, 37-year old Ryan Ray Rinehart, of Creston, was issued a Criminal Citation for Theft in the 5th Degree. Rinehart was released on a promise to appear later, in court.