For several years, ISU Extension in Cass County and surrounding counties has served as a host site for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Now, organizers are looking for local volunteers to keep the program going strong. VITA is an IRS-sponsored program that certifies community volunteers to prepare and e-file basic tax returns at no cost for low to moderate income individuals and families. Approximately 70 individuals benefitted from the program for the 2012 tax year, bringing over $150,000 in tax refunds back into the county.

Volunteers are needed in Cass County, as well as other locations across southwest Iowa, to prepare 2013 taxes. Volunteers can work weekdays, weekends or evenings, giving as much time as their schedule allows, and would be needed in late winter/early spring 2014. Interested individuals do not need to be full-time tax preparers to qualify, but should have a basic understanding of income tax laws, an interest in helping others and basic computer skills.

VITA volunteers are provided free training, self study materials, and software necessary to prepare basic income tax returns including Forms 1040EZ, 1040A, and 1040. Volunteers must complete a certification exam and the IRS waives liability for volunteers if they prepare returns within the scope of their certification.

For more information on volunteering with the VITA program, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 , or Mary Beth Kaufman, Extension Family Program Specialist at 712-755-3104 (or e-mail: mbkaufma@iastate.edu.) Interested persons will need to complete a one page application.

The VITA program provides free tax preparation to low and moderate income families so they can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Care Tax Credits. In Southwest Iowa, the program is coordinated by Iowa State University Extension with funding and support from the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Human Services, and Iowans for Social and Economic Development (ISED).

PERU, Neb. (AP) – Authorities in southeast Nebraska have identified the body of a man found on a bank of the Missouri River.  The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office says the body was that of 43-year-old Mark Miller, of Omaha. People fishing by the river north of Peru found the body Oct. 27.

Miller was presumed missing Oct. 2 after a boat he’d borrowed was found unoccupied floating down the river. Miller had been camping near the river in Fremont County, Iowa. A crime is not suspected.

You could pay a little more for steak or hamburger this winter. Iowa State University livestock economist, Lee Schulz, says the cattle market is rebounding from years of drought, and along with lower grain prices and better forage, the conditions are good for producers. ” We’ve seen the cost of production decrease substantially and we’re looking at break-even levels and above for beef producers,” Schulz says. He says producers sell fewer animals to build up their herds to take advantage of the market situation.

“Beef supplies are historically tight, but to build that herd they’re going to become even tighter because we have to retain more of those heifers,” Schulz explains. Keeping those animals out of the marketplace means beef will cost more. “There is quite a bit of uncertainty, but I think we do know that prices are likely to increase in the rather short to medium term,” Schulz says. Schulz adds, while consumers may see higher prices, retailers are likely to cushion some of the impact.

(Radio Iowa)