This week, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa urged the IRS to provide penalty relief to farmers who are ordinarily required to file and pay all taxes due by March 1.   Due to late action by the President and Congress on end of the year tax matters, the tax season has been delayed, and many forms necessary for farmers to complete their returns have yet to be finalized.   Today, the IRS announced it will provide penalty relief to farmers who request a waiver and complete their tax returns by April 15, 2013.  Grassley made the following comment on the announcement.

"This is good news.  Farmers shouldn't face a penalty for tax season delays that have nothing to do with them.  The IRS is right to provide relief from penalties.  I look forward to the guidance the IRS announced it will issue in the near future to help farmers file their taxes without penalty."

More information on Grassley's request to the IRS is available here.

The text of the IRS news release follows.

IRS Provides Penalty Relief to Farmers and Fishermen

IR-2013-7, Jan. 18, 2013

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will issue guidance in the near future to provide relief from the estimated tax penalty for farmers and fishermen unable to file and pay their 2012 taxes by the March 1 deadline due to the delayed start for filing tax returns.

The delay stems from this month's enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA). The ATRA affected several tax forms that are often filed by farmers and fishermen, including the Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization (Including Information on Listed Property).  These forms will require extensive programming and testing of IRS systems, which will delay the IRS's ability to accept and process these forms.  The IRS is providing this relief because delays in the agency's ability to accept and process these forms may affect the ability of many farmers and fishermen to file and pay their taxes by the March 1 deadline. The relief applies to all farmers and fishermen, not only those who must file late released forms.

Normally, farmers and fishermen who choose not to make quarterly estimated tax payments are not subject to a penalty if they file their returns and pay the full amount of tax due by March 1. Under the guidance to be issued, farmers or fishermen who miss the March 1 deadline will not be subject to the penalty if they file and pay by April 15, 2013. A taxpayer qualifies as a farmer or fisherman for tax-year 2012 if at least two-thirds of the taxpayer's total gross income was from farming or fishing in either 2011 or 2012.

Farmers and fishermen requesting this penalty waiver must attach Form 2210-F to their tax return. The form can be submitted electronically or on paper. The taxpayer's name and identifying number should be entered at the top of the form, the waiver box (Part I, Box A) should be checked, and the rest of the form should be left blank. Forms, instructions, and other tax assistance are available on IRS.gov.

Nine scholarships are now offered through the Moline Foundation. The followingis a list of scholarships, criteria and deadlines:

1. Srikanth Yerra Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 $500 non-renewableMust live within Moline School District No. 40 boundariesGraduate of Class of 2013 or Community College studentpreparing to transfer to a 4 year collegeMinimum 3.5 grade pointBased on financial need, potential for future personal achievementSubmit: Transcript, 3 letters of reference, brief essay about yourself (200 words)

2. Lee McAllister Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 $1,000 non-renewableGraduate from Moline High School Class of 2013, plan to major ineducationMinimum 2.75 grade pointBased on financial need, potential for future personal achievement, abilities,school & community activities and strong academic recordSubmit: Transcript, 3 letters of reference, brief essay (200 wordson "Why are you entering the field of education?")

3. Moline High School Class of '59 Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 Amount and number of awards determined annuallyGraduate from Moline High School Class of 2013Minimum 2.8 grade pointBased on service-oriented activity in place of worship, school, orcommunitySubmit: Transcript, brief statement (1-2 paragraphs) "What do youanticipate your life to be like in 50 years?"

4. Clement T. Hanson/Butterworth Center Arts Scholarship ** - Due Friday, March 1,2013 Three $1,500 four year scholarships renewable based on continued financial needand scholastic achievement (Total: $6,000) Two $2,000 four year scholarships renewable based on continued financial needand scholastic achievement (Total: $8,000) Must live within Moline School District No. 40 boundaries Graduate from Class of 2013 or Community College studentpreparing to transfer to 4 year universityMinimum 2.5 grade point Based on financial need, potential for future personal achievement,and personal interviewSubmit: Transcript, 3 letters of reference, brief essay about yourself (200 words orless)

** Two scholarships share same application. Emphasize arts and music involvement ifyou wish to be considered for the Butterworth Center Arts Scholarship.

5. Dolores A. Hulse-DiIulio Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 $1,000 renewable (eligible to reapply annually and compete withincoming freshmen candidates and other previous scholarship recipients)Must be a female and graduate of Class of 2013 at Moline High SchoolMust intend to pursue a bachelor's degree on a full-time basis in thefields of chemistry, physics, engineering, or pre-medicine.Must attend a public university or college located in IllinoisApplicant must be in upper one-fourth of classBased on desire to achieve, abilities, strong academic record, potential for futurepersonal achievement, and letters of referenceSubmit: Transcript, 3 letters of reference, brief essay (200 wordsor less) "Why are you entering your chosen field of study?"

6. Maggie Webb Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 Amount and number of awards to be determined annuallyMust be graduating senior from Moline High School Class of 2013Minimum 2.8 grade pointBased on community involvement (with at least one service orientedactivity in place of worship, school or community) and essaySubmit: Transcript, Essay (2-3 pages long, double spaced) "If you were to leavethis earth tomorrow, what would be your legacy?"

7. Lee Womack Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 Amount and number of awards to be determined annuallyMust be graduating senior from Moline High School Class of 2013 with plannedmajor in Education. Special preference will be given to applicants planning tomajor in Special EducationMinimum 3.0 grade pointBased on community involvement (with at least one service-orientedactivity in place of worship, school or community), and letterSubmit: Transcript, Letter (state why you want to obtain anEducation degree and your goals and how you feel this wouldbe an asset to you and the community), three letters of recommendation

8. Stan Woods Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 $1,000 scholarship annually non-renewableMust be graduating senior from Moline High School Class of 2013Minimum 3.0 grade pointBased on community involvement and leadership, academic achievement andessay ("Explain what you have done to make your community a better place tolive and give an example or one or more of specific projects that havebenefited from your involvement.")Submit: Transcript, essay, and three letters of recommendation.

9. D.A.R.E. Scholarship - Due Friday, March 1, 2013 Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in 2013Must be graduating senior and living in the boundaries of MolineSchool District No. 40Applicant must be a former student of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education(D.A.R.E.) ProgramMinimum 3.0 grade pointBased on academic merit, good citizenship, attendance, active involvement inschool and community, and essay (300 words or less) "About good choicesyou have made in your life. Choose an activity you have been involved in anddescribe how it has impacted your life."Submit: Transcript, essay, and three letters of recommendation

All application are online on the Moline Foundation website. Please check theMoline Foundation website: www.molinefoundation.org or contact Linda Daily at (309)764-4193 if you have further questions.

The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a community foundation whichprovides grants to health, human services, education, community development, thearts and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of Moline and thesurrounding area. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts forall citizens in a seven county region including Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Warren,Henderson and McDonough in Illinois and Scott County in Iowa.

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Monday began with a press conference with Rep. Bruce Braley at the Capitol where he rolled out his End Radon in Schools Act. This bill would require testing for radon in our schools and provide funding for mitigation.

Wednesday, 60 lawmakers and 18 volunteers attended our annual Legislative Breakfast at the Capitol.  They had some great discussions around our priorities of prevention, early detection and access to care. I want to thank everyone who helped make it a huge success!

But the good news doesn't stop there! One of our top priority bills, radon, was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday.  Next, it heads to the Senate State Government Committee. We need your help to make sure this important piece of legislation makes it to the Senate floor for debate, so be looking for a call to action soon.

If you are interested in attending any legislative forums or meetings in your area, please let us know.  We know that with your help, we can make huge strides in the fight against cancer in Iowa this session.

CANTON, MO. (01/18/2013)(readMedia)-- Culver-Stockton College is proud to announce its President's List, Dean's List and Honor Roll for the fall 2012 semester. To be named to an honors list, students must meet high academic standards established by Culver-Stockton.

James Lee Granack, a junior Sport Management major, from East Moline, Ill., was named to the Honor Roll.

Maribeth Kristy Hartmann, a sophomore Psychology major, from East Moline, Ill., was named to the President's List.

Sara Marie Allen , a sophomore Elementary Education major, from Rock Island, Ill., was named to the Dean's List.

President's List students have earned a 4.0 GPA and were enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours. Dean's List students have earned between a 3.5 and 3.99 GPA and were enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours, with no grade lower than a C. Honor Roll students have earned between a 3.2 and 3.49 and were enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours, with no grade lower than a C.

Culver-Stockton College is a private, liberal arts college located in Canton, Mo.