• Iowa's budget woes mean thousands of Iowa taxpayers will have to wait three months for their income-tax refunds during the upcoming tax season. Normally, the state needs about eight weeks to process an error-free tax return that is filed on paper. For the coming tax season, it is expected to take at least 12 weeks. Paper tax returns with errors could result in delays of up to six months. The problem is that the Iowa Department of Revenue doesn't have the funding to hire the usual number of temporary employees to help process paper returns. And while the state will save money by hiring fewer workers, it will lose money through interest payments made to taxpayers. The Iowa Department of Revenue is asking the Iowa legislature to extend its deadline for delivering refunds to July 1. The department estimates that doing so would save the state $600,000 to $1 million annually.

• Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is warning consumers to be wary of Warranty USA, a company based in Las Vegas and Seattle that has sent postcards to thousands of Iowans. The cards appear to be official reminders about automobile warranties but are actually solicitations. The Iowa attorney general's office has received more than 150 complaints and tips about the company. If you were stung and would like to get your money back from Warranty USA, call the Iowa Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at (515)281-5926 or look on the Web at (http://www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org) and click on "Protecting Consumers."

• The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Quad Cites Lodging Association are offering special prices and activities for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Friday, January 18, through Monday, January 21. More than 20 member hotels of the Quad Cities Lodging Association are offering special rats and packages for Sunday night, with rates varying from $31 to $79. More than 30 activities - from the Quad City Mallards to special events at the Davenport Museum of Art and the Family Museum of Arts & Science - will be offered during the weekend. Request the free "Be a Tourist" brochure by calling the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau at (309)788-7800, extension 220.

• AIDS Project Quad Cities (APQC) has announced the 11th annual We Care Weekend Logo Contest. Each year, area artists compete in a friendly competition to design the winning T-shirt and button design for use at We Care Weekend, an annual fundraising event of APQC. This year's contest features two top prizes of $100 each in mall gift certificates. Entries are due January 17, in either the Rock Island or Davenport APQC offices. For more information, contact Clayton Peterson at (309)793-4988 or (claytoncop@juno.com). Entries will be voted on by people attending the 9th Annual Red Ribbon Dinner, held on January 20 at the Isle of Capri Conference Center. The winner will be announced in early February. Also, check out APQC's Web site at (http://www.qconline.com/apqc/).

• Palmer College of Chiropractic has received $1.7 million from the federal government to assist in a major expansion of the library and learning-resource facilities on its Davenport Campus. This is the second $1.7 million award in as many years, and the $3.4 million total in federal funds will be augmented by money raised in a major campaign currently underway. The funding was included in the final version of the Senate Labor, Health, & Human Services Appropriations bill.

• Davenport native Jim Lykam has announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the newly created 85th Iowa House District in Davenport. The new district includes west-central and northwest Davenport from Telegraph Road to the northern border of the city. Lykam is a graduate of Davenport West High School and Palmer Junior College and is employed by All Pro Glass. He has served on the Davenport Plan & Zoning Commission and the Park & Recreation Advisory Committee, chairing the Baseball Subcommittee.

• The Moline Community Foundation has announced that it will accept applications for grant funding through January 15. The not-for-profit foundation helps organizations that serve the citizens of Moline and the surrounding area. For more information on all the requirements and for a grant application, call (309)736-3800.

• On December 20, the final day of the 2001 session of Congress, the Senate passed S. 990, the American Wildlife Enhancement Act, a $600 million per year land-grab bill. Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Senator Bob Smith (R-New Hampshire) brought S. 990 to the floor of a nearly empty Senate chamber. Reid asked for "Unanimous Consent" that the bill be approved on the spot, with no debate, no amendments, and no recorded vote. The bill can still be stopped, because it needs to be passed by the House of Representatives. To learn more about this bill, point your Web browser to (http://www.americanpolicy.org/).

• The Davenport Museum of Art's first calendar, titled "American Landscapes from the Davenport Museum of Art," is now available at half-price by calling (563)888-2046. The 2002 calendars, a fundraiser for the museum, can now be purchased for $7.50.

• MidAmerican Energy Company is asking its customers to think of others this winter through participation in the I CARE program. I CARE assists customers who are unemployed, living on fixed or low incomes, or experiencing a family crisis by helping pay their heating bills or making their homes more energy-efficient. To qualify, customers must meet their state's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program guidelines. I CARE funds come from donations made by customers and MidAmerican. All tax-deductible donations help local community-action agencies provide this financial assistance, which is especially needed this winter as contributions have steadily declined during the past two months. Customers who are worried about paying their energy bills should call MidAmerican toll-free at (888)427-5632 to make a payment arrangement.

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