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$336.4 million Powerball jackpot unclaimed
DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Iowa Department of Revenue officials, apparently spooked by publicity on the Internet, said they decided to ax the pumpkin tax.
The department said it announced the policy to tax pumpkins intended for use as jack-o'-lanterns last year -- but admitted not many people noticed until Wednesday when the story zoomed through cyberspace, The Des Moines Register reported Thursday.
As it voided the tax, the department defended its original reasoning in a news release, saying "Food and food ingredients are defined as substances that are sold for ingestion or chewing by humans and are consumed for their taste or nutritional value."
The statement didn't say why the department changed its policy, but Gov. Chet Culver issued his own statement, saying he reached out to the revenue collectors.
"I have directed the Department of Revenue to do the common-sense thing and suspend collection of this tax and offer refunds to consumers or retailers who have been affected," he said.
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| Additional Odd News Stories | |
NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 13 (UPI) --
A funeral is being planned for songstress Whitney Houston in her hometown of Newark, N.J., later this week, sources close to her family told NBC New York.
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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Feb. 13 (UPI) --
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Costa Rica Monday and could be felt as far away as Panama, officials said.
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NEWPORT, R.I., Feb. 13 (UPI) --
Lottery officials said Monday the winning $336.4 million Powerball ticket was sold at a Rhode Island convenience store, but the winner had yet to come forward.
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PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 13 (UPI) --
So-called tar sands oil from Canada is "much, much worse" for the environment than conventional crude oil, a Maine environmental advocate said.
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