TownTalk 03-04-21 Covid 19, Vance County Schools
Host John C. Rose discusses Covid 19, the vaccine and the effects on Vance Co. Schools.
For full details and complete audio click play.
Tag Archive for: #wizsnews
WIZS Local News 03-04-21 Noon
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” March 3; Local Home and Garden Show
Each Wednesday “The Local Skinny!” is the Home and Garden Show, which features co-hosts Wayne Rowland and Paul McKenzie of the Vance County Cooperative Extension service.
Vance County COOP agents and staff can be reached throughout the week locally at 438-8188.
As you will hear in today’s podcast below, listener calls at 492-5594 with questions or comments pertaining to your home and garden are more than welcome.
Listen each Wednesday throughout the year at 11:30 a.m.
TownTalk 03-03-21; Tax Time and More
For today’s TownTalk Audio Click Play.
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
(IRS Press Release mentioned at the end of TownTalk)
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service reminds first-time filers and those who usually don’t have a federal filing requirement to consider filing a 2020 tax return. They may be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, a new refundable credit, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the COVID-related Tax Relief Act.
Most individuals eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit have already received the full amount in two rounds of payments, known as Economic Impact Payments. All legally permitted first and second Economic Impact Payments have been issued.
Individuals who were eligible but did not receive the first or second Economic Impact Payment or received less than the full amounts may be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 federal tax return, even if they do not usually file a tax return. The IRS offers free options to prepare and file a return.
Taxpayers who received the full amounts of both Economic Impact Payments won’t claim the Recovery Rebate Credit or include any information about the payments on their 2020 tax return because the IRS already issued their Recovery Rebate Credit in advance as Economic Impact Payments.
Didn’t get an Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amount?
People who didn’t get an Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts may be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return, even if they don’t usually file.
The first Economic Impact Payment was based on an individual’s 2019 tax year information or 2018 if the 2019 tax return information was not available. The second Economic Impact Payment was based on an individual’s 2019 tax year information. The Recovery Rebate Credit is similar except that the eligibility and the amount are based on 2020 information on the tax return. The Recovery Rebate Credit is reduced by any Economic Impact Payments issued.
People who were not eligible for either or both of the Economic Impact Payments may still be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit since it’s based on their 2020 tax return information. Those with lower income in 2020 or who were claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return in 2018 or 2019, but who cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return in 2020, may now be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit.
People eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit based on their 2020 tax information must file a 2020 federal tax return. For more information about the Recovery Rebate Credit, see Frequently Asked Questions at IRS.gov.
Filing a 2020 tax return
To avoid refund delays, file a complete and accurate tax return. The best way to file a complete and accurate 2020 tax return is to file electronically. The tax software will ask questions about income, credits and deductions and help taxpayers figure their Recovery Rebate Credit. The Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions includes a worksheet that can also help.
Individuals will need to know the amount of their Economic Impact Payments to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. Those who don’t have their Economic Impact Payment notices can view the amounts of their first and second Economic Impact Payments through their individual online account. For married filing joint individuals, each spouse will need to log into his or her own account.
The Recovery Rebate Credit will be included in any tax refund. It will not be issued separately. For those due a refund (which would include the Recovery Rebate Credit), combining electronic filing with direct deposit is the safest and fastest way to get their refund.
IRS Free File
Taxpayers with incomes of $72,000 or less, an use brand-name software to prepare and file their federal tax returns electronically for free with IRS Free File. IRS Free File is a great option for people who are only filing a tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. Free File Fillable Forms is the only IRS Free File option available for most taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is greater than $72,000.
Taxpayers who have no taxable income but are filing a return to receive the Recovery Rebate Credit should look for several of the Free File products that have no minimum income for eligibility. Simply go to IRS.gov/Free File, select “Choose an IRS Free File Offer” and then select “Browse All Offers” to find a Free File product with no minimum income as part of its offer.
Free online tax help for military service members, families and some veterans
MilTax, Military OneSource’s tax service, provides online software for eligible individuals to electronically file a federal return and up to three state returns for free.
Free tax preparation in local communities
First-time filers and those who usually don’t have a filing requirement may also qualify for free assistance from IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs in their community. These programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.
The VITA program has operated for over 50 years, offering free tax help to:
- People who generally make $57,000 or less
- Persons with disabilities; and
- Limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their tax return.
In addition to VITA, the TCE program offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.
This year, some VITA/TCE sites are not operating at full capacity and others are not opening. Check the VITA/TCE locator tool to search for nearby available sites.
Help at IRS.gov
IRS.gov has online resources to answer tax questions immediately. The Interactive Tax Assistant is a tool that provides answers to several tax-law questions specific to a taxpayer’s individual circumstances.
Visit IRS.gov/filing for details about IRS Free File, Free File Fillable Forms, free VITA or TCE tax preparation sites in the local community or finding a trusted tax professional.
WIZS Local News Audio 03-03-21 Noon
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Mar 2; Optimist Club Flag Project Supports Community
The Henderson Optimist Club invites area businesses to fly an American flag to help fund club projects as they display their patriotism in the community.
Thurman Murphy was on “The Local Skinny!” Tuesday and told John C. Rose that the flag project is one of the ways the club funds its various community projects. New subscribers pay an initial fee of $60, with a $30 annual renewal fee.
“We keep the flags and put them out ourselves,” Murphy said. About 35 businesses, most of them in the downtown area, currently participate. This project has been in existence since the late 1960’s, he said, the brainchild of founding club member Ed White. The club replaces the flag or the pole when the need arises, he said.
Club members put up the flag eight times a year – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, Murphy said, adding that they sometimes get requests from the Chamber of Commerce or other business associations for the flags to be posted at other special occasions.
The mission of the Henderson Optimist Club is to help the youth in the community, and the club does this through various projects and contests, Murphy noted.
The projects help fund two scholarships awarded to two Vance County students each year. The $1,000 scholarships are renewable for four years. Although the student doesn’t have to attend a school in Vance County, the student must be a resident of Vance County, he explained.
“The Local Skinny!” March 2 Podcast with Thurman Murphy
Other annual contests for high school students are the oratorical contest and the essay contest. Local winners advance to the zone level, and from there, district and then national levels, he said. Winners at the district and national levels are awarded scholarship prizes as well.
Murphy said the “Attend and Win,” contest at the eight county elementary schools gives a pizza party to the classroom at each school with the highest quarterly attendance. That contest has been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he said the project will pick back up as soon as it’s safe to be back in the school buildings.
The local Optimist Club also:
- sponsors two baseball leagues at the YMCA and the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department;
- hosts a Christmas party with gifts each year for children at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford;
- financially supports the Optimist Cottage at the Boys and Girls Home of Lake Waccamaw;
- hosts the “Respect For Law” project each year and names an officer of the year from the Henderson police department, Vance County sheriff’s office, NC Highway Patrol, Henderson and Vance County fire departments and Kerr Lake park rangers.
To sign up your business to display the American flag, please call Thurman Murphy at 252.432.6847 or email thurmanmurphy@nc.rr.com.
Optimist Club members Dean Thornton and Tommy Farmer also serve on the Optimist Flag Committee.
WIZS Local News 03-2-21 Noon
WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM
Click Play for today’s Local News Audio.
PRESENTED IN PART BY OUR SPONSOR DRAKE DENTISTRY
Local News Airs on WIZS M-F at 8 a.m., 12 Noon and 5 p.m.
“TownTalk” Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.
“The Local Skinny!” Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:30 a.m.
TownTalk 03-2-21 Marijuana Legalization
Host John C. Rose and Co-host Bill Harris discuss recent marijuana legalization bills that have been passed in New Jersey and Virginia and how it may impact drug laws in North Carolina.
For complete details and full audio click play.
TownTalk 03-1-21 Robert J. Higdon Jr. from local Police, Sheriff Perspective
Local law enforcement leaders said Monday they appreciate the efforts of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr. during his three-plus years in office and look forward to further strengthening the relationship between local and federal agencies to reduce violent crime in the area.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and said Henderson has benefitted from what Higdon oversaw in the EDNC.
Higdon stepped down over the weekend, and announced that First Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Acker will be acting U.S. Attorney until a new chief is recommended and is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Higdon, who has been a federal prosecutor for more than 28 years, released a statement last week listing several accomplishments made during his time as lead attorney for EDNC, which covers 44 counties in North Carolina.
Among the programs was the revitalization of the “Project Safe Neighborhood” program as well as the development of the “Take Back North Carolina Initiative,” both efforts aimed at reducing violent crime.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow reflected on Higdon’s influence from a local perspective and said he appreciated the effort to build relationships with community law enforcement agencies. Barrow said that under Higdon’s watch, more than 200 people had been federally prosecuted in Henderson.
Barrow said Higdon also was instrumental in the Henderson police department getting a grant for purchase of equipment to take “ballistic fingerprints” of bullets – another tool to catch criminals and reduce gun violence. Whoever follows in Higdon’s position “will have big shoes to fill,” Barrow noted.
The USAO has made a concerted effort to provide support to law enforcement all across the District, Higdon stated. The “Take Back North Carolina Initiative” involved moving attorneys and staff into the district on a daily basis, which afforded the staff “careful listening to and respect for the expertise of law enforcement officials all across the district who know their communities and who know who and what to pursue in order to drive down our crime rates and make our communities safer and more secure,” the statement read.
For complete details and full audio click play.
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame praised the work of Higdon and his staff as well. In a prepared statement to WIZS, Brame said the USAO under Higdon’s leadership had been an integral part in the success that his department has had since Brame was elected in 2018. Since that time, five serious offenders have been convicted in federal court and another seven are awaiting prosecution.
“The continuous working relationship that Mr. Higdon has provided to the Vance County sheriff’s office has given the agency a sense of hope and accomplishment that we can provide the citizens of Vance County other ways to remove the most violent offenders from our community,” Brame stated.
In April 2018, Higdon held a press conference in Henderson during which he detailed plans to target the worsening opioid epidemic in eastern North Carolina. Violent crime and drug problems in communities are both areas that Higdon said he and his team of federal prosecutors helped to reduce with the use of regional federal prosecutors, whose mission would be to get the worst offenders off the street quickly and to add time to sentences to crimes involving guns.
In his written statement announcing his departure, Higdon said “to have the chance to work with these exceptional professionals and the brave heroes who serve us in uniform has been a true blessing. I hope that we have served the people of this district, this state, and this country well. I am proud of the work we have done together. And, I hope and pray for the continued success of these fine public servants in the years to come.”
“The Local Skinny!” Mar 1; Henderson Tree Protection Ordinance
The Henderson City Council last week adopted an ordinance to protect trees which Development Services Director Corey Williams said will provide guidelines aimed at maintaining buffers for development and tree canopy overhead.
Williams spoke to John C. Rose on The Local Skinny Monday. The new ordinance, 21-06 was adopted unanimously by council members. It replaces a section of city code with prescribed actions and some restrictions, he said. “The intent is to try to preserve the tree canopy and try to leave buffers in place,” Williams said. The ordinance went into effect upon its approval by council on Thursday, he said.
This is a “comprehensive tree protection ordinance that we haven’t had before” he said.
The ordinance replaces Section 17-9 of the City Code “Tree Cutters to Clean up Resulting Debris,” which only applies within the city limits. Although the code protects or manages existing street trees, it does not create a buffer/canopy zone for adjacent property when trees are harvested,” according to the official request to approve the ordinance. The new ordinance serves the city as well as the 2.5-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), Williams said.
The 12-page ordinance spells out situations that require a zoning compliance permit such as listing of all existing and future buffers surrounding a tract, as well as “all work impacting trees on lots designated for non-residential, multi-family residential and mixed use” as well as any impact on trees for single- and two-family residential use where total land disturbance exceeds 5,000 feet.
Podcast of “The Local Skinny!” for March 1 include Corey Williams…Story continues below.
For example, Williams said, a developer who needs to remove a tree or trees may be required to plant trees in the landscape to replace what had to be taken down. There are minimum canopy percentages that apply for different types land use. Multi-family residential and commercial use, for example, have a minimum canopy coverage of 30 percent; industrial districts have a minimum coverage of 20 percent.
Some exceptions to the ordinance include removal of severely damaged or diseased trees and removal of non-native invasive species which are listed within the ordinance.
The ordinance even includes suggestions on choosing which type of tree to plant, Williams noted. Native species such as dogwood, persimmon and pawpaw trees are on the list in the ordinance, for example.
More spelled-out guidance, in conjunction with a comprehensive landscape plan, will help preserve the natural beauty of the area, he said, which makes the area more attractive to folks looking to relocate.
To read the full ordinance, visit ci.henderson.nc.us and find the ordinance under the link to the City Clerk, Williams said.