There's a lingering question in the city of Toledo this weekend. Is the 2010 budget ready to go? The answer seems to depend on who you ask. Although some within the city say it's done, others say it's not. Residents and the media were told that the 2010 budget would be ready by Friday, but as of 10 p.m. the budget has not been released. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WUPW FOX Toledo, OH]
Private and household consumption rebounds in South Korea. (The Trade) [www.clipsyndicate.com | Bloomberg]
Ioanna Morfessis, the nominee picked to run Rhode Island's economic development agency, has decided not to accept the job because of personal reasons, just weeks after she was selected. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WPRI CBS 12 Providence]
A Pittsburgh man who bought a house during a tax sale went to check on the property on Christmas Eve, only to discover it had been torn down. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WTAE ABC 4 Pittsburgh PA]
City councilman Don Harris says Southern Avenue is a mess: "The speed limits are different in different directions. There are two lanes in one direction, one lane in another direction. There are no curbs on Southern and really, the road is unfinished." The city council will vote on Monday whether to spend a portion of road tax funds on improvements to Southern Avenue between Eubank and Juan Tabo. The plan includes landscaping, sidewalks, and smoother turns for Costco shoppers by creation of an eastbound turn lane. The project is estimated to cost more than $3 million dollars, but supporters justify that orderly traffic patterns will increase development, ultimately generating revenue by attracting more visits to the area. Local attractions, like The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History are also hoping to benefit. Charles Lowery, the museum’s Development Director, believes a more driver-friendly Southern Avenue will be seen as "an improved area… that will inspire them to come, and tell others to come as well." If the bill is passed, construction on the project could start by next spring. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KOB Albuquerque]
New Indiana Laws [www.clipsyndicate.com | WLFI CBS 18 Lafayette]
Afghan Agribusiness [www.clipsyndicate.com | WLFI CBS 18 Lafayette]
property taxes arts, parks [www.clipsyndicate.com | WISH CBS 8 Indianapolis]
March and April of 2009 were dominated by high water. Flooding and the flood battle consumed the energy of thousands of people in the region. Jim Olson continues his look at the Year in Review with that and other stories making news in March and April. It was early March when FEMA and the National Weather Services sounded the alarm - people should be considering buying flood insurance and making plans to deal with flooding on their property. And when another major blizzard hit on March 24th, we all were reminded of the record snow levels piled up in the region. The first sign of trouble in our area came in Beulah and Hazen when the Knife River sliced through the towns at historically high levels, even washing out a bridge on a major highway. Then, on March 30th, the Willow Creek near Willow City went from a level of 7 feet to over 14 feet overnight - inundating farm and ranchland. Minot-area officials got their sandbag efforts moving as March turned to April - aiming to fill 50,000 bags for Ward County and another 25,000 for Burlington alone. Up North, two Canadian dams built to control the Mouse River were ready to do their jobs - with very low water levels in their reservoirs, but lots of snowpack upstream, causing uncertainty about how much water they might release. In Burlington, hundreds of residents joined National Guardsmen to fill sandbags and prepare for the water where the Mouse and Des Lacs Rivers join. And then, on Easter weekend, the flood waters started hitting - threatening places like Foxholm and Carpio first - and moving downstream to Burlington and then Minot. Both those cities fared well in the battle - even though the Mouse hit its 5th highest crest on record in Minot. But places not protected by levees or intense sandbagging didn't fare as well. As the water surged downstream - it spread out over a vast area between Sawyer and Velva - and on toward Towner, US Highway Two was closed for a time as snow-filled fields released their water. BITE FROM 4/15 Velva story In the Towner and Karlshrue a
Pledge now and pay later. That's the message the United Way is sending, just one month before its yearly campaign comes to an end. The United Way is about 300-thousand dollars shy of meeting their one-point-six million dollar goal. This year's goal is up 14-percent from last year. Executive Director Jena Gullo says the need in the community has grown over the past year. She says if the United Way receives the same amount of pledges they did last year, they'll raise 1.4 million dollars. Which still isn't enough to cover the need. (Jena Gullo/Missouri Slope Area United Way, Exec. Dir.) "United Way supports over 40 local agencies and if we dont raise the funds we rae going to have to cut their funding from last year. we support important programs for our youth, for our seniors, for people with disabilities and needy families. there are people that just need a little bit of help to get back on their feet again and thats what United way is here for." People who donate before year's end are eligable for a tax write off. More than 300 local businesses have already donated to the cause along with hundreds of individuals. (Jena Gullo/Missouri Slope Area United Way, Exec. Dir.) "If you have the means to give to your community whether its five dollars, five hundred, or five thousand dollars, please do so. You can pledge now and pay later by calling the special hotline and volunteers will be standing by." You can go to the United Way's website at msaunitedway.org to make a pledge or you can call them at 214-9579. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KXMB CBS Bismarck North D]
North Dakotans are often known for their generosity. Now, there's research supporting just how kind they are. Since 2002, North Dakotas have been consistently making charitable contributions. And according to the state data center director, those donations keep getting bigger. Individual income tax returns with contributions listed as itemized deductions averaged four-thousand three hundred sixteen dollars in 2007, that's up 4-percent from 2006. Accountant Russ Schick says if you're looking to make a tax-deductable contribution now is the time. (Russ Schick/Wagner Financial Services, CPA) "Your itemized deductions include interest on your house, property taxes, charitable donations, medical expenses, some unreimbursed employee expenses. So if all of those adds up to be greater than the IRS standard deduction than you can use the greater of the two deductions." Schick says as long as you write a check and give it to the organization before January first, the deduction will be applied to this calendar year's return. He says it very important to keep a record of all your contributions. (Russ Schick/Wagner Financial Services, CPA) "They do require you to make your donations n checks. they want some type of documentaion. so if you dont write a check, cash donations, you need to get a recipt from your charitable organization and ifs its over 250 dollars at one time, so if you write a check for 250 dollars, they want the cancelled check and the receipt." He says its also a good idea to get receipts of any furnature or clothing that you donate throughout the year. Those things can be can itemized as well. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KXMB CBS Bismarck North D]
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Most U.S. Stocks Fall on Concern Fed to Retract Stimulus: Video
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Deborah Kostroun reports on the performance of the U.S. stock market today. Most stocks retreated as investors speculated the Federal Reserve will withdraw stimulus measures amid growing evidence the economy is improving. (Source: Bloomberg) [www.clipsyndicate.com | Bloomberg]
A new legislative session gets under way in Concord next week with a number of unusual bills up for debate alongside the tax and budget bills. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WMUR ABC 9 Manchester NH]
Heading into his last year as Wisconsin's governor, Democrat Jim Doyle says there were some major victories in 2009, but says there is a lot more to do. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WLUK FOX 11 Green Bay]
For the first time in four years, Marion County homeowners will get their property tax bills on time to be paid at the scheduled due dates in May and November, officials say. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WRTV ABC Indianapolis]
Langley/Ft.Eustis base merger 30 Dec. [www.clipsyndicate.com | WAVY NBC 10 Norfolk]
02:00
Cantor's Goncalves Discusses Outlook for Treasury Yields: Video
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- George Goncalves, chief fixed-income rate strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald LP, talks with Bloomberg's Lori Rothman about the outlook for U.S. Treasury yields. (This report is an excerpt. Source: Bloomberg) [www.clipsyndicate.com | Bloomberg]
02:00
Cantor's Goncalves Discusses Outlook for Treasury Yields: Video
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- George Goncalves, chief fixed-income rate strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald LP, talks with Bloomberg's Lori Rothman about the outlook for U.S. Treasury yields. (This report is an excerpt. Source: Bloomberg) [www.clipsyndicate.com | Bloomberg]
Aetna said today it will take an after-tax charge in the fourth quarter of $60 million to $65 million, on restructuring costs. $40 million of the charges are due to 625 job cuts that have already been completed, as well as officer closures. [www.clipsyndicate.com | Market News Video]
12/30/09 The US dollar continues to rise against both the euro and yen this session following an improvement in economic data & growing speculaiton that the Fed will withdraw stimulus measures. [www.clipsyndicate.com | New York Financial Press]
5 arrested in alleged car theft ring [www.clipsyndicate.com | WISH CBS 8 Indianapolis]
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) [www.clipsyndicate.com | WWLP NBC 22 Springfield M]
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