Greg Abbott - Attorney General of Texas
The Front Page
Don't forget...
There are a bunch of garage sales going on this weekend in Coleman and Santa Anna. It should be good weather for it. A couple have sent in some for the SantaAnnaNews.com free Classifieds. I think the Coleman Humane Society is sponsoring a map of them or something like that along with a BBQ grill raffle.
Also don't forget the Sacred Heart Church Fish Fry... see below for details.
Have good weekend!
Sacred Heart Church - Fish Fry
A Fish Fry will be held Sunday, April 9, 2006 from 11:30 am until 2:30 PM at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. The menu will consist of fresh fried catfish, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, fresh garden salad and peach cobbler for dessert. Your beverage is included all for the price of $6.00 per plate for adults and $3.00 plate for children. Sacred Heart parish welcomes everyone from miles around to come and join us in this fund raiser event.
Bumper Snickers
I know this probably belongs on the Funnies Page but I didn't have too much to say Wednesday night, even after taking Tuesday night off.. at least from the News... I had to go into work for some after hours maintenance after midnight Tuesday night which didn't leave much time for the News.
Anyhow, I saw this bumper sticker on the back of a Dodge pickup truck last Sunday on the way back from Coleman that said "Bush IS a natural disaster!". On the other side was one that said "Real women drive pickup trucks".. it was being driven by one of course.
In fairness to the other political party, one of my friends from Millersview sent me a photo of a bumper sticker recently that said, "I'd rather hunt with Dick Cheney than ride with than ride with Ted Kennedy".
Alcohol Abuse and Older Adults
Andrew B. Crocker, Extension Program Specialist - Gerontology HealthSubmitted by Debbie Hailey, CEA-FCS Alcohol abuse is not something usually associated with aging. Underage drinking is a large problem in America and much effort is focused on its prevention. However, older adults may be at a higher risk for being affected by alcohol abuse.
Alcohol abuse among older adults may be attributed to many things, including depression, isolation, grief and fear, to name a few. Because aging may change the body's composition and the way it processes alcohol, older adults need to be especially concerned when consuming alcoholic beverages.
Studies from the US Department of Health and Human Services estimate that 17% of those over age 60 misuse alcohol and that numbers of alcohol-related hospitalization are similar for rates of hospitalization due to heart attack. Often the signs of alcoholism in older adults may be mistaken for other common problems associated with aging. Risks for increased alcohol consumption include dulling of the senses and sense of balance which may lead to falling. Alcohol may cause confusion, memory loss and lack of concentration that may be mistaken for dementia.
Many medications can interact with alcohol, leading to increased risk of illness, injury or death. For example, it is estimated that alcohol-medication interactions may be a factor in at least 25 percent of all emergency room admissions. An unknown number of less serious interactions may go unrecognized or unrecorded. Older adults may be especially likely to mix drugs and alcohol and are at particular risk for the adverse consequences of such combinations. Although persons age 65 and older constitute only 12 percent of the population, they consume 25 to 30 percent of all prescription medications.
Alcohol can influence the effectiveness of a drug by altering its availability. Alcohol may stop a drug's breakdown in your body. This interaction may increase the risk of experiencing harmful side effects from the drug. In contrast, long-term alcohol consumption may decrease the drug's availability and lessen its effects. Alcohol may transform some drugs into toxic chemicals that can damage the liver or other organs.
Interactions may occur with anesthetics that are given during surgery, antibiotics, blood thinners, antidepressants, diabetic medications, pain relievers and almost any other type of medication.
While current nutrition recommendations allow two alcoholic beverages per day for men and one per day for women, older adults should still take caution when consuming alcohol, especially in excess. In addition, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that those over age 65 should have no more than one drink per day. If you choose to consume alcohol, remember that a standard alcoholic beverage contains 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. Use the following equivalencies when evaluating your alcohol consumption:
* 12 ounces of beer
* 5 ounces of wine
* 1.5 ounces of hard liquor
Signs of alcoholism may vary from person to person, depending on their individual tolerance for alcohol. Whether you have been a lifelong heavy-drinker or only recently developed a drinking problem, alcohol abuse is a very serious problem. The National Institute on Aging recommends seeking help if you or a loved one exhibit some of the following symptoms:
* Drink to calm your nerves, forget worries or reduce depression
* Gulp down drinks
* Frequently have more than one drink per day
* Lie about or try to hide drinking
* Hurt yourself or others while drinking
* Feel irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking
* Medical, social or financial worries caused by drinking
If you think that you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol abuse, speak to your health provider and share your concern with him or her. Hopefully, he or she will be aware of treatment programs or other options in your area that may help you with your alcohol abuse problem.
For more information, contact your County Extension Agent. You may also receive more information from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov.
Don’t Fall for Tax Scams
By Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas
Tax season always seems to remind us of Benjamin Franklin's famous adage about the certainty of "death and taxes." Tax-related scams also spring up during this time of year, but the good news is that, unlike taxes, these schemes are avoidable.
Many businesses offer legitimate services preparing tax returns for those who don't have the time, the experience, the desire or the confidence to prepare the forms themselves. However, some unscrupulous operators prey on this need with deceptions that could cost you money and, worse, cause you serious problems with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
For instance, some businesses promise an "immediate refund" of your taxes, but generally the so-called "instant refund" is simply a loan.
Carefully read the fine print in any ad for this kind of service. The fees and interest for instant-refund loans can be quite high, so you should consider whether it would be better to fill out the tax refund paperwork yourself. If you can wait a little longer to receive a refund directly from the IRS, free of charge, you will be a lot better off.
Be extremely careful if someone who provides tax preparation services assures you they can obtain a larger refund for you. Some bogus tax return businesses promise larger "refunds" and deliver them only by adding phony deductions and making false claims on your return.
Before signing a return that has been prepared for you, you should review it carefully to make sure all the information it contains is truthful, especially concerning your income and deductions. Any errors or fabrications are your responsibility and you may have paid a hefty fee for a worthless service. You will have to return any refund money that you obtained by filing false information and you will owe interest and penalties.
Of course, you should also beware of any tax preparer who tries to get you to sign your return without carefully reading it, or who does not want to provide you with copies of your return.
Another type of tax scam misleads consumers into thinking they do not have to pay taxes. The scammers claim income taxes are voluntary and that you can buy an "untax package" that will make you exempt from all taxes. Naturally, a fee is required before you can learn the "secrets to tax freedom."
The outrageous argument that taxes are voluntary or optional has been repeatedly rejected by U.S. courts. In fact, a couple of years ago my office successfully sued a business that was perpetuating this scam. Taxes are NOT voluntary.
Yet another scam targets African-Americans, in particular. In this fraud, commonly referred to as the "reparations scam," you are contacted by individuals who claim that tax law allows credits or refunds as reparations for slavery.
Usually the scammers ask for a fee in return for filing the false claim for reparations, and the scam artist is long gone before the victim realizes what has happened. The truth is, there is no such law, and the victim may be subject to civil penalties for filing a false claim.
Income tax scams at this time of year are not the only kind of chicanery to watch out for. A recurring scheme involves an official-looking mailer in which a business urges local homeowners to send in a fee to receive some kind of break on property taxes.
Most often, the "reduction" being offered is nothing other than the homestead exemption that is already available to Texas homeowners. There is no need to pay anyone to secure a homestead tax exemption. You can easily claim it yourself by contacting your local county tax assessor-collector.Finally, beware of people going door-to-door posing at IRS agents. These people may claim you owe back taxes and pressure you to write a check on the spot. Don't pay them anything and don't let anyone into your home who claims to be an IRS agent without first verifying their identification and documentation.
If you believe an imposter has shown up at your door, call your local police department immediately. Afterwards, you should call the U.S. Treasury Inspector General's Hotline at (800) 366-4484.
Pay your taxes and enjoy your refunds. Don’t let a scam artist cash in on your windfall, and don’t let a bogus tax return business get you into trouble with the IRS.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- If you have your taxes prepared for you, read the returns carefully before you sign anything.
- You will be held responsible for your return even if it is prepared by someone else.
- Taxes are NOT voluntary.
- There is no law that excuses taxes in reparation for slavery.
IRS Hotline for tax assistance:
(800) 829-1040
IRS Hotline to report tax fraud:
(800) 829-0433
U.S. Treasury Inspector General's Hotline to report an IRS imposter:
(800) 366-4484
Information on this and other topics is available on the Attorney General's website at www.oag.state.tx.us.
Henry Sorrells
One of my old neighbors, Henry Sorrells passed away Friday in Fort Worth.
Henry lived across the street from us on 6th Street when I was growing up.
He was always a nice man and he looked after our place when we were gone or away from home.
I did not know him real well but I remember that he served in the Army in World War II.
He could be seen most of the time cruising around town or hanging out at Allsup's in his white and grey Ford Ranger pickup and camper shell. Watching folks come and go and drinking coffee with friends.
Graveside services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, April 3, 2006 at Cedar Point Cemetery in Brownwood. A complete obituary can be found at ColemanNews.com
Henry Sorrells, gone but not forgotten.
Spring forward
I hope you didn't forget the time change this weekend.
I really like Daylight Savings Time but I am already tired of it... no, seriously I really like the longer evenings.
I worked out in the yard most of the weekend and I am just about worn out. I managed to stretch it out as long as I could but I finally had to break down and mow the grass! It really wasn't the grass that I mowed though it was mostly all those weeds that managed to get past the slight freeze a couple of weeks ago. I did get to pull a few of the big ones up before I mowed. Then I figured I better get a little fertilizer down so that maybe the grass will start outgrowing the weeds. Several people had got their fertilizer out before the rains last week but I didn't quite make it so I had to water mine in Sunday afternoon after putting it out.
Saturday night we enjoyed eating out at Noreta's Steakhouse with one of my old Scouting friends and his family from Abilene. It was really good. We don't go too often but we usually try to avoid the weekends especially since they are so busy. It's nice to have a good place to go out to eat here in Santa Anna.
Well that's about it Have a good week!
Texas Cooperative Extension to Offer Food Protection Management Training Course
Submitted by Debbie Hailey - Coleman County Extension Agent Family & Consumer Sciences
Eating out has never been more popular. Almost half of the money we spend on food is spent away from home. Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 1 in 4 Americans will get sick from eating contaminated food at home or at food service establishments. This spring in Coleman County, Texas Cooperative Extension is offering training to reduce those numbers of illnesses.
The Food Manager Certification Training Program, called "Food Safety: It's Our Business" seeks to reduce the risk of food borne illness. By taking the course, food service managers can receive the latest information on personal hygiene, how to use thermometers, how to store food safely, how to prepare and serve food properly and how to keep the food preparation areas clean and sanitized. Participants can fulfill requirements for Food Manager Certification if they pass the certification exam offered at the end of the course.
The training session for this area is April 17 & 18, 2006 at Coleman Housing Authority High Rise Community Room. The cost is $ 79.00. Registration deadline is April 3, 2006. For more information, contact Debbie Hailey, County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences, at 325-625-4519.
State Nature Tourism Seminar Scheduled in Albany
A $5 BILLION dollar industry in Texas alone, Nature Tourism is growing. Mark your calendar and plan to attend a full-day Nature Tourism Seminar & Tour titled "The Nature of Everything: Integrating Public Desire for Nature with Your Tourism Product." Sponsored by the Texas Travel Industry Association (TTIA), the Texas Nature Tourism Council (TNTC) and Texas A&M Cooperative Extension (TCE), the workshop will be held on April 19, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Stasney's Cook Ranch in Abilene. Just $35.00! Includes Lunch & Transportation from Abilene!
The workshop focuses on providing attendees useful market information for integrating the public's desire for nature related activities with existing or potential tourism products. Expert presenters from across Texas will provide market data, success stories and helpful planning resources.
Convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce private landowners, business people, marketing organizations and anyone interested in increasing economic development through nature tourism are invited to attend and participate.
The workshop is being held at the same time as the Texas Department of Transportation's annual Travel Counselors Conference. Those attending the nature tourism workshop may also sign up to attend TxDOT's evening dinner after the workshop (additional fee required).
Please contact Jennifer Roush or Rose Koosman at the TTIA office for more details, to register or for answers to any questions, 512-476-4472, http://www.ttia.org/.
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