’Tis the season to give or…receive

[FEB. 2, 2000]  With W-2s flooding people’s mailboxes and only two months until the April 15 deadline—the tax season is officially upon us.  According to one Lincoln accountant, more people than ever will be using electronic filing to get a refund fast. 

  "Internal Revenue is pushing to have more people file electronically so we're offering it free to everybody," said Clarence Barney of H & R Block. "We're trying to get 85 percent of returns filed that way."

   Barney said other changes in the state tax laws are few this year.

   "There's $100 more child credit (from $400 to $500) and the earned income credit is a little higher," he said.

   Dale Meier of Meier Accounting and Tax Service agreed.  "There are very few changes and the new ones are minor," he said.

   While this tax season has been virtually uneventful, both men agreed that February is their busiest month.

   "The W-2s started coming this week and my calendar is booked for a few weeks," Meier said.

   "The next three weeks are our busiest - the last week in January and the first three in February," said Barney. "You still get your procrastinators—some people don't get in a big hurry because they don't need the money."

   Another local accountant who is swamped this month is Mike Abbott of JM Abbott & Associates.

   "We get very busy in February because farmers are required to file March, and corporation taxes are due March 15,” he said.  “After that, you always have your individual procrastinators, but most clients are in by April."

   One thing you can take to the bank is that early filers are looking for a refund.

   "This time of the year 90 percent of the people get refunds and they want to get it fast,” Barney said.  The quickest way for people to get the refund is by filing electronically.  “You can get your refund in your bank account in two weeks,” Barney adds.

"Between now and the first of March, it's all refunds," Meier said. "After the first of March, 90 percent of the people have to pay. They're in no hurry so they just wait. There's some that will wait until April 15, but three-fourths of those will file an extension.  They just don't want to let go of their money."

   Abbott said his refund ratio is a little different.

   "Of our clients now, probably half get refunds and half have to pay," he said. "Our business clients and our farmers usually owe money."

   While people are eager to receive their money, many filers don't bring all the paperwork needed to complete their returns, Barney and Meier admitted.

   "Most people are well prepared," Barney said. "After you do their returns for a year, they know what they need to bring.”  But sometimes after discussing their taxes, “problems they don't know they have” will originate.

   Meier had a slightly different story.

   In general, “very few people come in prepared,” he stated.  “The ones I've had for awhile know what to bring, but some new ones have to come in twice."

   Over the years, Abbott has found a solution for this problem.

   "We send our clients an organizer and give them a pre-appointment," he said. "It forces them to get their stuff together before them come in."

[Ellen Shawgo]

Census 2000 Awareness Campaign Hits the County

[FEB. 1, 2000]  Got Census? Logan County residents will receive US Census 2000 questionnaires in the mail in early March. But the Awareness Campaign is already underway to make residents aware of the purpose of the census and to inform them of how the results can help to enrich our community. Census results provide social and economic facts about people and housing that is used by the state and local governments to assist in future planning.

Reverend Glenn Shelton, Chairman of the Complete Count Committee for Logan County’s Census 2000 said, "We want every resident to complete the Census questionnaire in a timely and accurate manner. The Complete Count Committee’s (CCC) objective is to raise interest in Census 2000 throughout the community by implementing an awareness campaign that will reach every resident."

There are 9,847 household units in Logan County that must be counted to reach the 100% goal for the county. The county’s current population is 15,257, a decrease of 171 people since 1990. Shelton said, " In our last count according to the US Census, we missed 1, 632 residents which equated in a loss of over $4 million in federal and state funding over the last ten years. We do not want to make this mistake again." These missed residents during the 1990 Census meant that the county fell short of the census goal by 17%. According to Census Bureau information, every 500 households undercounted equates to a $218,500.00 loss in revenue to the community per year until the next census.

The CCC will implement its Awareness Campaign in three phases. The first one is already underway and will continue until the questionnaires are mailed out in mid-March. Local businesses are encouraged to place posters in their windows. Advertisements and inserts will be included in the local newspaper and in the utility and cable company mailings. Eighty-three percent of the households in the country will receive the short-form questionnaire that asks questions about six subjects and will take about 10 minutes to complete. The long form includes the 34 subjects and will take about 38 minutes to complete.

Shelton said, "After the questionnaires have been mailed, we will start our second phase and remind everyone to fill out the questionnaire and if there are questions, we will be happy to inform the Census Bureau and help answer any questions to ensure a timely response. Our third and final phase involves advising residents who have not mailed their questionnaires. An Enumerator will be visiting their household to assist them in completing the form. I am confident that with this committee’s commitment that the Lincoln Community will have a complete count for 2000 and we will receive our fair share of federal and state funding."

Census information determines the reapportionment of seats for the U.S. House of Representatives. It also decides where to draw federal, state and local legislative districts, school district boundaries and it assists in designing public safety strategies, locating factory sites and distribution centers, and setting community goals, used to attract new business to the state and local areas. The U.S. Constitution has mandated a national census every 10 years since 1790.

[Kym C. Ammons-Scott]

Teen Court,

a Jury of Their Peers

[JAN. 31, 2000]  When Dorothy Morrow heard about the Teen Court in Galesburg, she thought it was a program that could help teenagers get back on track.  At the time she had a particular teenager in mind, a relative who, like many youngsters, had made a few mistakes in the process of growing up.  Without an alternative to the conventional justice system, Ms. Morrow knew that kids could get “lost in the shuffle.”

Fortunately for Logan County youth, Ms. Morrow didn’t let Teen Court remain a good idea never tried.  As president of the American Legion Auxiliary, she took the concept to her fellow members.  They too thought that Teen Court was promising and agreed to provide whatever support was necessary to establish a Teen Court in Logan County.

“We met with Bill Workman [Logan County State’s Attorney], and he helped us every step of the way,” Ms. Morrow reports.  After a year of planning meetings, the Teen Court became a reality in April of 1999, and more than 30 teen offenders have appeared before it since then. 

Sixty-five volunteers from Lincoln Community High School, Mt. Pulaski High School, and Hartsburg-Emden High School have worked with the Teen Court.  They are the judges, juries, prosecutors, defenders, and bailiffs in the process.  They literally try their peers.

Teen Court doesn’t determine guilt or innocence, Ms. Morrow explains.  All the defendants have pleaded guilty before appearing in front of the Teen Court.  Often Sergeant Darrell Sisk, the Juvenile Officer for the Lincoln City Police Department, refers them.  The Teen Court determines an appropriate sentence, which may include community service or restitution. “If teenage defendants are judged by their peers, they take it more seriously,” says Ms. Morrow.

Defendants have the option of going to Teen Court or staying in the regular court system.  If they choose Teen Court, a parent must accompany them in the proceedings. “Most parents think it’s a great idea,” says Ms. Morrow, “due to the fact it won’t be on their record.”  If the offender completes the sentence he or she is assigned and stays out of trouble for a year, the offense is not reflected in the young person’s record.  Defendants pay $25 to cover court costs.

Defendants have appeared before the court after pleading guilty to such charges as property crime misdemeanors, theft, battery and unlawful consumption of alcohol.  All the volunteers who serve as officers of the court sign a confidentiality agreement and their names are not made public.  They also agree not to discuss the proceedings outside the courtroom.

“This program has gotten off to an excellent start,” says Workman.  “Adult volunteers stay in touch with the sentenced offenders for a year after the proceedings, to help them stay out of trouble and get involved in constructive activities.  That has been a strong component of the program.

Local attorneys often sit in on the Teen Court proceedings.  According to Ms. Morrow, they have been very impressed with what they have seen.  “They can’t believe that some of these kids haven’t been to law school.”

The Teen Court has arranged with the Lincoln Area YMCA for a new sentencing option that will be available by spring.  In November, the YMCA initiated YMCA Gateway, a program for teenagers that now includes a leadership course for all eighth-graders at Lincoln Junior High School.  In April, the YMCA will open a high-ropes course now under construction at the YMCA’s youth services facility on the grounds of Lincoln Developmental Center.  Ron Sillings, an Army veteran, Lincoln Christian College graduate and martial artist directs the program.

“Ron and Sarah Farris teach a 30-hour leadership curriculum followed by rigorous training on a high-ropes course that includes challenging and confidence-building exercises 30 feet in the air,” explains Angie Peters, executive director of the local YMCA.  “All the eighth-graders at LJHS will be part of the program.  Eventually, the program will also be available to other groups.”

The Teen Court will have the option of “sentencing” offenders to a special adaptation of YMCA Gateway.  “It will be something like boot camp,” says Sillings, “tough and challenging, but also geared toward self-improvement.  When kids master this program, they realize they are capable of anything.  But before they get to the high-ropes, they complete a personal development course and plan and conduct a community service project.”

“Dorothy Morrow has been instrumental in getting Teen Court off the ground,” Workman exudes, “and Marlene Schrader and the ladies of the American Legion Auxilliary have put in countless hours of work.  Add to that the fine contribution of the teens who serve in the court and you have a perfect example of what selfless volunteer efforts can produce in a community.”

Workman thinks the Teen Court keeps young offenders on track and also teaches teenage volunteers about the workings of the justice system.  “Parents need the support of our institutions,” Workman observes.  “We have more and more single-parent homes, and keeping track of teenagers is a challenge.  I was raised in a single-parent home when it was more of a rarity than it is today.  I know first hand the challenges and struggles faced by both the child and the single parent.  Our community can provide a helping hand.”

      [Natalie Jeckel]