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How to get free tax help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

(KXAN) -- Tax Day is April 18, and if you are among the many taxpayers yet to file, there is help waiting for you.AARP’s Tax-Aide service offers free in-person and virtual tax assistance now through April 18 in every state.“They sit down with one of our volunteers complete an intake sheet and by the time they leave, they have a completed return in their hand and we electronically file it later on with the IRS,” said Lynnette Lee-Villanueva, the Vice President of Tax and Credits at AARP. 5 things to know about 2023 tax filing season “It is a free program and it's volunteer based. All of our sites have trained volunteers who are also IRS certified to be able to prepare the returns,” said Lee-Villanueva.AARP said its Tax-Aide service helped secure more than $1 billion in refunds for more than 1.2 million taxpayers last year.“As individuals move into their retirement years, they are often faced with a different tax situation than they were when they were working," Lee-Villanueva expla...

Valatie man sentenced to 15 years for sexually assaulting child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

VALATIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Valatie man was sentenced to 15 years in prison with 20 years of post-release supervision for sexually assaulting a child, according to the Columbia County District Attorney's Office. Heath Harrison, 49, was convicted by plea of first-degree criminal sexual assault. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Harrison was originally arrested back in December 2020 on allegations he sexually abused a child between 2014 and 2018, when the victim was between seven and 12 years old. Police say the crimes happened in the Town of Chatham and the Village of Valatie. Harrison will have to register as a sex offender once he is released from prison. An order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim for 23 years. Greenwich man arraigned on kidnapping, sex crime charges According to the Columbia County District Attorney's Office, the victim told the court at sentencing, "I am stronger than I ever thought I co...

Mobile pizzeria gets permanent spot in the Berkshires

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

EGREMONT, Mass. (NEWS10) -- Hilltown Hot Pies, a mobile and pop-up pizza business, is getting a brick-and-mortar location in the Berkshires. On April 7, owner Rafi Bildner bought the former John Andrews Farmhouse Restaurant at 224 Hillsdale Road in Egremont. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Bildner started Hilltown Hot Pies in 2019, taking his mobile pizza oven to farms around the region to create temporary “pizza farm” pop-ups. Bildner said the John Andrews property was a natural fit for his dream of a rural pizza spot."Since moving back to the area to start my mobile pizza truck and pop-up business a few years ago, I’ve looked all over the region for the right property," said Bildner. "I’ve always hoped that this eventual restaurant would be more than just a place for extraordinary pizza, but also a space for growing food, creating community, and encouraging connection to the land and our natural environment. It’s a dream ...

The push to widen I-70 across Missouri is stalling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

WENTZVILLE, Mo. - As the State of Missouri sits on record budget surpluses, a top priority for the governor seems to have stalled: widening Interstate 70 from St. Louis to Kansas City.Anyone driving westbound on I-70 out of the St. Louis area may be perplexed as to why the interstate narrows from four lanes to three to two in St. Charles County, despite the fact that traffic remains heavy.“For those who we say we can't afford it (I-70 expansion), I say we can't afford not to,” Governor Mike Parson said in his State of the State speech nearly three months ago. Top story: “Easter Miracle” for Lake St. Louis officer critically injured by suspected drunk driver Still, the legislature has yet to earmark a single dollar toward the idea, with the legislative session set to end in mid-May.“Don’t forget it’s eight years from the time we say go to get an actual project like that completed,” said State Senator Bill Eigel.He’s sponsoring a bill (SB 317) to spend even more on I-70 than Governo...

'Easter Miracle' for Lake St. Louis officer critically injured by suspected drunk driver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

LAKE ST. LOUIS, Mo. - One of the five St. Louis area police officers injured by a suspected drunk driver made a breakthrough Sunday.Lake St. Louis Police Officer Nathan Livingston regained consciousness and was able to speak with his family for the first time since the incident.“Personally, I’m a faith-based person. Prayers pay off. Keep doing it, and I know we’re going to have a good outcome,” said Chief Chris DiGiuseppi for the Lake St. Louis Police Department.It was a dramatic turnaround for Livingston. He remained unresponsive ever since he and four others were injured in the overnight hours of March 29. Top story: “Easter Miracle” for Lake St. Louis officer critically injured by suspected drunk driver The officers were part of the St. Charles County Criminal Interdiction Task Force, responding to an incident on Interstate 70 in Maryland Heights. All of a sudden, a man driving an SUV barreled into a patrol vehicle. Five officers, three from Lake St. Louis, plus a Lake St. Loui...

Denver weather: Record high temps expected, with first day this year above 80 degrees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

Record heat is expected in metro Denver with National Weather Service forecasters predicting a high temperature of 83 degrees on Tuesday and 84 degrees on Wednesday under sunny blue skies.The old record for April 11 is 80 degrees, set in 1982, and for April 12 the record is 79 degrees, set in 2018.A week ago on April 5, weather service meteorologists said they recorded a record low temperature in Denver of 11 degrees, breaking the record low of 12 degrees set in 1983.April temperatures in Denver typically hang in the 60s.No significant precipitation was expected until Thursday and Friday, after wind speeds increase, weather service forecasters said, before heat returns over the weekend. Clouds will roll over the area on Thursday, forecasters said.Denver will set record highs today and Wednesday. A high today 83° will break the daily record of 80°. The forecast high of 84° on Wednesday will break the record of 79°. #COwx pic.twitter.com/7bKZfOZeyX— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) Ap...

EPA might ensure 60% EV sales by 2030, align with California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

The EPA is expected to propose stricter emissions rules that would ensure more than half of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. are electric, The New York Times reports.The proposal would not mandate a specific percentage of EV sales, but would set emissions limits so stringent that it would essentially force automakers to ensure that EVs account for up to 67% of their sales by 2032, according to the report, which cites two people familiar with the matter.EPA Administrator Michael Regan is expected to announce these stricter tailpipe emissions limits Wednesday, according to the report. As the Times points out, such a policy would cause a major shift in the U.S. new-car market, where EVs only make up approximately 5.8% of sales nationally. It would also ratchet up the Biden administration's efforts to reduce emissions.2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUVPresident Biden issued an executive order in 2021 calling for 50% EV sales by 2030, but hasn't followed that up with supporting regulations. ...

Unsanctioned 'Deltopia' party near UC Santa Barbara sees massive increase in arrests, medical calls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

The unsanctioned beachfront street party near UC Santa Barbara known as "Deltopia" returned to alarming form over the weekend, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.The annual street party, which takes place on Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista, a community adjacent to the university, typically brings out thousands of people and regularly leads to medical calls, arrests and citations.Previous years have seen a decrease in law enforcement intervention and medical calls thanks to preventative measures taken by both the university and the city of Goleta, but Deltopia '23 saw a resurgence in arrests and citations.In total, the Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies issued 151 citations and made 23 arrests over the weekend. That's a 400% increase in citations and 500% increase in arrests from 2022, during which only 34 citations were issued and four arrests were made.Partygoers crowd a street in Isla Vista while paramedics wheel an injured person on a gurn...

Police chase ends with PIT maneuver, arrest in Orange County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

A driver who led police on a short pursuit in Orange County on Monday was arrested and faces felony charges, authorities with the Costa Mesa Police Department announced.  The chase started after Costa Mesa police attempted to pull over the driver, who has a felony warrant, at around 11 a.m. The suspect failed to yield and led authorities on a pursuit into Huntington Beach, officials said.  The Orange County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the pursuit by tracking the suspect’s vehicle from its helicopter, while officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department took over the chase on the ground, ultimately performing a successful PIT maneuver.An officer with the Costa Mesa Police Department seen here after the pursuit of a driver with a felony warrant ended with an arrest on April 10, 2023, in Huntington Beach. (CMPD)Costa Mesa police seen at the end of a pursuit that ended with an arrest in Huntington Beach on April 10, 2023. (CMPD)“The suspect was taken into custody an...

Weed Scene: Cannabis Consumption by Demographics 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:02 GMT

It seems like there’s weed for everyone! Cannabis consumption in the U.S. and Canada by demographics may slightly vary per age group and gender, but you most likely have similar “tastes” with other people! — you probably just didn’t know it. Until now!Here are a few weed stats based on a report by Headset.Cannabis Consumption by Demographics1. GenderMenMen are the primary consumers of weed. In the US, 66.2% of those who consume marijuana are males. Two of the most preferred types of cannabis that men consume are concentrates (72.7%) and flowers (69.6%).WomenWomen make up one-third (33.8%) of the cannabis market in the US. The type of marijuana that women prefer is cannabis topicals — 50.2% of female consumers prefer this. However, 40% also enjoy tinctures and sublingual marijuana.2. Age GroupBaby BoomersAround 13% of those who use weed are Baby Boomers. Just like most generations, marijuana flowers seem to be the preferred cannabis product by this demographic — 42% of the purchases ...