Rhonda Kollmann
Megan Parks-Webster
URBANA – An initial trial date in March has been scheduled for a St. Joseph, Ill., man, William M. Bell, 39, who has been arrested and indicted on federal child pornography charges. Bell, a former information technology employee of Monticello community unit school district 25, was arrested o…
The Clifton Village Board had its February meeting at the village hall.
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URBANA – An initial trial date in March has been scheduled for a St. Joseph, Ill., man, William M. Bell, 39, who has been arrested and indicted on federal child pornography charges. Bell, a former information technology employee of Monticello community unit school district 25, was arrested o…
URBANA – A chiropractor who previously owned and operated the Bradley Chiropractic Clinic, located in Bradley, pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and failure to file tax returns, according to…
The Milford Bearcats defeated the Cornjerkers on Friday night in Hoopeston. The final score was 52-33.
The Lady Bearcats suffered a heartbreaking loss at Ridgeview on Monday night during their sectional match up against the Mustangs. The final score was 41-39.
Business name: Rapid Assembly Bicycle Shop
Business name: Exposed Tanning and Beauty Studio
Business name: Nichols Paint and Fab
Business name: Center Street Productions
The Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the location for the Business After Hours for Feb. 6.
URBANA – Soybean prices rallied and then fell last week on developments in trade negotiations with China and the emergence of issues with the crop in South America, according to University of Illinois agricultural economist Todd Hubbs, according to a news release.
Illinois finished 42nd in a new study by the Tax Foundation ranking of which states have the most business-friendly unemployment insurance tax structures.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said he could subpoena Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to explore allegations that they discussed whether President Donald Trump could be removed from office. McCabe said in an interview scheduled to air on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday that Rosenstein discussed with him in 2017 whether there were enough members of Trump's ...
WASHINGTON –– U.S. lawmakers said Sunday that there may be support in Congress to disapprove Donald Trump's order declaring an emergency to secure funding for a border wall, but not enough votes to overturn an expected veto. Trump issued the order Friday to divert certain military funding for wall construction, after Congress approved only $1.375 billion of the $5.7 billion he sought in a ...
SPRINGFIELD — Would four new statues or six new statues look better on the Capitol complex grounds?
AURORA -- As Greg Zanis puts the finishing touches on the most recent of the tens of thousands of crosses he's made in his Aurora garage for shooting victims across the country, he sighs.
These days, you probably want to file your taxes as early as possible to prevent identity thieves from filing a false return in your name — but that requires you to have the necessary forms in hand, including W-2 forms.
Notwithstanding all of the new federal tax changes, the W-2 form is one of the most critical tax forms, since it is the summary of your compensation and withheld taxes. Employers are supposed to send W-2 forms to their employees by January 31. Unfortunately, sometimes you find yourself in the middle of February with no W-2 form and an increasing fear that someone is stealing your tax refund while you are patiently waiting for your paperwork. What can you do? The IRS suggests a few straightforward steps.
- Notify Your Employer – Contact ...
You're a pretty tech-savvy person. You know how to avoid common scams. You can spot phishing e-mails a mile away – even spear phishing e-mails tailored specifically to fool you.
Would you like to put your skills to the test?
Jigsaw offers an online quiz to test your phish-detecting acumen. The quiz, based on the results of multiple worldwide security training sessions, features eight modified examples of real-life phishing scams – including the infamous attack that tricked John Podesta into allowing Russian hackers access to Hillary Clinton's campaign. All quiz questions are challenging and relatively subtle – there are no stereotypical Nigerian princes here. Since Jigsaw is a division of Google, you can trust that it’s legit; Google probably already knows more about you than you suspect!
You're presented with a fictional e-mail and asked to determine whether it's legitimate or a phishin...
Consumer Credit And Blockchain
Between A Scam And A Fraud Place – SMiShing Is Big Criminal Business
Married couples have the choice of filing their taxes jointly or separately. What is the best option for you and your spouse? Generally, it is to file jointly – but there are several factors to consider before making your choice.
Obviously, the first hurdle is that you have to be married. For tax purposes, you are considered married if you were married on the last day of the tax year, even if you are in the process of a divorce that has not yet been finalized. Joint filing status is not available to couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Thanks to the Supreme Court, married same-sex couples must file their federal taxes jointly or as a married couple filing separately – single status is not an option.
Assuming you meet the marriage criteria, how do you decide? Start by considering the disadvantages of filing separately and think of how many...
Itemize Or Take The Standard Deduction On Your Federal Income Tax?
For Valentine's Day, we hope you bought a thoughtful gift for your significant other. It's the thought that counts, of course, but let us give you a tip or two: women like jewelry. And, when it comes to fine jewelry, you should give thought to insurance.
Fortunately, your family's everyday jewelry is probably covered by standard homeowner's or renter's insurance (at current market value less any deductible), assuming you carry such insurance. However, if you have valuable or very sentimental pieces of jewelry, the coverage may be lacking.
How can you tell whether your coverage is adequate? The following steps can help you reach the best decision.
- Inventory and Appraisal – You cannot figure out if your coverage is sufficient if you do not assess what you have. You need a list of items and their current value for any insurance claim, as well as for a police report in case of theft.
Create a spreadsheet with each piece l...
Scheduling Personal Property On Your Homeowners or Renters Policy
Tax season is upon us, accompanied by many new federal tax changes. If you are one of the many Americans struggling to understand how to fill out your tax forms, the IRS — yes, that IRS — may be able to offer you free assistance.
The IRS offers the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to certain taxpayers that require aid with preparing their returns. The program is generally available to those making $55,000 per year or less, elderly or disabled taxpayers, or those who have difficulty understanding English. VITA locations are sprinkled throughout America's community centers, libraries, shopping malls, and other public locations.
The VITA program is staffed by IRS-certified volunteers who can assist with basic tax preparation questions, and in some cases, electronic filing. Filing advice covers many of the common tax forms and their impacts, including many varieties of 1099 fo...
How Seniors Should Handle A 1099-C
As part of an effort to keep students front and center regarding plans for preparedness, staff at Seneca Valley School District recently participated in the first “Stop the Bleed” training to learn the basics of bleeding control, how to use dressings and how to use a tourniquet properly.
Whether you like to graze all day at the office or eat simply out of boredom, it can be tough to make healthy snack choices when you’re sitting at a desk, especially if you’re limited to a potato chip-filled vending machine, a co-worker’s candy jar or a nearby fast food restaurant.
You know the routine. Life’s hectic, and you’re short on time. For ease and convenience, how often do you find yourself reaching for pre-packaged, processed foods or hitting the drive-thru after work? Even grocery stores provide single-serving meals you can heat for a quick bite.
It’s that time of year again, where football is at the center of many a weekend party. Foods like chips, dip, sliders, taquitos and mozzarella sticks are standard fare, but is there a way to make Super Bowl Sunday a little more health conscious without taking away any of the fun of these time-honored treats? We say, absolutely yes. Check out three excellent swaps for your game day feast.
Here's what usually happens when we get sick.
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Drums, dragons and dancers paraded through New York's Chinatown Sunday to usher in the Year of the Pig in the metropolis with the biggest population of Chinese descent of any city outside Asia. (Feb. 17)
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio slammed Amazon.com's decision not to build a second headquarters in the city as "an example of an abuse of corporate power" that hurts working people. "Amazon just took their ball and went home," de Blasio said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "What they did was confirm people's worst fears about corporate America." The world's biggest online retailer last week ...
Sen. Lindsey Graham said he could subpoena Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to explore allegations that they discussed whether President Donald Trump could be removed from office. McCabe said in an interview scheduled to air on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday that Rosenstein discussed with him in 2017 whether there were enough members of Trump's ...
In what could be a defining moment for his papacy, more than 100 top Catholic bishops from around the world will travel to the Vatican Rome this week for a conference aimed at dealing with the issue of clergy sex abuse. Pope Francis is the first church leader to convene such a meeting to discuss the issue. And after a year in which high-ranking church officials resigned in scandal, the ...
WASHINGTON –– U.S. lawmakers said Sunday that there may be support in Congress to disapprove Donald Trump's order declaring an emergency to secure funding for a border wall, but not enough votes to overturn an expected veto. Trump issued the order Friday to divert certain military funding for wall construction, after Congress approved only $1.375 billion of the $5.7 billion he sought in a ...
In conjunction with the Milford United Methodist Church spaghetti supper on March 2, raffle tickets for a chance to win a quilt made and donated by Pauline Bury will be available for purchase, according to a news release. The exotic petals design quilt is 90” X 106” and will be on display at…
The public is invited to attend the upcoming spaghetti supper at the Milford United Methodist Church from 5-7 p.m. March 2, according to a news release.
The Milford United Methodist Church is offering the 14th installment of their ongoing Bible Greats children’s series March 10, in the church basement, according to a news release.
The value of journalism’s watchdog role for a community has been touted for decades.
To the Editor,
When NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope into deep space in 1990, the New York Times Magazine published a story with the headline that went something like, “Looking back to look forward.” The reference, of course, had to do with the scope’s ability to “see” light long before it reached …
To the Editor,