Briefly
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on February 2, 2005 2:01 PM
Snakes and collards
Are there snakes in the collards at the supermarket?
Dr. Karen Baldwin of East Carolina University will talk about this and other urban legends Thursday at the Wayne County Public Library, 1001 E. Ash St. The program begins at 7 p.m. in the Weil auditorium.
The program, which is free and open to the public, is the first taste of Wayne County Reads 2005. Dr. Baldwin's visit is courtesy of the Humanities Forum, N.C. Humanities Council.
Graduate directory
The Education Foundation of Wayne County public schools is working with Harris Directory to produce an alumni directory. The directory will allow graduates to keep in touch with friends and colleagues and provide the school system with information on graduates.
The directory will feature information on graduates from the public schools, past and present, and for all class years. The Harris company will also be contacting graduates to provide biographical details such as current name, address, phone number and professional information.
Unfortunately, due to the smaller volume of graduates, directories for Rosewood and Spring Creek are not being done at this time.
Graduates are encouraged to contact Harris Graduate Connection via e-mail at gcupdate@bcharrispub.com. Include the name of your high school in the subject line. For regular mail, send information to: Education Foundation for Wayne County Public Schools Alumni Directory Project, c/o Harris Graduate Connection, 6300 Center Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502.
Electronic filing
The N.C. Department of Revenue is encouraging taxpayers to file their returns electronically, which has the benefit of quicker tax refunds.
Those who file their state and federal tax forms electronically typically get their state refund within four weeks or less, much quicker than traditional paper filing.
North Carolina has participated in the Federal/State Electronic Filing program for 12 years. People can either file state and federal returns simultaneously or just their N.C. return.
State residents have filed more than 8 million returns since the program began, including 1.5 million last year.
In addition to being speedier, electronic filing is more accurate because the returns are prepared with software that checks and verifies all calculations -- reducing the number of mathematical errors, the department says.
Taxpayers also receive an immediate confirmation that their return has been received, giving the taxpayer immediate proof of filing.
And with electronic filing, taxpayers who owe the state money can also file their returns early and wait until the due date to pay the amount they owe. They can also have their refund deposited directly into their checking or savings account.
People with personal computers and modem can file returns by using certain approved tax preparation software. Also, many tax professionals will file federal and state returns electronically for a fee -- even if taxpayers prepare their own returns.
For a list of tax professionals who offer electronic filing, go to www.dor.state.nc.us.