Free income tax help available

DALTON, Ga. — The AARP Foundation Tax Aide program provides free tax preparation by volunteers certified by the IRS through Monday, April 17. The service is available at the Dalton-Whitfield County Library on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and at the Mack Gaston Community Center from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Please bring the following documents in order to file your tax returns: previous year tax return; picture identifcation; Social Security cards or ITIN documentation for all people on the return; all income documents; W-2, SSA, 1099, 1099R, 1099G, other 1099 forms or self-employment income; brokerage statements; health care forms; 1095 A, B or C; record of all expenses; mortgage interest; medical; property tax; etc.

 

 

MPD offering concealed carry course

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Officials with Milledgeville Police Department’s Specialized Patrol Unit are preparing for the spring session of the police department’s concealed carry course. The program was first held last June with more than 40 participants in the class. Due to the favorable response by citizens, MPD officials have decided to continue offering the course to interested applicants. The program will consist of classroom instruction, simulator training, as well as an opportunity for participants to utilize the firing range. The first class for the spring session concealed carry course is slated from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, March 13.  Classroom instruction and discussion will be conducted by Maj. John Davis, MPD’s patrol commander. Davis will discuss the most recent state laws on concealed carry legislation.  The next two classes in the spring session course, slated for March 20 and March 25, will feature simulator training with officials from the Department of Juvenile Justice and a chance for participants to perfect their skills on the firing range.  There is no cost for the course. Applications are available at the Milledgeville Police Department located at 125 W. McIntosh St.  All applications must be completed and turned in to the police department by Monday, March 6.  For more information, call the Milledgeville Police Department at 478-414-4000 and ask for Maj. John Davis or Lt. Reenae Gray or visit the MPD Specialized Patrol Facebook page. 

 

Colquitt EMC seeks Washington Youth Tour applicants

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The children of Colquitt EMC customers can qualify for a trip to an annual leadership program in Washington, D.C. This year’s event takes place June 8-15, when hundreds of EMCs across the country, including Colquitt EMC, will send about 100 juniors to Washington for a chance to learn about the cooperative business model and enjoy a full week of visiting the nation’s most treasured memorials and monuments. In order to be considered for this year’s Washington Youth Tour, interested students should live in a household of a member of Colquitt EMC, be at least 16 years old, hold a GPA of 2.5 or higher and currently be a high school junior. Applications are available at www.colquittemc.com or in any Colquitt EMC office. Applications will be accepted through March 1.

 

Freedom singer to speak at ABAC on Wednesday

TIFTON, Ga. — As part of the celebration of African American History Month at ABAC, Ruth Harris, legendary civil rights activist and Freedom Singer, will be on campus on Wed. at 3 p.m. in Howard Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public. A lifelong resident of Albany, Harris joined the Albany Movement and original Freedom Singers traveling over 50,000 miles singing for the cause of freedom and raising funds for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Harris’ professional career began in 1963 when the Freedom Singers signed a recording contract with Mercury Records. She has recorded with the Landmark Gospel Singers, Georgia Mass Choir, and Whitney Houston. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the Civic Opera House in Chicago, the United Nations in New York, The Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, The March on Washington in Washington, D.C., and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In 2004, Harris recorded her first CD titled, “I’m On the Battlefield.” In 2010, she performed at the White House in “Performance at The White House: A Celebration of Music from The Civil Rights Movement.” Harris was presented with a proclamation by the Atlanta City Council for her valuable contributions to racial equality in 2011. In 2013, Harris was presented with the National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music (NASPAAM) Trailblazer Award for outstanding work preserving, promoting and advancing the tradition of African American Music and sang at the Inter-Faith Services for the March on Washington celebration held at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Most recently she was inducted into the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, Inc., at the Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2015 and received the Hero Award in History from the Albany Municipal Auditorium Centennial Celebration in 2016.