Event details
March 22, 2020
All Day
Here in South Jersey, 1 in 6 people, and 1 in 5 children, suffer from food insecurity, which means they might not know where their next meal is coming from. In response, the Diocese of Camden organizes the annual FaithFULL Food Drive.
DOVER (Feb. ,2020) – Anglers who have purchased recreational fishing licenses and freshwater trout stamps, or exempt anglers who obtained free Fisherman Information Network (FIN) numbers directly from DNREC’s website in the past will now benefit from an updated, more user-friendly version of the electronic fishing license sales system, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. The enhanced fishing license sales system can be accessed online at
Recreational Fishing Licenses
.
The recreational fishing license sales system is part of DNREC’s new ePermitting system, which involves customers establishing a user profile usable for a variety of DNREC licensing and permitting opportunities. Online fishing license sales system enhancements include a more modern look and feel using an improved customer interface and a familiar shopping cart approach, along with full compatibility for a variety of mobile devices to include smartphones and tablets in addition to personal computers, including Apple products.
Recreational fishing licenses can also be purchased at the licensing office in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and at license agents statewide, where the previous license sales system will be used until the transition to the new electronic fishing license sales system is completed during the upcoming months.
For additional information and questions regarding Delaware fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(NAPSI)—Tax season is upon us, and you should have received all the documents needed to file your taxes and (hopefully) get a refund. To help reduce the stress that comes with filing taxes, Glinda
F
inancial expert
Glinda Bridgforth
Bridgforth, a leading financial expert who explores the emotional and cultural factors that block financial success, identifies a few ways to save time and money this tax season:
1. Get organized.
Whether you visit a tax professional or do it yourself, gather all documents ahead of time, such as your employer W-2s and any 1099 forms you may receive for interest income, retirement plans, or gig work such as driving for Uber. Don’t forget to check your online accounts where you might need to download tax documents.
“Avoid the panic and stress that comes from disorganization,” says Bridgforth. “Also, look at last year’s return, which can serve as a good guide.”
2. Start (and finish) early.
Don’t wait until April. Starting the process early will let you get organized, and have more time if you need it. Filing early will not only help you get your refund faster, it may also help you avoid tax-related identity theft since you will already have filed using your own Social Security number before someone else tries to. Speaking of identity theft…
3. Watch out for scams.
Where there’s money there’s a con, and criminals have become very good at exploiting tax season. Be wary of threatening phone calls from “IRS agents” and phishing e-mails “from the IRS” seeking your personal information. Also, while all tax preparers and DIY websites aim to minimize taxes and maximize refunds, beware of promises for more than your fair share. Unscrupulous “tax preparers” entice unsuspecting taxpayers with hopes of a high refund, only for them to lose it all. The IRS just launched “Identity Theft Central” (IRS.gov/identitytheft) to help taxpayers report identity theft and learn how to protect themselves against crimes.
4. Get all your tax breaks.
Did you get married? Have children? Change jobs? Take all the deductions you deserve.
“Even if nothing has changed in your life, you may have missed credits in the past that you’re entitled to,” notes Bridgforth. “For example, according to the IRS, one in every five eligible workers fails to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).”
If you find out you qualify for the EITC this year and didn’t claim it in the past, you can even file amended returns for 2016, 2017, or 2018. The IRS provides a wealth of this type of information online at IRS.gov/eitc.
5. Look for tax prep discounts and promotions, then use direct deposit.
The full service tax prep companies, as well as the DIY websites, are competing for your business, so be sure to shop around and look for coupons or rebates to find the best deal. Many free options are also available to those who qualify. Just go to IRS.gov/freefile to check eligibility.
And for the fastest and most secure delivery of your tax refund, opt for direct deposit instead of a check.
“If you don’t have or don’t qualify for a traditional branch bank account, there are new digital options to consider,” says Bridgforth. “Several FDIC-insured digital bank accounts and prepaid debit cards are available to open online or on your mobile phone, such as Green Dot Bank’s Unlimited Cash Back Bank Account, or Intuit’s Turbo Card prepaid debit card for those who use TurboTax.”
In addition, if you direct deposit your federal tax refund into your Green Dot account, not only will you get it faster, you’ll be entered in the Green Dot Extreme Tax Sweepstakes for a chance to win one of fifty $1,000 prizes. Details and official rules can be found at
greendot.com/ExtremeTax
.
TABERNACLE, NJ (February 18, 2020)—-South Jersey Gas recently presented a $4,681 grant to Tabernacle Fire Company No. 1 as part of its First Responders Grant Program. Pictured, from left, is Lauren Hurtt, Supervisor of Government Affairs with South Jersey Gas presenting the check to Kate Holden, Al Freeman and Chief Andy Cunard of Tabernacle Fire Company No. 1.
The grant funds, awarded in late-2019, were used by the fire company to purchase a thermal imaging camera and two gas detection meters.
“Our First Responders Grant Program provides crucial financial assistance to support operations, improve safety and provide training to departments throughout the South Jersey region,” said Dave Robbins, president of South Jersey Gas. “Through this investment, South Jersey Gas can help hardworking, courageous first responders and express gratitude for the work they do each day to ensure our communities remain safe. We are proud to partner with Tabernacle Fire Company No. 1 and commend them for their efforts.”
The thermal imaging camera and gas detection meters are vital safety tools that will aid the fire company in various situations. Thermal imaging cameras greatly enhance search and rescue capabilities in zero visibility environments, and gas detection meters gauge the levels of various types of gas, alerting the crew to atmospheric hazards so they can react accordingly.
The First Responder Grant Program will be offered again in November 2020. Program information and eligibility guidelines are available at southjerseygas.com/community.
By Bethany Blankley |
The Center Square
The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the State of New Jersey, Gov. Philip Murphy and Attorney General Gurbir Grewal for refusing to provide information to the U.S. Immigration and Customs
U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks at the National Sheriffs\’ Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Susan Walsh / AP
Enforcement (ICE) related to the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody.
The move is an attempt by the Trump Administration to reign in so-called sanctuary states and cities that have refused to enforce federal immigration laws.
“Today is a significant escalation in the federal government\’s efforts to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities,\” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said. \”But by no means do the efforts outlined above signify the culmination of our fight to ensure the rule of law, to defend the Constitution and to keep Americans safe.\”
The lawsuit challenges New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2018-6, which prohibits state officials from sharing information with ICE and requires New Jersey law enforcement to “promptly notify a detained individual, in writing and in a language the individual can understand” if ICE files an immigration detainer request for the individual.
According to the complaint, New Jersey officials failed to provide information regarding the release dates of illegal immigrants who had been charged with or convicted of crimes multiple times last year.
“New Jersey’s decision to obstruct federal immigration enforcement by refusing to provide such information is unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” the DOJ argues.
The complaint states that “Congress has exercised its authority to make laws governing the admission, presence, status, and removal of aliens within the United States by enacting various provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act … the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 … and other laws regulating immigration.
“Congress has also codified basic principles of cooperation and comity between state and local authorities and the United States. Among the tools DHS uses to facilitate the sort of cooperation that Congress contemplated between law enforcement agencies and federal immigration officials is the ‘detainer request.’”
The detainer request is used by DHS to arrest and detain individuals subject to removal or removal proceedings.
In November 2018, the N.J. Attorney General issued a directive, which became effective in March 2019 and revised again in September 2019. The directive prohibits law enforcement agencies from “providing notice of a detained individual’s upcoming release from custody” to assist “federal immigration authorities when the sole purpose of that assistance is to enforce federal civil immigration law.”
republished by the Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of
The Center Square
(Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 18, 2020)–Prospective parents who are having trouble conceiving a child are more common than you may think. Statistics show that 1 in 6 parents will have trouble successfully conceiving their first child within 12 months of trying.
When this happens, couples turn to fertility clinics to help them conceive. Specifically, the procedure of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is designed to help parents with fertility issues so that they can successfully conceive a baby.
What this process entails and the factors that make it a successful conception alternative are things that you should consider when wondering if IVF is right for you and your significant other.
Only after you’ve been properly educated will you know what to look for in an
IVF clinic in South Africa
, or whatever area in which you’re looking.
What is IVF?
Since the first successful IVF in 1978, in vitro fertilization has become a common assisted reproductive technology (ART). It involves a complex series of medications and procedures that hope to result in successful embryonic fertilization, development, and implantation.
The first step involves medication designed to make a woman’s eggs mature so that they can be harvested by a doctor and fertilized in a laboratory with the desired sperm. These prepared eggs are then surgically inserted directly into the woman’s uterus.
Many people require multiple tries and many months for this process to be successful, as so much can go wrong. Most commonly, the uterus simply does not accept the implanted egg and no fetus ever develops.
This is why finding an accredited IVF clinic is so important. In a procedure already fraught with financial and physical complications, you want the best chance of getting it done right the first time.
IVF clinics in South Africa
Since so much can go wrong, you want to look for a few key factors when choosing an IVF clinic in South Africa.
The first is: are they accredited? You should only visit clinics that have been registered by
The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA)
, the primary advisor on regulating and accrediting healthcare professions in South Africa.
Facilities
Next, you should ask if they have modern facilities and access to the latest fertilization technologies. Advanced laboratories like the one at Wijnland Fertility import IVF equipment from top manufacturers all over the world.
The Wijnland fertility clinic in South Africa, for instance, uses a device called an
Embryoscope
to maintain ideal conditions for eggs while they are being analyzed for quality. This is particularly useful for couples who have tried and failed many times with other fertilization methods.
Staff
You should also ask if the clinic has professional and experienced staff. Head doctors should have received specialist training in gynecology or obstetrics and have completed fellowships in fertility and related biological processes.
Do some research online to see what the embryologists and specialists at the clinic in question have done for experience, education, and additional training.
Mind and body
Finally, you want to assess whether the clinic treats patients as a whole person rather than merely as a medical procedure.
Fertilization is a trying process both physically and emotionally. Many different mental and social pressures converge on it to make it a stressful situation that your doctors need to address.
There’s the social judgment of not being able to conceive naturally, the pressure from family expectations when multiple attempts fail, and the strain on your finances. You may even have natural guarding and avoidance systems in your personality that make it really hard for you.
A clinic with staff trained in psychology or with counselors on call who are experienced in fertility counseling will be better suited to addressing all your needs as a prospective patient.
The Takeaway
In vitro fertilization is now a common process. This doesn’t mean that it’s always successful, however, as the process relies on many factors that all have a high failure rate. Variabilities such as your family history, the quality of the technology, and the inherent problems with successful fertilization mean that each attempt involves a series of stressful mental and physical trials.
This is why finding a suitable clinic to take care of all your needs is so essential. When evaluating your options for IVF treatment facilities in South Africa, look at the resumes of the resident doctors, the quality of their facilities, and the availability of mental counseling procedures to supplement the strain of going through this process.
Even though becoming a parent is difficult when you have fertility issues, it is possible in the modern age. With the right personnel and procedures, you can make the family you’ve always wanted into a reality.
PET PEEVES
If your dog bites a postal carrier, it could cost you thousands.
(
NAPSI)—Can you picture a member of your family attacking a mail carrier? Of course you couldn\’t, but it happened 5,714 times last year across the nation.
Dearborn, Mich., letter carrier Tameka
Toliver
recalls being pinned on a porch by a dog that bit her above her knee. \”It happened so fast, even with all my training, I barely had time to react,\”
Toliver
said last year. \”I\’m still scared when I get close to that house because I remember the attack so vividly. It takes a long time to get over the fear.\”
When a dog attacks a letter carrier, the dog owner could be held liable for all medical expenses, repayment of lost work hours, replacement of the uniform and other costs, which can run into thousands of dollars. The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority and dedicates a week each April to Dog Bite Awareness.
Here are four simple tips to prevent dog bite injuries that should be enforced year-round:
Door Delivery:
If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors.
Electronic Fencing:
Although the electronic fence may keep your dog from wandering, it does not protect your Postal Service carrier, who must enter your property to deliver the mail. Even homes with curbside mailboxes may have oversized packages or signature-needed items that require the carrier to approach a doorstep and cross the boundaries of the electronic fence.
Dog in Yard:
Make sure your dog is properly restrained on a leash away from where your mail carrier is delivering the mail. Mail delivery service can be interrupted at an address or neighborhood the carrier deems unsafe because of an unrestrained dog. When service is interrupted at an address or neighborhood, all parties involved will have to pick mail up at their local post office.
Tracking:
Dog owners who have access to postal notification features such as Informed Delivery (
informeddelivery.usps.com
) for letter mail and package tracking are urged to use this as a way to gauge when the carrier is on his or her way and to ensure their dog is properly restrained.
The Center Square
The top 1 percent of earners in New Jersey are taxed at an effective rate of 9.8 percent, compared to the state’s 10.1 percent tax rate on the middle 20 percent of income earners, according to
a new 24/7 Wall St. analysis
.
CNBNews graphic files
The study, which used data from a 2018 report by the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), did not include federal taxes paid. New Jersey ranked 46th on the study’s list of the most tax-friendly states for the rich.
On average, the top 1 percent of earners in the state take in $1.9 million annually, according to 24/7 Wall St.
Nationwide, the top-earning 1 percent of families pay 7.4 percent of what they make toward state and local levies, the ITEP study concluded. The middle 20 percent of U.S. earners, in contrast, paid more – 9.9 percent.
States with no income tax – or a very low income tax – tended to be the most friendly to wealthy individuals, 24/7 Wall St. reported. That’s because those states tend to rely more on more regressive taxes, placing more of a burden on poorer households, the study found.
republished by Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of
The Center Square
(Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 18, 2020)–“Day Zero” is the now infamous term used to describe an emergency plan put forth by the leadership of the city of Cape Town, South Africa during the worst recorded drought in over a century. In mid-2017, several factors contributed to Cape Town’s water supply reaching dangerously low levels.
Day Zero, if it was ever implemented, would have meant barring the water supply from public use so that it could be rationed daily. Until the city’s dams naturally replenished, Day Zero could have destroyed Cape Town’s buzzing tourist industry and its inhabitants’ way of life.
Water queues and widespread shortages were a reality that many businesses and civilians in Cape Town were very close to facing.
Knowing the causes of
Cape Town’s Day Zero
and why it never happened can teach us about the resilience and resourcefulness of the leadership and people of Cape Town. Additionally, observing their conservation efforts can help us progress in our own.
What caused Day Zero?
By 2017, Cape Town had experienced a population growth rate of almost 50%, according to its
census data
. However, the water storage capacity for the city had only increased by 15% over that same amount of time.
The widening gap between how much water was being pulled from the reserves and how much was being replenished created a situation where Cape Town’s supply was vulnerable to environmental disasters. New dams could not be built fast enough to offset the rising water usage in the city and the dearth of rainfall.
This disaster came subtly, in the form of record low rainfall in 2015, coupled with increased water usage by the people of the city owing to the population. As the reserves continued to drop, by mid-2017 Day Zero became the name of the plan that the city would have had to initiate if the water levels in the main storage dams reached below 13.5%.
Preventing Day Zero
The worst water crisis in modern history would have entailed daily water queues and rations, strict conservation of all public utilities, and reconstruction of the major waterways. No city has ever undertaken the depth of control that Day Zero would have required of Cape Town’s civilian and tourist population.
Thankfully, Cape Town reversely proved its resilience in the face of disaster by pushing Day Zero back continuously until it was postponed indefinitely in early 2018.
Thanks to water usage education initiatives distributed by the Cape Town city departments, the population got immediately on board with the effort to conserve the dangerously low water stores. The diligence and conscientiousness of the people lowered water usage by 50% by rationing showers, limiting water-based hygiene, and eliminating water usage for recreation.
Today, according to the
Cape Town website
, the city’s dams are holding at 70.3% of their reserve capacity. This makes Day Zero well out of the realm of possibility for the time being.
Effects of the Water Crisis
The businesses, tourists, industry professionals, leadership, and population of Cape Town rallied together to save their water supply. Today, the result is a much more environmentally cognizant city infrastructure. Their waterways have been refined for efficiency and their drainage and water recreation facilities have been modernized.
Not every city could reform its habits so quickly. The Cape Water Strategy is the latest progressive initiative designed to restructure the city’s water usage systems and dam storage capacity to prepare for another future disaster.
With populations growing all over the world, the conservation efforts of Cape Town are a model for any city leadership or population on how to manage a crisis and avoid disaster.
The Takeaway
The possibility of Day Zero happening in Cape Town was a result of stressed resources in a region already environmentally unstable due to population growth, a naturally dry climate, and erratic rainfall patterns. A few issues like a dry spell and a population boom culminated in what could have been the worst water disaster in any developed city in the modern world.
Instead, Cape Town rallied itself around conservation and survived the water shortage. Their concerted efforts to save themselves and their infrastructure are lessons that any city can learn from.
Now, a booming tourist destination and investment opportunity, the productive and resilient city of Cape Town is back to its former glory and then some. Before canceling a visit because of this near disaster, understand what preventing it means for the future of the city: progressively better infrastructure, cognizant people, and productive leadership.
The handling of the water crisis is proof of them all.
Written by Peter G. Sánchez/
The Camden Diocese
BRIDGETON, NJ–Don Olbrich is nothing if not persistent.
Wherever he goes, he carries with him Form 100s, which are membership documents for the Knights of Columbus. Which is not surprising, as he is Grand Knight of his council, Liberty Council 1910 out of Bridgeton’s Parish of the Holy Cross.
“I took a Form 100 to my doctor’s office,” he says, but it wasn’t blank.
“I had already filled out his name and phone number, all I needed was his address,” he continues.
And then there was the time he tried to get his son, D.J., to join the council.
“He kept telling me no, so I told some of my brother Knights that if they could get him to sign up, I’d give them $100. It worked,” he says, laughing.
Olbrich’s methods have no doubt rubbed off on his brother Knights. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, his council gained 40 new members, 800% of their recruitment goal. The effort made Liberty Council 1910 second in the country in recruitment for any Knight’s council.
Today, the 101-year-old council is 113 men strong, in ages ranging from 19 years old to the mid-80s, Olbrich says.
“We set monthly membership goals,” he says in explaining how the council achieved the milestone.
His doggedness and determination speak to his love of the church where he has been a Knight for 10 years.
“It’s all about helping the parish,” he says.
The Liberty Council Knights are a constant presence around the Holy Cross community, be it cooking for the annual fall parish festival, organizing a donation drive of baby wipes and diapers for single mothers and their children, or repainting lines in the church parking lot.
Olbrich was thankful for the leadership and guidance of Holy Cross pastor, Father Matthew Weber, who has shown “tremendous support” for the council.
“The Knights have been a wonderful blessing,” says Father Weber, himself a Fourth Degree Knight.
In addition to “stepping up” to help the parish in whatever needs to be done, such as helping out with maintenance issues or being extra hands at parish events, the Knights of Columbus are “leading men to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and with each other,” he says.
As well, he is pleased that the council reflects the diverse nature of his Bridgeton parish — a bilingual community with a faithful and collaborative mix of Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic members.
“The Knights have been a beautiful bridge” between these communities, he says,
“I’m glad this council has blossomed. These men are pillars of charity, fraternity, unity, and patriotism,” Father Weber said, echoing the Knights of Columbus’ mission.
Following the call from Supreme Director Carl Anderson to make the Knights more appealing, the Bridgeton Knights will hold a public initiation ceremony after the 4:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Mary Church, Rosenhayn on Saturday, Feb. 22, with a spaghetti dinner afterward. All are welcome.