supporting the best

For your emergency traffic control needs, day or night, give them a call!

Volunteer Google form:

https://forms.gle/xJ7wfaM42SYoQDKu6

Guest Google form:

https://forms.gle/DhN7XqdpHK6cnSp76

Make plans now for this year's Rhythm & Ribs Festival.  For more information, please visit https://www.tiftonribsfest.com/.

"We are excited to have been chosen by the Tim Tebow Foundation to host Night to Shine, a prom for individuals with special needs that are ages 14 and older. The event will be on February 10, 2023 at Unity Baptist Church in Sylvester and will be an evening full of dancing, karaoke, food, limo rides and more!  There is no fee to attend.  Guests will have the opportunity to enter on the red carpet, be paired with a buddy to party with them throughout the night, and be crowned as a queen/king for the night.  We will have a sensory room set up for any individuals that would like a quiet space/sensory activities or need a break throughout the night.  We will also have a respite room that parents/caregivers are welcome to utilize if they would like to stay while their individuals have fun at the dance.  If you know of any individuals that would like to attend or volunteers that would like to assist the night of the event, please have them complete the appropriate Google forms that are linked below.  I'm happy to answer any questions you may have and hope you will share this information to anyone you think may be interested.  We are planning for a wonderful night that will be memorable for all of those in attendance!"

Volunteer Google form:

https://forms.gle/xJ7wfaM42SYoQDKu6

Guest Google form:

https://forms.gle/DhN7XqdpHK6cnSp76

IR-2023-09, January 19, 2023 Washington - Storm victims in parts of Georgia and Alabama now have until May 15, 2023, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.

The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Butts, Henry, Jasper, Meriwether, Newton, Spalding and Troup counties in Georgia and Autauga and Dallas counties in Alabama qualify for tax relief. Other areas added later to the disaster area will also qualify for the same relief. The current list of eligible localities is available on Tax Relief in Disaster Situations.

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occur starting on January 12, 2023. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until May 15, 2023, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.

This includes 2022 individual income tax returns due on April 18, as well as various 2022 business returns normally due on March 15 and April 18. Among other things, this means that eligible taxpayers will have until May 15 to make 2022 contributions to their IRAs and health savings accounts.

In addition, farmers who choose to forgo making estimated tax payments and normally file their returns by March 1 will now have until May 15, 2023, to file their 2022 return and pay any tax due. The May 15, 2023, deadline also applies to the quarterly estimated tax payments, normally due on January 17, 2023, and April 18, 2023. This means that individual taxpayers can skip making the fourth quarter estimated tax payment, normally due January 17, 2023, and instead include it with the 2022 return they file, on or before May 15.

The May 15 deadline also applies to the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on January 31 and April 30, 2023. In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after January 12, 2023, and before January 27, 2023, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by January 27, 2023.

The Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.

The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.

In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.

Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2023 return normally filed next year), or the return for the prior year (2022, normally filed this tax season). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 4684-DR for Alabama or 4685-DR for Georgia--on any return claiming a loss. See Publication 547 for details.

The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by these storms and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit disasterassistance.gov

Birth defects are serious conditions that are changes to the structure of one or more parts of the body. Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year.  Every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. That translates into nearly 120,000 babies affected by birth defects each year.  Birth defects can affect almost any part of the body. They may affect how the body looks, works, or both. Birth defects can vary from mild to severe. The well-being of each child affected with a birth defect depends mostly on which organ or body part is involved and how much it is affected. Depending on the severity of the defect and what body part is affected, the expected lifespan of a person with a birth defect may or may not be affected.  Not all birth defects can be prevented. But, there are things that a woman can do before and during pregnancy to increase her chance of having a healthy baby. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, see your healthcare provider. Seeing your healthcare provider before you get pregnant can help you have a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal care, which is health care received during pregnancy, can help find some problems early in pregnancy so that they can be monitored or treated before birth. There are other steps a woman can take to increase her chances of having a healthy baby: Get 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant, Don’t drink alcohol, smoke or use “street” drugs, Talk to a healthcare provider about taking any medications including prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary or herbal supplements.   Also talk to a doctor before stopping any medications that are needed to treat health conditions. Learn how to prevent infections.  If possible, be sure any medical conditions are under control, before becoming pregnant. Some conditions that increase the risk for birth defects include diabetes and obesity.  Birth defects can occur during any stage of pregnancy. Most birth defects occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy, when the organs of the baby are forming. This is a very important stage of development. However, some birth defects occur later in pregnancy. During the last six months of pregnancy, the tissues and organs continue to grow and develop.  Certain things can increase the chance that a pregnancy will be affected by a birth defect. These are called risk factors. There are some things that you can change to reduce your chances, while other things cannot be changed. Some risk factors that can increase the chances of having a baby with a birth defect: include: Smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking certain “street” drugs during pregnancy, Having certain medical conditions, such as being obese or having uncontrolled diabetes before and during pregnancy, Taking certain medications, Having someone in your family with a birth defect, Being an older mother, typically over the age of 34 years.  Having one or more of these risks doesn’t mean you’ll have a pregnancy affected by a birth defect. Also, women can have a baby born with a birth defect even when they don’t have any of these risks. It is important to talk to your doctor about what you can do to lower your risk.  For more information visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

February

10th ~ Tadpole Time at Flint RiverQuarium

10th ~ Micro Wrestling Returns to Albany at 8pm

11th ~ Cookies & Canvas at Albany Recreation & Parks at 12noon

11th ~ AAPHC Red and Black Gala 2023 at 7pm

11th ~ Rickey Smiley & Friends at Flint River Entertainment Complex at 8pm

14th ~ Happy Valentine’s Day from The Martin News

14th ~ Senior Citizen’s Valentine Bingo Breakfast at Albany Recreation & Parks at 11am

25th ~ Beekeeping School for Beginners at Chehaw at 9am

25th ~ AMA Art Ball 2023 at 6:30pm

26th ~ Gladys Knight in Concert at Flint River Entertainment Complex at 7pm

February 2, 2023 will be Punxsutawney Phil's 136th prognostication!  Is he the true weather forecaster?  Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.  How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!  How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 130 years!  Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.  On February 2nd, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.  According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.  No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2nd, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.  The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."  Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.  So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.  So is Spring on its way or should we prepare to bundle up for six more weeks?

A clean home makes us all very happy however cleaning our home can be overwhelming.  Here is a great way to clean your home daily and then it won't feel so overwhelming. 

Albany - REO Speedwagon is coming to the Albany Civic Center on Wednesday, April 12th.  Tickets start at $39.50 plus applicable fees and go on-sale Friday, January 27th at 10:00am.  Tickets are available at The Georgia's Own Credit Union Box Office located at the Albany Civic Center and ticketmaster.com.

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon’s unrelenting drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band’s explosive Hi Infidelity in 1980, which contained the massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.” That landmark album spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot and has since earned the RIAA’s coveted 10X Diamond Award for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the United States.  Today, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million albums around the globe, and Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (guitar), and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with hits and fan-favorites such as “In Your Letter,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” the aforementioned “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run,” and many, many more.

About Pepper Entertainment

Established in July of 2006, Pepper (PE) centrally located in Sioux Falls, SD is one of the fastest scaling, independent promoting firms in the United States. PE’s broad scope of services include Live Promotions, National Touring, Fair, Festivals, Corporate & Private Event Talent Buying, Club & Performing Art Center Programming, Media & Creative Marketing Services. In 2021, PE ranked 27th of Top 100 Worldwide Promoters according to Pollstar Magazine and was nominated in 2020 as Promoter of The Year by The Academy of Country Music Awards. Pepper holds offices in Sioux Falls, SD, Minneapolis, MN and Boise, ID.

Tickets are available at The Georgia's Own Credit Union Box Office located at the Albany Civic Center and ticketmaster.com.

“The Political Leadership Institute was designed as an innovative approach to developing local talent, specifically for the purpose of governmental leadership, which often comes with nuanced challenges that can be difficult to navigate without prior experience,” said Barbara Rivera Holmes, president & CEO of the Albany Area Chamber. “PLI helps bridge that gap for political newcomers, providing them with a primer on issues and on what to expect prior to engaging as a political candidate or accepting a position on a governmental board.” 

The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce this month celebrated the graduation of the inaugural class of the Albany Area Political Leadership Institute (PLI), a nonpartisan political leadership program aimed at equipping participants for leadership on local boards and in elected office.

Read more about PLI at bit.ly/AlbanyChamberGraduatesFirstPLIClass

Source: Albany Area Chamber of Commerce

Ahh, February. The month of all things “love.” Why not honor weddings during the month that honors American Hearts, Valentine’s, and Chocolate Souffle?! February is National Weddings Month; a celebration of the beauty of unconditional love and the excitement of marriage and wedding parties.  Did you know that more than 2.4 million couples get married in the U.S. every year, and about 16 thousand of them get married on Valentine’s Day?! Even though the majority of weddings do take place during the summer months (specifically June, August, and September), February does own the most weddings to a single day. Since it’s known as the most romantic month on the calendar, it seems fitting to give weddings an extra special celebration in February. According to the National Association of Bridal Consultants, it’s also the month that most brides and grooms-to-be start doing serious wedding planning. That may be because December is the most popular month for proposals!  So, let romance win in February and celebrate all things wedding-related.