Local News

With tax season now in full swing, many Americans will seek professional help to file their federal and state returns. But sometimes that professional help can take a chunk out of a taxpayer’s wallet.
AARP annually offers a free solution for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through its nonprofit Tax-Aide program.
District coordinator Carol Sheahan has been helping area AARP tax preparation sites for about 13 years. She became involved with Tax-Aide when she found an ad for a volunteer opportunity to prepare taxes for seniors.

Landmark News Service and Staff Reports

RICHMOND — The 2013 General Assembly achieved something on Feb. 23 that has eluded Virginia legislators for more than a quarter-century: a deal on a sweeping revenue package to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for state road needs.
In so doing, they delivered a potential legacy-shaping victory to Gov. Bob McDonnell, who swung for the fences going into his last full legislative session in office by pitching a broad plan to revamp how Virginia funds its transportation system.

HILLSVILLE — Making budget is the reason behind wanting a real estate delinquent tax list from the treasurer, Carroll County supervisors said at their Feb. 11 meeting.
The supervisors first discussed delinquent real estate taxes in January, but the intent isn’t to cause hard feelings between county officials, Supervisor Sam Dickson stressed at the February meeting.

HILLSVILLE — Some residents of the Sulphur Springs District are of two minds: they don’t want windmills, but they also won’t support zoning to keep them out, according to a discussion at the Carroll supervisors’ February meeting.
That’s making the way to address the windmill issue complicated, county officials discussed after Chairman David Hutchins shared with fellow supervisors the feedback he has received from citizens.