Hungry Howie’s, a newcomer to the pizza scene, was received into the Del City community with a chamber ribbon cutting Tuesday, Jan. 14. Hungry Howie’s is located in the Shops of Del City on Sooner Road, north of Discount Tires, between SE 29th and Interstate 40.
The Choctaw Chamber will welcome The Law Office of Isaac T. Warren into the chamber with a ribbon cutting, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. The office is located at 14453 SE 29th Street.
Legislative Forum
State and federal lawmakers will be on hand for the quarterly membership luncheon and legislative forum the Del City Chamber will host 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Del City community center, 4504 SE 15th Street.
As we head into the start of the 2013 tax season, I thought some humor might be nice so instead of my normal "Tax Tips." I give you these!
"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.’’ — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice
"The power of taxing people and their property is essential to the very existence of government.’’ — James Madison, U.S. President
"To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men." — Edmund Burke, 18th Century Irish political philosopher and British statesman
Yes. Insurance companies base auto insurance rates on a variety of criteria, such as your age, driving record, residence and even the type of car that you drive (though factors vary from state to state). If you find that you’re paying more than you think you should for auto insurance, there are ways you can lower your premiums.
Shop around: Auto insurance rates vary from company to company, sometimes significantly. As a result, a good way to save money is to look into whether another insurer offers the same coverage at a lower rate.
Consider raising your deductible: For the most part, the higher your deductible, the lower your premiums. Before you raise your deductible, though, you’ll want to be sure you can cover the out-of-pocket expense should an accident occur.
Fritz Walter has an extensive background in the insurance industry working in a variety of entities for the past 14 years.
Now, Walter is tackling a new role as field representative for Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society in the Mid-Del community and surrounding area.
Walter, who worked 12 years as an insurance adjustor, said he is excited about being part of a company that is 123 years old and gives back to the community.
"We’re a different kind of life insurance company," he said "We’re not for profit. We give back revenues to our members in the form of refunds and benefits. They also do so much to give back to the local community."
If you’ve ever had trouble finding an important financial document, you know why it’s necessary to keep your financial records organized. Less clutter means less stress, and though you’ll need to commit a bit of time up front to organize your files, you can save time and money over the long term when you can find what you need when you need it.
What records do you need to keep?
If you keep paperwork because you "might need it someday," your files are likely overflowing with nonessential documents. One key to organizing your financial records is to ask yourself "Why do I need to keep this?" Documents that you should retain are likely to be those that are related to tax returns, legal contracts, insurance claims, and proof of identity. On the other hand, documents that you can easily duplicate elsewhere are good candidates for the shredder. For example, if you bank online and can view or print copies of your monthly statements and cleared checks, you may not need paper copies of the same information.
Sonya Hill has a passion for teaching and after retiring from nursing last year, the Midwest City resident got the opportunity to fill a long-term dream of opening her own learning academy.
The Children’s Garden Learning Academy, located at 9909 E. Reno Avenue, opened for business Dec. 13. The facility provides child care for ages 3 years and 12 years. It is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
"I have always loved teaching," Hill said. "I have always had the dream of having a different kind of academy for children. This is my heart’s desire and we are just beginning."
Hill said her business objective is to provide services and outreach to Midwest City neighborhoods, as well as the Choctaw-Nicoma Park and Oklahoma City metro-area.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International announced recently that Above All Behavioral Health Services, LLC in Midwest City has been accredited.
The accreditation is for a period of three years for Above All’s outpatient treatment, intensive family-based services and case management/services coordination programs for adults, children and adolescents.
Federal workers are about to get a 1 percent cost-of-living pay hike, their first increase in three years.
The raise came about because the budget deal Congress passed in October to end the government shutdown allowed the modest federal pay raise after Jan. 1.
On Dec. 23, President Obama officially issued the order raising pay for the 2.1 million civilian federal work force and active military. While civilians have missed out on cost-of-living increases in the past few years, pay hikes tied to promotions and bonuses have been allowed.
The raise won’t show up for many employees until around Jan. 17, the pay day for the first two weeks of 2014, according to the General Services Administration.
The hike is a bright spot for federal workers who weathered 16 days of furlough during the October shutdown, though they got paid back, as well as several unpaid furlough days throughout the summer due to forced federal spending cuts.
For many retirees and their families, Social Security provides a dependable source of income. In fact, for the majority of retirees, Social Security accounts for at least half of their income (Source: Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2013). However, more of that income is being spent on health-related costs each year, leaving less available for other retirement expenses.
The importance of Social Security
Social Security is important because it provides a retirement income you can’t outlive. In addition, benefits are available for your spouse based on your benefit amount during your lifetime, and at your death in the form of survivor’s benefits. And, these benefits typically are adjusted for inflation (but not always; there was no cost-of-living increase for the years 2010 and 2011). That’s why for many people, Social Security is an especially important source of retirement income.
December and January are the perfect months to look back at what you earned, saved, and spent during the past year, as W-2s, account statements, and other year-end financial summaries roll in. So before Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow to predict when spring is coming, take some time to get your financial house in order.
How much have you saved?
Whether you simply resolved last year to save more or you set a specific financial goal (for example, saving 15% of your income for retirement), it’s time to find out how you did. Start by taking a look at your account balances. How much did you save for college or retirement? Were you able to increase your emergency fund? If you were saving for a large purchase, did you save as much as you expected? Challenge yourself in the new year to save a little bit more so that you can make steady financial progress.
Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center in Choctaw was a rookie in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge four short years ago. Despite the odds, EOC Tech’s Automotive Program placed fourth in the competition during their first year to compete in 2010.
In their second and third years of competition, the team took second place.
This year, instructor Jim LaFevers and his students were closing in on first place and they could feel the pressure. With the competition just weeks away, LaFevers brought an idea to his students that could possibly shave minutes off their time.
While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law in 2010, several of the more substantive provisions of the law don’t take effect until 2014.
Here’s a review of some of the key parts of the ACA that are scheduled to begin in 2014.
Individual mandate
The ACA imposes a shared responsibility mandate, which requires that most U.S. citizens and legal residents of all ages (including children and dependents) have minimum essential health coverage or pay a penalty tax, unless otherwise exempt. The monthly penalty is equal to the greater of a declared dollar amount ($95 in 2014) or a percentage of the individual’s gross income.
Tony Ingle has a passion for natural products, and that passion began over a decade ago when he discovered his daughter suffered from breathing problems.
Through exhaustive research, he learned that dust mites were behind his daughter’s medical problems, and he set out to create an all-natural product to help eliminate the problem.
His efforts paid off with the creation of Greenway Formula 7 which he developed over 14 years ago and brought to the market place in August 2012. The product was effective killing not only dust mites but most insects including the bedbug.
"I have always been fascinated with all-natural products," said Ingle, chief operation officer for Greenway Formula 7. "I’m a big advocate against toxins and chemicals in the home. I started researching to find something that would combat dust mites in my home. I developed a product to use and I had been using it successfully for 15 years."
Quinn and Associates Architects, founded in 1959 by Fred P. Quinn, A.I.A. and McAllister and Associates Architects led by Darrell L. McAllister, A.I.A. announce the merger of their firms.
"We have a shared unwavering commitment to helping our clients succeed. This will continue to be our focus" said Fred P. Quinn, Founding Principal of Quinn and Associates Architects. "Our goal is to plan, design and build the differentiating facilities clients and communities need to be successful. This combination will not only deliver on this commitment but will also position us to strengthen and grow our firm for the next century."
Darrell L. McAllister said, "It is a responsibility and privilege to work with Mr. Quinn and continue to build on the foundation of success that he built over 54 years. Mr. Quinn gave me an opportunity as a summer intern 27 years ago and to get the opportunity to work together again is a blessing. He built a culture based on principles of service, team, humility and creativity."
Dr. Jay Peck’s philosophy of talking with patients rather than to patients has helped his Edmond dental clinic, Redbud Dental, develop a stellar reputation for quality and service. With the opening of a third clinic in Midwest City Dec. 9, Redbud Dental is looking to spread that style of dentistry to a larger number of Oklahomans.
The Midwest City office will be owned by Redbud Dental’s Dr. Peck and Dr. John Hong, and operated by Dr. Grace Jun. Dr. Peck will continue to work at the Edmond office and Dr. Hong will work at Redbud’s Moore office.
"We pride ourselves on being a family-oriented clinic that provides quality, comfort and convenience at affordable prices," Dr. Peck said. "By opening a new location, we are able to expand those services to a whole new group of people."
On Nov. 11, Sandy Stephens of Rose State College’s Small Business Development Center received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council.
Stephens is the Coordinator of Rose State College’s Small Business Development Center, which provides confidential, high-quality, no-cost, one-to-one business management advising. The Center provides up-to-date and practical information by using skills, knowledge and tools to help existing business owners grown and reach the next levels of success. The Center works with aspiring entrepreneurs from idea to first sales and beyond to ensure they have realistic plans for their future.
In today’s digital age, many individuals live at least a part of their life online. Whether you share your life with others through e-mail, Facebook posts, and tweets, or simply have a number of online, password protected accounts, you’ll want to make plans for the disposition of all of your digital assets in the event of your death or incapacity.
Unfortunately, the laws governing digital assets are not well settled. Only a small number of states have estate laws that specifically cover digital assets, and those laws are relatively new and untested. As a result, you should consult an estate planning attorney for information on how digital assets are handled in your particular state.
Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center’s Bid Assistance Program, coordinated by Julie Farmer, worked with Jones Hardware & Lumber to aid them in receiving a federal contract for services with Tinker Air Force Base.
The Oklahoma Bid Assistance Network has 16 branches that develop local economies. EOC Technology Center houses one of those branches, which supports the communities of Eastern Oklahoma County.
The program provides marketing and technical assistance to businesses that are interested in selling products and services to federal, state, local governments, and other highly structured markets. The program’s overall mission is to create jobs and expand the local communities’ economies by providing specific and valuable resources to local businesses.
It’s late at night and you’re waiting for your husband to arrive home from a business trip. Suddenly, the phone rings and the voice on the other end informs you that your husband was in a terrible car accident and has been rushed to the hospital. You arrive to find several doctors awaiting permission to operate on your unconscious husband. They ask if he has a medical directive that authorizes someone, preferably you, to make health-care decisions on your husband’s behalf.
A few days pass and your husband survives the accident, but he’s going to be laid up for several weeks or months. Household bills need to be paid, but the primary source of income is your husband’s business, and you’re not named on any of the business bank accounts. The bank representative asks whether your husband has a durable power of attorney naming you as his agent for financial matters.
