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(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 Financial 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,... Read more →

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... Read more →

NFIB, civil justice group, weigh in on Supreme Court Case—ask legislative intent and reason be considered TRENTON Feb. 14, 2020 – Today, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a small business association with thousands of members in the state, and the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute filed an amici curiae brief in a case with major implications for well-intended business owners who may face punishment for relying on guidance from government agents in wage and hour disputes. The state Supreme Court is considering whether... Read more →

CAMDEN CITY NJ --Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez joined officials from the City of Camden, the Michaels Organization, and other civic and community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking for the fourth and final phase of the Branches of Centerville. Once completed, the newly constructed affordable living community will replace the obsolete Clement T. Branch public housing complex. The $120 million project has already acted as a catalyst for the revitalization of the important Centerville neighborhood. “Camden has been advancing in leaps and bounds in all sectors, not... Read more →

Newswise — NEW YORK, February, 2020 -- As Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s new Medicaid Redesign Team meets for the first time today, a new report, Wasted Billions, Wasted Health examines the state’s out-of-control diabetes costs as a major driver of its budget crisis and offers up a number of evidence-based, patient-centered education programs as a solution to the state’s $4 billion Medicaid gap. The report from Health People, a leading disease prevention community group, calculates that New York’s excess diabetes costs have reached an unprecedented... Read more →

(February 15, 2020)--)--Have you ever wondered why all your energy saving efforts seem not enough? Is your electric bill still hiking up? Well, you might have something lurking in your home. This monster is leeching energy from your sockets and money from your pockets. How Does It Work? Vampire energy, also known as standby loss, idle current, or ghost load, refers to the energy being unnecessarily leeched by gadgets or appliances when you leave it plugged in. These products are consuming energy even when not... Read more →

image courtesy of unsplash.com (Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 15, 2020)--Getting a car loan requires you to be responsible. You need to pay the loan each month for three to five years. There's a chance that your car could get taken away from you if you fail to pay the required amount. Therefore, you must secure your finances first before you obtain any loan. Make sure you don’t have any existing major debt You can’t get a major loan if there’s an existing loan that you still keep paying.... Read more →

The Center Square Each Philadelphia Resident Has Liabilities equaling $25,500 in liabilities, per taxpayer, according to the same report. Gloucestercitynews.net graphic files Among the 75 most populous cities in the U.S., Pittsburgh ranks 64th for the state of its finances, having $15,600 in liabilities per taxpayer, according to a Truth in Accounting (TIA) analysis of municipal data released last month. Coming in at number 72 is the City of Philadelphia having The nonprofit group, which promotes financial transparency in government, gave Pittsburgh a grade of... Read more →

Trenton (Feb. 12, 2020) – New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James A Carey, Jr. announced this morning that the only Mega Millions jackpot winning ticket from last night’s drawing was sold in New Jersey. “We are thrilled that the winning ticket was sold in Middlesex County. I’m happy to congratulate Quick Stop Food Store on 940 Inman Ave. in Edison, the retailer that sold this winning ticket,” said Carey. The winning numbers for the Feb. 11, 2020 drawing are: 04, 06, 32, 52, and 64.... Read more →

(Woodbury, NJ) - Gloucester County is the recipient of a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) CWA Administration grant of $8,698. LIHEAP is federally funded program administered by the Department of Community Affairs. The program helps low-income households pay for heating costs including electric, natural gas, oil and other deliverable fuels, even if heat is included in rent costs. LIHEAP grants are also available for medically necessary cooling costs. Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said, “The Home Energy Assistance grant will help us in... Read more →

BLACKWOOD, NJ--Camden County College’s dental hygiene and dental assisting students and staff – joined by area dentists – provided free cleanings, other preventive care and oral health education to area children aged 12 and younger for Give-Kids-a-Smile Day. “We are proud to provide these free services to children who might not otherwise have access to dental care. In addition to cleanings and screenings, the children will be taught about good dental health,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young. “Dental appointments can cost in excess of $100 per... Read more →

February 10, 2020 CBP’s Battle at the Port of New York/Newark NEWARK, NJ. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plays a major role in the battle against Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and other innovative and constantly evolving transnational criminal networks whose collaborative efforts seek nothing but illicit financial gain and fortune. One threat of particular concern comes from the sophisticated organizations responsible for the theft and export of stolen vehicles. Thousands of vehicles have been stolen or carjacked throughout the tristate area in order... Read more →

By Dave Lemery | The Center Square Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, accompanied by a number of other Republican legislative leaders, discusses Gov. Tom Wolf's budget address Feb 4, 2020. HARRISBURG PA--Every year, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget address draws both praise and criticism, and despite his rhetorical attempts to find common ground with his political opponents, his 2020 address Tuesday was no different. Republican legislative leaders especially took issue with the governor’s assertion that his budget plan would not raise any taxes. In... Read more →

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 8, 2020)--As accepted leaders in technology, IT professionals have the best chance to model the preferred behaviors. Creating a stirring narrative also helps employees visualize the impetus for culture change and get on board faster. image courtesy of unsplash.com Digital technologies have changed the way that we work and live. Organizations are rushing to stay on top of the latest innovations as well as changing customer expectations. Corporate culture must also evolve. In the past, many companies maintained cultures that emphasized stability, predictability, and... Read more →

Gloucestercitynews.net photo Contractor Buckley Cable (photos above and below) working on Johnson Blvd., across from the baseball fields CNBNews Staff GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 8, 2020)--Buckley Cable, a company subcontracted by Comcast has been working throughout Gloucester City running new cable lines. Gloucester City Police Lt. Steve Burkhardt was asked who pays for the officers that are assigned to direct traffic at these work sites? "When the contractor needs officers for traffic control, they pay a fee to the city to cover the officer’s pay... Read more →

Continued modernization of the energy grid playing major role in improving service performance MAYS LANDING, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2020) – Atlantic City Electric customers across South Jersey are continuing to experience improvements in the reliability of their energy service, a result of Atlantic City Electric’s ongoing efforts to modernize the local energy grid. During the past five years, energy system upgrades and new innovative technologies have driven a 22 percent decrease in the frequency of electric outages customers experienced. The frequency of outages and the... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews.net FOR SALE! BROOKLAWN CHURCH PROPERTY—The former St. Maurice Roman Catholic Church, 401 Community Drive, Brooklawn which was purchased by the Brooklawn Board of Education for $720,000 in 2014 is up for sale. The asking price is $785,000. The Board had planned on using the buildings for classrooms and administrative offices but the development never materialized. Gloucestercitynews.net file photo The property, which is adjacent to the Alice Costello Grammar School, is situated on 2 acres with frontage on U.S. Route... Read more →

Ratings agency cites DRPA’s solid metrics in recent fiscal years and management’s tight control over costs Camden, NJ - Today, Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) officials announced that the independent credit agency, Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) has upgraded the ratings on the bi-state agency’s outstanding Revenue Bonds to A1 from A2 and the rating on its outstanding Port District Project (PDP) bonds to Baa1 from Baa2. Moody’s previously upgraded these bonds in 2017. Moody’s cites “solid metrics in fiscal year 2018 and expected for 2019”... Read more →

TRENTON (Feb. 3, 2020) – The New Jersey Lottery posted record sales and a record contribution to the State according to the latest Audit Report for Fiscal Year 2019 released today, which is available for review on the Lottery’s website. In Fiscal Year 2019, the Lottery generated $3.48 billion in sales, a $182 million increase over the prior year. The substantial increase in sales translated into a record contribution to the State in Fiscal Year 2019 of over $1.10 billion, which is used to support... Read more →

Philadelphia, PA (February 2020) - Every February, the celebration of Black History Month observes the importance of African Americans in United States history. Nigerian-born entrepreneur and fashion designer Addie Elabor and her clothing line D’IYANU celebrate these achievements regularly by encouraging self expression and empowering individuals to express their cultural pride through all of their collections. With its official release on January 24, 2020, Elabor and her team present D'IYANU’s Black History Month Collection. Inspired by traditional African prints, the Black History Month Collection features... Read more →

By Alan Krawitz | The Center Square The Philadelphia skyline. Sean Pavone | Shutterstock.com HARRISBURG PA (January 2020)--A new report by government finance watchdog Truth in Accounting (TIA) has named Philadelphia as one of four cities to receive an F for its poor financial health.The TIA report "Financial State of the Cities," which found widespread debt in city halls across the nation, cited Philadelphia as having the fourth largest taxpayer burden at $25,500, behind Honolulu at $26,400, Chicago with $37,100 and New York City with... Read more →

By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square Harrisburg PA (January 2020)--A former Democratic state representative who officials say took money from her nonprofit and spent it on vacations and luxury items was sentenced to three months behind bars. Pennsylvania state Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell (center) will resign from the Legislature and plead guilty to corruption charges, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Photo courtesy of Rep. Johnson-Harrell's website Former Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell also was sentenced to 8½ months of house arrest, 11½ months on parole, and then... Read more →

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Abdoulaye Coumbassa, 44, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, one year supervised release, and ordered to pay $224,478 in restitution to the IRS by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for preparing and filing false tax returns for clients of his tax preparation business, Abbi Tax Services and Accounting, in Philadelphia. Gloucestercitynews.net graphic The defendant pleaded guilty in October 2019 to the offense of aiding and assisting in the preparation... Read more →

The Center Square HARRISBURG, PA --James Franklin, head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, earned $4.8 million in 2018, making Franklin the highest-paid public employee in Pennsylvania last year, according to a ranking by the website GOBankingRates. Penn State head coach James Franklin photo Barry Reeger On the ranking of the highest-paid public employees in each state, Franklin’s salary came in 12th, according to the analysis. Data from USA Today’s 2018 NCAA salary reports, as well as OpenTheBooks.com, were used by the website to create... Read more →

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 31, 2020)--Odd as it might sound, many disoriented students tend to undervalue sample reading as a tool for writing successfully. And this may be one of the common reasons why, to complete a capstone project that includes paper writing properly, a student has to apply for academic help from an online writing service. But the solution to the writing problems that most students face lies right on the surface – it takes just a few samples reads to get the hang of how... Read more →

By Dave Fidlin | The Center Square HARRISBURG PA--Rising costs and stagnant income is leaving Pennsylvania’s 121 parks with a projected deficit of about $500 million to address ongoing maintenance needs, a state official revealed recently. Paul Zeph, head planner of the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, went before members of the House Tourism Committee on Jan. 15 and discussed the Parks for All plan, which was recently refreshed after last going under the microscope in 1992. In his testimony to the House panel, Zeph... Read more →

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 31, 2020)--People are thinking a lot more about their carbon footprint these days, the idea of making your home eco-friendlier is not new, but it is becoming essential. From those who want to reduce their image unsplash.com environmental impact to those that are preparing their home to sell, being more environmentally conscious is more popular than ever. Make the right eco-friendly changes to your home, and you can even add value to your property, meaning that you can advance up the property ladder... Read more →

In the last few weeks alone the U.S. government has spent a whopping $113.5 million to help bring Gloucestercitynews.net graphics high-speed broadband to several rural areas throughout the country. In some of the cases multi-million-dollar investments will provide high-speed internet service to just a few hundred households, raising serious questions about the taxpayer investment. The money flows through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) via a Trump administration program known as ReConnect that will ultimately dole out hundreds of millions of dollars for the cause.... Read more →

PHILADELPHIA— First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced this morning that former Universal Community Homes Chief Executive Officer and Board President Abdur Councilman Kenyatta Johnson Rahim Islam, 62, of Philadelphia, PA; former Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Universal’s Board Shahied Dawan, 68, of Philadelphia, PA; Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, 46, and his spouse, political consultant Dawn Chavous, 40, both of Philadelphia, PA; were charged today in a twenty-two-count indictment alleging a wide-ranging racketeering conspiracy and related crimes including bribery, honest services... Read more →

PHILADELPHIA (JANUARY 24, 2020) — Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) reintroduced a bill yesterday during the new Philadelphia City Council term to provide property tax relief 220,000 homeowners citywide. City Council approved an identical bill by a 17-0 vote last year, as introduced by Johnson on behalf of City Council President Darrell Clarke (5th District). that would increase the city’s existing Homestead Exemption for homeowners by an additional $5,000, raising it from $45,000 to $50,000. President Clarke remains a co-sponsor of the new Homestead Exemption... Read more →

Tom Fitton JudicialWatch.org Around the country, and now in Florida, “transgender” activists are demanding all of us to pay for their sex-change surgeries. Corruption Chronicles has the details: CNBNews graphics In what appears to be a growing national trend, another public enterprise is being sued for failing to pay for transgenders’ costly sex-change surgery. The plaintiffs in this latest case are two veteran state workers—both men—in Florida who allege sex discrimination because the state’s insurance policy doesn’t cover surgical procedures to help make them women.... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 26, 2020)--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing the cleanup of contaminants in Gloucester City that came from the defunct Welsbach Factory located at King and Essex Streets and the Delaware River. Presently the property is the home of the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property. The same area was also the home of Armstrong Cork for many years. The EPA is preparing the plans to remove contaminants from the Gloucester Marine Terminal/Holt property at King... Read more →

JudicialWatch.org News We now have another unnerving story about the border crisis, Iran, and national security. Our Corruption Chronicles blog reports: Central American immigrants take part in a caravan heading to the United States on the road linking Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula, Mexico, on October 21, 2018. # Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty As hundreds join a new U.S.-bound caravan in Honduras, authorities in the crime-infested Central American nation reveal that four Iranians were recently arrested there. Like thousands of illegal immigrants from around... Read more →

HARRISBURG, PA --Governor Tom Wolf today announced $2.2 million in Teacher in the Workplace grants have been awarded to 92 local education agencies (LEA) to enable teachers to visit local employers and learn the skills and industry trends to enhance their classroom instruction, student learning, and career readiness. Each LEA will receive a $25,000 Targeted Grant through the Department of Education (PDE). “It’s critical that we connect our schools to local businesses so we can prepare students with the skills they need for in-demand jobs,”... Read more →

submitted by NJ Sierra Club It has been 3 months since the grand opening of the American Dream Mall and towns are still waiting to be paid. In East Rutherford, where American Dream is located, officials said the mall owes $1 million in payments for last year, and an anticipated $2 million in payments in 2020 that are outstanding. For nearby Carlstadt and Secaucus, the missing payments amount to $750,000 and $100,000, respectively. “The cost to build the American Dream mall has reached a historical... Read more →