Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2021)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021 | SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Automatic refund coming for taxes paid on benefits Some people filed taxes before new law passed Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK People who received unemployment benefits in 2020 and filed their taxes before March 11 will receive automatic refunds on taxes they paid on up to $10,200 in unemployment. The American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Bi- den signed into law March 11, gave taxpayers who earned less than $150,000 in 2020 forgiveness on tax- es paid on up to $10,200 in unemployment for those who filed as single and $20,400 for couples. But before that was signed into law, thousands had already filed their 2020 taxes. According to the IRS, any adjusted overpayment will be refunded or applied to outstanding taxes owed, and it will start making those refunds in May. Taxpayers will not be required to file an amended return to receive that refund. According to the IRS, it has updated its 1040 forms to reflect the exclusion of unemployment and notified tax return preparers. About 23 million workers in the United States filed for unemployment in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Oregon Department of Revenue announced last week it would automatically adjust state tax re- turns for taxpayers who already filed. The state estimated there were thousands of people in Oregon who had already filed their state income tax returns prior to the change. “These taxpayers have already done what they were supposed to do. They filed their tax returns on time,” department director Betsy Imholt said in a statement. “We’re going to fix those returns to make sure these taxpayers get the proper refund under the new federal law.” Those who paid their taxes can check the status of their state refunds online on the Oregon Department of Revenue website. The deadline for filing taxes has been extended to May 17 from April 15, the second year with an exten- sion. Bill Poehler covers Marion County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@statesmanjournal.com or Twitter.com/ bpoehler Sprague battles back Silverton 3-1 After a dominant first set by Sprague, the Foxes kept it competitive, winning the second set and tight scores in the remaining sets be- fore the Olys won 3-1. The Silverton Foxes talk between plays against the Sprague Olympians. The Silverton Foxes and the Sprague Olympians compete during the match at Sprague High School in Salem on March 24. PHOTOS BY BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL Silverton's Leah Twede (12) jumps to block the ball. Silverton head coach Kate Trimble watches as the Silverton Foxes and the Sprague Olympians compete. VACCINES What can I do now that I am vaccinated? Stephanie Innes and Alison Steinbach Arizona Republic | USA TODAY NETWORK The COVID-19 vaccine represents big progress against the new coronavirus pandemic, but health ex- perts say even people who are fully vaccinated should still take some precautions, at least for now. In Oregon, restrictions vary by county and CO- VID-19 case numbers. Marion County is currently list- ed as high risk, and Polk County is at moderate risk. Restaurants, gyms, theaters, stores and other facili- ties are open but have capacity limits. Public health advice calls for continued mitigation measures. That’s largely because one of the most im- portant scientific questions about the vaccine is still unsettled — whether or not a vaccinated person can get infected and pass the virus to someone who isn’t vaccinated. Until more is known about how vaccines will affect the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes CO- VID-19, there are still some limitations, even for peo- ple who are vaccinated. The virus is still in circulation and as of Thursday, only about one in six Arizonans was fully immunized with either two doses of the Mo- derna or Pfizer vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people who have been fully vaccinated should keep taking precautions in public places. Those precautions include wearing a mask, staying six feet apart from others and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Other CDC recommendations for people who have been fully vaccinated: h “You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask. h “You can gather indoors with unvaccinated peo- ple from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from CO- VID-19. h “If you’ve been around someone who has CO- VID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms. h “If you live in a group setting (like a correctional or detention facility or group home) and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.” See PRECAUTIONS, Page 3A Vol. 140, No. 16 Online at SilvertonAppeal.com News updates: h Breaking news h Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: h Photo galleries Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal QEAJAB-07403y ©2021 50 cents Printed on recycled paper 69% of Oregonians age 75 and older now vaccinated State has been able to accelerate its vaccine eligibility timelines Tracy Loew and Virginia Barreda Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Thousands of Oregonians became eligible for CO- VID-19 vaccines this week, including farm and sea- food workers, food processing workers, individuals experiencing homelessness, adults age 45-64 with certain underlying heath conditions, and pregnant women age 16 and older. On Monday, another large group will become eligi- ble, two weeks earlier than planned. They include frontline workers, people in multigenerational house- holds, and anyone age 16 and older with underlying health conditions. Oregon has accelerated its vaccine eligibility time- lines in response to increased shipments from the federal government and an increased percentage of seniors who have received vaccines, Gov. Kate Brown said last week. As of last week, according to the Oregon Health Authority, the state had vaccinated: h 69% of Oregon residents age 80 and older. h 69% of those age 75 to 79. See VACCINE, Page 3A