❲✦✧★✦✩✧❆❨✱ ✪✦✫✬✭❆✬❨ ✮✯✱ ✮✰✶✾
❚✲✦ ✳✫✩✦✬❱✦✬ ✴ ✺✵
LOCAL
t✉✈✇①
Continued from Page 1A
their tax return the most
was the changes in deduc-
tions.
“We have a lot of expenses
that (my husband’s) job does
not cover. We counted on
the federal deductions. We
counted on that to reduce
our tax burden,” she said.
The change in tax law is
called the Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act and was enacted in De-
❼❽❾❿➀➁❾ ➂➃❾➄❽❾➅❾➆➇➈➉ ➊➋➌➉➍➎➉➍
✁✂✄✁☎ ✆✝ ✞✟✠✡☛ ☞✌ ✍✎✁ ✌✁✏
➏➐➑➒➓ ➔→ ➓➣➔↔ ↕➙➒ ➛➜➝➞➒➛ ↔➟➒➙➒ ➠➟➒➙➒➡➓ ➙➔➔➝ ➠➟➙➔➜➢➟➔➜➠ ➤↕ ➥➙↕➣➛➒➦➧➟➒ ➙➒➢➐➔➣ ➐➓
tax brackets as well as mak-
ing changes to withhold-
ings and eliminating some
tax deductions. Taxpayers
should have started seeing
changes in their withhold-
ings on their paychecks in
late February of 2018, as it
changed the way that em-
ployers hold back taxes, ac-
cording to the IRS website.
However, some taxpay-
ers may end up owing large
amounts as a result of not
being aware of the changes
to withholdings. In order
to ensure that the correct
amount is being withheld,
employees should have
➒➨➞➒➩➠➒➛ ➠➔ ➙➒➩➒➐➫➒ ➝➔➙➒ ➓➣➔↔ ➐➣ ➠➟➒ ➩➔➝➐➣➢ ➛↕➭➓➦
①②③④
Continued from Page 1A
surprise, though. Rock said he knows when
the snow comes, they’re going to be busy.
“If people don’t need to be out then
don’t be out,” Rock said to would-be trav-
elers. “Make sure your vehicles are pre-
pared for the snow. Good tractions tires
and proper devices to make sure you get
to the place you need to go are vital.”
Nelson, at Goss Motors, said its AAA ser-
vice isn’t necessarily busier, but it is taking
his employees longer to complete the jobs.
“There have been road closures and
we’re sitting (waiting) when our trucks
would normally be running,” Nelson said.
He said those jobs his drivers get called
for can take them to Portland and Boise and
other cities where there’s a long drive ahead.
Otherwise, they’re responding to a lot
✆✝ ✙✒✛✏✁✗✆✎✙✢ ☎✁ ✆✥✁☎✛✁✙✢ ☎✆✒✒✆✥✁☎✙ ✍✓✏
other snow-related accidents.
“Probably in the last couple of days,
Works director, said this winter hadn’t
been that busy up until this month.
“It’s been an incredible February,” he
said. “We usually don’t see snow like this (so
late in the winter).”
Carpenter said because the weather ear-
lier this winter was lighter, it left the public
works department a “pretty healthy bud-
get” to use for this month’s snow.
Despite February’s back-to-back snow-
storms, snow removal has gone smoothly.
“We try to get to the busy streets early
on so they’ll be empty,” he said. “We try
to hit the residential streets later.”
The snow removal plan, which is posted
on the City of La Grande’s website, begins
when there is six inches of snow on the
ground and more is forecasted. The plan
states when “snowfall is between four and
six inches, it will be necessary to remove
slush during periods of rapid melting.”
The snow removal plan prioritizes the
roadways in the city, Carpenter said in a
previous interview. The hospital’s emergen-
✜✁ ♦ ✥✁ ☎✁✙✕✆✓✏✁✏ ✌✆ ✙✒✛✏✁✗✆✎✙ ✂✆☎✁ ✆✝✌✁✓
✣ ☎✆✔✌✁✙ ✍☎✁ ✌✚✁ ✑☎✙✌ ✕☎✛✆☎✛✌✣ ✒✛✙✌✁✏ ✛✓ ✌✚✁
than not,” he said.
Nelson also has advice to ensure trav-
elers get to their destinations safely.
“If you’re on the freeway, you’re going to
still get there even if you go slow,” he said.
“You don’t have to go 100 mph. Usually,
the (wrecked cars we are responding to)
were probably going too fast. Slow down.”
La Grande Police Lt. Gary Bell said when
the roads are bad, one thing law enforce-
ment always sees is a rise in hit and runs.
“Hit and runs happen any time, but when
we have inclement street conditions, they’ll
drive away (from the accident),” he said. “It
always coincides with street conditions.”
Kyle Carpenter, La Grande Public
plan, followed by the “arterial, Central Busi-
ness District and major roads and intersec-
tions.” Those major roads and intersections
⑨✇⑩❶
Continued from Page 1A
county has existing hemp
growers and has received
an application for the seed
handling and processing of
seed and oil sales. Industri-
al use processing in Union
County requires a CUP
when it comes to farm use,
which is reviewed by the
Planning Commission.
✛✓ ✒✔✏✁ ♣ ✕☎✔ ✁ ♣ ✌☎✁✁✌✢ q ✁✎✁☎✙✆✓ r ✥✁✓✔✁✢
Adams Avenue, Second Street and Fourth
♣ ✌☎✁✁✌☛ s ✚✁ ✑☎✙✌ ✍✓✏ ✙✁
Contact Cherise Kaechele at 541-963-
3161 or ckaechele@lagrandeobserver.com.
Wallowa, Baker, Umatilla
and Grant counties,” ac-
cording to the Lindseys’
⑤⑥⑦
with their employer, ac-
✄✁✙✌ ✌✆ ✑✒✒ ✆✔✌ ✌✚✁✛☎ ✖✗✘☛
In a video entitled “Mes-
sage to Taxpayers” from
the IRS, Chuck Rettig, the
commissioner of the IRS,
addressed the issue: “With
so many changes in the tax
✒✍✜✢ ✣✆✔ ✂✍✣ ✙✁✁ ✍ ✏✛✎✁☎✁✓✌
amount in your refund or
✌✍✤ ✄✛✒✒ ✜✚✁✓ ✣✆✔ ✑✒✁☛ ☞✝ ✣✆✔
want to adjust that amount
for 2019, please visit our
withholding calculator on
IRS.gov as soon as possible
for a paycheck checkup.”
Rettig also directed tax-
payers to a new section
on the IRS website dedi-
cated to the changes and
reminded those who owe
money that even if they
can’t pay the full amount,
turns than last year, and tax
returns issued have been 8.7
percent smaller than those
issued last year, according to
The Associated Press.
An article on the Motley
Fool, an online stock ad-
viser, suggests that despite
the fact that many Ameri-
cans count on their refund
as a source of extra in-
come, the best tax refund
is as close as possible to
zero. A very small refund
or none at all means the
correct withholdings were
✑✒✁✏ ✍✓✏ ✌✚✁ ✌✍✤✕✍✣✁☎ ✏✛✏
not pay money out of their
paycheck unnecessarily.
Contact Francisca
Benitez at 541-963-3161
or fbenitez@lagrandeob-
server.com.
✌✚✁✣ ✙✚✆✔✒✏ ✑✒✁ ✌✚✁✛☎ ✌✍✤✁✙
on time to avoid penalties.
“Remember, it’s always
a good idea to check your
tax withholding every year,
especially if you made ad-
justments last year, or if
✵✷ ✸✹✻✼✽✾
✻✿❀❁ ✹✾❂✻❃✹
❄❄❄❅❆❇❈❉❇❊❍■❇❏❑◆❉■❖❇◗❉❅❘◆❙
❚❯❱❲
❳❨❩❳❬❭❪❨
❲❪❭❫❬❯❴❯❵❛
❳❩❳❜❴❳❝❴❪
✣✆✔ ✚✍✥✁ ✍✓✣ ✑✓✍✓ ✛✍✒ ✆☎
life changes,” he said.
Currently, the IRS has is-
sued 16 percent fewer tax re-
❤✐❥ ❦✐❧♠♥
✍✕✕✒✛ ✍✌✛✆✓☛ ⑧s ✚✁ ✑✓✍✒
products can be shipping in-
ternational. I plan on selling
to brands that are already es-
tablished in the market, and
producing my own products
(CBD lotions, capsules, CBD
drops and edibles).”
The application will be
reviewed in March.
❳❭❨❞❡❢❣❲❱❱
●✠✡☛ ☞ ✌✍✎✏✡✑ ✌✌✒✓✔
❋✕✖✗✖✘✕✗✙ ✚✛✜✕✢✣✤
✶✥✶✦ ✚✛✗✧✢ ✚✜★
P ✩ ✪✣✫ ✬✬✦
▲✗ ✭✤✗✖✛★✮ ✩✯ ✥✰✬✱✦
✱✺✶✲✥✳✴✲✦✱✶✥
▼ ✁✂✄☎✆✝✞✂✟
✆✓✏ ✕☎✛✆☎✛✌✛✁✙ ✝✆☎ ✌✚✁
department covers 25 miles, he said.
The third and last priorities are residen-
tial streets and alleys. Carpenter said resi-
dential roadways can be hard to get to, and
in the event of a major snowfall, it is un-
likely the public works department would
have the time or resources to plow them.
According to the Lind-
seys’ application, they hope
to employ four to eight peo-
ple for lab work, and 10 to 15
people during harvest.
They intend to farm the
hemp from seed to pro-
cessing. There will be mini-
mal odors and their gen-
eral hours of operation will
be 12 hours a day.
“We will be working with
other farmers in Union,
✑✒✁✏ ✍✓ ✔✕✏✍✌✁✏ ✖✗✘ ✝✆☎✂
cording to the IRS website,
which provides a with-
holding calculator to help
taxpayers determine how
➝➞➟➠➡➢➤➥➦➞➧ ➨➠➟➩➡➫➭➢➦➥ ➯➤➠➧➭➡➞
➲➠➳ ➵➢➸➺ ➻➭➦➼➦➞➧➭➠
➽ ➾➚➪➶➚➹ ➚➘ ➴➷➶➬➚➮➱➶✃❐❒
➾➬➷ ❮➚❰Ï➬➷ ÐÏ❰Ñ➬➹➷❰➶❐❒ Ò➚Ó➱
➽ ÒÏ➶➬➹Ï➷✃❰➮ ➱ÏÔ Õ➬➷❰Ô➬Ï➪❐ ➪➚Ö➮×➬➶➬Ô
❰Ï ➚➹➶✃➚➮➬Ô❰➪ ➷Ø➹Ù➬➹❐ ➱➶ Ú➘ÛÏ❰➶❐
❮➬Ô❰➪➱× Ü➬Ï➶➬➹❒ ➴✃❰➚Ý Þ➬××➚Ó➷✃❰➮ ❰Ï
➷➮➚➹➶➷ Ö➬Ô❰➪❰Ï➬ ➪➚Ö➮×➬➶➬Ô ➱➶ ➴➹➶✃➚➮➬Ô❰➪
Õ➬➷➬➱➹➪✃ ➚➘ ß❰➹Ù❰Ï❰➱❒ Õ❰➪✃Ö➚ÏÔ
➽ à➬➹Ñ➬Ô ➘➚Ø➹ ❐➬➱➹➷ ➱➷ á❰Ù✃➶ ➷Ø➹Ù➬➚Ï❒
â➱ÏÙ×➬❐ Ú❰➹ Þ➚➹➪➬ ã➱➷➬❒ ß❰➹Ù❰Ï❰➱ ➱ÏÔ
à✃➱Ó Ú❰➹ Þ➚➹➪➬ ã➱➷➬❒ à➚Ø➶✃ Ü➱➹➚×❰Ï➱
äåæ çèéêéëìèå íéîî ïè êèèéëì ðñòéèëòê ñò óñîîôíñ
õèöôåéñî çôêðéòñî åèì÷îñåîø ùôå úîéëéú ûéêéòê
ñëü ê÷åìèåøæ ýêþ øô÷å ðÿøêéúéñë ùôå ñ åèùèååñî òôüñøæ
❴❵ ❛❜❵❝❛ ❞❣❤ ✐❥❦❵ ❧❝♠❥✐❞
♥♣q rst✉✈✇① ②✇③④⑤✇⑥⑦ ⑧⑨⑩s③❶③✉❷s⑦ ❸❹ ❺❻❼❽❼ ❾ ❿➀q➁➀❽♥➁➂qqq ❾ ⑤⑤⑤➃⑤✈➄✈t➃➅③➆
➇➈➉➉➊➋➈ ➌➍➎➊➏➐➈➉ ➑➊➒➓➐➔➈➉ ➐➒ ➈→ ➍➣↔➈➉ ➊➓➓➊➏➔↔→➐➔↕ ➍➎➓➉➊↕➍➏ ➈→➙ ➓➏➊➛➐➙➍➏➜
❢✷✸ ✹✻✼✽✿❀❁ ❂✿❃✹
✷♦✸ ✻❡✻❀❃❄
➯➲➳ ➲➵➸➺➻➻❿ ➼➺➽❾➾➸➵❿❾ ➚❿➻➪❿➃➶ ➹❽➻➸➻
➘➒➑➑➓ ➴↕➣➭➔➣ ➐➓ ➠➟➒ ➛➒➒➞➒➓➠ ➙➐➫➒➙ ➢➔➙➢➒ ➐➣ ➷➔➙➠➟
➬➝➒➙➐➩↕➮ ↕➩➩➔➙➛➐➣➢ ➠➔ ➠➟➒ ➱➦✃➦ ❐➔➙➒➓➠ ✃➒➙➫➐➩➒ ↔➒❒➓➐➠➒➦
❺✉②❻③②
Continued from Page 1A
✑☎✙✌ ✆✝ ✂✍✓✣ ✙✁☎✥✛ ✁ ✕☎✆ ❷ -
ects the Outdoor Adventure
Program will be a part of.
Hatch envisions some stu-
dents doing work like this
for graduation capstone
projects in the future.
The Alternative Spring
Break students will be led
on the trail work project by
Dylan Howell, a member
of the Outdoor Adventure
⑦ ☎✆ ❸ ☎✍✂ ♦ ✙
/ Page 5A
✙✌✍✎☛
In addition to the work,
students will have oppor-
tunities to enjoy activities
like rock climbing and
paddle boarding.
The Hells Canyon Alter-
native Spring Break is open
only to Eastern students.
For additional information
contact Holeman at ehole-
man@eou.edu. Students
can sign up at the Outdoor
r ✏✥✁✓✌✔☎✁ ⑦ ☎✆ ❸ ☎✍✂
❅❇❈ ❅❉❊❋●❍■ ❏●❉❍❑
✆ ❹ ✁
in the Hoke Union Build-
ing, Room 118. March 15 is
the sign-up deadline.
▲▼◆◆❖P◗❘ ❙▼❯ ▼❳ ❩❬◆❭❪◗ ❫❪❭❘▼◗