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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2020)
2A | SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS Eye Consultants offers telemedicine On The Record Oregon extends tax filing deadline, payments At the direction of Gov. Kate Brown, the Oregon De- partment of Revenue has an- nounced an extension for Or- egon tax filing and payment deadlines for personal income taxes and some other taxes closely following the IRS ex- tension declaration. “The governor’s clearly stat- ed goal is for Oregon families to stay home, save lives,” said Oregon Department of Rev- enue Director Nia Ray. “After consultation with the state treasurer and state budget of- ficials, the Department of Rev- enue will extend personal and corporate income tax dead- lines during this challenging period.” Under the authority of ORS 305.157, the director of the Department of Revenue has determined that the gov- ernor’s state-declared emer- gency due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the action of the IRS will impair the ability of Oregon taxpayers to take certain actions within the time prescribed by law. Therefore, the director has ordered an au- tomatic extension of the 2019 tax year filing and payment due dates for certain affected taxpayers as indicated below. Personal income taxpayers: • The Oregon return filing due date for tax year 2019 is automatically extended from April 15 to July 15. • The Oregon tax payment deadline for payments due with the 2019 tax year return is automatically extended to July 15. • Estimated tax payments for tax year 2020 are not ex- tended. • The tax year 2019 six- month extension to file, if re- quested, continues to extend only the filing deadline until Oct. 15. • Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call us to qualify for this automatic Oregon tax filing and payment extension. • For more information about personal income tax, email questions to questions. dor@oregon.gov. Corporate income/ excise taxpayers: • The Oregon return filing due date for tax year 2019 is automatically extended from May 15, 2020 until July 15, 2020. Returns due after May 15, 2020 are not extended at this time. • The Oregon tax payment deadline for payments due with the 2019 return by May 15, 2020 is automatically ex- tended to July 15, 2020. Pay- ments for returns due after May 15, 2020 are not extended at this time. • Estimated tax payments for tax year 2020 are not ex- tended. • Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call us to qualify for this automatic Oregon tax filing and payment extension. Interest and penalties: • Because of the extension of the due dates for filing re- turns and making payments, any interest and penalties with respect to Oregon tax filings and payments extended by this order begin accruing on July 16, 2020. • No automatic extension is provided in this order for the payment or deposit of any oth- er type of Oregon tax or for the filing of Oregon information returns. Taxpayers can find resourc- es such as forms and publica- tions, information regarding filing as an individual or busi- ness, as well as helpful tools such as Where’s My Refund and What’s My Kicker, on the Department of Revenue web- page. Keep up to date with the latest developments impacting your taxes at oregon.gov/dor/. Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get forms, check the status of your refund or make pay- ments. Call 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222, or email ques- tions.dor@oregon.gov, for more assistance. For TTY for hearing- or speech-impaired, call 800-886-7204. Record claims for Unemployment Benefits continue in Oregon During the week starting March 22, the Oregon Em- ployment Department re- ceived 92,700 initial claims for Unemployment Insurance benefits. That represented a 21 percent increase from the pre- vious record during the week starting March 15. By compar- ison, the agency received 4,900 initial claim filings during the week starting March 8. The Employment De- partment continues to take proactive steps to meet the unprecedented need for un- employment benefits, which is largely due to reduced hours and layoffs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. rants, saw the greatest number of initial claims for unemploy- ment benefits (15,500). This reflects impacts of additional public health and safety mea- sures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many initial claims also came from workers in health care and social assis- tance (7,600) and retail trade (4,600). Multnomah (10,900), Washington (5,300) and Lane (4,200) were the counties with the largest number of claims. The largest percentage in- creases in initial claims over the week occurred in Harney and Tillamook counties. More initial claims data by industry and area can be found on the QualityInfo.org Initial Claims The Employment Depart- COVID-19 page. ment has detailed informa- Helping Oregonians tion for 45,800 of the claims Over the past two weeks, processed during the week starting March 22. The leisure the Employment Department and hospitality sector, which doubled the number of staff includes hotels and restau- dedicated to taking claims, and is in the process of tripling it. The agency employees pro- cessing claims are doing so at a record rate. We also contin- ue adding secure phone lines to take more calls while also protecting the personal infor- mation of those filing claims. Still, the truly unprecedent- ed and sudden level of initial claims has caused delays and frustration for Oregonians who need help, especially by phone. The Employment Depart- ment encourages anyone who can file an online claim to do so. The agency’s website in- cludes a video with step-by- step instructions for filing online claims specific to COVID-19 situations. Filing an initial or weekly claim on- line helps those who must file their claim by phone. Calls to follow up on the status of suc- cessfully filed claims also al- lows fewer new initial claims, which require the most time and work, to be received by phone. The Employment Depart- ment has started sending automatic confirmations for successfully filed claims with an e-mail address provided. Other automatic fixes and guidance, discussed in this video conversation, have been implemented to address com- mon online claim errors and reduce the need for follow-up. To file an online claim for unemployment benefits, go to Oregon.gov/employ or call 1-877-FILE-4-UI. For help finding jobs and training re- sources, contact your local WorkSource Oregon center or go to WorkSourceOregon.org. Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to indi- viduals with disabilities. Con- tact: 503-947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hear- ing, call 711 Telecommunica- tions Relay Services. Oregonians can now use SNAP benefits for online food purchases In keeping with Gov. Kate Brown’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” executive order, Orego- nians across the state who re- ceive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can now purchase groceries online from Walmart and Amazon, helping to keep SNAP recipients and their families safe from COVID-19 by opening new avenues for social distancing. Oregon has been explor- ing ways to increase access to food including a pilot project to provide Oregonians the opportunities to purchase gro- ceries online with SNAP ben- efits. In March, the Department of Human Services (DHS) provided access to online pur- chasing in Portland and Grants Pass at Walmart and Amazon. Due to the COVID-19 cri- sis, both retailers moved up their expansion dates for on- line food shopping to help those who are unable or who have difficulty getting to the store another option to pur- chase food. “We are grateful that these retailers expanded their gro- cery services to all Oregonians receiving SNAP benefits,” said Dan Haun, Self-Sufficiency Programs director at the Ore- gon DHS. “Convenience, qual- ity and fresh groceries should not be determined by how someone pays. The expansion will increase food access for those who experience chal- lenges visiting brick-and-mor- tar stores.” As the COVID-19 pandem- ic has led to an increase in the number of people eligible for SNAP, the ability to purchase groceries online supports physical distancing necessary to help slow the spread of the virus. If your work hours are re- duced or you lose your job, you may become eligible for SNAP if you meet eligibility requirements. You can apply for SNAP benefits online at OHP.Oregon.Gov. DHS is keeping local offices open during this pandemic to serve people who do not have access to the Internet. Go to oregon.gov/DHS/Offices/Pag- es/Self-Sufficiency.aspx. During these trying times, it is imperative that patients are able to have access to their doctors, even when they are unable to be seen in clinic. COVID-19 has left many pa- tients without the resources they need to stay on top of their health. Oregon Eye Consultants, 2002 Highway 101 in Florence, believe it is extremely import- ant that our community’s eye care needs are still being ad- dressed while they are staying home to protect themselves and our community from the coronavirus. Oregon Eye Consultants now has a telemedicine option with comprehensive ophthal- mologist and cornea specialist Dr. Benjamin Kunz for sever- al ocular conditions includ- ing: allergic eye disease (itchy eyes); dry or irritated eyes; conjunctivitis; tearing; and eyelid conditions, such as sties. Patients will need a smart- phone, computer or tablet to access our telemedicine visits, and have their insurance in- formation available along with proof of ID and co-payment option just as they would for an in-clinic appointment. For more information, con- tact the office at 541-687-1927 or banderson@oregoneye consultants.com. Visit us on the web T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM THANK YOU to the bevy of workers keeping our society functioning, despite the risks and fears. We quite literally couldn’t keep going without you. SPONSORED BY: CHAD E. CLEMENT, D.D.S., P.C 1256 Bay Street • 541-997-3423 COUNTY TRANSFER & RECYCLING 5078 Coastwood Lane • 541-997-8233 CROSS ROAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD 1380 10th St. • 541-997-3533 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1935 25th Street • 541-997-7660 FLORENCE IN BLOOM 1234 Rhododendron • 541-997-5391 FLORENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT 900 Greenwood Street • 541-997-3515 FLORENCE RV AND AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS 4390 Hwy 101 • 541-997-8287 HOBERG’S COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR 345 Highway 101 • 541-997-2413 LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTER 4325 Highway 101 • 541-997-7178 OREGON PACIFIC BANK 1365 Highway 101 • 541-997-7121 RAY WELLS, INC. 1770 Laurel Street • 541-997-2054 SIUSLAW NEWS 148 Maple Street • 541-997-3441 STATE SENATOR ARNIE ROBLAN, DISTRICT 5 900 Court St NE, S-417, Salem, OR, 97301 503-986-1705 THE GIRLS MAINTENANCE 541-590-0283 WEST COAST REAL ESTATE SERVICES 1870 Hwy. 126 • 541-997-7653 WHITE CLOUD ENTERPRISE CONTINUOUS RAIN GUTTERS (541) 997-9508 T HE F OLLOWING B USINESSES ARE OPEN TO S ERVE Y OU. They are open in a variety of ways… delivery, pick-up, curbside, drive-thru, in-store shopping with social distancing, appointments, and more. To be included in this list for $ 49 a month, Call 541-997-3441. Abby’s Legendary Pizza, 1374 Highway 101 • 541-997-2229 ............................................................................................................................Open daily 11 am – 9 pm. Off ering delivery and curb-side takeout. ................................................................................................................ Online ordering is easy at https://abbys.com/order. Coastal Home Services, 2530 Kingwood Street Suite D • 541-590-3691 ................................................................................. Open Monday – Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm. Florence Janitorial Services , 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. .......................................................................................................................................................................541-997-2385 Florence RV and Automotive Specialist, 4390 Highway 101 • 541-997-8287 ............................................................................. Open Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm Taking call outs! Hoberg’s Complete Auto Repair 345 Highway 101 • 541-997-2413 .................................................................................................................Monday-Friday 8am-5pm J and J Automotive, 1885 42nd Street • 541-997-3260 ......................................................................Open 8 am – 5 pm Monday – Th ursday, Friday by appointments Neil’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. ........................................................................................................................................................541-997-3825 Novelli’s Crab & Seafood, Boat Slip A13, Bay Street and Nopal Street • 541-639-7689 ..........................................................................Open every day 11 am – 5 pm. Curbside Service or Delivery Shervin’s Tire and Automotive Repair, 4515 Hwy. 101 • 541-997-8052 ........................................................................................Open Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm We will pick up and deliver your car back to you! TR Hunter Real Estate 1749 Hwy 101 • 541-997-1200 .........................................................................................Hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Saturday. We’re taking extra precautions to insure the safety of our clients and walk-ins. And if you choose, we have online resources in place that will allow you to conduct your real estate transaction from the safety of your home. West Coast Real Estate Services, 1870 Highway 126 • 541-997-7653, www.jimhoberg.com ................................................................Open 8:30 am – 5:30 pm daily. During these uncertain times, we are accessible by phone, website, email and by appointment. We are conducting business as safely as possible for our clients as well as our staff . Word of Mouth Home Décor ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 541-991-3457 Curbside pick up, shipping and free in-town delivery. Special care packages can be viewed on our Instagram; choose from the packages or contact us to help with products from our store inventory. We are available daily 11-3pm. Call, text or direct message us on facebook or instagram.
