The Half Off Your Dinner Check at Guadalajara!

Page 2A

ABCD
Farm show Soup makes
features good encore
technology of leftovers
Money & More, 5B Living, 1D

Talk about food, facebook.com/LetsEatPA Wednesday, January 5, 2011 I 50¢

Tax deadline extended, thanks to Abe

Amid other changes, the IRS isn’t mailing out tax ternal Revenue Service media refund will be late,” said Randy Mc-

packages, and returns will be delayed for some.

By MARY PEREZ
McClatchy Newspapers
BILOXI, Miss. — Taxpayers can
thank a little-known holiday in
Washington, D.C., for extending the
deadline to file tax returns until
April 18 this year.
Washington observes the anni-
versary of President Abraham Lin-
coln signing the Compensated
Emancipation Act that freed 3,100
slaves in the capital on April 16,
1862. Because April 16 falls on Sat-
urday, the holiday will be observed
on Friday this year, and tax returns
aren’t due until Monday.
The extension isn’t the only un-
usual thing about this filing season.
“We’re not mailing out tax pack-
ages,” said Dee Harris Stepter, In-
representative for Mississippi and
Louisiana. Instead, the IRS sent a
postcard notifying the 8 percent of
taxpayers who filed paper forms
that they would not receive them in
the mail.
The last-minute congressional
approval of tax legislation in De-
cember put another wrinkle in the
tax season. Taxpayers who itemize
deductions and those claiming the
higher education tuition and fees
deduction or the educator expense
deduction have to wait until at least
By the numbers
The maximum Earned Income
Tax Credit for low- and moderate-
income workers is $5,751 this year,
and the income limit is $49,078.
In 2010, IRS direct deposited
more than 74 million of the 109 mil-
lion refunds. The average refund was
$2,994, an increase from $2,836 the
previous year.
mid-February to file while IRS up-
dates its software.
“Of course, that means people’s
Donnell of Biloxi, who has been pre-
paring taxes for 30 years. He said
those who get the large refunds are
generally taxpayers who file the
earned income tax credit, and most
won’t be affected by the delay.
Those who use one of the com-
mercial tax software programs will
be able to link to the company’s site
for updates, Stepter said.
For those who want to finish
their returns before the IRS update
is complete, TurboTax said in a
news release it will hold the forms
and file them when the IRS permits.

911 response setup

Red Lion fire ruled arson
Chief:
System
risks
lives
Hanover-area fire officials
said it’s unreliable and
was implemented too soon.
By TIM STONESIFER
For the Daily Record/Sunday News
It was the situation southwestern York
DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS — PAUL KUEHNEL
County firefighters have feared for 18 months
Jamie Atwell looks out a rear window of her home at 136 W. High St. in Red Lion on Tuesday morning after an early morning blaze. — the black of night and a call for a working
Atwell and her family escaped without injury. York Area Regional Police said the fire was intentionally set on Atwell’s back porch. structure fire along a secluded country road.
Firefighters from York and Adams coun-

Police: Blaze set intentionally

ties grabbed their gear and responded to the
scene in rural West Manheim Township. Fire-
fighters arrived on the scene, steeled them-
selves and were ready to wade in, Penn
Township Chief Jan Cromer said, when they
called on York County’s emergency radio
The fire — started on the system to patch together the frequencies for

DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS — PAUL KUEHNEL
Nekia Tyler, who lives with girlfriend Jamie
Atwell and their two children at 136 W. High
St., loads belongings he salvaged from the
fire that destroyed their home Tuesday. It
was about all he could save, he said.
back porch of 136 W. High
St. early Tuesday morning
— displaced 8 residents.
By TED CZECH
Daily Record/Sunday News
A fire started on the back porch of one
side of a Red Lion duplex early Tuesday
morning is the work of an arsonist, York
Area Regional Police said.
Investigators have not named any sus-
pects or made any arrests, but they have
collected evidence from 136 W. High St.,
where the fire started, York Area Regional
Sgt. Rod Varner said.
The eight people who lived in the two
homes — four in each — have been dis-
placed, according to Victoria Connor,
spokeswoman for the York-Adams Chapter
of the American Red Cross.
Police said 136 W. High St. sustained
about $140,000 in damage and is a total
loss; 138 W. High St. is partially damaged
and sustained about $60,000 in damage.
Have a tip?
Anyone with information about the fire is asked
to call York Area Regional Police Detective Donald
Hopple at 741-1259.
To donate
To donate to the American Red Cross’ Fire
Hurts, Red Cross Helps campaign:
c Mail a check to 724 S. George St., York
17401.
c Go to redcross-yorkadamspa.org.
c Call 845-2751.
Online video
To see video of resident Nekia Tyler giving his
account of the fire, go to ydr.com.
Derrick Frey, 15, who, along with broth-
er Dave Frey, 20, first smelled smoke and
alerted his neighbors, said he couldn’t be-
lieve it when he was told someone started
the fire.
“Who could do that to somebody’s
• • •
See FIRE, page 6A
the two counties’ departments.
Then suddenly, nothing. Radio silence,
Cromer said.
“There’s a working fire,” he said, “and it’s
like everyone’s out there all alone.”
That system failure was the latest problem
local emergency responders have had with a
911 radio setup Hanover-area fire officials say
is unreliable and was implemented too soon,
without proper testing or the appropriate
back-up measures in place. It’s a system,
Cromer said this week, that works fairly well
— right up until it doesn’t, risking firefighters’
lives.
The International Association of Fire
Fighters already has drafted a letter to York
• • •
See RISK, page 4A
Penn Township letter
The Penn Township commissioners agreed
Monday to send a letter to York County asking
the 911 radio problem be addressed. They also
agreed to send a letter to local state representa-
tives, in the hope that would speed a fix they
think should have been completed long ago.

County expands truancy help Sports Weather

High 37
Complete forecast, 2A

Caseworkers will cover all 16 school districts

and get involved after three unlawful absences.
‘We totally Market
rewrote Dow: +20.43
Money & More, 5B
By ANGIE MASON
Daily Record/Sunday News
will have caseworkers assigned to
them, Winn said, once all eight posi-
everything.’
York County’s Office of Children, tions are filled.
Index
LACIE WINN,
Youth and Families is expanding its Three caseworkers will cover the ADVICE 2D
one of two truancy supervisors
efforts against truancy. York City School District, one at BIRTHS 3D
Agency caseworkers will now each education level. The remaining
likely do a full assessment, includ-
Bearcats tame Mustangs CLASSIFIED 4-6C
cover all of the county’s school dis- five each will cover three districts. William Penn utilized a strong offense COMICS 5D
tricts, and they plan to get involved The caseworkers will be notified ing a home visit.
and a stout defense to throttle South LOTTERIES 2A
sooner when truancy concerns arise. after a child has three unlawful ab- Previously, there were separate Western, 71-30, on Tuesday. 1B
“We totally rewrote everything,” sences, Winn said. They will then MOVIES 3D
policies for older and younger stu-
said Lacie Winn, one of two truancy contact the student’s family, try to OBITUARIES 4A, 2-4C
dents, Winn said.
supervisors. figure out what’s going on and point Year 215, No. 4; York, Pa. OPINION 5A
Previously, the program covered the family to any services they might For younger kids, three unlawful C 2011 York Daily Record PUZZLE 2D
only five districts in the county. The need. absences triggered a letter from the SPORTS 1-4B, 6B
biggest change the community will If a child has six unlawful ab- • • •
TELEVISION 4D
notice is that all 16 school districts sences, the caseworkers would See TRUANCY, page 4A