Spokane families may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table when filing their taxes. Here’s how to get your share
Thousands of households in Spokane County are eligible for a tax credit that they aren’t applying for, according to Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, who helped design the credit when she served in the state Senate. The Working Families Tax Credit is an annual tax refund worth between $50 and $1,255 depending on income level, number of qualifying children and whether an individual is single or files their taxes jointly with a partner. Income eligibility is based on federal tax returns, but the credit is funded by state sales taxes. Continue reading at the Spokesman Review. (Emry Dinman)
Overdose deaths are rising among Black and Indigenous Americans
The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data. Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but that they still struggle for recognition and funding to address the problems, especially among Black and Native people. Between 2021 and 2023, overdose deaths among white people dropped in all but a dozen states, most of them in the West. But few states saw any decline in deaths among Black or Native American populations. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance)
New ferry sailing schedule designed to cut delays, frustration in San Juan Islands
Island life may be idyllic, but getting to and from the San Juan Islands from Anacortes takes planning for both locals and tourists. Now, for the first time in more than a decade, Washington State Ferries (WSF) is rolling out new sailing schedules for the Anacortes-San Juan Island route. “The current schedules have not been revised in 10 to 15 years and are so out of date that it causes delays and frustration for all involved,” Steve Nevey, the head at WSF, wrote in announcing this new change. Continue reading at KOMO. (KOMO)
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Spokane families may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table when filing their taxes. Here’s how to get your share
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