Winnebago News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Amanda Kieper

STATE

Prepaid property taxes

are ruled tax-deductible

Illinois residents who prepaid property taxes last year should be able to deduct them, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

The department issued this clarification last week in a letter to Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The new tax law, enacted in December, caps the state and local tax deduction at $10,000 starting for the 2018 tax year. As a result, taxpayers in many high-tax states scrambled to prepay their property taxes before the end of 2017 so they could deduct the full amount.

The IRS issued an advisory shortly after the tax law was signed that said people could deduct prepaid 2018 property taxes only if the taxes were both assessed and paid in 2017.

Roskam wrote a letter to the Treasury Department seeking clarification that the IRS advisory did not pertain to prepayments of 2017 property taxes, and the Treasury Department agreed.

ROCKFORD

Kieper named as RVC’s top Faculty of Year

Amanda Kieper, Professor of Speech, has been honored as the 30th recipient of the Rock Valley College Faculty of the Year award. Fellow faculty members, campus colleagues, and Kieper’s family were on hand on March 29 as Professor Kieper was presented her award during the College’s faculty development session.

Kieper is a graduate of Rock Valley College and earned her Master’s degree in Communication from Northern Illinois University. She later earned a second Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northern Illinois University. Classes Kieper has most recently taught at RVC include Fundamentals of Communication (SPH 131), Interpersonal Communication (SPH 201), and Leadership Development (HUM 250). Kieper regularly monitors local, national, and international news to provide timely, relevant, and memorable examples to bring content to life in her classroom, and searches for provocative and intellectually stimulating materials that will increase motivation and sharpen critical thinking skills for her students.

She has also been a dedicated leader of students outside of the classroom. Two years ago she founded SOS (Students of Service), a student organization focused on peer-to-peer crisis intervention to identify students in crisis who need help to stay enrolled at RVC. SOS has raised money to help students pay for books, worked with RVC’s TRIO Student Support Services to keep the food pantry in the Student Center stocked, donated to Toys for Tots, offered bus passes and transportation for students who are challenged by accessibility to RVC locations, and has served as a liaison between students and local organizations who can assist with crisis intervention options.

ROCKFORD

RPS seeks superintendent

advisory panel members

Rockford Public Schools seeks students to serve on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC) for the 2018-19 school year.

The district is looking for 11 RPS 205 students in 10th, 11th or 12th grade to join the SSAC. One seat is open to a student representative from Auburn High School. Two seats are open at Jefferson and East. Three council seats are open at both Guilford and Roosevelt.

SSAC students participate in community projects, boost collaboration among RPS 205 high schools and act as liaisons from the administration to high school students.

Applications are due by May 4. For more information, contact Angela Lundin, lundina@rps205.com.​

DEKALB

Tollway ramp

reconstruction begins

Repair work has closed the ramp connecting Annie Glidden Road to westbound Interstate 88 for about six. This is the first of a summer season of ramp closures at the Illinois Tollway interchange.

The tollway is working to resurface and rebuild ramps and bridges at six interchanges on I-88 between Route 251 in Rochelle and Orchard Road in Aurora. This work is part of Move Illinois, a 15-year, $14 billion capital program.

All four ramps connecting I-88 to Annie Glidden Road will be rebuilt. Bridge deck repairs on the bridge connecting Annie Glidden Road and eastbound I-88 also are scheduled.

Once the work at the westbound I-88 entrance ramp is complete, which is expected to be sometime in May, the other three ramps at the interchange simultaneously will close with traffic once again routed to the Peace Road Interchange. The work will not begin until Northern Illinois University’s spring semester ends and NIU graduation ceremonies have been held. Maps and reconstruction information about the interchange improvements are available at illinoistollway.com.

A 45-mph speed limit will be enforced in work zones throughout the construction season.

Once the interchange work concludes, DeKalb city officials will execute a plan to widen lanes and install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Annie Glidden and Fairview Drive.

Tagged with: