Runners compete in a past Run with Reagan. Registration is open for this year’s April 14 event that will include a 400-meter Kids Dash and a 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk or 5K Run.

STATE

Prepaid property taxes 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.

EUREKA

College hosts leadership symposium for high school students

Eureka College Leadership students are hosting a free Leadership Symposium for area high school students from 6-8 p.m. April 9, in the Cerf Center.

Through a series of activities and breakout groups, Eureka seniors will explore themes from the international bestseller, “The Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders,” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.

The two-hour leadership workshop will focus on topics ranging from conflict negotiation to creating a climate for effective communication and innovation. The college students’ goal is to empower their younger colleagues to think about their next chapter after high school.

The Leadership Symposium is open to everyone. High school groups and organizations are encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Dr. Amanda Frioli, associate professor of communication and leadership at (309) 467-6332 or afrioli@eureka.edu.  

Annual Run with Reagan to be held April 14

Participants in the 6th annual Run with Reagan 2018 will take off from the campus of Eureka College April 14. A 400-meter Kids Dash will begin at 8 a.m., followed by a 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk or 5K Run at 8:15 a.m. Participants of all ages are welcome.

Cost for the 5K event is $30. Eureka College students and Kids Dash participants under 12 may participate for $10. Proceeds from the races will benefit the Ronald W. Reagan Society and the Alzheimer’s Association. All entries will receive a race T-shirt and pancake breakfast. Registration is scheduled to begin on race day at 7 a.m. at the corner of Reagan Drive and Burgess Street near Eureka’s Lilac Arboretum. Parking will be available at the East Burgess gravel parking lot or the Reagan Athletic Complex parking lot.

The starting line of the 5K course will be at the corner of Reagan Drive and Burgess Street and will continue north until going east on James Street, south on Dickinson Drive, and west on Reagan Drive. This square will be completed three times with the last lap being extended north until making a left on College Avenue, ending the event in front of the Commons. All participants are welcome to join the pancake breakfast scheduled inside the Dickinson Commons immediately following the race.

ShaZam Racing has partnered with Eureka College, and will use the same technology that is used in 25 of the 30 largest races in the United States. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female runner, as well as to the top performers in each of the following age groups: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 and older.

To register or for more information, contact event chairperson Rachel Honegger at 309-369-1464 or Rachel@envisioneventsinc.com. Completed forms should be returned to the Eureka College Development Office at 300 E. College Ave., Eureka. Checks should be made payable to Eureka College.

To register online, go to eureka.edu/alumni/run-with-reagan/.

–Woodford County News Briefs–