6B TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023 THE ADVOCATE CROSSWORD ANDREWS MCMEEL The syringes, gauze pads and trache- otomy tubes were piling up, and some of them were marked expired. In many hospitals and clinics, they would have ended up in a dumpster. But late last year, Delaware County Emergen- cy Medical Services Lt. Jess Paqari had a idea donate them to the local humane society. came to me asked if we could do said Fishel, EMS director, who had previously worked in California, Tex- as and Oklahoma, where expired or un- wanted medical gear and pharmaceuti- cals were routinely donated for animal use.
told her, The monetary value of the items in several bags would eas- ily be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars if new, said. Sterile gauze pads and syringes, breathing tubes, plastic gowns and gloves all are useful at shelters that house and foster unwanted, sick or in- jured animals, said Debra Leckrone, volunteer coordinator and community outreach manager at the Humane Soci- ety of Delaware County. that we can get donated that saves us money helps us know that the funding we have goes where need- ed toward the she said. In many states, even human pharma- ceuticals can be administered to ani- mals by reducing the dosage. But in Ohio, even non-active drugs, such as sa- line solution, are prohibited from sale or donation, according to the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
not a pathway to donate them except to a school or pharmacy for teach- ing purposes but not necessarily for treat- said Cameron McNamee, director of policy and communications. And not everything that can be donat- ed is always useful. In the recent dona- tion, some splints were too large for ani- mal bones, and there were burn dressings not suitable for furry animals. certainly a need. Surgeries to spay and neuter animals and other treatments can be costly, and in Delaware, the shelter took in 1,906 dogs, cats, guinea pigs and other critters last year, with of them eventually adopted.
The remainder are housed in the shelter or foster homes until they owners, Leckrone said. Other shelters are grateful for donat- ed items, too. totally on board with hand-me- said Corey Schoonover, execu- tive director of the Area Humane Society. defrays the Medical Center personnel bring in boxes and bags of supplies, leav- ing it to humane society to what we can use for he said. even have local hotels that are changing out sheets and Schoo- nover said, noting their value for use in bedding and cleaning.
Donated medical supplies a boon to animal shelters Dean Narciso Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK Question: The IRS announced Jan- uary 23rd is the day they are accept- ing tax returns for 2022. I always wait until the last minute to my taxes. Are there any to my tax- es early? It is a new year, and the April 15th tax deadline will be here before you know it. There are many to be- ing proactive during the tax season. As accountants, we appreciate our clients early as it gives us more time to re- view the tax returns and ensure every- thing is submitted on time.
Procrasti- nating on a tax return can often lead to mistakes, missing important tax deduc- tions and credits. Below are important reasons to your taxes early in 2023. Beat the rush Your accountant is likely preparing and processing hundreds or even thou- sands of tax returns between now and the April 15 deadline, the bulk of which will hit desk from late March to early April. By getting ahead of the rush, you will stay ahead of the line and enjoy a much quicker response time in getting everything Send it as it comes Accountants appreciate getting your documents as early as possible. Even if you are missing a portion of your infor- mation, your CPA can still get started on your return.
Consider sending in most of your information early with a follow-up of the late-arriving 1099s or Schedule K-1s. It is a good idea to compare the documents that you receive to your rec- ords to be sure that the information re- ported to the IRS is correct. If you do an error, let the reporting organization know so that they can the information with the IRS. Other- wise, you can expect a notice shortly af- ter you submit your return. Avoid tax return fraud Identity thieves have been known to use victims' personal information to fraudulent tax returns electronically and claim bogus refunds.
When the real tax- payers their returns, they are that they are attempting to duplicate returns. It can take months to and can delay legitimate refunds. By your re- turn as early as possible, you will reduce your risk of becoming a victim. For the lat- est details on ongoing scams, please visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-scams- consumer-alerts. Get your money back faster The best reason to your taxes early is so you receive your refund soon- er (assuming you are eligible for a re- fund).
Filing your return electronically, with direct deposit into your bank ac- count, is the fastest method to do so. It can take up to several weeks longer if you go the paper route. More time to pay owed tax For those that owe money to the IRS, preparing your tax return early will al- low you more time to plan for any tax balance that might be due. If you wait until the last minute to calculate your tax bill, and that you owe a large sum, it may be more challenging to gather the required cash by the dead- line. Avoiding extensions No one really wants to an exten- sion.
But if you wait until the last min- ute to your returns, you may that you require more time than initia- lly anticipated to examine possible de- ductions or gather receipts and paper- work. Filing your tax return early elim- inates the need to an extension. Push the process too close to the dead- line, and you increase the likelihood that you will require an extension. Even worse, if you an extension but do not pay what you owe, the IRS will charge you interest and penalties on the outstanding tax debt until it is paid in full. Crystal Faulkner is a CPA and Certi- Professional EOS implementer working with leadership teams to in- crease the value of their organizations.
She is a partner with MCM CPAs Ad- visors, a CPA and advisory expert guidance and beyond the bottom line. Tom Cooney is a CPA and Senior Fi- nancial Advisor with Wealth Dimen- sions, an investment advisory Tom can be reached at 513 554-6000. For additional information, call 513-768-6798 or visit online at mcmcpa- You can listen to Tom and Crystal daily on WMKV and WLHS on a morning and afternoon ra- dio show that highly successful people, companies, organizations and issues throughout our region. STATE Dear Abby: My two siblings and I were raised by an abusive, alcoholic fa- ther. Predictably, it has adversely ed our mental health.
One sibling strug- gles with alcoholism and substance abuse. The other has a personality dis- order and cannot maintain stable rela- tionships. I cope with comparatively fewer severe issues, but I still must work hard to sustain a marriage and my career and raise healthy children. It easy. My issues have disrupted my emotional health and family life, which is why I keep them at a distance.
Lately, they have expressed feeling abandoned. Other family members call me and say obligated to help them because successful I do feel some guilt for not helping more, as we all survived the same toxic child- hood. Yet, my emotional bandwidth is limited. Frankly, people with alcoholism and personality disorders are hard to be around, even if they are family. Is it self- ish to prioritize my well-being by main- taining distance from my siblings? Their Brother Dear Brother: Your priority must be your emotional health.
Next should be the well-being of your spouse and children and the career that enables you to provide for them. If maintaining some distance from these siblings is then call it ness. Help them to the extent you can, but do not allow yourself to be emotion- ally arm-twisted by other relatives who remain on the sidelines. Dear Abby: lived in my apartment for almost 10 years and had the same downstairs neighbor since I moved in. About three years ago, I began noticing an odor coming from her apartment.
hard to describe other than the worst body odor imaginable. so bad that I open my sliding door or windows in the summer because the smell drifts into my home. She is not the type of person I can approach about this no matter how gently I word it. to the point where I feel I should a complaint with man- agement. It could be a hoarding situa- tion, which could lead to health issues or pests.
There are only four units in my building, and I know my other two neigh- bors would never complain. It would be obvious it was me, which would make for a very uncomfortable living situation. So far, no one else I know has had advice, so I am desperate for any suggestions. Disgusted in Oregon Dear Disgusted: Have you spoken to your other neighbors about this? Have they noticed the odor, too? If any of them tells you yes, then absolutely dis- cuss what has been happening, and for how long, with the building manage- ment company. There may, indeed, be health and safety issues involved.
(Could she have a dead animal in there?) Please do not remain silent. For sake, this should be checked out. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, aka Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother Pauline Phillips. Contact Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
DEAR ABBY ABIGAIL VAN BUREN Dysfunctional family labels stable brother as CELEBRITY CIPHER LUIS CAMPOS of your taxes early BUSINESSWISE Tom Cooney and Crystal Faulkner Guest Columnists USA TODAY NETWORK.
