Local merchants are readying the aisles and stocking the shelves in anticipation of this weekend’s annual sales tax holiday.
Second only to the winter holiday shopping season, the back-to-school buying season is expected to boost sales in Alabama by being the one weekend shoppers are certain to fill stores thanks to the fact that majority of their purchases can be made tax free.
All area municipalities – Andalusia, Opp and Florala – as well as the county, are participating in the event, which begins from 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Sunday. During that time, the state’s 4 percent sales tax is waived throughout the state while sales taxes levied by 274 cities and counties also will be waived on:
• clothing priced at $100 or less;
• school supplies valued at $50 or less;
• books that cost $30 or less; and
• computers and computer equipment with a selling price of $750 or less.
“Consumer spending will increase in August, and Alabama’s sales tax holiday will give back-to-school shopping in our state the jump start it needs,” said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown. The National Retail Federation estimates that total spending on back-to-school will reach $72.5 billion this year. Alabama sales generally represent 1.5 percent of all retail sales nationally. If the national prediction is accurate, $1.08 billion will be spent to equip and outfit students in our state this year. The Alabama Retail Association predicts taxed sales in August will grow about 1 percent over 2012 August sales, which means consumers will spend about $4.16 billion in Alabama next month. That is all sales, all month, not just on back-to-school.
“Alabama’s sales tax holiday means savings for more than just back-to-school shoppers,” Brown said. “Those interested in filling out their wardrobes and stocking their libraries and home offices also can benefit from buying during the tax-free weekend. Such electronics as computers, laptops, e-readers and tablets valued at $750 or less along with computer...READ MORE>
The City of Andalusia is just two commitments away from having its goal of 20 local merchants participating in a shop Andalusia campaign designed to both encourage local residents to shop at home and to bring people to the city.
Mayor Earl Johnson met with a group of merchants Tuesday night, and said he got the idea for Andy Bucks at Covington Electric’s annual meeting. The cooperative gives away a used vehicle every year, and the chance to win literally brings hundreds of people to the event.
The city’s promotion, Andy Bucks, gives consumers one chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree with participating merchants for every $10 they spend with those merchants. For instance, if a customer spent $95 with Ward and Co., that customer would receive nine chances to be the winner.
At the first council meeting of each month, Johnson said, a winning number will be drawn. The person holding that ticket will have 30 days to claim $1,000 in “Andy Bucks,” or ten $100 gift certificates redeemable with participating merchants.
Participating merchants will commit $50 per month for a year to fund the prizes. The city will provide...READ MORE>
Preparations are already under way for next month’s fund-raising fish fry for Meredith’s Miracles, but help is needed in the form of volunteers and baked goods, said Director Emily Yehling.
Volunteers, called “miracle workers,” will feed more than 500 people.
Plates will contain cheese grits, coleslaw, hush puppies, dessert, a drink and fresh fried catfish and are $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and under. Food will be served Friday from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Southside Baptist Church Family Life Center.
“We are trying to encourage people to come by, grab some good food and help us to raise money for a terrific cause,” Yehling said.
Tickets for plates can be purchased at Southside the night of the fish fry, but residents are encouraged to buy advance tickets, which can be purchased locally at Harold’s Furniture and Flooring and at the Meredith’s Miracle’s thrift shop.
Meredith’s Miracles will also hold a bake sale during the fish fry.
The baked goods sale has also become a large part of the annual fundraiser, and will be headed this year by Patty Ashworth. Baked good donations can be left at the center beginning at 3 p.m. that Friday.
Funds raised are used locally to aid families in need.
“The goal of Meredith’s Miracles is to... READ MORE>
Andalusia residents should be on the lookout for a group of Publisher’s Clearinghouse impersonators – minus the balloons and looking to score some quick cash, Sgt. Jason Curry with Andalusia Police Department said Friday.
He said the department has received “several reports” of the phone scam, claiming the recipient has won some money and a car.
“The way it works is that the caller states you’ve won some money and a car,” Curry said. “You are then instructed to go to Wal-Mart and purchase a Green-Dot card and put a certain amount of money on it so that they can ‘pay the taxes on the car.’
“They tell the resident that once the money is paid, they will arrive 30 to 40 minutes later at your residence with the car,” he said. “Once they get the money, you never hear from them again. We’ve had no reports of anyone actually showing up at these residences.”
It’s unknown... READ MORE>
With smartphones, tips, evidence go directly to dispatcher at APD
Crime fighting? There’s now an app for that – or at least one for local residents as the Andalusia Police Department announced Tuesday it is partnering with LiveSafe to offer a mobile app to report emergencies and anonymously report crime tips.
The app was designed by Kristina Anderson, a sophomore at Virginia Tech who was shot three times on April 16, 2007, when in less than 12 minutes, the gunman shot and killed 11 of her classmates and one of her professors.
Anderson believes that technology can save lives.
“If smartphone capability was as widespread back then, I probably would have seen an email, texts or pictures all pointing to this one incident on campus, but we had no prior knowledge anything was going on,” Anderson said during an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
It’s that instantaneous information that the APD wants to capitalize on, said Sgt. Jason Curry Tuesday. Curry said the app enables citizens to safely share tips, receive important emergency notification from law enforcement and gives them the ability to anonymously report crime tips directly to the police.
The app works via the Internet, meaning it can be used on smartphones and tablets alike.
Users can also anonymously record crime-scene audio, video and images tagged with GPS information for investigators and officials.
Once a user submits a tip, such as an accident, robbery or drug crime, the information goes directly to the APD dispatch center, which then dispatches help. Curry said the program also allows for push notifications, emails and voice, using either data or Wi-Fi connections.
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