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Show WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6,2010 Gang prevention gets funding in Utah Pressures in college By Don Hullinger correspondent I The Signpost LAYTON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT 24 HOUR ENTRY PHOTO BY (ESSICA SCHMOE | THE SIGNPOST Layton City Police Department, located at 429 Wasatch Drive, has implemented new funding using stimulus money for two new positions. Two new police positions being funded in Layton By Jessica Schmoe business editor I The Signpost Over 25 cities throughout Utah are receiving $4.4 million in stimulus money to prevent drunk driving and fight gang-related incidents. These funds will also be used for specialized courts that offer alternative sentencing instead of prison or jail time and will be administered by the state commission on criminal and juvenile justice. Some cities where this will be implemented are Washington City, Hurricane, Provo, Midvale, North Salt Lake City and Layton. Specifically in Layton, some ok~this funding money will be usecLto hire .an, investigator, who vyill specialize in prescription drug abuse, and a gang detective. These positions will be funded for two years including training and benefits. These two positions will also be hired from within. A Layton police lieutenant, Quinn Moyes, said the city hds had a 16 percent increase in gang-related police callsfrom2007 to 2008. "My first reaction to hearing this news was wondering if Layton really even had gangs," said a Layton resident, Jackie Bogdanowicz. "Then I thought, if it keeps me safer then I suppose it's worth it." One of the supposed gangs throughout Utah is called the Straight Edge. An explanation of what they are, taken from their Web site, is "a more philosophical offshoot of the punk movement, a reaction to the hedonism and self-destruction that characterized punk. The basic tenet of the "philosophy centers around the issue of self-control. The goal is to regain as much personal control over your own life as possible. sXe is the only youth counter-culture to actively discourage drug use, alcohol use, and casual sex. Straight edge is a lifestyle centered around personal development and well prevent more gang members from being, while encouraging fun and forming," said another resident of togetherness. sXe is not just about Layton, Melissa Maxwell. "Kids being into contemporary punk are getting worse these days so it's music acts and being against good to keep a lookout in all areas. drugs. It goes deeper than this. It's a good idea." The movement wishes to attract Gang prevention topics were people also discussed away from in more depth dependency ". . . if it keeps me at the 2009 l i f e s t y l e s safer then I suppose Utah Gang centered Conference, around which focused it's worth it" drug habits on being able (legal or to identify, illegal) and - Jackie Bogdanowicz, control and unhealthy resident of Layton p r e v e n t a n d criminal gang exploitative activity in the jurisdictions covered by the project eating and general living habits common in modern cultures. sXe and to provide intelligence data is not dogmatic, there are no hard and investigative assistance to law rules, these are for you to decide. enforcement agencies. The two positions on the Nobody should dictate like the police, or preach an ideology like Layton City Police Department will be filled as soon as possible the church or state." However/the deputy sheriff of and the investigations on Utah said they portray cleanliness previous gang-related incidents, but have a tendency to be violent, as well as gangs themselves, will especially toward individuals that commence. do not share their beliefs. Comment on this story at "I think this idea will be wsusignpost.com. effective because it's important to 5 useful financial tips Helpful advice for college students filing taxes ShayLynne Clark Signpost features editor With 2010 just beginning, many people, especially college students, request financial and tax advice to prepare them for new financial storms, tax breaks and particularly refunds. Cheryl Nageli, senior tax preparer and enrolled agent, discusses the top five financial tidbits college students should know for 2010. 1. If you are expecting to earn more than $5,950 in 2010 and your parents still claim you as a dependent on their tax return, claim 'single 0' on your W-4. Recent regulations require employers to withhold less federal taxes, which could result in dependent students having too little federal taxes withheld and a balance due when they file their tax returns. 2. Keep track of how much you are paying for books, supplies and equipment purchased for school courses. For 2009 and 2010, the American Opportunity Credit allows these expenses to be claimed in addition to tuition and fees. Remember, if your parents are claiming you as a dependent, they are entitled to this new refundable education credit 3. Student loan interest may be deducted on the tax return for as long as it is being paid. The previous 60-month limit on the student loan interest deduction has become obsolete-there is no time limit on this deduction anymore - and remember, education expenses paid from student loans qualify for education credits/ deductions. Your lending institution should send you a 109-E, which will show how much you may deduct for tuition and fees - but you are responsible for saving receipts for books, supplies and equipment SOURCE: Cocollegc.com U.S. Individual Income Tax Return 1040 is the starting form for federal individual tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service in the United States. 4. If you have extra money, begin contributing to a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is used with after-tax money, and the benefits are numerous. Most financial institutions will allow you to contribute as little as $25 per month to begin saving for your future. Distributions madefroma Roth IRA are free of taxes and penalties. In order to be a qualified distribution, it must occur at least five years after the Roth IRA owner established and funded his/herfirstRoth IRA, and at least one of the following requirements must be met: (a) The Roth IRA holder must be age 59.5 at least when the distribution occurs; (b) distributed assets limited to $10,000 are used toward the purchase or rebuilding of a first home for the Roth IRA holder or a qualified family member; (c) the distribution occurs after the Roth IRA holder becomes disabled; (dj the assets are distributed to the beneficiary of the Roth IRA holder after his/her death. 5. If you are 25 or older, have no children, are not a dependent on your parents' tax return and are earning less than $13,440 [$18,440 for married filing jointly (MFfi), you are entitled to extra money on your tax return called the earned income credit. This credit is refundable and could get as much as $457 back in your pocket You need tofilea tax return to claim this credit even if you are otherwise not required to file. It's no secret that when college students leave home and go off to college, it's a liberating time in their life. However, for most it's also a time of leaving their family and old friends behind. It can be a challenge to find new friends at universities, which may cause one to try as hard as possible to fit in. This may lead to destructive behaviors like drinking, heavy partying, skipping classes or doing drugs, all of which can be extremely detrimental to a student's grades and success in college. These behaviors may be started by the utterance of five little words: "come on, everybody's doing it," Peer pressure is a social influence exerted by others on an individual in order to get someone to act or think in a similar way. The end result of peer pressure is a change of behavior. Peer pressure can be both positive and negative. The challenge is to understand the dynamics of peer pressure and how you can resist the wrong kinds of peer pressure when you encounter it. "No matter what kind of peer pressure you face, you need to learn how to balance the importance of going along with the crowd versus the importance of making their own decisions," said Becca Eskridge, a sophomore at Weber State University. Eskridge said she also learned long ago that people can do this by being comfortable with themselves and that the more comfortable you are with your identity, the less susceptible you will be to negative types of peer pressure. lennifer Rost, a sophomore at Salt Lake Community College, said that positive peer pressure was what made her decide it was time to stop working endlessly at dead-end jobs without any real advancement opportunities or constructive feedback. "I was sitting with my friends onerdajfe? discussing how I never receive feedback at work and how tired of it I was," she said.. "They suggested I go back to school. They kept after me to do it, so I finally did and now I'm glad they bugged me till I did. It was positive peer pressure at work." Not everyone has been so lucky as to have positive peer pressure to help their life along. Spencer B.P who did not want his full name used, was a WSU student for one semester, and shortly after enrolling he fell in with a crowd of new friends who pressured him into trying crystal meth. Within a few short weeks, his life had spiraled out of control. He stopped going to classes because the only thing he could concentrate on was getting high, and he spent the next three years of his life in and out of homelessness. When he finally hit rock bottom and almost died of an overdose, he entered a drug treatment program and has been fortunate to be clean ever since. The amount and type of peer pressure experienced vary greatly from one person to the next. Katie Clemson, a sophomore at WSU, said she has not experienced a lot of peer pressure since she started college and the only pressure she feels has been presented is to skip class or leave before classes are over to do things like have lunch or go shopping. Lyndsee Warren agreed with Clemson that peer pressure isn't as present in college as in high school, but it does exist. One pressure she said she feels at WSU is the pressure to conform to religious standards and ideals of the majority of the students on campus and said she has been "approached several times by peers trying to convince me that I need to conform to their ways of thinking and attitudes." When asked what the best way of combating peer pressure is, Warren said to "know who you are, what your goals are and your likes and dislikes, and if someone tries to pressure you to do something you don't want to or is unethical, don't do it. Just walk away." Clemson responded by saying it's all about confidence and what you stand for, and if you believe something is right or not right, it's your right to stand up for your principles and simply say no to pressure or temptation. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. |