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students voice since 1903.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what’s expected to be the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station. The space shuttle took flight before dawn, igniting the sky with a brilliant flash seen for miles around. The weather cooperated at the last minute; Sunday morning’s try was thwarted by thick, low clouds that returned and almost caused another delay. “Looks like the weather came together tonight,” launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts right before liftoff. “It’s time to go fly.” “We’ll see you in a couple weeks,” replied commander George Zamka. He repeated: “It’s time to go fly.” Endeavour’s destination — the space station, home to five men — was soaring over Romania at the time of liftoff. The shuttle is set to arrive at the station early Wednesday. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says it’s time for Republicans who have attacked his health care proposals from the sidelines to step before the cameras and present their own ideas. In the first major move to revive his health care agenda after his party’s loss of a filibuster-proof Senate majority, Obama on Sunday invited GOP and Democratic leaders to discuss possible compromises in a televised gathering later this month. It comes amid widespread complaints that Democrats’ efforts so far have been too partisan and secretive. The Feb. 25 meeting’s prospects for success are far from clear. GOP leaders demanded Sunday that Democrats start from scratch, and White House aides said Obama had no plans to do so.
State
GOVERNOR ADDRESSES PRESS, CALLS ON CRITICS TO BRING IDEAS Speaking to members of the Oklahoma Press Association Friday, Feb. 5, Gov. Henry defended his plan to use money from the rainy day fund and the federal stimulus to balance Oklahoma’s spiraling budget. By Kory Oswald / Managing Editor
Last Friday, Gov. Brad Henry defended his plan to use approximately $69 million from the state’s rainy day fund in his 2011 budget proposal and admonished critics for not offering any ideas of their own. The governor, speaking to members of the Oklahoma Press Association at Rose State College, said cutting state agencies is only one way the state must combat the approximate 20 percent budget shortfall. “I believe very passionately that a 35 percent cut virtually across the board to core services in government will cause irreparable damage to our service infrastructure,” Henry said. Altogether Henry has proposed using $424.4 million of the state’s $600 million Rainy Day Fund for the 2010 and 2011 budget, along with $696.4 million of the money received from the federal government’s stimulus package. Henry also said that additional cuts to state agencies, administrative consolidation of certain state agencies, as well as a one-year “holiday” on tax credits and certain one-time capital expenditures, and an Internet sales tax are also key to balancing the budget. “Most agencies received a 7 percent cut at the beginning of 2010. Since then we’ve enacted an additional 7.5 percent cut,” Henry said. “That means that agencies in state government ... have received about a 14.5 percent cut to date. If we’re just going to deal with the 2011 budget hole with cuts then every agency is probably going to take ... at least another 20 percent cut for 2011.” The governor believes that cuts alone would also leave Oklahoma unprepared for the eventual economic recovery. Henry warned that the state was going to have to make some “very difficult decisions” but believes lawmakers will ultimately Gov. Henry spoke at the Oklahoma Press Association’s Mid-Winter Convention on Friday, February 5. He took the stage while the have to discuss other actions that will help assuage the state’s audience sang the Broadway tune “Oklahoma.” He spoke for approximately thirty minutes before answering questions. During his budget shortfall. speech he addressed the states bleak budget outlook for 2011, and said that consolidating certain administrative areas of govern-
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DID YOU KNOW? William Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America 100 years ago this week.
ment could free up money, as well as taping into the state’s rainy day fund and federal stimulus money.
Taxes
STUDENTS OFFER FREE TAX HELP By Jenefar DeLeon / Staff Writer
WEATHER
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FEB 9, 2010
The University of Central Oklahoma accounting students are volunteering to file income taxes for free. The UCO College of Business Administration partnered with the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to provide free income preparation and e-filing to students, faculty and the community. The students who are participating in the program are volunteering as part of a practicum. “The students appreciate being part of this program,” Dr. Mary Sheets, UCO professor of accounting said. “They are able to use what they learned in class to apply it in real life.” The program is open Tuesdays from 2-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 to April 7; Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 to April 10; and Thursdays from 2-4:30 p.m. on March 4 to April 8. VITA will be closed March 13 through March 22 for UCO’s spring break. “We have been providing this service for 12 years,” Sheets said. “With this effort we are able to help people, and the students have expressed how much enjoyment they get by participating in this program.” The program operates on a first-come-first-served basis and is open to all low- and moderate-income taxpayers including the UCO campus faculty and students. “This program is offered to those who can’t afford it or those who are not comfortable to file it themselves.” Sheets said. “We are here to help.” The program will be located in the Business building Room 105 and is supervised by trained and licensed professionals to help the students.
“The students have supervisors and mentors to help them through the whole process,” Sheets said. “We have returning customers who come back with us each year, and we always welcome new customers.” Participants should bring all necessary tax documents, including Social Security cards for themselves and dependents, W-2 forms, 1099 forms and receipts from charitable contributions, educational expenses and day care expenses. International students must bring passports, visas, 1042-S forms received from 2009 employers, W-2 forms, 1099 forms and charitable contribution receipts. “International students are required to file a tax return if they earned an income,” Sheets said. “We will be able to file the appropriate paperwork and help them through the whole process.” For more information about VITA, visit http:// busn.uco.edu/students/accounting/vita.html, or contact Dr. Mary Sheets at 405-974-2834 or by email at msheets@uco.edu. The University of Central Oklahoma Small Business Development Center is also offering February workshops over QuickBooks and Mind Mapping to small-business owners and students who are interested in developing effective brands and logos and how to use the Internet to attract more customers and more. The workshops are offered throughout the month of February and are currently accepting registration. Workshops cost $69 to attend, with the exception of “Mind Mapping,” which costs $99. Participants should arrive to each workshop 15 minutes early to sign in.