Written by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer
State of Missouri – The Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is this weekend! By state law, the sales tax holiday begins on the first Friday in August and continues through the following Sunday.
According to Section 144.049, RSMo, the tree-day tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 2nd and runs through Sunday, August 4th.
Certain back-to-school purchases, such as school supplies, computers, clothing, and other necessary items ad defined by the statute will be exempt from sales tax.
Not everyone will participate so smart and check with retailer prior to your purchase. The sales tax holiday applies to state and local sales taxes when a local jurisdiction chooses to participate in the holiday.
Stoddard County has elected not to participate this year. The City of Bloomfield has elected not to participate this year as well. The state’s portion of the tax rate (4.225%) will remain exempt for the sale.
Here is a link to the list of CITIES opting out: http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/cities.php
Here is a link to the list of COUNTIES opting out: http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/counties.php
Here is a link to the SPECIAL DISTRICTS opting out: http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/districts.php
The sales tax exemption is limited in some cases. Clothing must have a taxable value of $100 or less, school supplies can not exceed $50 per purchase, computer software up to $350, personal computers not to exceed $3,500 and computer peripheral devices not to exceed $3,500.
Definition of Qualifying Items
Section 144.049, RSMo, defines items exempt during the sales tax holiday as:
“Clothing” - any article of wearing apparel, including footwear, intended to be worn on or about the human body. The term shall include but not be limited to cloth and other material used to make school uniforms or other school clothing. Items normally sold in pairs shall not be separated to qualify for the exemption. The term shall not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, handbags, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands, or belt buckles.
“School supplies” - any item normally used by students in a standard classroom for educational purposes, including but not limited to, textbooks, notebooks, paper, writing instruments, crayons, art supplies, rulers, book bags, backpacks, handheld calculators, chalk, maps, and globes. The term shall not include watches, radios, CD players, headphones, sporting equipment, portable or desktop telephones, copiers or other office equipment, furniture, or fixtures. School supplies shall also include computer software having a taxable value of three hundred fifty dollars or less.
“Personal computers” - a laptop, desktop, or tower computer system which consists of a central processing unit, random access memory, a storage drive, a display monitor, and a keyboard and devices designed for use in conjunction with a personal computer, such as a disk drive, memory module, compact disk drive, daughterboard, digitalizer, microphone, modem, motherboard, mouse, multimedia speaker, printer, scanner, single-user hardware, single-user operating system, soundcard, or video card.
Written by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri – Summer break seemed to pass by rather quickly this year as it is time once again for the school year to begin.
The 2013 – 2014 Dexter School Registration Day will be held on Tuesday, August 6th from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Bearcat Event Center.
Students and parents can register anytime during the day, no appointment is necessary.
If you are a returning student, a registration packet was mailed to your last known address. Parent and/or guardians are asked to update the information prior to attending Registration Day. Included are transportation information (bus information sheet), lunch applications, photo packet information, and medical information that will be kept confidential.
Clean up, dress up, wear your summertime t-shirt, or your favorite BEARCAT shirt! School pictures will be taken on Registration Day. Don’t worry if your photo is not perfect, picture re-take day has already been scheduled for Wednesday, October 2nd.
Are there any new students out there? If so, you need to register as well on August 6th. Students will need to show provide their immunization record, birth certificate, as well as a social security card. You will also need some type of proof of residency. Parents may bring a water bill, utility bill, or even your cable bill.
Can’t make it to registration, don’t despair. Just turn in your child’s Registration packet prior to the first day of school. If you did not receive a packet in the mail, please contact the Dexter Administration Office at 573-614-1000. School begins Friday, August 16th and students will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer
Kennett, Missouri - Three Rivers College has announced that it will partner with the city of Kennett to lease a 17,000-square-foot facility to house its Center at Kennett for the next three years. College officials said they expect to start to transition to the new location by October 2013.
“We’re extremely happy that our focus on building partnerships within the community has led to this new opportunity in Kennett,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Three Rivers College. “We have been rapidly reaching the limits of our current location in Wilcoxson Center, and this will give us much needed breathing room as we continue to expand our higher education offerings in the Kennett area.”
The new facility will replace the 10,000-square-foot building currently housing the Center at Kennett, which currently serves over 300 students. The college plans to use the extra space to expand both its classrooms and skills labs, as well as to consolidate its Practical Nursing programs currently held at outside facilities in Kennett and Hayti. The college is also considering expanding its LPN-to-RN Bridge programs to include one housed at the Kennett facility.
The City of Kennett purchased the building from Affiliated Computer Services, a Xerox affiliate, intending to use it to consolidate city administration offices with the police and fire departments in one building. ACS will continue to lease a small portion of the building for its Kennett offices.
"The city council and myself, we feel like (Three Rivers College leasing the facility) is going to be a much better benefit to the City of Kennett, the citizens of Kennett than using it for a government complex," said Kennett Mayor Jake Crafton.
Registration for Fall 2013 will continue at the current Kennett center location at 901C S. Bypass and fall classes will begin there on August 19. To speak with an advisor about educational opportunities at the Three Rivers Center at Kennett, call 573-888-6381. Information about admission to Three Rivers can also be found at trcc.edu/admissions.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri - Three Rivers College’s Poplar Bluff campus and its Centers at Dexter, Kennett, and Malden will be holding open house events in order to showcase themselves to their communities. The Centers will be holding their open houses on Tuesday, August 6 from 2-6 p.m., while the Poplar Bluff open house will be Thursday, August 8 from 2-6 p.m. in the Bess Activity Center.
All open house events will give prospective students the opportunity to apply for admission at Three Rivers, receive help with financial aid applications, and learn about the process of registering for classes at Three Rivers. The events will also give prospective students the ability to meet Three Rivers staff, and to take a closer look at the college’s facilities and classrooms. Refreshments will be provided.
“So many people might drive past our locations and not realize everything that’s available to them,” said Bill Hampton, Director of the Center at Dexter. “We want to give them a chance to meet us in person, to see the kind of opportunities that we can offer them. We want people to visit, even if they’re just curious.”
The open house at the Poplar Bluff campus will showcase various academic programs and services during their event. Instructors from many of the college’s degree programs, such as Education, Fine Arts, and Communication will be available to talk to potential students about courses of study, along with representatives from the ACHIEVE program, the Tutoring and Learning Center, and the college’s Veterans support officer, among others. Door prizes will also be awarded.
While not holding an open house event, the Center at Sikeston will be offering registration appointments from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday from July 29 through August 16, with evening appointments available until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those interested should call the Center at Sikeston at 573-472-5223.
Those interested in enrolling at Three Rivers can browse available courses by clicking “Search for Classes” at trcc.edu. Current students can register online through the myTRCC system. To apply for admission to Three Rivers online, visit http://trcc.edu/admissions. Advising sessions are currently open for any current or future students wishing to discuss their college goals. New students must meet with an advisor before registering.
For more information about the open house events, or to learn more about taking classes at Three Rivers, contact the Poplar Bluff campus at 573-840-9605; Center at Sikeston at 573-472-5223; Center at Kennett at 573-888-6381; Center at Dexter at 573-614-1081; and the Center at Malden at 573-276-3529.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
