BP showcases Gulf seafood and Olympic sponsorship at annual half-marathon in Coastal Alabama

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, AL – Shed those extra pounds from Thanksgiving dinner by participating in the Kaiser Coastal Half-Marathon, 5k and 1 mile run on Saturday, November 26.

The half-marathon, organized by the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission and Team-Magic, attracts hundreds of avid competitors from across the Southeast and Midwest each year.

U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist Deena Kastor and U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist Johnny Gray will headline the fourth annual event. BP is a proud supporter of Team USA and serves as a corporate sponsor of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“As a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games, we have been presented with an opportunity to bring world-class athletes to Coastal Alabama to share their amazing stories,” said Ayana McIntosh-Lee, BP General Manager of External Relations. “These athletes serve as an important reminder to the community about the incredible things individuals can achieve when they strive for greatness.”

Kastor is an American long-distance runner, who holds numerous American records in the marathon and half-marathon. She won the bronze medal in the women’s marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Gray was an American 800 m runner. He won the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Gray and Kastor will make appearances at the start of the race and at the post-race party and awards ceremony at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

The post-race party will showcase an array of Gulf seafood, provided by BP. The seafood brunch menu includes, crab & corn chowder, shrimp and grits, and mini oyster po-boys.

The public is invited to hear these prestigious athletes speak on Friday, November 25 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf. There is no cost for attending the speaking engagement.

“The value of sporting events such as this half-marathon is huge for our tourism-based economy, especially in non-peak times of the year,” said Beth Gendler, vice president of sales for the sports commission. “To have BP’s addition of the Olympic athletes and the seafood at the post-race party ensures that our event has an even larger impact on the area.”

About the Race
Showcasing a unique course, with a mixture of backcountry paved trails and roads navigating through the Gulf State Park and along the area’s sugar-white beachfront, this event features a distance for every member of the family. Also, the half-marathon was recently designated as the 2011 Alabama RRCA Half-Marathon State Championship and boasts a scenic USATF certified course.

The race showcases over $5,000 in prizes and prizes to be awarded for the top three male and female finishers in the following categories: overall, masters overall (40+), grand masters (50+) and age groups (in five year intervals ranging from 15 to 80-plus). Every participant who successfully completes the half marathon will receive a commemorative finisher medal and mug. Meanwhile, numerous door prizes will be given away throughout the race, including the chance to win a special vacation getaway package.

Entering its fourth year, the popularity of this event has grown tremendously.

“When we first began this event with Team Magic and our title sponsor Kaiser Realty, we had 304 participants,” Gendler said. “Thanks to the constant support of Kaiser Realty, our modest event has grown to one that is widely recognized in the athletic circles. We expect to welcome about 600 to 700 competitors this year.”

Get Involved

Registration may be completed online at www.team-magic.com until November 22. Registration fees are $75 for the half-marathon, $35 for the 5K and $20 for the one-mile.

In addition, individuals wishing to volunteer their time and talents for this event may register online at www.team-magic.com. Volunteers are needed on Friday and Saturday for a variety of duties and varying times.

For information on these or other athletic events on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, please visit www.gulfshoresorangebeachsports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.

(Orange Beach)

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Rhonda Frazier of Orange Beach on numerous felony charges related to the BP oil spill.

Investigators have have been working an identity theft case where the female suspect, Rhonda Frazier, has been posing as a claims mediator for BP. She would prepare the victim’s paperwork for them to hand deliver to the BP claims department. Frazier was not actually posing as an employee of BP but merely a self employed mediator.

Frazier has assumed the identity of a potential victim of the BP oil spill. Frazier used the personal information from her victim to open 5 credit card accounts and one Verizon cell phone account. Frazier has made nearly 200 charges on the credit cards and gotten numerous cash advances from them as well.

During the investigation, investigators obtained surveillance video from Wal-Mart in Gulf Shores and Bryant’s Bank in Foley. The videos depicted the suspect using the stolen credit cards and forging signatures on the receipts on numerous occasions.

Investigator Andrew Ashton signed 10 warrants on Frazier ranging from forgery 3rd, fraudulent use of a credit / debit card, to identity theft. This case will be presented to a Baldwin County grand jury where additional charges are expected.

Frazier has denied that there are other victims. If anyone believes they have been victimized by Frazier, they are asked to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

(ARA) - Wondering where that small increase in your paychecks came from? Take a closer look at your pay stub and you'll see that your Social Security taxes are 2 percent lower this year. The employee and self-employed portion of the FICA-OASDI Social Security taxes has been reduced to 4.2 percent for employees and 10.4 percent for self-employed.

The tax cut, also known as the payroll tax holiday, was part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed in December 2010. Employers had until Jan. 31, 2011, to implement the cut.

There is a $106,800 income-earned limit, which means the maximum amount a worker can receive by the end of 2011 from the 2 percent reduction is $2,136.

The payroll tax holiday replaces the Making Work Pay Credit that expired at the end of 2010 that was also distributed in paychecks but through reduced federal withholding. The credit was worth 6.2 percent of your modified adjusted gross income, up to $400 ($800 for joint filers).

Whether your 2011 paychecks are bigger depends on your earned income and whether you received the Making Work Pay Credit last year. Taxpayers making $20,000 or more this year will receive larger paychecks this year because 2 percent of income exceeds the $400 Making Work Pay Credit. On the other hand, paychecks for lower income taxpayers earning less than $20,000 will be smaller because the $400 credit exceeds the 2 percent payroll tax holiday.

"Regardless of whether your paycheck amounts have changed, you should do two things," says Jessi Dolmage, spokesperson for TaxACT. "First, review your federal withholding. Since the Making Work Pay Credit expired, you may need to adjust your withholding. If you're self-employed, review your estimated tax payments.

"Second, if you received the Making Work Pay Credit last year, you still need to claim it on your federal return that's due by April 18, 2011," Dolmage continued. "Claiming the credit cancels out the reduced federal withholding in last year's paychecks."

The Making Work Pay Credit amount is figured on Schedule M for Forms 1040 and 1040A. If you're filing Form 1040-EZ, use the designated worksheet to figure the credit. The economic recovery payments and government retiree credit that factored into the Making Work Pay Credit on last year's return expired, so figuring this year's amount is easier.

Free tax preparation solutions, including TaxACT Free Federal Edition, guide you step-by-step through the Making Work Pay Credit and all tax law changes to help you maximize your credits and deductions. They can also help you figure your federal withholding and even complete a new Form W-4 that can be printed and turned in to your employer.

For more information about the payroll tax holiday and Making Work Pay Credit, visit www.irs.gov, where you can also find a free withholding calculator. To take advantage of free tax preparation, printing and filing with TaxACT Free Federal Edition, go to www.taxact.com.

(ARA) - Every year, taxpayers miss out on hundreds or thousands of dollars in tax breaks simply because they don't know the benefits exist.

"Figuring out what tax breaks are available, whether you qualify, and what forms you need can be tricky," says Jessi Dolmage of TaxACT, makers of tax preparation software. Dolmage offers some tips for taking advantage of commonly missed deductions and credits:

* If you paid for child care in 2010, you may be eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Day care, pre-kindergarten, before-school and after-school programs and summer day camp for children 13 or younger qualify. The care must have been provided so that you, and your spouse, if filing jointly, could work or look for work (exceptions apply for full-time students and the disabled).

The credit amount varies based on filing status and adjusted gross income, but the maximum benefit is 35 percent of expenses for joint filers with an adjusted gross income of $15,000. Eligible expenses are reduced by dependent care benefits provided by your employer that you deduct or exclude from your income. Payment for care cannot be paid to a spouse, a dependent on your return, or to a child who will not be age 19 or older by the end of the year even if he or she is not your dependent; thus, care provider(s) must be identified on your return.

* 2010 is the last year to claim the Nonbusiness Energy Credit, worth up to 30 percent of the costs for many energy-efficient home improvements. Up to $1,500 for 2009 and 2010 combined can be claimed, but only for the year during which the improvements were made. Other green improvements like solar hot water property, geothermal heat pumps and wind energy property may qualify for the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit.

* If you travel in order to provide services at charitable events, you may be able to take a miscellaneous deduction. Deductible expenses include transportation costs, out-of-pocket expenses for your car, taxi fares or other costs of transportation between the airport or station, and your hotel, lodging and meals. The trip should include little to no personal recreation or vacation. Be sure to keep receipts and detailed documentation.

* Be rewarded for contributing to your employer-sponsored retirement plan or an individual retirement arrangement (IRA). The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit is worth up to $1,000 for taxpayers born before Jan. 2, 1992 ($2,000 for joint filers). The non-refundable credit is a percentage of the qualifying contribution amount minus distribution amounts, with the highest rates given to lower incomes.

* If you spent money looking for a job in the same field during 2010, you may qualify for a miscellaneous deduction. Employment agency fees, resume printing and postage costs and travel to and from the area (if the travel was primarily to look for a new job) are eligible. You aren't eligible if you're looking for your first job or there was substantial time between the end of your last job and the time you looked for a new one.

"Affordable, do-it-yourself tax software and online solutions make getting all your credits and deductions easy and fast," Dolmage says. "The program walks you through each credit and deduction, and completes the necessary forms. Solutions like TaxACT also guarantee your biggest refund and make getting every credit and deduction you deserve easy."

Details about these and other 2010 tax breaks can be found at www.irs.gov. TaxACT Free Federal Edition, available at www.taxact.com, guides you through these tax benefits, and allows you to prepare, print and e-file your federal return free.