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Still time to makes changes before filing 2011 tax return (AUDIO)

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IRS spokesman Michael Devine says the number one thing people should start doing is getting their paperwork together. But beyond that, he says making charitable contributions for tax deductions should be done today and tomorrow. Devine says for those who have stocks, cut your losses.

He says the sooner people get a folder together with documents proving donations, contributions, retirement funds and stock returns, the easier it will be to file quickly and accurately.

He says for those with fairly simple returns, who are making less than 58 thousand dollars a year, the IRS has a free filing system on its web site. He says for some people, they can do their federal and state taxes together on that site. He says there’s a less than one percent margin of error in electronic tax returns, so for those who can, it’s a good idea. He says if your return is going to be more complicated than that, to find someone who is recommended by friends and family and knows your tax situation.

He says this year people have a few more days to get their taxes done: the deadline is April 17th instead of 15th because of a weekend followed by a federal holiday.

AUDIO Allison Blood reports. Mp3 [0:58]

Fire ravages Kansas City church

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The Westport Presbyterian Church – founded in 1835 – has met at 40th and Westport Road since 1903—after a fire forced their relocation there.  The two-alarm blaze broke out around 5:30 yesterday evening.

Kansas City Fire Department’s Joe Vitale …ensuring neighboring structures were protected as some like Pamela Spencer had to flee her office. Everyone did make it out safely as word spread as quickly as the flames.

Also on the scene KC Fire Captain Louie Martin, who after five decades, was working his last shift.

Ray Read contributed to this report.

KC bucks national trend of less violent crime

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Trying to bring attention to Kansas City’s continued patterns of violence, community activist Alonzo Washington has made an Internet appeal for a date with Kim Kardashian. It’s nothing his wife needs to be nervous about; he wants to shine a national spotlight on the urban core.

Suspect as it sounds… he’s asking the reality TV star to join him along Prospect Avenue as the city’s homicide count (114 as of this morning) has already surpassed six of the last 10 years.

Ray Read of affiliate KCMO in Kansas City contributed to this report.

New regulations for commercial truck drivers (AUDIO)

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The National Transportation Department has released new regulations on what hours commercial truckers can drive.

Missouri’s Transportation Department spokesman Chuck Gohring says the new regulations, which decrease the number of hours truckers can work per week and restricts drivers from being on the road between 1 and 5 am, are to keep drivers safe.

He says the rules hadn’t changed in decades, and it was time for regulations to be updated. Also, another new regulation, this one created by Missouri’s transportation department, commercial truck drivers in Missouri are prohibited from using their mobile phones while on the road.

He says there hasn’t been a formal response from any truckers unions to his office, but thinks there probably will be.

AUDIO Allison Blood reports. Mp3 [1:00]

Transportation Department introduces Map App (AUDIO)

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The map app finds your location and shows the road conditions in the area.

The Traveler Information App, better known as the “map app” is now available from the State Transportation Department. They have developed it to give people an idea of how clear the larger roads in the state are as the weather gets bad this winter. Department Spokesman Matt Hiebert says the application gives a map of the state, with all the major roads highlighted. They’re color coded to indicate road conditions or construction.

He says those working in the field update the conditions of the road by radioing back to MoDOT headquarters, and the status is changed within five minutes. It shows major roads and highways, but also some smaller roads.

The app is free for iPhone and Android phones. Hiebert says this app should not be used while people are in the car because it’s dangerous to drive distracted. He says also this should be used for planning ahead for what the highway conditions are, and once someone is in the car, it’s probably too late to plan a new route.

MoDOT urges motorists to not use this app while driving.

He says he expects this app to be very popular during the winter months. Those without smart phones can visit MODOT’s website for the same information, or call MODOT to speak to someone about road conditions.

The department put out another application earlier in the year called the Show Me My Buzz App, which gives people an idea of if they’ve had too much to drink, and if they have, it gives an option to call a local cab company. Hiebert says it’s been downloaded thousands of times, so this new app should also be very popular. The department is working on ideas for a few new applications, but none are in the development phase. Hiebert says hopefully the more information that people have at their fingertips, the safer they will be on the roads.

AUDIO Allison Blood reports. Mp3 [1:03]

Three people die in car accidents over holiday weekend

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Three people have died in crashes over the Christmas holiday counting period on Missouri roads.

A man died in a Springfield hospital after he was hit by a car Friday on High Street in Springfield.

A woman was killed Sunday morning near Fort Leonardwood just south of Richland, after running off the road and hitting an embankment. Another woman died Christmas day northeast of Camdenton at the Lake of the Ozarks when she lost control of her vehicle and hit another car head-on.

The Highway Patrol says in 2010, two people died during the Christmas holiday traffic period.

Couponing to save after holiday spending (AUDIO)

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The holidays can leave families with empty wallets after cooking big meals and buying gifts.

University of Missouri Chair of the Personal Financial Planning department says coupons can sometimes do as much damage as good, if they’re not used properly. Robert Weagley says before clipping though the Sunday paper, people need to make a plan for saving.

He says one way to do that is to make a list of things you buy every time you go to the grocery store, and then search online or in local papers for coupons for those items. He says to also look for local stores that allow “stacking coupons,” or using a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon for compound savings.

Weagley says there were 2.6 billion coupons used in 2008, but there were 4.6 used in 1999. He says 2009 was better than that. He says it could be due to people losing their jobs and needing to make ends meet, or it could be due to shows like “Extreme Couponing” that show people getting hundreds of dollars in groceries for almost no money.

AUDIO Allison Blood reports. Mp3 [1:03]

Enfamil says test find no bacteria in their baby food

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Enfamil, the baby formula suspected to be the source of the bacteria that killed an infant from Lebanon says its test results prove the Enfamil Premium Newborn brand of baby formula is safe.

Mead Johnson Nutrition says its tests of the formula show no sign of the Cronobacter bacteria that lead to the child’s death.  It says it has shared its results of the tests with FDA investigators.

Head-on crash in Camden County kills 1 woman

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The Missouri Highway Patrol says Donna K. Miller was 59-years-old.

They say she was driving along Highway 7, just north of Fiery Fork when her car crossed the centerline in a curve and slammed into another car driven by Warren West from Roach. West suffered moderate injuries, and a passenger in his car Tonya Kelly, from Osage Beach is being treated for serious injuries.

Escaped jail trustee still missing

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Howell County authorities say they have been searching for about a week for a missing jail trustee.Authorities say Lloyd Miller was last seen in the jail’s exercise yard on Wednesday, and the sheriff says more information may be released this week on just how Miller got away.

At the time of his escape, the sheriff thought Miller could be headed to Springfield or Alton, which is Miller’s hometown, but so far no further leads have been announced.