Commentary

Prepare, file federal taxes for free

It is that time of year again. We are in the process of receiving W-2 forms, 1099s of various types, and other documents that we will need in order to prepare our income taxes.

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KSET goes silent

Radio station KSET, the Beaumont news-talk outlet that broadcasts at 1300 AM, has gone silent. A hastily scribbled note posted on the door of the KSET studio at 5550 Eastex Freeway read “KSET RADIO HAS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED OPERATIONS. OWNER HAS TAKEN OVER MANAGEMENT.” A second note provided employees an address to e-mail their timecards.

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Fuzzy’s Taco Shop targets Beaumont

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has arrived in Beaumont. Greg Lee, whose restaurant resumé includes Sonic, and Chuck McCarty, who has Chicken Express outlets here, are partners in Baja Tacos Amigos 1 LLC. They have acquired franchise rights to build and operate Fuzzy’s Taco Shops in Jefferson County and the cities of Galveston and Lake Charles, La.

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H2O Seafood and Grill opens

The new H2O Seafood and Grill restaurant at 7675 Memorial Blvd. in Port Arthur quietly opened in December and is already making a splash on the local restaurant scene. The location is in front of the Medical Center of Southeast Texas, sharing a strip center with Sertino’s and the King Buffet, but the space created where the old bookstore once operated is a cut above.

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Texas law may get you three times damages

Q. I bought a used car from a small used car dealer. I asked whether the car had ever been in a wreck and was expressly told, “I have personal knowledge of this car since it was new and it has never had an accident.” This statement closed the deal and I paid cash for the car. When I brought the car in to the dealership for its 15,000-mile check up, I was told it had some serious frame damage from an earlier accident. In fact, the same dealership had repaired the car. What are my rights?

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Protect your security while browsing

As has become obvious in the 11 years that I have been doing this weekly column, I get many of my ideas from Examiner readers and listeners to my radio show. This column is no exception. Just yesterday, I received a frantic request from a local attorney whose computer had been hijacked by one of the endemic rogue antivirus virus programs, Vista AntiVirus 2012.

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Helping those who help others

How refreshing to find a true charity working to reach anyone who needs their help. But what happens when those who help others find themselves in need? If they are fortunate and blessed like the St. Vincent de Paul Society, members of the community step up and see that their needs are met, and not only met but exceeded because these folks believe in what the organization in Winnie does for others.

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Free e-readers for your computer, smart devices

I have been an avid reader since my earliest years. I used to be a regular at the public library, checking out so many books that I was on a first-name basis with the librarian. Over the years, I have collected a huge library of books, having read virtually all of them. Even today, it is not unusual for me to purchase several books at a time.

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To our loyal subscribers, casual readers and our many dedicated advertisers:

We thank you so very much!

The Examiner has once again experienced a record-setting year. While others in our business continue to lay off personnel and ship jobs to India, we at The Examiner continue to grow.

For that, we thank you.

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New MagicJack Plus offers quality inexpensive phone service

If you watch any TV, you have undoubtedly seen the countless commercials for MagicJack, offering to save users hundreds of dollars a year in phone bills for a monthly fee of about $2. When it first came out about three years ago, I reviewed the original MagicJack in this column and on my weekly radio show.

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