Good Day Alabama for February 21, 2012

Here is what you saw on Good Day Alabama for February 21, 2012:

MONEY TUESDAY - Financial planner Stewart Welch joined us with the 5 Strategies for Avoiding an IRS tax Audit. With the April 15th income tax filing deadline just around the corner, many people are busy gathering relevant information to file tax returns.  The last thing you want is do something that flags your return by the Internal Revenue Service.  Here is a list of the five most common errors that may trigger an IRS audit:
1.      Math errors.  The IRS tax review system is fully automated so if you make a math error, it will automatically flag your return and send you a computer generated letter at the very least.  
2.      Failure to report all interest, dividends and earned income.  If you have multiple bank and investment accounts, it's easy to misplace one and fail to include it on your return.  Financial institutions automatically send this information to the IRS and then the IRS' computer is 'looking' for a matching report on your return.  
3.      You talk too much.  Don't brag about how you're beating the IRS by under-reporting income, deducting expenses that are not truly business related or are otherwise cheating the government.  
4.      You choose the wrong preparer.  You want your tax preparer to take advantage of every legitimate deduction you qualify for but some preparers are so aggressive that they have a reputation with the IRS as attracting clients who are tax cheaters.
5.      You're in a high-target business.  Through experience, the IRS knows that certain types of businesses are likely to reap more tax revenue (and penalties!) on audit.  

For more information, visit www.welchgroup.com.

JEH JEH LIVE - The 6th Avenue Baptist Church hosts its Annual Black History Program. This years theme is "Letters to a Young Black Brotha." The event is Friday and Saturday at 7pm. The In Step Ministry joined Jeh Jeh this morning to show off some of their talents they'll be performing this weekend.

INTERIOR DESIGN - Catherine Brooks from Virginia College joined us with tips on decorating. She revealed the color of the year - orange. She says there are many shades and many ways to use it. Try accent pillows or flower pots to bring in that pop of color without committing for a long period of time.

OUR ONE MILE - With Our One Mile, Jef­fer­son County has an unpar­alled oppor­tu­nity to trans­form our com­mu­nity. The Green­way Mas­ter Plan will con­nect new green spaces with exist­ing parks and neigh­bor­hoods to make our region a bet­ter place to live for future generations. Over the past decade, Birm­ing­ham has made remark­able strides in devel­op­ing new green spaces. We now have a chance to con­nect our exist­ing parks into a great net­work of green­ways. Our One Mile will cre­ate a net­work of green­ways that will make our com­mu­ni­ties health­ier, safer and more con­nected. Obe­sity is a national epi­demic, and Alabama has the sec­ond high­est rate in the country. Each mile of green­way cre­ates an envi­ron­ment where healthy choices become easy choices. Each mile of green­way in Jef­fer­son County will be as unique as the neigh­bor­hoods who cre­ate them, con­nect­ing our com­mu­ni­ties to the places we want to be. Regions Bank and the Fresh­wa­ter Land Trust invite you to be a part of his­tory and be the first to see the com­pleted Our One Mile green­way mas­ter plan that this com­mu­nity has been so instru­men­tal in cre­at­ing. With the input and com­mu­nity involve­ment of thou­sands of peo­ple, the final green­way mas­ter plan for Jef­fer­son County has been com­pleted. We will unveil the plan, announce the win­ner of the "Name Our Green­way Sys­tem" con­test, and cel­e­brate every­thing that this com­mu­nity has accomplished. So bring your friends, fam­ily and cowork­ers and cel­e­brate the com­ple­tion of the Our One Mile Plan! See it tonight from 5:30-7:30pm at the Birm­ing­ham Museum of Art Steiner Audi­to­rium (2000 Rev. Abra­ham Woods, Jr. Blvd, Birm­ing­ham). Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.freshwaterlandtrust.org/our-one-mile/

WILDLIFE EXPERT - February is small game month when Quail, Rabbit, Squirrel, Raccoon, and Opossum seasons are coming to a close February 29th. All this can be found at http://www.eregulations.com/alabama/seasons-bag-limits/. Also, Archery Tournament season begins this month with tournaments almost every weekend somewhere across Alabama. Bowhunters of Alabama or BHA, International Bowhunters Organization or IBO, Archery Shooters Association or ASA, and National Field Archery Association NFAA host 3-D competitions. The ASA Classic, their national 3-D championship is being hosted by Cullman Parks and Recreations this year at the St. Bernard Abbey August 3-5 2012.  NASP National Archery in the Schools Regional Competitions are beginning now through March and will culminate into the State Championship held at the BJCC again this year April 5th.  And Turkey Hunting opens on March 15th. For more information, visit outdooralabama.com.

HAMLET - Theatre Downtown presents William Shakespeare's most produced work and the tragic tale of Hamlet... The story of the Prince of Denmark as he works to unravel the mystery behind the death of his father. With his uncle and mother now running the nation, the pieces of the puzzle slowly begin to unravel and Hamlet - whom everyone thinks has lost his mind and turned to madness - unearths dire plots of murder and mischief. It runs this Thursday through Sunday and March 1-3 and 8-11. Performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays are at 7:30pm and on Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $17 for adults ($16 online) and $12 for students. Opening Night is Hobo Night (pay what you can afford). The first Friday night is SUPER SECRET PASSWORD NIGHT - check Facebook that day for the special password that will land you a $10 ticket. For tickets call (205) 306-1470 or purchase online at www.theatredowntown.org.

Tomorrow on Good Day Alabama, combating high gas prices.... We get advice on how you can save at the pump! Alabama native and now nationally known rapper Yelawolf performs in town this week! He joins us on Good Day to talk about his success and his projects with super stars like Eminem and Kid Rock! Mickey takes us to meet his new friend at the Birmingham Zoo! We check out what's going on these days at the Aldridge Gardens! And our veterinarian joins us to take your questions about your pets! That and much more tomorrow on Good Day Alabama!