Open House on CSX Project Will Have Job, Business Information - The Ledger

WINTER HAVEN | Information on jobs and business opportunities for the much-anticipated CSX rail terminal will be available at an open house at the Chain of Lakes Complex in Winter Haven on May 3, according to a release on the city of Winter Haven's Facebook page.

Information on job opportunities, business opportunities and the project overall will be available to the public at the open house.

The open house is sponsored by Polk Works, the city of Winter Haven, TransDevelop Group and Evansville Western Railway, the CSX subsidiary that will build the site.

The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chain of Lakes gymnasium at 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd.

Construction on the Pollard Road extension, which will be the main road into the business park and rail terminal, has already begun.

CSX officials have said construction on the rail terminal will begin in the middle or second half of 2012.

The Winter Haven rail terminal is needed to handle freight train traffic moving from Orlando-area rail lines to the line that runs through Polk County and downtown Lakeland.

Evansville Western Railway has said it expects to create 800 construction-related jobs during the initial construction and plans to work with Polk Works to hire additional help.

The company also plans to use Polk County suppliers and subcontractors when possible.

Estimates for the project's total jobs impact have been as high as 6,000, counting jobs at the rail terminal and at a business park to be built on 932 acres around the terminal.

Some Lakeland and Wahneta residents have opposed the new rail terminal because they said the increased freight train traffic running through Polk County will decrease their quality of life.

CSX will still utilize the rail lines SunRail will use, but only when SunRail is not operating.

Residents in Winter Haven who live near the proposed site also have voiced concerns about the amount of noise from the rail terminal and added traffic on nearby roads.

Open House on CSX Project Will Have Job, Business InformationBy RYAN E. LITTLE TheLedger.comApril 26, 2012 10:29 AM

WINTER HAVEN | Information on jobs and business opportunities for the much-anticipated CSX rail terminal will be available at an open house at the Chain of Lakes Complex in Winter Haven on May 3, according to a release on the city of Winter Haven's Facebook page.

Information on job opportunities, business opportunities and the project overall will be available to the public at the open house.

The open house is sponsored by Polk Works, the city of Winter Haven, TransDevelop Group and Evansville Western Railway, the CSX subsidiary that will build the site.

The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chain of Lakes gymnasium at 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd.

Construction on the Pollard Road extension, which will be the main road into the business park and rail terminal, has already begun.

CSX officials have said construction on the rail terminal will begin in the middle or second half of 2012.

The Winter Haven rail terminal is needed to handle freight train traffic moving from Orlando-area rail lines to the line that runs through Polk County and downtown Lakeland.

Evansville Western Railway has said it expects to create 800 construction-related jobs during the initial construction and plans to work with Polk Works to hire additional help.

The company also plans to use Polk County suppliers and subcontractors when possible.

Estimates for the project's total jobs impact have been as high as 6,000, counting jobs at the rail terminal and at a business park to be built on 932 acres around the terminal.

Some Lakeland and Wahneta residents have opposed the new rail terminal because they said the increased freight train traffic running through Polk County will decrease their quality of life.

CSX will still utilize the rail lines SunRail will use, but only when SunRail is not operating.

Residents in Winter Haven who live near the proposed site also have voiced concerns about the amount of noise from the rail terminal and added traffic on nearby roads.

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Businesses Qualify for $67 Million in Tax Credits - Canton Daily Ledger

Illinois businesses qualified for $67 million in income tax credits after hiring individuals covered through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today. The federal incentive reduces an employer’s cost of doing business while helping those most in need gain valuable work experience. IDES administers the federal program.
“This valuable program helps a business owner improve the bottom line and offers a hand up to those who want to make a better life for themselves and their family,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “This is real progress in helping businesses compete, assisting individuals to find gainful employment, and improving the Illinois economy. It also shows that employers increasingly view IDES as an employment agency.”
The WOTC incentives allow business owners to keep more of their money by hiring from historically disenfranchised groups. In 2011, the majority of the tax credit involved businesses who hired an individual receiving state financial assistance. In this way, the program benefits the state as a whole, as new jobs increase the likelihood that the state support will be reduced or no longer needed.
More than 27,000 individuals were hired under the WOTC program in 2011. Tax incentives range from $2,400 in one year to $9,600 over two years, depending on the new hire. The $67 million in savings represents 2011 activity that would be entered in federal tax returns in 2012.
The specific categories include individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; qualified military veterans; qualified ex-felons; a designated community resident who lives in a renewal zone; vocational rehabilitation referrals with a physical or mental impairment and who have received vocational or employment training; summer youth employees; qualified food stamp recipient; and a qualified supplemental security income beneficiary.
Employers claim the federal tax credit using IRS Form 5884. Looking at 2012, businesses can apply for WOTC certification for a new hire in three steps. Pre-screen individuals using IRS Form 8850, called the “pre-Screening Notice & Certification Request for Work Opportunity Credit.” Then, complete the ETA Form 9061, called the “Individual Characteristics Form.” Finally, mail the original, signed forms to IDES’ WOTC Unit within 28 days of the new hire’s start state. It is recommended that copies of the form be kept with the business. Forms and details are available at www.ides.illinois.gov/wotc
The IDES supports economic stability by administering unemployment benefits, collecting business contributions to fund those benefits, connecting employers with qualified job seekers, and providing economic information to assist career planning and economic development. It does so through nearly 60 offices, including Illinois workNet centers.

Illinois businesses qualified for $67 million in income tax credits after hiring individuals covered through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today. The federal incentive reduces an employer’s cost of doing business while helping those most in need gain valuable work experience. IDES administers the federal program.
“This valuable program helps a business owner improve the bottom line and offers a hand up to those who want to make a better life for themselves and their family,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “This is real progress in helping businesses compete, assisting individuals to find gainful employment, and improving the Illinois economy. It also shows that employers increasingly view IDES as an employment agency.”
The WOTC incentives allow business owners to keep more of their money by hiring from historically disenfranchised groups. In 2011, the majority of the tax credit involved businesses who hired an individual receiving state financial assistance. In this way, the program benefits the state as a whole, as new jobs increase the likelihood that the state support will be reduced or no longer needed.
More than 27,000 individuals were hired under the WOTC program in 2011. Tax incentives range from $2,400 in one year to $9,600 over two years, depending on the new hire. The $67 million in savings represents 2011 activity that would be entered in federal tax returns in 2012.
The specific categories include individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; qualified military veterans; qualified ex-felons; a designated community resident who lives in a renewal zone; vocational rehabilitation referrals with a physical or mental impairment and who have received vocational or employment training; summer youth employees; qualified food stamp recipient; and a qualified supplemental security income beneficiary.
Employers claim the federal tax credit using IRS Form 5884. Looking at 2012, businesses can apply for WOTC certification for a new hire in three steps. Pre-screen individuals using IRS Form 8850, called the “pre-Screening Notice & Certification Request for Work Opportunity Credit.” Then, complete the ETA Form 9061, called the “Individual Characteristics Form.” Finally, mail the original, signed forms to IDES’ WOTC Unit within 28 days of the new hire’s start state. It is recommended that copies of the form be kept with the business. Forms and details are available at www.ides.illinois.gov/wotc
The IDES supports economic stability by administering unemployment benefits, collecting business contributions to fund those benefits, connecting employers with qualified job seekers, and providing economic information to assist career planning and economic development. It does so through nearly 60 offices, including Illinois workNet centers.

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