Athens Review, Athens, Texas

Local News

Discussion

June 26, 2009

Tax-free weekend now includes school supplies

By Robby Robertson Staff Writer

Back to school shoppers will get some extra money in their pockets this coming school year.

School supplies — priced less than $100 — will be exempt from state and local taxes on the tax-free weekend from Aug. 21 to 23.

House Bill 1801 identifies supplies including, pens, crayons, calculators, notebooks, rulers, scissors and lunch boxes.

“I think the legislators realized that in order to make it worth a parents time to use the tax-free weekend to do their school supply shopping, they had to add school supplies,” Allen Speice, of the state comptrollers office said. “I think in the past, they were afraid to add those items because business people would go out and stock up on their office supplies during that time.”

Jeanene Villagran, manager of the Athens Wal-Mart Supercenter said that a section just for school supplies will be ready right after the Fourth of July.

“We usually start working on a school supply section as early as July 1,” she said. “We like to have it ready to go right after the holiday.”

Other school supply items that will be included are binders, legal pads, chalk, lunch boxes, book bags, markers, calculators, notebooks, paper of all types, cellophane tape, compasses, composition books, pencil boxes, crayons, pencil sharpeners and erasers. Other items included in the tax-free weekend are clothes and shoes under $100 and backpacks.

“A lot of families look forward to saving their hard earned money during the sales tax holiday weekend,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said. “Now they can make their back-to-school budgets stretch even further because more than two dozen school supply items will be tax-free.”

Villagran said school supply lists have already started coming in from area schools, but there should be more to come.

“We have some of the schools now, but we hope to have all the school lists by the end of July,” she said.

Text Only
Local News
  • Mia Orosco wins.jpg 19-year-old wins in competition against best fiddlers

    Mia Orosco wasn’t born with a fiddle in her hand playing a breakdown, but to the crowd at the Athens Old Fiddler’s Reunion it seemed as easy for her as drawing a breath.
    Orosco turned 19 on Wednesday, taking her out of the youth division to compete against the best. She’s only been using her violin in the fiddlin’ style for about five years.

    May 25, 2012 1 Photo

  • Parking lot altercation leads to arrest

    Athens police, acting on a 911 call, drove up on a an altercation at 505 S. Palestine St. at the Save-a-Dollar parking lot just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

    May 25, 2012

  • One arrested, two released after cocaine discovery

    It probably wasn't the best place to hang out — the Henderson County Judicial Center parking lot on West Corsicana Street — not with a quanity of cocaine inside the console of the car.

    May 25, 2012

  • Primary voting Tuesday

    Ready, set, vote.
    The polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. in the Democratic and Republican Primaries. Henderson County candidates run the gamut from first-timers to long-time incumbents.
    Some county voters will be traveling to new polling places for this round of balloting, after the much-debated redistricting process.

    May 25, 2012

  • Henderson County communities participate in Click It or Ticket

    It's not a good weekend to get out on the state highways without buckling up.
    In fact, that's probably true every weekend.
    But the 11th annual Click It or Ticket Seat Belt Mobilization Campaign is under way, now through June 3, 2012.

    May 25, 2012

  • martha & mary pic.jpg ‘Martha and Mary’

    The Henderson County Performing Arts Center, in conjunction with Elite Barrel Racing, announces the World Premiere of local Playwright R.G. Haynie’s newest play, “Martha and Mary,” on May 31  at 7:30 p.m., with additional shows on June 2, June 7, June 8 and June 9  at 7:30 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 3 and Sunday, June 10  at the theatre complex, located at 400 Gibson Road in Athens.

    May 25, 2012 1 Photo

  • DSC_0043.JPG Slide Show- Old Fiddlers Reunion The Fiddlers Reunion is in full swing around the Athens Courthouse. Final winners and street dance Friday night. Photos by Kathi Nailling

    May 25, 2012

  • Fiddler's1.JPG Fiddlers firing up

    You can get on out of that bed now, and get yourselves down to the courthouse square.
    The fiddlers are firing up, and they'll be going until the clock strikes 12 with the street dance, as the 81st Annual Old Fiddlers Reunion gets into high gear.

    May 24, 2012 2 Photos

  • Rachaelle Browning.jpg Valedictorian & Salutatorian

    The Athens High School Valedictorian of 2012 is Rachaelle Browning. She is the daughter of Wes and Jan Browning. Rachaelle will be attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 2012 and plans to major in Aerospace Engineering.
    Rachaelle has participated in various extracurricular activities throughout high school in preparation for a career in engineering.

    May 24, 2012 2 Photos

  • At the start.JPG 3rd annual Hornet Fun Run continues through today

    Fourth graders participated Thursday in the 3rd Annual Hornet Fun Run at the Cain Center.  Above is the beginning, when the children would run one mile.  At left, Isaac Garcia is shown taking overall first place.  Second place honors for boys went to Armondo Garcia, and Third place Case Friedrich.  Girls first place was Taylor Stiles, second place Veronica Campa and third place honors went to Semia Brazier. See those that placed, both boys and girls, on Page 14. The fifth grade will run today.

    May 24, 2012 4 Photos