Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families often qualify for special tax benefits. An IRS news release describes some of the most common deductions and exclusions and tells where to get more information.

Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) has received a $20,000 grant from the Stafford Hospital (SH) Community Service Fund in support of ACTS Helpline. ACTS plans to expand services into North Stafford.

Del. Richard L. Anderson will host two community town halls for residents of Virginia’s 51st House District this coming Saturday, February 2nd, at two separate locations in Prince William County.

Congressman Gerry Connolly will hold his 17th telephone town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 8:05 pm for residents of Virginia’s 11th Congressional District residing in Fairfax and Prince William Counties and the City of Fairfax.

The Virginia Department of Taxation says it has been alerted to a phone scam related to the new Virginia Tax Refund Debit Card. Taxpayers are being called and told that their refund installed on a "Way2Go prepaid MasterCard is locked for security reasons." The automated caller then tries to get the listener to divulge personal information.

Two Wakefield seniors recently earned recognition from The Scholastic Art Awards, the nation’s largest, longest-running, and most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual arts, according to a news release from the school located in The Plains VA.

Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, has announced a program to honor the contributions of adults 65 and older who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service to their favorite causes. Winners will be chosen by online voting.

Trade community service for food. House of Mercy, in Manassas, has united with SHARE (Self Help And Resource Exchange), a nonprofit food and community-building network, to bring high quality meats and produce to local families at a low cost.

ACTS Emergency Homeless Shelter suffered major water damage on the evening of Monday, Jan. 28, and has had to be closed until repairs are made. The 22 residents have been temporarily relocated.