Former JG stafferreceives award

Former Journal Gazette reporter James Risen has won the First Amendment Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation.

Risen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times, is being honored for championing the First Amendment and press freedoms, the foundation said in a statement.

Risen is under threat of imprisonment by the federal government for refusing to reveal the names of sources used for a 2006 book. His book, State of War, reported on CIA efforts to sabotage Irans program seeking to build a nuclear bomb.

BMV offers siteto check refund

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has a new website designed to help customers determine whether they are eligible for an Excise Tax refund.

In early October, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles began sending out claim forms to customers who were affected by the Excise Tax misclassification, said Don Snemis, commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, in a statement. All of those letters have been mailed. In case someone did not receive their letter, the BMV has created a website that allows Hoosiers to verify their eligibility and print a claim form that includes mailing instructions.

To date the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has received more than 131,000 claim forms and has processed more than 92,700 claims totaling $14.9 million.

To avoid any potential fraud during the claim process, residents are encouraged to access the refund eligibility page at http://www.mybmv.com by clicking on the Check Your Excise Tax Refund Eligibility icon.

Users will need to input either their Social Security number or drivers license number.

Read more from the original source:

Briefs