Alabama to follow feds on April 15 tax deadline change
The Alabama Department of Revenue expects to delay the April 15 tax payment deadline for state tax filers but is waiting for direction from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. “We will follow suit with whatever the IRS does,” Amanda Collier, an ADOR communications specialist, told Alabama Daily News on Monday. Last week, President Donald Trump said he would use his emergency authority to allow individual taxpayers ad businesses to defer paying their taxes by next month’s deadline if they have suffered adverse effects from the spreading virus. – WBRC
Auto supplier plans $7M expansion in Walker County for Mazda Toyota
Hayashi Telempu North America (HTNA), a Michigan-based supplier of automotive interior components, plans to expand its operations in Walker County with a $7 million project that will create 19 jobs. The announcement makes HTNA’s facility in Jasper the first outside of North Alabama selected to supply Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA, which is building a $1.6 billion joint venture assembly plant in Huntsville. – Made In Alabama
Sanders Trust acquires $29 million New Orleans rehab hospital
Birmingham healthcare real estate investment firm The Sanders Trust has acquired a $29 million New Orleans inpatient rehabilitation hospital. The four-year-old Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital has been operated by Cobalt Rehabilitation until late 2019 when Curahealth of Dallas, Texas completed the acquisition of all Cobalt operations. – AL.com
Gun shops seeing ‘Twilight Zone’ levels of business
Just as grocery stores have been stripped bare by Americans panicked by coronavirus, guns and ammo have been flying off the shelves too. Retailers say the buying frenzy is being fueled by consumers who are worried that people are becoming desperate and unpredictable. One gun shop owner compared the activity to a “Twilight Zone” episode. – AP
ABC temporarily closing 78 stores
The Alabama Beverage Control Board is temporarily closing 78 stores and reducing hours at others in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. In 2018, ABC had 864 employees, according to Alabama State Personnel Department data. There are about 170 stores statewide. Stores remaining open will operate from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. – WBRC
State modifies unemployment rules due to Covid 19 virus
Alabama workers who are not able to work due to the coronavirus will be eligible to file for unemployment benefits. The Alabama Department of Labor is modifying existing unemployment compensation rules to allow workers to file claims, following guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor. – AL.com
Volkswagen to suspend production in Europe
German carmaker Volkswagen has announced it is preparing to temporarily shut down most of its European plants in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chief Executive Herbert Diess said the company would shut down production at factories operated by the group’s brands “in the near future,” with most European plants set to suspend work for at least two weeks. – CNBC
