The business end of the economic stimulus package, an article from the Colorado Springs Business Journal, reports that the stimulus act contains two key provisions for businesses that will increase the amount of first-year write-offs.  According to Mike McDevitt, tax partner at BiggsKofford, prior to the new law, a business could deduct $128,000 of the cost of certain depreciable assets.  Under Section 102 of the new law, the limitation on expensing was increased to $250,000, but it only applies to property purchased and placed in service for tax years beginning during 2008.  He said businesses should determine whether it makes sense this year to buy a particular piece of machinery versus leasing, since the economic stimulus act and interest rates on equipment might make buying a better option.  The second provision, Section 103, increases the depreciation that may be claimed as a deductible expense during 2008 from 30% to 50%.  “On a macro level, across the nation, this (new law) will promote buying,” said McDevitt.  IRS Spokeswoman Jean Carl said, “Businesses should not let this slide by — they should take advantage of the benefits during 2008.  These business tax incentives are more valuable to the economy than giving benefits to individuals.”
http://www.csbj.com/story.cfm?ID=19790

Dos & Don’ts of Web Video for Real Estate, an article from RISMedia.com, reports that real estate professionals understand the power and effectiveness of video in selling property.  Virtual walkthroughs and video tours immerse the buyer in the experience of the property, and result in shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and better qualified prospects.  Real estate sites using video report buyers exposed to video are up to four times more likely to act than those presented with words and images alone.  One thing to consider when shooting a real estate video is lighting.  The more light you have when shooting, the clearer, smoother, and crisper your final video will be.  Also, make sure your video is clearly labeled and placed on your home page to attract attention from potential home buyers.  A video on the home page will attract as much as 80% of the overall activity on that page.  Finally, keep your video shorter than 2 minutes.  Videos with a shorter duration tend to have much higher viewership and completion rates and tend to be more impactful than videos with longer durations.
http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-04-15/dos-donts-of-web-video-for-real-estate/

Additional articles that you may find of interest:

About 200 turn out to hear about planned bike park
http://www.gazette.com/articles/turn_35319___article.html/bike_hear.html

Springs flights start, but hangar plan stalls
http://www.gazette.com/articles/stalls_35325___article.html/flights_hangar.html