right now on news 4 this week, we're working to protect your money as you file your taxes. a lot of people have c beenght off guard by what's new this year. a dating app shares secrets to success. the one thing you're doing that could keep you a from finding match. and aer 70 years, a long lost book turns up at a local public library. we'le hear from person who finally returned it. from canada. >> announcer: welcome to news 4 this week. >> hello, everyone. i'm leonha is. i always ask the question, have you done your taxes if not, you may be in for a big surprise this year thanks to anges in the tax code. we've seen complaints popping up on social media from people who normally get fund but o the

irs. susan hoganas what you need to know about these changes. >> refunds this filing season have dropped more than 8%. the average refund last year was just over $2,000. this ayear, therage is coming in tsoabout $1865. we went to a tax expert to find out why. >> people are saying, well, what happened to my tax cut? i thought i was supposed to pay less in taxes. >> jay is a certified public accountant in arlington. he says there are two main reasons people may not see a big refund checkhis year. >> they weren't having enough tax withheld. >> if you didn't change your withholdings a year ago when the new tax law went into effect, chances are the irs started taking out fewer taxes. meaning yourayake home p went up, even if you didn't even notice it. the other reason you may see a smaller refund, a cap in the

deduction for state and local taxes also known as s.a.l.t. it is now limited to $10,000. >> and in high-tax states, even around here, arlington county where you have people who a paying 10, 12, 15 plus thousand dollars on real estate tax, alone, you're limited to 10,000, rnot only for thel estate tax, but the state income tax also. >> while it's too late to make changes for your01 2taxes -- >> what is done is done. >> there are some ways to make sure you don't get hit with a big t bill come nex year. >> look at 2018 numbers. if they have a balance due, then potentially they n to have more tax withheld fromheir paychecks in 2019. max out on your 401(k) to the extent that yo ocan take it of current cash flow and not miss it. ifou have pretax flexible spending accounts for medical purposes, pretax health savings accounts, try to minimize your income to maximour dee suctions. >> now, it's important to

remember just because you are getting smallerefund this year, doesn't necessarily mean taxes. paying more everyone has their own unique set of circumstances, and your tax preparer should be able to answer any queions you may have and get you on track for back to you. >> thank you, susan. your smartphone just may be a lot safer in the district. the d.c. 911 center is able to pinpoint your location when you call for help in a brand-new way. news 4's markls segraves tel us about technology that can save lives. >> reporter: when you need police, fire o paramedics, you probably need them as fasts possible. that's why the work here at the 911 call center is so important. it's the dispatchers here that tell first responderwhere to go. but sometimes figuring out where the emergency is is harder than you'd think. karemaolmes ho runs 911 center says people calling for help

ju don't know wherehey are. >> i would say probably a quarter of the time and it's usually from visiesrs, somet we have children that call, sometimes we have elderly individuals that call and just don't know where they are. and sometimes you just h people that are going through an emergency. you call 911, and something is going on, you forget. >> reporter: pinpointing the 911 call wasn't hard at all years ago when most calls came in from a land line. today 80% of emergency calls are made from cell phes. and until now, dispatchers were only able to get a general location of where you were calling from, typically thel closest cel tower. but now d. is joining the growing ranks of 911 call centers across the country usi rapid s.o.s., software that pin points the exact location a call is coming from. in the district, mark segraves, news 4. >> when is theast time you hailed a cab? new calculations show ride sharing apps are leading to a dramatic drop in taxi rides in d.c.

aaa tells wtop in the last three years the number of taxis hailed in the district has dropped 33%. people in d.c. are expected to take some 10 t milliaxi rides this year, but compa that to 50 million trips with rideshares. whether you're in a taxi, an ub uber or your own car, traffic i bad around here. traffic confirms thic. the traff tracking company says we have the second worst congestion in the country. only boston is worse. on averageal l, people waste about 155 hours a year sitting osts each and that driver in our area over $2100 a year inost me, and most importantly, in gasoline. when itomeso trafficking in fake news, teenagers are some of the worst offenders. in fact, this year, so much onc media, they often don't stop to think about what's real and whanos now nbc news and the pointer institute are teaming up to help teens separate fact from

fiction. our wendy rieger was there this week with lester holt unveiled th new project to local teens. >> who is behind it? >> reporter: the auditorium in northwest filled with students admit they have been duped by fake news. >> is embarrassing sometimes. you post something and someone says, like, this is fake. and then you'r like oh,y god. >> as a journalist, we ask those questions every >> reporter: nbc's lester holt came to wilson to tell the students about a new teaching tool, media wise. it's a free proilam e downloaded, teaching students how to fact-check sto es so they don't keep spreading fake news. >> there is so much information flying at them, flyingt all of us. from the moment we get up in the morning and turn onho ours to turn it off at night, telling you what to think, what's trending, what's true what's not. >> reporter: the pointer institute i aonprofit focusing on excellence in dejounte murryism. it's using this media wise program to fulfill a mission of

reaching 1 million teenagers, half of them in struggling communities, by the year 2020. that just happensbe t the next g ection year, a time when fake news will be comst and furious. >> we want to get in early, educate them early because these are skills they'll be using hopefully forever. >> the danger is if you don't learn to understand fact and fiction, you accept whatever confirms your world view. it narrows your world around you. for all of us to be functioning members of this society and this democracy, we need to come on with the information. >> reporter: media wise isn't just protecting them from russian bots and other sinister sources. it's also teaching them what's advertising, what's real, so they can be better consumers all around. >> like the kword arch, especially with the wiads, kno which one is an ad, where it'sn comifrom, if it's paid content what theource is.

>> reporter: once these students become armed with these tools to fight fake news, it' hoped they will be spreading that around. >> because you can also spread it to other people our age and our siblings. ter: you can find out more about this program on the nbc washington app. just search media wise. >> thank you, wendy. still ahead, mt. vernon make over. long-lost documents reveal thes de of the first president's parlor. we take you inside and tell you when you can see this in person yourself. plus,ing app dangers, what to know before gnng that first date with someoneou met online -ah, the old crew!

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a birthday celweration this honored a man many historians call the greatest president in u.s. history. abraham lincoln was born 210 years ago this pas tuesday. crowds gathered at the lincoln memorial in his honor. speakersefcted on the 16th president's legacy. the president of gettysburg

coege red lincoln's famous gettysburg address t -year long restoration just wrapped up at george washington's mt. vernon estate. historians andlass men worked together and spentmo two years ling the parlor of the structure. they used 18th century documents to recreate tnd room a now they're convinced it looked the same way when the washingtons hosted politician ands dignitaries. >> this is very stylish high-end furniture. i think because the parlor was the lady of the house's room, and many of e portraits were commissioned by martha washington ges us a little more of a sense of her role in establishing the character of mt. vernon. >> if you want to check it out for yourself, the restored parlor opens up to the public this weekend. coming up next, it's a record year for love. new research shows that we're spending more than ever on

valentine's day. > plus,he surprising trend about couples who have been married for a long time. for nd if you're looking love online, consumer reporter susan hogan is going to share the do's and don'ts of putting together that perfect profile.

t'a holiday that celebrates love, but plenty of people hate it. despite fewer people celebrating valentine's day this year, the ones who do are spending a record amount of money. according to the national retail federation, the average person drops just over 1s. buck bank rate says men outspend women -- surprise, surprise -- and millennials actuallyepend ost on valentine's gifts. now, this may surprise you. experts say the longer people are rried, the more they spend. they just don't say if one causes the o cer or whie first. you decide. well, if your day turns out to be a bust, you

maybe thinking about trying online dating 40 million americans do it. consumer reporter susan hogan working for you with advice for making he most out of your profile. f >>or every online dating sale -- >> it has been thatood. >> there is an online dating success story. getting from here to here takes a lot of time unless you've got a little help. >> i help people with all aspects of online dating from first click to first date. >> when it comes to as or first date, erica edwards says it's not one size fits all. dating iggest online sites are the apps. tinder, bumble, hinge, cof meets bagel and the list goes on. >> for those of you older than 30, try a site that requires a little skin in the game. >> if they're looking for something more serious, go to a paid site where you know people have at least put a credit card in. >> as f your profile picture, clean up your act. no selfies in the mirror

because, one, it's corny. two, we're all looking at the background. we see your messy kitchen. we see theunmade bed. >> and when writing your profile, be specific. >> , iould avoid anything i call empty adjectives. adventurous, spontaneous, attractive. anything you can't prove that's subjective, it means nothing. >> and consider an online datini . it's good for your health. >> i only recommend using two sites at a time because people have a tendency to get over whelms or open up fheirile and see 10 appsth on ere. get frustrated and close it all and do nothing. i'd rather you do one or two well than ten not at all. >> all right, thank you, susan. now, once you find that potential match and schedule a e date, thereven more things to consider. news 4's justin finch is working tr you with expert advice now on staying safe onhat first date. >> reporter: when all you have is a profile, a picture, maybe a

text exchange, the knot thought first date is daunting. the owner o d.c. match making recommends going off line. >> what is the one thing yel were tng clients to do before they commit to that in-person meeting? >> you know what, i have my clients doing something that's a little different. i like people to talk on thest phone f because i think that there is so much that gets lost in messaging. and when you hear the tone of someone's voice, if they say something inappropriate or they sound a little eepy, then you can decline a date. >> reporter: say your mind is made u and and your match are planning a then take full advantage of your smartphone. >> do a screen shot so you have all the information and a picture and then send that with all the information for your date to som ne that you care about and who cares aut you. have a friend or a family member know where you're going and maybe tell them a time that you're going to call them whe you get home. >> reporter: if you want to know a bit more details that perhaps your date may not have been upt front ab there is a work

around. michelle says allee youis their name, approximate age, and where they live and let the internet do the rest. >> you can go to a site like been verified.com and for a small fee you can get unlimited background checks and nobody knows if you'r checking thechlt. you can find out if they ha a bankruptcy, a criminal record, check out their crazy driving record. s >> reporter: mnd extreme to some singles, but to others it could give a sense of calm. what do you do to make sure this goes smoothly, also safely? >> yeah, well, i think it's important to meet in a location where you feel comfortable. you want to drive aroun looking r parking in a place that's dark and you don't know where way around. >> reporter: michelle prefers your first date be someplace public so you can arrive and leave directly and safely. and during that date do gut checks. >> if you feel uncomfortable, listen to that feel in your body. t you want to get up fromhe table or the bar, say, i fee t

lis date needs to end if something inappropriate is happening. >> reporter: overall michelle encourages online daters to be hope saying mosteeking love only are good people looking for good people. but be smart. the are things apps and algorithms can't tell you about your date yet. justin finch,4. new >> all right. so, if you feel like it's hard to find that special someone out there for you,nline or not, you're right. and it may have to do with where you live. wallet hub looked at what it called the best states for love d it turns out florida is number one in the nation. the worst, west virginia ranking at number 50. virginia ande maryland w more toward the middle of the pack, 19 and 28 respectively. and by the way, maryland ranked best for online dating. the district not include in the listing. coming up, a long-l overdue book turns up at a public library after more than 70 years. find out where been and who turned it in and how much the

fine is.

the silver spring libraryot a book that was overdue more than 70 years. montgomerie county public urbrary said it's the oldest book ever rd to them. news 4's amee cho had this returned to them from canadaor >> rr: if you ever worried it was 0 too late to right a wrong, take a page from this book. e year was 1946 at the silver spring library. a 2-ye f-old laura gregl in love with the book called the post man. >> i've had this book all my life or nearly all my life. i just loved the i loved the pictures. >> reporter: pictures of how postal workers did their jobs i the 192s. horses and all. and so when laura's family moved to canada, the book went with them. >> i hung onto it. at my age, you know, you give things back. o >> reporter:ver at the rockville library, imagine hri

su when she found a long-lost book and a,etter sayi sorry. >> this is the strangest thing i've ever seen. you don't always get an plan of how it was lost to us from so long. >> reporter: we did the math on the fine she could be facing. for most books, montgomerie county fines 30 cents a day. 73 years, y a're looking over $9,000. luckily tou cnty caps the fine at $15 andoesn't charge a late fee for children's books. were you worried at all about any possible fines? >> no. i would have talked my way out of it anyway. >> reporter: if you're looking through the shelves hoping to find the post man ok, sadly you're out of luck. the library said the book is toc fragile tck the book out. but they'll show it to anybody who wants to see it. >> weeoant pple to use our stuff. we want them out in people's hands. >> reporter: proving no matter how old something may be,nt uance' never too late for a new beginning. in rockville, ae cho, news 4.

in rockville, ae cho, news 4. >> that's for news 4 this sleeping on an ikea mattress, in rockville, ae cho, news 4. >> that's for news 4 this joe's suddenly into making everyone's morning easier. i made you breakfast. i also made the kids lunch and i made myself a mixtape. and it's good. oh! be the morning person you're not. the butter.

ak how does ronsure he's on time to face brock the sadistic strength trainer? his ikea dresser helps him organize his... equipment? woo! be the morning person you're not.

. hockey town. please welcome to the ice. >> the stories on endless. >> today, the story we have been waiting for. the story has put detroit on the map. >> always hockey town. >> inspiring. >> you got a lot of young kids that love and believe in the game. ready? why not? why not? >> that was my turn to give back much. game that gave meo >> motivation.