WETUMPKA, AL (WSFA)- At Austin's Flowers and Gifts shop in Wetumpka, Barbara Knight has cut away any bad memories of the economy in recent years, thanks to what seems to be a clear focus in consumer confidence.

People are opening their wallets and purses a little more. Knight says businesses at the shop is up 8% over this same period in 2012.

"I'm a little surprised because for so long people just didn't spend. Now we're getting a lot of walk-ins," Knight explained.

Knight is not alone. The city of Wetumpka tells WSFA 12 News its sales tax revenues after the first fiscal quarter were up 8%, too, much of that due to the expansion of the casino in town.

Prattville and Millbrook are reporting similar results but not nearly as dramatic. Both cities show a better than 1% increase in sales tax numbers.

Knight is careful to say she doesn't speak for the entire business community but it just feels like things are improving a bit.

The Internal Revenue Service today announced a nationwide expansion of the program designed to help law enforcement obtain tax return data vital to their local efforts in investigating and prosecuting specific cases of identity theft.

More than 1,560 waiver requests have been received since the Law Enforcement Assistance Program’s inception from over 100 state and local law enforcement agencies in the nine states participating in the pilot. The expansion covers all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and will be effective Friday, March 29, 2013.

“The results of the pilot illustrate that this works as an innovative tool for law enforcement to help pursue tough identity theft situations,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller. “This program is an effective way for law enforcement to work with the IRS to pursue identity thieves and protect taxpayers.

WETUMPKA, AL (WSFA) - A former officer with the Millbrook Police Department was sentenced to jail time Tuesday in regards to possession of child pornography.

Ronnie Neil Lipscomb, 44, was sentenced to 4 yearsl, but the judge says he will spend 12 months in the Elmore County Jail.

Lipscomb was not employed as an officer with the Millbrook Police Dept. at the time of his arrest.

The judge ordered him to report to the Elmore County Jail by Friday, April 5.