| De Soto schools consider drug tests for students
Joe Novak says today's teens are bold, bright risk-takers, and policies that used to steer kids away from drugs and alcohol just don't work anymore. So the Mill Valley High School principal supports a De Soto School District proposal that could bring random drug testing to the Johnson County district. If the policy is adopted, De Soto would join school districts in Oak Grove in Missouri and El Dorado near Wichita, among others, in conducting random drug tests of students who participate in extracurricular activities. "It's one component, not the end-all and be-all of the program," said De Soto school board President Janine Gracy, who also is the director of the Regional Prevention Center of Johnson, Leavenworth and Miami counties. "It may not have the effect that we want it to have on every student.
Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness
Volunteers all over La Ronge are preparing to launch a week of activities in conjunction with Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week (SAAW), November 18 to 24. SAAW activities are organized around the theme, �Reality Check� � an effort to raise awareness of the facts surrounding addictions to alcohol, drugs, tobacco and gambling. Local organizers say it is especially important to get accurate information to youth. In Saskatchewan, a major focus of this year�s activities is creating awareness about the harms related to excessive or �binge drinking�. Binge drinking is typically defi ned as consuming 5 drinks or more for men, and 4 drinks or more for women, on one occasion. Alcohol is the most popular recreational drug of choice in Saskatchewan, even though many do not consider it a drug.
Mental Health Braces for Budget Bloodbath
It began with a November 1 memo from County Executive Officer Mike Brown to all department directors, budget staff, and executive staff, explaining that 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone had asked him to find possible budget reductions for the current fiscal year. All county departments responded with potential cuts, including Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services (ADMHS), which submitted a list of $1.1 million in potential reductions in programs. The list set off a spark in the community of service providers who help the mentally ill and homeless and who also receive funding from ADMHS. Many showed up at the November 6 Board of Supervisors' meeting, worried that potential cuts could happen that day. Brown assured those in attendance that was not, in fact, going to happen at the meeting, but could be discussed at some future date.
The Record for Nov. 11
12:28 a.m. Steamboat Springs police officers arrested a woman on suspicion of driving under the influence at Lincoln Avenue and Ninth Street. 2 a.m. An intoxicated man was taken to detox from Dream Island Plaza. 6:16 a.m. Police officers assisted Department of Human Services workers with giving a Breathalyzer to a client. 7:54 a.m. Someone filed a lost property report for clothes he or she had left in a hotel room in September. 7:57 a.m. An injured dog was reported on U.S. Highway 40 west of Anglers Drive. The dog was with its owner when officers arrived. 9:35 a.m. A piece of heavy equipment backed into a carport in the 2300 block of Val d'Isere Circle and caused significant damage. A report was taken. 12:43 p.m.
Decisions of Westmoreland County judges
The following is a list of defendants charged with a first offense of driving under the influence in Westmoreland County criminal court. These defendants receive a standard sentence that includes enrollment in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for one year, attendance at an alcohol highway safety school and a one-month driver's license suspension. The ARD program does not require defendants to admit guilt, but does require that they be placed on probation. If they satisfactorily complete the probation, they may then file a petition to have the case expunged. Unless otherwise noted, court costs are placed on the defendant. The defendants are: • Sean Hoffman, 25, of 141 Mcilvaine Road, Greensburg. • George Moog, 41, of 1015 Pine St., Jeannette.
|
