July 19, 2023 Issue, Page 6 of 6

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6- The Elk City News Community July 19, 2023 Opioid Kit. Opioid of Health as one of the hot cit- ies and counties that has two Continued from page 1. major problems, opioids and Goats are invading the creek in Elk City to eliminate marijuana. the overgrown vegetation that may be a problem for reg- vices. Second thing is we want “[ think one out of ten cities ular mowing to take place. They began July 14th behind to look at those strategies. Are in the state are determined to Country Club and will continue to wind around a designat- there gaps, or are there things be hot cities,” she added. ed path. Pictured are some grazing at the bridge on Wash- that we're not doing locally? So Roper went on to identify ington. The novelty caused several cars to stop and watch as a coalition, what we would three priorities that she be- them as the feast on the plethora of weed varieties. Stajf like to do is some focus groups lieves need to be addressed. photo by Sheryl Ponce. to look at the nine strategies,” ‘The first one was in the area of Berry said. evaluations. He pointed out that there is a prescription medication lock- “First, evaluations right now for anyone to get treat- Elk City Schools fully staffed with teachers box available for people taking ment has to go to a place to any type of prescribed medica- get an evaluation, that is a sub- By Shonda Little few who are fully-staffed with ‘The agenda list was also Math and science courses tion that they are afraid might stance use evaluation. That's teachers. short. taught through Western Tech- be diverted by someone in the something to help them get It is well-documented that The board met for their All agenda items were ap- nology Center were approved. household or mistakenly dou- into the treatment they may Oklahoma and most states regularly scheduled monthly proved, including the capacity ECPS approved a contract ble their dose. The medicine need. There is only one place in have a shortage of teachers. meeting at approximately 6 limits for student transfers. can be locked up. Elk City that does evaluations, ‘As the school year quick- pm on July 10. ‘The board also approved with Leedey Public Schools for “We have also done the that is Red Rock. There is a ly approaches, Elk City Public ‘The meeting was brief and new handbooks for the ele- speech services. This is part of drug take back days so peo- two-month waiting list,” Roper School Board members learned smooth, lasting approximately mentary, secondary, and virtu- a cost-sharing effort to provide ple can bring their expired or said. that ECPS is among the lucky 30 minutes. al schools. needed services for students. unused medication and drop ‘The evaluation opens the them off. The police depart- door to treatment. Judges ment has supported us, and do not evaluate the individu- they monitor the location. Bu- al that stand before them. It reau of Narcotics collects it at the end of the day,” Berry con- must be someone qualified to do the evaluation. tinued. ‘The distribution of Narcan “We do not have enough people that are qualified to do can help save lives, and the evaluations. We need more Good Samaritan laws protect people from administering it people to do evaluations. There if there is someone passed out are certifications in our state or in their home. They also that allow people to do these provide training for individu- evaluations to link them into als and groups for the use of those services,” she said. Narcan. The second area Roper “There are fentanyl test spoke about was concerning strips that will test persons the defense against the prob- who use illegal drugs so they lem. She balances between can test for the presence of 100 and 200 people on a daily fentanyl prior to use. The sug- basis in the jail. It is two per- gestion is that they either use cent over capacity. She can a smaller amount, or not at all, document through the court but we know that will probably system that there are people not happen,” he said. not getting treatment but re- Berry brought a lockbox maining in the community us- for the commissioners to see. ing. Roper wants to deliver the It is a fixture that can attach locks to the law enforcement to a wall in a school, library, and to the schools. or public building. It provides “There are a lot of things access to Narcan. There’s also a that we can do, including pre- CPR shield in the kit and nitrile trial services, that potentially MERRITT SCHOOL:: gloves to prevent absorption. has a misdemeanor and who is ‘The one he brought is equipped not going to have a felony and 1 with an alarm system on it to prevent tampering. He also get them to drug court orharsh SPORTS treatment. They can walk in pointed out that all of these the doors and get some pretrial things are free because they are services, which is case manage- PHYSIC ALS a non-profit organization. ALL HLETES MUST HAVE A ment and treatment options PHY A OMPLETE D AND ON Berry concluded by inviting because they don’t know where FILE BY 8/14 the commissioners to join the to go,” she continued. strategic planning sessions. ‘The third thing that the Judge Roper then addressed community needs is a detox 8/1/23 them. She began by telling center. There are few substance them that she was there to treatment centers in the area. support Berry and the coali- MERRITT GYM tion. Roper said that detox can save 7TH & 8T H GRADE 6:00PM lives because the first two GSIITSSSS7) 9TH-127 H GRADE 6 “I'm here today to give a perspective. Hopefully it’s weeks it clears the system of a meaningful perspective, a fentanyl or opioids that detox bird’s eye view of what the opi- will allow the person to get to $20.00 oid issue is in our community, a point of doing things on his/ PARENT MUST BE and why it really can be helpful her own. PRESENT TO SIGN in preventing the opioid set- Roper thanked the commis- PAPERWORK Former Mudcats Matt Trotter and Brian LeGrand stand tlement is really for the abate- sioners for the time, although, with Arnold Lankford at the Arnold Lankford Classic held +++ |] ment in prevention. It should they could not respond to ei- this weekend at Ackley Park. Both LeGrand and Trotter be recognized that prevention ther Berry or her. This seems played for Lankford and the Mudcats in the American Le- starts with treatment of our to be the beginning of looking gion League in the 90s. Currently, their sons Max Trotter current problem, because ad- into abatement strategies. The and Kasen LeGrand play for the team. diction does beget addiction,” opioid problem is here, and the Roper began. funds from the litigation will She said that opioids are help communities address the battling methamphetamine to issues from the abuse of opi- be the number one substance oids. It is Berry and Roper’s Have aphoto to share? Email it to: abuse, and Elk City and Beck- efforts that will help western ham County has been tagged Oklahoma use those funds to by the Oklahoma Department address them head on. [email protected] with a description!