Indiana State Police partner with DEA for 23rd Drug Take Back Day
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring the 23rd nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of prescription drugs. Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. This program is for liquid and pill medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles, new or used, WILL NOT be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet .In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose both potential safety and health hazards.
Once again, the Indiana State Police is pleased to partner with the DEA, and as in the past, unwanted medications may be dropped off at any Indiana State Police Post, except for the Lowell and Toll Road Posts. The event will be on Saturday, October 29, 2022, between the hours of 10am and 2pm. The Indiana State Police Post in Putnamville will have their collection on Friday, October 28, 2022, from 10am to 2pm.
To locate the State Police Post closest to your home or business, click this link for Indiana State Police on the Map. To find other locations in Indiana or across the U.S. that are participating in the Drug Take Back initiative, click this link to the DEA. The Drug Take Back events are the safe, popular and responsible way for the public to legally dispose of prescription drugs with no questions asked.
Community Health Network and Ivy Tech Community College partner to address Statewide Nursing Shortage
Community Health Network and Ivy Tech Community College are long-time partners in providing Hoosiers with quality healthcare. From providing students with clinicals to hiring Ivy Tech alumni, it is a partnership that the Hoosier state has benefited from in the form of talented nurses and other healthcare professionals. Earlier this year, Community opened its doors at the Community Health Pavilion in Noblesville to Ivy Tech medical assisting students. In addition to providing clinical site space for the incoming cohort, Community provided externship opportunities with temporary job training and learning opportunities to experience the potential of working in a healthcare setting. And Community representatives joined with Ivy Tech leaders in asking the state legislature for flexibility in the administration of the College’s nursing school, allowing the College to expand the number of students it enrolls.
Community announced it will be taking the partnership to a new level to tackle the state’s nursing shortage through a donation that will expand the College’s nursing programs at its Anderson, Hamilton County, Indianapolis, and Kokomo campuses. Funds will be used for faculty and staff recruiting, equipment, student support and scholarship, faculty compensation and other related costs.
Ivy Tech awards more undergraduate nursing degrees than any other Indiana postsecondary school. Approximately 90% of the College’s nursing graduates stay in Indiana. Additionally, Community Health Network will select staff members to serve as clinical adjunct faculty each semester and provide clinical access to College students. The Community faculty expertise and experience will make significant contributions to the curriculum, and students will have the opportunity to become paid employee Patient Care Techs. After graduation, Community Health Network will offer full-time employment to qualifying students.
Local Art Activities
- The Bloomington Handmade Market is an indie craft show featuring artists and crafters from all over the Midwest. This free public show is held at the Monroe Convention Center. Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 12, and Sunday, November 13, 2022, and plan to attend this iconic Bloomington event! Click here to learn more
- HOLIDAY MARKET: The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department invites local and regional artists to submit an application for consideration for vending space at the annual Holiday Market, Nov. 26 at 401 N. Morton St. in Bloomington, next to City Hall. Artists may apply online at bloomington.in.gov/holidaymarket, or call 812-349-3725 to request an application. There is a non-refundable, $20 jury fee per application. To receive full consideration, applications must be received by 5pm Sept. 30. The 20th annual Holiday Market, with booth spaces inside and outside at Showers Common, takes place from 10am-3pm. A limited number of artist booth spaces are currently available indoors. Jury results will be used to determine which artists will be indoors. Click here to learn more about the event
- SIWI (FREE) BAND CONCERT – Thu Nov 10th 7- 9pm: The Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble is giving a FREE concert at Bloomington High School North Auditorium, 3901 N Kinser Pike
This Week in Hoosier History
1976 – Governor Otis Bowen helped dedicate a new addition to the Indiana State Library. The building on West Ohio Street in Indianapolis, first opened in 1934, was expanded by 87,000 square feet. The Governor called the $4.7 million project “a versatile and outstanding new addition.”
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