(Radio Iowa) – Thousands of senior citizens in Iowa are being given kits that can render their unused medications worthless and harmless as part of an effort to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs. Trina Radske-Suchan, president of Community Health Partners in West Des Moines, says the disposable drug deactivation kits are about the size of a zip-lock sandwich bag and they’re simple to use.  “So, it could be a pill, it could be a liquid, it could be a film, you put them into the bag and add water to it and then you seal it, you shake it up, and then you dispose of it,” Radske-Suchan says. “It’s environmentally safe and everything degrades.”

C-H-P Community and the Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative or RALI of Iowa are partnering with a state agency on the effort. She says, “We worked with the Iowa Department on Aging and we were able to get 5,800 of these kits out to seniors through the home meals delivered program.” The kits are being delivered — along with meals — at four Area Agencies on Aging across the state. A state report says the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa is falling gradually, from a peak of 206 deaths in 2017 down to 136 deaths last year. It’s hoped the drug deactivation kits can help keep more prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands.

Radske-Suchan says, “With our opioid epidemic nationwide but also in Iowa, it’s a really great prevention activity that we can do by providing all the means and information to families on how to discard their unused medications.” The partner agencies include Milestones Area Agency on Aging in Muscatine, Heritage Area Agency on Aging — headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging in Waterloo, and Aging Resources of Central Iowa, based in Des Moines.

The pandemic, the recession, the drought, and the derecho have ramped up the stress levels facing all of us. The Guthrie County ISU Extension and Outreach service reminds you, that when it all becomes too much for you to deal with, the Iowa Concern Hotline is available 24/7. ICH offers free, confidential assistance with financial concerns, legal education and stress counseling.

You can call Iowa Concern Hotline at (800) 447-1985 or visit www.extension. Iastate.edu/iowaconcern.

The Creston Police Department reports three arrests. A little after 2-a.m. today (Wednesday), 30-year old Cody J. Courtney, of Thayer, was arrested at 403 E. Townline in Creston, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or Subsequent Offense. Courtney was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond. He was also being held on a Madison County Warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Possession of Paraphernalia ($300 bond) and a Polk County Warrant for Criminal Mischief 4th degree ($1,000 bond). The Creston Police K9 “Jax” assisted in Courtney’s arrest.

Late Tuesday night, 46-year old Shannon Gandee, of Creston, was also arrested at 403 E. Townline, for Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Offense. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1000 bond. The Creston Police K9 “Jax” also assisted in her arrest.

Tuesday afternoon, 50-year old Matthew Baulder, of Panora, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center in Creston, on a Union County Warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Baudler was released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa county says that a clinic failed to report up to 3,000 negative coronavirus test results, as concerns about inaccuracies in the state’s official pandemic data continued to mount even as schools use it to determine their fall plans. Webster County Public Health department spokeswoman Kelli Bloomquist says her agency uncovered the clinic’s failure to report negative tests last week, and the clinic belatedly submitted the 3,000 results.

The state system rejected the submissions, but a subsequent review confirmed that many tests had not been entered. The new information dramatically reduced the county’s 14-day positivity rate, which the state is using to determine whether school districts must return for at least 50% in-person instruction.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne is calling on U.S. Postmaster General Louis De Joy to resign. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says there is growing proof the postmaster general has intentionally made changes to slow delivery of the mail. “Over this past month I’ve heard increasing concerns from Iowans,” Axne says.

Axne says the changes are jeopardizing the health of Iowans who depend on the Postal Service for their prescription drugs and Social Security checks, plus small business owners are seeing delivery of their packages delayed. “The list goes on and on,” Axne says. “We should not be jeopardizing Iowans’ access to these necessities, especially during a pandemic.”

Axne hosted an online forum about the Postal Service yesterday (Tuesday). Kimberly Karol, president of the Iowa Postal Workers Union, says postal employees appreciate the public support. “We really need them to show their support by choosing the Postal Service for their mailing and shipping needs,” Karol said.

A recent Pew survey found 91 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the Postal Service. Postmaster General De Joy started the job in mid-June. De Joy announced yesterday he was suspending recent changes until after the fall election. Critics charge removing mail-handling equipment and reducing employees’ hours endangered delivery of millions of ballots that voters will be mailing this fall. Axne says yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) announcement doesn’t change her view that De Joy should resign.