This Saturday, April 28th, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The event runs from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m. at multiple locations, and offers you a great chance to safely dispose of your old and/or unwanted prescriptions. Medications 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 overdoes on easily obtainable drugs. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Authorities say you shouldn’t flush unused medications down the toilet, or throw them in the trash, as both pose potential safety and health hazards. Instead, bring them to a proper disposal site this Saturday, no questions asked. Sharps, such as needles, and inhalers, are not accepted. And, some sites are drive-up and drop off, while others may be located inside a police station, drug store or other approved site. Locally, that includes: in the lobby of the Atlantic Police Department in the City Hall building; The Shenandoah Police Dept.’s west side garage door entrance (400 W. Sheridan Ave.), and the Walgreens store in Council Bluffs (535 E. Broadway), where Bluffs Police will have a drive-through lane for you to hand over your meds.

To find the closet location near you, click here https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/NTBI/ntbi.do?_flowId=public-lite-flow . Last year, 11, 526 pounds of unwanted medications were disposed of during Drug Take Back Day.

BELLE PLAINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a pedestrian has been killed by a train in eastern Iowa. Cedar Rapids station KCRG reports that the incident was reported in Belle Plaine early Monday morning.
Police have not released the person’s name and other details.

The Creston Police Department reports numerous recent arrests. Late Sunday night, 30-year old Christopher Woolums, of West Des Moines, was arrested on a Union County warrant for two counts of a Controlled Substance Violation and an additional charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 3^rd offense. Woolums was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

At around 12-a.m. Sunday, 36-year old David Estell, of Creston, was arrested for Simple Assault. He was cited and released on a Promise to Appear in court. Friday night, 29-year old Seth Thompson, of Creston, was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

At around 5-p.m., Friday, Creston Police arrested 26-year old Dalton Cormeny, of Creston, for Driving While Barred, Possession of a Controlled Substance/1^st offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance/2^nd offense, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later released on a $5,300 bond. And, earlier that same afternoon, 52-year old Richard Beam, of Lorimor, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center in Creston, on a Union County warrant for Failure to comply with his Pretrial Release on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault by impeding air/or blood flow. Beam was later released on a promise to appear in court.

Creston Police said also, a resident of the 500 block of W. Mills Street reported Friday, that sometime between the hours of 12-a.m., and 6-a.m. Friday, someone slashed the tires on her vehicle parked outside her home. The damage was estimated at $150. A resident of the 800 block of N. Sycamore Street, in Creston, reported to police that same morning, that someone had keyed her vehicle. The damage also happened between 12-a.m., and 6-a.m., Friday, and resulted in a loss of about $300.

(8-a.m. Newscast)

If you’ve ever driven by an old, interesting house in Atlantic, and wondered who lived there, you may be able to learn the history of the home during a special event this Thursday, at American Legion Building (Old Armory), in Atlantic. Cass County Genealogical Society members, Carolyn Key and Mary Hoegh, have been investigating the history of several homes. They will share that information on Thursday, April 26, 1 pm at the American Legion Memorial Building (201 Poplar Street).

The houses they will describe are at 607 Maple Street, 702 Locust, 811 Poplar and 1314 Chestnut. Find out when they were built, the style, and family histories of people who called them home. The program is part of the April theme for Atlantic’s Sesquicentennial, entitled “Who’s Who in Atlantic.” Cass County Information will also be given about sources and methods available to trace housing history. Iowa is one of the few states requiring property abstracts. There are offices and records available to the public.

The monthly meeting of the Cass County Genealogical Society is usually held on the fourth Thursday at the Atlantic Public Library. This Who’s Who program is open to everyone at the American Legion Memorial Building.