(Radio Iowa) – Federal officials report drug overdoses rose 30-percent nationwide last year, the biggest annual increase in history. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 428 Iowans died from drug overdoses last year. That’s compared to 346 the previous year. Alison Lynch, director of the University of Iowa’s Addiction and Recovery Collaborative, says people were cut off from social support during the pandemic. “But then there’s been some other long-standing impacts,” Lynch says, “Things like stigma about using substances or having a substance use problem and then stigma about asking for help with that.”

She says increased fear and anxiety during the pandemic was also a factor in the dramatic increase in overdoses. “Another factor really has been the increasing contamination of the drugs with fentanyl,” she says, “which is so potent and it’s much easier to overdose and die with that.” The C-D-C reports 93-thousand people died of opioid overdoses nationwide last year.

Lynch made her comments on the Iowa Public Radio show, “River to River.”

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Police in Red Oak report the arrest late Wednesday night, of 45-year-old Edward Strickland, from Red Oak. He was arrested for Driving While Barred, following a traffic stop. Strickland was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Late Wednesday morning, of 68-year-old Henry Eugene Kasha, from Villisca was taken into custody on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. His arrest followed a traffic stop in Red Oak. Kasha was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at around 10-p.m. August 21st, Deputies were dispatched to a single-vehicle accident just east of Stanton on Highway 34. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a woman later identified as Caitlyn M. Bressler, of Nodaway, the owner of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, Bressler was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. Her bond was set at $2,000.

And, at around 11:20-p.m. on Aug. 6th, Montgomery County Deputies located a vehicle stopped at Evergreen and Highway 34. A man later identified as Billy Lynn Leeper, of Red Oak, was asleep at the wheel. When they made contact with Leeper, deputies detected the odor of intoxicants coming from his vehicle. Leeper was subsequently arrested on a felony charge of OWI/3rd offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The mother of two young students in Council Bluffs is suing Governor Kim Reynolds over the law she signed that bans schools from requiring masks. Fran Parr has twin sons in first grade. Parr says she’s fighting for the safety of in-person learning. “I hope we get some recognition of the risk that this Delta variant is to the unvaccinated and to children,” she says.

Parr’s lawsuit also names the Iowa Department of Education as a defendant. It’s the first lawsuit filed to challenge the law Reynolds signed in May. Parr says thousands of kids under the age of 12 aren’t eligible for the Covid vaccine and Iowa is poised for super-spreader events in every Iowa school.

“So if my kids were in class, a kid had Covid or was found to be Covid-positive, but he was masked, that would make me feel a lot more comfortable that we’re still managing this, we’re still doing the best that we can.” Governor Reynolds has said it should be parents who decide whether their children wear masks at school.

Neola, Iowa – August 25, 2021 – NAMI Southwest Iowa is expanding their programming beginning in September!  Two new monthly NAMI Family Support Groups will begin in Atlantic and Clarinda.  In addition, a NAMI Family-to-Family Class will begin October 2nd in Atlantic. Anna Killpack, Executive Director at NAMI Southwest Iowa, says “When families are struggling to cope with loved ones that have challenging mental health conditions, it can feel very isolating and overwhelming.  Families and caregivers need to know that they are NOT ALONE!”

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Participants can gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences. 

NAMI Family Support Group will be held the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in Atlantic at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Chestnut Street starting September 7th.  Also, NAMI Family Support Group will be held the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in Clarinda at Southwest Iowa Families, 215 E. Washington starting September 21st.

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition. NAMI Family-to-Family class will take place Saturday mornings from 9:30am-11:30am beginning October 2nd in Atlantic.  Call 712-542-7904 to register.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.  NAMI Southwest Iowa is an affiliate of NAMI and NAMI Iowa.  For information on ALL of NAMI Southwest Iowa’s programming, visit the website at www.namisouthwestiowa.com or call 712-542-7904.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reported at the close of their business day, Wednesday, they had received papers filed from a candidate to fill the vacancy position of Mayor, in Anita. John Knutson is running for the top position in Anita.

No other candidates had filed for various City seats in Cass County, on Wednesday. As previously reported, three Atlantic City Councilpersons are running for Mayor, and one person is running for the Parks and Rec Board, in Atlantic.

The deadline to file nomination papers with the Cass County Auditor’s Office is 5-p.m., September 16.