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Texas funds approved to tackle opioid epidemic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC) announced measures to distribute $25 million of opioid settlement funds to Texas hospital districts to address the opioid crisis on Tuesday.OAFC is a council dedicated to making sure statewide opioid settlement agreements are allocated fairly to "remediate the opioid crisis." The Texas Comptroller’s office provides administrative support to the Council.Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who also serves as the chairman of the OAFC, praised OAFC's decisions in approving abatement strategies, grant plans, and funding rules.“I want to thank the Council members for their efforts in developing strategies that are designed to have an immediate impact,” said Hegar in a press release. “The grant plans take a multifaceted approach to treat Texans most at risk of overdose, increase substance use prevention and awareness among parents and students, and support our behavioral health workforce.”Over the course of next year, OAFC's laid out t...

Gophers football: Running back Zach Evans set to transfer out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

The Gophers’ running back depth suffered a blow Thursday.Tailback Zach Evans said he intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.Evans was third on the team this season with 230 rushing yards on 52 carries as he battled injuries and played in only six games. The redshirt freshman from Heath, Texas, was Big Ten freshman of the week after rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a win over Louisiana on September.Evans’ announced plan to leave comes two days after true freshman running back Marquese Williams announced he will go into the portal as well. Williams did not play despite the rash of injures at the position this fall.The Gophers have had six scholarship players announce their exits since the regular season finale on Saturday. Four walk-on players have also said they are leaving, including running back Max Grand.The Gophers had backup tailback Sean Tyler exhaust his eligibility this season, while sixth-year senior RB ...

At least one dead after South St. Paul house explosion and fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

At least one person is dead following an explosion and house fire Thursday in South St. Paul.A call came in at 6:18 a.m. with reports of an explosion and a fire at a home in the 1200 block of South Ninth Avenue. Fire fighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly, South Metro Fire Chief Mark Juelfs said, but a deceased victim was located in the garage area of the house.Responders are sorting through the debris to look for other people who could have been inside the house.South St. Paul Police Chief Brian Wicke said they are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire as well as who lived in the home.No other injuries have been reported, Wicke said, but the adjoining properties were impacted from both the explosion and the heat of the fire.Neighbor Mike Schuno said he was letting his dog outside when he heard a “massive boom,” adding that it knocked glasses out of his cupboard.Schuno said his first thought was that maybe cargo fell out of a plane as it was taking off fro...

FCSS teaming up with Nobleford for festive event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Garrett SimmonsSunny South NewsAround the world, Santa Claus represents the joy of giving.Young children, without the financial resources and the means to buy gifts, don’t often get to experience how good it feels to pick out and then wrap a gift for a loved one.Thankfully, Family and Community Support Services has teamed up with the Town of Nobleford to make southern Alberta children aged 10 and under ‘Little Santas’ for the holidays.The Little Santas: Presents for Parents night on Friday, Dec. 15 from 5-7 p.m., will give youngsters the opportunity to pick out a special gift for their caregivers this festive season.“Everything is donated from members in the community, and the little kids will get to come and pick out an item they are going to give to their caregivers and then we’ll have some youth volunteers there to help them wrap those items,” said Trinity Walker, Youth Development Co-ordinator for FCSS.Hot chocolate, cookies and a photo booth will help accentuate the communit...

Grants available for infrastructure and crime prevention

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Heather CameronSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterThere are two grants available to Alberta organizations pursuing initiatives intended to help keep the communities and groups they serve safe: The Alberta Security Infrastructure Program (ASIP) and Alberta Crime Prevention Grant (ACP). “Through each, applicants have been able to take advantage of funding that has helped see many wide-ranging community safety and crime prevention programs and projects to fruition,” Morgan Luethe, Communications Advisor with the Government of Alberta, said.The Alberta Security Infrastructure Program (ASIP), Luethe says, funds security assessments, related training, equipment, immediate response, and security infrastructure improvements to facilities serving communities or identifiable groups at risk of hate or bias-motivated crimes or incidents.Luethe says that the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program’s was established in 2021 and its purpose is to increase protections...

Blue Christmas Drumming Group offers hope for those struggling during the holidays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Heather CameronSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterHaving a Blue Christmas? There’s a remedy under the tree for you this year.On December 13, Family and Community Support Services Coaldale will be hosting Blue Christmas: A Therapeutic Drumming Group for Grief in the Holiday Season from 7 to 8 p.m. at Coaldale FCSS.“Therapeutic drumming involves a safe space where drumming direction is provided so that participants can relax in a safe space free from judgment or expectation,” said Amanda Fontaine, a counsellor at FCSS. “The drumming itself helps to process difficult emotion in a fun way that allows for a sense of connection and shared experience with the rest of the group. No previous musical knowledge or experience is needed in order to experience these benefits.”Fontaine says that Therapeutic Drumming was first brought to FCSS by Counsellor Trevor Gilbert who received training in the modality in 2022. “Since then, a number of ‘Circle of Rhythm’ groups ...

Feds and province offering $165M in drought relief for livestock producers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Cal BraidSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterAlberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) hosted a recent virtual media roundtable to announce a recovery infusion of $165 million to support livestock producers affected by drought and extreme growing conditions in 2023. The AFSC news release cited “a tough growing season with challenges due to dry conditions, causing many of our farmers and ranchers to face extraordinary costs. To help them through this difficult time, the governments of Alberta and Canada are partnering on a 2023 Drought Livestock Assistance Response.” At the roundtable, RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, explained the thrust behind the initiative and reiterated what the news release said, specifically that, “Many Alberta livestock producers have faced multiple challenges this growing season. This year’s drought and excessive heat has resulted in our ranchers facing extra costs due to lost grazing days....

Dog training group helps vets and their pets cope with PTSD

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Alejandra Pulido-GuzmanSouthern Alberta NewspapersA group of southern Alberta dog lovers is helping veterans train their beloved pets to achieve a high level of obedience and give the veterans peace of mind while dealing with PTSD.Kilo-9 is a training organization that started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when a veteran and a dog lover recognized the need to equip other veterans with the tools to strengthen their bond with their pet by helping them learn techniques to train them.Training director Ken LeBlanc says they also help veterans who do not have a furry companion to find one through various fostering organizations, and once they obtain the dogs they help train them.“Our website is a resource for them to call at any time,” LeBlanc says. “They can leave a message, they can send a video of what they are having difficulties with their dog, anything in regards of training support. We also help them get in contact with veterinary care.”LeBlanc says their goal is to make...

Local decision making key in AHS reorganization: Hunter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

By Trevor BuschSouthern Alberta [email protected] status quo at Alberta Health Services isn’t working, argues Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter, and radically reshaping the landscape for health care in the province is both necessary and overdue.With the announcement earlier this month that Alberta’s UCP government will be dismantling its primary health-care delivery organization into four separate entities, each with a narrower focus, critics have been vocal but Premier Danielle Smith is adamant the changes will improve access to care for Albertans grappling with a system under severe strain.The new organizations will deliver health services in primary care, acute care, continuing care and mental health and addictions, and will be overseen by a council of politicians and senior bureaucrats. “We’ve been concerned for some time about having one organization having to do so much,” said Hunter. “AHS will still be an entity within Alberta, but they will be responsible specif...

Innovative energy projects bearing fruit in Taber

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:15 GMT

Dear Editor,Yesterday (Oct. 31) I was at a presentation here in Calgary on the RenuWell project that has seen two pilots move ahead in the MD of Taber, installing solar power on a couple of orphan well sites primarily to supply power for irrigation. I was very impressed to hear of the range of benefits shown; providing renewable power at the times of highest demand, saving electricity costs and load on the electricity grid, accelerating the cleanup of unproductive and orphan wells, making use of brownfield sites, providing lease income for farmers, and tax benefits for the MD. That’s an amazing collection of benefits coming out of one type of project! I applaud the MD of Taber for showing leadership in shepherding these developments through to completion. I do not doubt that municipalities up and down the province are going to learn from and imitate this work done in your region.Sincerely yours,Roger Gagne, Calgary