“Hot Spot Cards” were developed eight years ago as a way to help Springfield residents report crimes anonymously, and to hold local authorities accountable for their response.

The cards have been so successful, organizers are hoping to soon make them available throughout Clark County. A rally to celebrate their success is scheduled at Covenant Presbyterian Church Tuesday evening.

Bill Salyers, who helped organize the rally, said the cards were first developed by a local organization called Justice Action Mercy in 2003. City residents at the time were looking for a new way to report crimes to local authorities anonymously. “This was a tool that anybody could use to send anonymous reports,” Salyers said.

Residents are able to fill out the cards with the appropriate information, and drop them off in the mail. The cards are delivered to a post office box and passed on to a Hot Spot Committee, which assigns a number to each card. The cards are then passed on to local law enforcement for investigation.

“Stephen Moody, chief of the Springfield Police Division, and Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly have both been supportive of the program,” Salyers said. Both meet regularly with the Hot Spot committee to review action taken on each card.

Salyers said since the program began, more than 50 percent of the tips have led to arrests, and another 20 percent are still being investigated.

The committee is now planning to extend their use.  “We’re trying to make it a tool for the entire county, not just the city,” he said.  Several organizations, including the Clark County Triad SALT Council and the Catholic Social Action Committee, work together to make sure the cards are available.

Salyers said “the cards are available at local law enforcement agencies, United Senior Services, 101 S. Fountain Ave., and will be available at local libraries”. 

We are going to award the participating agency with the most popular comment on our Facebook page a $100 gift card. 

Here’s how to participate:

• First, visit www.facebook.com/911CellPhoneBank and “like” our page.
• Then post a comment about  your participation in the 911 Cell Phone Bank program and be sure to mention the name of your agency. Something like…“The XYZ Agency has been a participant since 2005 and we love the program because…”. 
• Next, invite your Facebook friends to “like’ our page, AND “like” or comment on your comment. The Agency with the most combined “likes” and comments will get the $100 Gift Card.

Have questions? Call us for answers at 866-290-7864. As always, thanks for your support!

***UPDATE*** Each Facebook “like” earns us a minute of airtime! [more]

A special thank you to the sponsors of this event goes out to the Administration on Aging. We also want to thank the Prince Georges County Police TRIAD Officers, and the staff from the Department of Family Services, for coming out and showing your support and helping with this event. Everyone had a wonderful time again this year. Thank you, one and all.

Daily breakfasts and dinners for the whole family included in this offer, as are free golf and use of all facilities on the grounds. While staying at the Inn, the families are also provided: a $25.00 voucher for lunch at Harvest Hill Farms and free admission to Pumpkin Land, Corn Maze, Petting Zoo, the McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, the Maine Wildlife Park, the Sabbath Day Lake Shaker Village in Gray and free admission to the historic buildings and grounds of the Poland Spring Preservation Park and Society. This offer will continue for the rest of this vacation season, and will be offered again next vacation season by the Gems of 26. Next season, the offer will include free use of the Poland Spring Resort’s Driving Range, Miniature Golf Course and Disc Golf Course, all being built this fall.

Most citizens are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, 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, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign provides a way for the public to dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs in a safe, legal, and environmentally sound way. This event will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the following locations: Wiscasset – at the Lincoln County Communications Center, Jefferson – at the Fire Station, Damariscotta – at Miles Memorial Hospital-Main Entrance, Boothbay Harbor – at the Town Office.

This event is free and anonymous.  There will be no questions asked or identification required.  People are asked to please remove any identifying labels from bottles or packages. Any liquid products should remain sealed in their original containers. Please ensure the cap is sealed tightly before depositing.

INTRA-VENOUS SOLUTIONS, INJECTIBLES AND SYRINGES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED DUE TO POTENTIAL HAZARDS.

This initiative is restricted to prescription and over the counter type medications only.  Illicit substances such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin are not part of this initiative and should not be brought to the collection points.

For more information on this event, please contact Detective Robert McFetridge of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 207-882-7332 rmcfetridge@co.lincoln.me.us or your local police department.

Donations can be dropped off at the Durham Center for Senior Life, 406 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC through November 23, 2010.

For those interested in making a donation toward the purchase of these items, you may send a check to the address listed above, and we will happily shop for you.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:  Juanita Allen Nelson, Director of Social Services, Durham Center for Senior Life @ (919) 688-8247 ext. 105  jnelson@dcslnc.org

The Senior Circus Day Celebration is sponsored by the Prince George’s County Department of Family Services Administration on Aging. This event is free to Prince Georges County residents 60 years and older. Please Join us at Watkins Regional Park located at; 301 Watkins Park Drive Upper Marlboro, MD on Friday September 17, 2010. Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. and it will end at 2:00 p.m.

 Activities will include lunch, fitness walks, line dancing, music and voter registration and much more. There will be vendors and exhibitors on location as well. For more information about this event you may contact the Senior Nutrition Program at 301-265-8475. Please come out and help make this event a huge success.

United Way is creating opportunities for a better life for all and we invite you to be a part of the change.

Proceeds benefit United Way of Marion County, Florida.

All eligible registrants will have the opportunity to win a trip for two to Super Bowl XLV in North Texas*. Visit http://liveunited.org/backtofootball/ for more information.

Anson County Sheriff Tommy Allen said, “Sometimes the simplest thing like giving a child a small stuffed animal for them to hold dries up tears and helps them get through some of life’s worst events.  We provide and share these with the police departments, domestic violence and the department of social services.”  The Sheriff said that his office has given away over one thousand of these stuffed animals to children since this project began over four years ago.  “We have Logan and his grandmother to thank for starting this project for us.”  The Sheriff said.

Logan told the Sheriff, “I’ve just got one thing to say, everyone should help children by giving toys and stuffed animals to the Sheriff.”  Logan is the son of Bruce and Kitt Goodwin of Wadesboro and will be in the third grade this year.  Diane said she wanted to especially thank the consignment shop, The Bean Stalk, in Wadesboro for their help in acquiring some of the stuffed animals.

Thank you Sheriff Tommy Allen for sharing this story with us.