Drug Drop-Off Box

All citizens---regardless of residency---now have the option to dispose of unused, unwanted, surplus, orphaned and expired medicines by depositing them in the new drug drop-off box located at the main Joplin Police Station. This free service is provided by the sponsorship of the Environmental Task Force of Jasper and Newton Counties, Crowder College Career Institute, Missouri Department of Transportation; and a partnership between The Alliance of Southwest Missouri-Safe Teens Initiative and the City of Joplin. Police officers will take possession of the drugs placed in the drop-off box and then dispose of them through incineration.

Crystal Ipock-Ludiker, Safe Teens Coordinator said, "We are doing this because teen prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse is on the rise. Surprisingly, research shows that teens get the drugs from family medicine cabinets!"

Joplin Police Officer Aaron Gooch further stated, "We encourage citizens to routinely clean out their medicine chests and be aware of drugs left behind in refrigerators, drawers, shelves, pantries, vehicles, and handbags---anyplace where children or thieves can gain access."

The program does not accept syringes, lancets, needles (also known as sharps) or illicit controlled substances (such as marijuana or methamphetamine.) For sharps disposal methods, contact Joplin City Hall at 624-0820 Ext. 501. If individuals find or desire to surrender an illicit controlled substance, they should call Joplin Police at 623-3131 rather than risk handling or transporting the substances. Police will respond and handle such materials as abandoned property in accordance with their standard policy.

The drop-off box is located in front of the Police desk inside the Donald Clark Justice Center, 303 East 3rd Street. Deposits can be made anonymously between 8 a.m. and midnight, Monday through Friday except on City designated holidays.

In order to reach even more area residents, a national mobile take back collection is scheduled in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration for Saturday, October 29th between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the Carthage Fire Department, Stones Corner Pharmacy, Walgreens at 20th & Range Line Road and 7th & Maiden Lane, and Neosho Advantage Health Care. This event is sponsored by The Alliance of Southwest Missouri-Safe Teens Initiative, Neosho Area Coalition, Carthage Caring Communities, The Environmental Task Force of Jasper and Newton Counties, and the City of Joplin.

For additional information regarding these events and future drop-off box locations, contact Officer Aaron Gooch or Mary Anne Phillips at the City of Joplin, 417-624-0820, or Crystal Ipock-Ludiker at The Alliance, 417-782-9899, www.theallianceofswmo.org.

Jasper County Jail Count

? October 4, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

Actually turned on the furnace to knock off the chill the other night. ‘Course as we all know, in these parts you can’t count on anything. Better not pull the air conditioner yet.

But it’s at least a sign that the summer worries are about over. You know, the lawn mower, dandelions, allergies, tomato plants, and all those projects you put off last fall and promised you’d get done this summer.

Now you’ve got more important things to worry about. Just gettin’ through all the advertisements for rakes and weather strip and caulkin’ guns and heat tape and antifreeze should be enough to keep you busy well into November, when you can begin to worry about antifreeze, snow shovels, jumper cables, furnace filters, daylight savings, cold medicine... there’s always somethin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Weekly Column

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• There are many uses for empty Tic Tac containers. Here are three: Wrap with pretty paper and use as a tiny vase for a single-stem flower. Or, use them to separate small scrapbooking supplies. Last, thread two needles with a length of thread -- one white and one black. Poke the needles through a small square of paper and wrap the thread around the paper. Slip into the container for a travel sewing kit.

• Need your nails to dry in a hurry? Use the cool setting on your hair dryer. It works really fast. -- L.E. in Georgia

• To get a couple more days out of your cat litter, clean the box out and mix in a cup of baking soda.

• Remove mildew from plastic shower curtains by spraying them with a mix of bleach and water, or just toss them in the washing machine with your next load of towels.

• We have a playroom, and the kids argue about who made what mess and who should clean up which toys. We made a cleaning schedule for the room, having one or two children per day responsible to clean up at the end of the day. It was a rough start, but the kids have learned to clean up as they go rather than leave a big mess for someone else (payback is not kind). -- A Mom, via email

• If your vacuum has a paper filter, spray it with your fave perfume or essential oil. It will blow into the air as you vacuum, leaving behind a pleasant scent.