Autism awareness month seems to be fulfilling its purpose. Michigan and Alaska as of 2012 are now a part of the other 29 states to require insurance to offer treatment for autistic people. An event called Buddy Day enables an experience for Mason high school students to interact and become more aware of autism with the Heartwood students. Learn more about the Michigan autism spectrum disorder state plan and the autism insurance legislation.

Sandy Stacy stands with the receptacle and new instruction sign at Mason Courthouse.

Ingham County Chronicle staff writer

INGHAM COUNTY—A new way of disposing of medication, prescription drugs and controlled substances is making its way to Ingham County as soon as June 1.

Ten locations in Ingham County are soon to have controlled medication disposal receptacles, allowing citizens a safe, protected way to dispose of old prescription drugs.

Meridian Township, the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, and Mason Police Station are three locations in the area that have received resources to start the program early and begin collecting unwanted drugs.

John Stressman, Mason Police chief and chairman of Capitol Area Prescription Drug Task Force, a group whose purpose is to reduce incidences of prescription drug abuse through education and community interaction, said that so far, the program has been very successful and the public has responded well.

“We were real anxious to get it going,” Stressman said. “When we got this opportunity we had to jump on it.”

According to Stressman, the Ingham County Health Department has looked to what Mason Police have started doing as an example. He said with evaluation of the current situation, Ingham County is finding ways improve what is currently being done.

Over the past few months the receptacle has been in place, Mason police been receiving prescription and nonprescription drugs because of the lack of a better place for citizens to dispose of their medication.

“Now it appears we will take in the controlled narcotics, but the nonprescription drugs will go in another receptacle,” Stressman said.

Amy Moore with the Ingham County Health Department estimates involvement with about 12 pharmacies in the area. She said she believes these locations will be most convenient and will have the most effective for dropoffs of noncontrolled substances that still need to be disposed of.

“The goal of this project is that we would have medication disposals within each community at all times, not just one time events like Recycle Rama.” Moore said. “It makes more sense if (citizens) can just drop their medicine off at the pharmacy when (they) are picking up a prescription anyways.”

Moore said Ingham County is emulating a similar program in west Michigan. It is taking the lead from this already successful program and focusing on the non-chain pharmacies in each community, while also making extra efforts to reach out to chains such as Meijer, CVS and Walmart.

Finding pharmacies to have take-back receptacles is made more difficult because of laws regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA. These laws are associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which protects confidential medical information and other national mandated rules that limit where and how drugs can be disposed of.

Moore said because of these strict laws people have had trouble knowing what to do with medication in the past.

“Because there are so many rules about what to do with controlled substances, medication is getting stockpiled in our homes and our medicine cabinets,” Moore said. “ People know they can’t flush it, they know they’re not supposed to put it in the trash, but they don’t really know what to do with it.”

Michael Allen, a toxicologist with the Ingham County Health Department said that taking part in this program is not something that citizens need to be convinced to participate in.

“The public is what has been pushing for this,” Allen said, “People are calling and really wanting a place to dispose of their meds.”

The potential of environmental pollution is another big factor. Allen said although the overall amount of medicine that makes it into streams and rivers is small, people are aware that these aren’t good things to have “floating around.”

“These are drugs that are designed to do something to the body, and even though these might be in low levels in water they are at levels enough to make an effect. So we want to get them out,” Allen said.

Another big part of the push for the program is to get old, unwanted and addictive medications out of medicine cabinets, according to Allen.

A recent national study done by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation showed that one in four teens misused or abused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime. According to the study, this is a 33 percent increase over the past five years.

Working against these statistics is the Ingham County Substance Abuse Coalition, a group which works to prevent risky behaviors associated with addiction, particularly in youth.  Coordinator Kim Thalison said a program like the one soon to be implemented in Ingham County is vital because it is the best way to dispose of drugs safely.

“The very front line for prevention is to decrease the accessibility of dangerous drugs,” Thalison said. “So that’s why the take-back opportunities are so important.”

Earlier this month, Ingham county residents had the opportunity to participate in Recycle Rama, a biannual recycling event that took back a multitude of unique items including unwanted medication.

The DEA periodically has drug take-back events, similar to Recycle Rama. On April 27, which is the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, they will be set up at three locations in Ingham County where residents can bring unwanted medication until more permanent sites in the county are set up.

 
Injuries are nothing new in the sports world. Athletes are no strangers to sprains, strains, contusions, concussions and broken bones. In recent years, injuries amongst female athletes have been going up, especially lower leg injuries. The three most dangerous sports when it comes to these lower leg injuries are soccer, volleyball and basketball.

Percentage of Injuries to the knee by sport.

Examples of lower leg injuries are ankle sprains and strains, hip problems, foot problems, shin splints, pulled muscles, and the knee. The knee often suffers the worst injuries such as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and meniscus. The reason the knee is seen as the worst body part to injure is because often it results in a need for surgery.

Percentage of ACL injuries requiring surgery by sport.

Injuries that require surgery.

Doctors have yet to fully figure out why it is that girls are more susceptible to these lower-leg injuries, but they do have ideas. To learn why a female athlete is more susceptible and what precautionary steps can be taken to lower the risk, watch the video above.

Most common injury categories for cheer.

Most common injury categories for soccer.

Injury percentage breakdown for soccer.

Most common injury categories for basketball.

INGHAM COUNTY—The Garden Project has expanded its opportunities and resources for gardeners and has expanded to seven counties this season with the new merger of the Mid-Michigan Food Bank.

With the expansion, The Garden Project has refocused that assistance to help the whole community. The Garden Project provides resources for gardeners and food for the community members through the garden project.

“We really like the fact the community gardens together,” said Valley.

Currently, The Garden Project is gearing up for spring planting. Gardeners and volunteers are clearing debris and spreading mulch so gardeners can plant as soon as the ground thaws.

The Garden Project Gardens and Growers Coordinator Neal Valley said the new gardens will be located in every corner of our gradation. Gardens are located in Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Clare and Isabella county.

The Garden Project will now offer workshops and classes to help people improve and gain skills to become successful gardening.

“The training process has just ended and there are about 75 unique participants that that have gone through,” Julie Lehman, garden program coordinator, said.

These participants will teach gardeners how to better engage with their community or build a garden from scratch. Gardeners will learn how to organize gardening events to build and sustain their gardens as well assign roles in their community.

“We are opening an incubator farm to teach others hands on how to grow and market the food so it can be profitable for their families,” said Sarah Szwejda, Lansing’s Food Bank volunteer coordinator.

Gardeners can use the resource center if eligible which offers free seeds, seedlings, tool borrowing and gardening and cooking information.

Tree dying of oak wilt. Photo courtesy of Roger Mech, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Michigan oak trees don’t have to worry just about getting cleared out for the construction of neighborhoods, homes, businesses and schools anymore. These days an oak tree’s biggest concern is a fungus known as oak wilt that constricts the water-conducting vessels.

According to Steve Martinko of Michigan Organic Tree Care, the first kind of infection occurs in the leaves and spreads through the branches, trunks and roots.

“The roots take the pathogen and disperse the infection like cancer,” said Martinko.

Once oak wilt infects a tree, there is no cure and the best thing to do is start protecting nearby trees from getting infected.

Infected oak leaf. Photo courtesy of Roger Mech, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

“Worst thing you can do is cut down a tree that has oak wilt without protecting other trees,” said Martinko.

One way for oak wilt to spread is through reverse osmosis. According to Martinko, reverse osmosis is when the water from the root system of the infected tree moves to the water system of the nearest tree. This can occur when an oak tree is cut down. Trenching can prevent it.

“People need to know that they need to trench around the diseased tree before they cut it down. That is where most of the problems lie,” said Martinko.

Open wound due to pruning on an oak tree. Photo courtesy of Roger Mech, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The second way for oak wilt to spread is through sap beetles. According to Martinko, sap beetles’ job is to patch up and heal open wounds caused by pruning.

“The beetles come to these trees for the sap and get the spores of the disease on their feet and spread it pretty readily,” said Ron Murray of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

According to Martinko, sap beetles are dormant throughout the winter and the times one has to worry is during those warm summer months.

“Best thing people can do is not prune their tree between April 15 and July 15,” said Murray.

Murray said that most tree-trimming companies are aware of this oak wilt time frame, but that the state Department of Natural Resources send letters out to remind people anyways.

The Sierra Club of Mid-Michigan is teaching people about oak wilt and trying to find ways to prevent the spreading of oak wilt in the state of Michigan.

Trees that were killed by oak wilt. Photo courtesy of Roger Mech, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

“We have been encouraging local governments on the city and county level to learn about the threat of oak wilt to our precious oak trees. Sierra Club is actively seeking legislation that will adopt a ban on cutting and pruning Michigan Oaks statewide from April through July,” said Mark Muhich of the Mid-Michigan Sierra Club.

“Oak trees are the ‘keystone species’ of the forests and urban landscapes of southern Michigan,” said Muhich. “Losing our oak trees to oak wilt, as is happening in Wisconsin and Minnesota, would be a catastrophe for Michigan.”

LANSING—Recycle Rama is free event that happens every spring and fall in Lansing. It offers an opportunity for citizens to recycle their larger, unique or unusual items they would not be able to recycle at other dropoff sites in the county.

The event that takes place this weekend on Saturday, April 13 in the Ingham County Health Department parking lot, located at 5303 S. Cedar St.

“The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and cars start lining up around 8 a.m.” Amy Ann Moore from the Ingham County Health Department said. “There’s a huge turn out and it is very organized. There are over 200 individual volunteers that make the event happen.”

On Saturday, a variety of items will be taken including batteries, computers, TV’s, scrap metal, unwanted medicine, clothing and more.

Environmental specialist for the City of Lansing Lori Welch said there is a huge variety of items dropped off but the most popular station is one that takes “e-waste” where people can recycle their old electronics.

“(Recycle Rama) gives people a great opportunity to purge old items, do spring cleaning and deal with materials in an environmentally responsible way,” Welch said.

Welch said she hopes as many people as possible take advantage of this free recycling opportunity.

“It’s an awesome example of regional partners working together to bring a wonderful event to the community,” Welch said. “Local residents or really anyone, can bring items that are not easily recycled in a curbside recycling program.”

The Ingham County Pet Food Bank is funded by the county, but it is largely donation based.Food is extremely scarce at Ingham County pet food banks, and county shelters are asking for food donations to restock shelves.

By Tyler Clifford
Ingham County Chronicle staff writer

INGHAM COUNTY—Food banks at the Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter in Mason and the Outreach Center in Lansing provide food for low-income families to give their pets.

Ingham County residents visiting the Mason animal shelter for many services on April 3.

County residents seek assistance from the food banks for many reasons especially because they are low income, or have lost their jobs.

After donating time, money, and food to the Mason shelter for many years, Jackie Gates said she has found gratification in volunteering at the shelter for the past three years.

“We provide food for low-income people in the city so that they don’t have to surrender their pets to the shelter,” said Gates.  “It keeps their animals in their homes as opposed to having to give them up because they can’t feed them.”

Three times a year, residents are able to get enough food to last them a month and a half, according to Mason shelter office coordinator Teresa Carter.  The Mason food bank gets about three visitors a week.

“A lot of people go to the Outreach Center and they are most definitely out of food,” Carter said Wednesday.  “A lot of people out there unfortunately can’t drive and they can’t get here to the shelter to get food.”

Pet food to be prepared for in-house animals at the Mason animal shelter.

The animal control is funded by the county and purchases some food.  But the food bank feeds the animals housed at the shelter, as well.

“We go through periods it seems like when there’s a real need,” Gates said.  “If we have a full house and we’re using stocks that are donated, then the food bank takes a hit.”

“It’d be nice to open more centers, but I don’t see that happening in the near future,” Carter said.

From left to right: volunteer Maria Vandenboom, volunteer Jackie Gates, and Mason animal shelter office coordinator Teresa Carters care for in-house animals on Wednesday, April 3.

With cuts in fiscal resources, social worker and shelter volunteer Maria Vandenboom said she is concerned about the stability of the resources provided at the county animal control.

“It limits the resources in staff and special supplies required to house and care for farm animals,” Vandenboom said.  “Until you work at a shelter and you’re at a shelter, you don’t take into account the cleaning and the care.”

INGHAM COUNTY—Four new officials were appointed to the county’s Equal Opportunity Committee March 19.

Tiyah Isom-Morris, Anthony Snyder, and Isaias Solis were appointed to the committee for terms expiring on Sept. 30, 2013. James Wilkes was appointed to a term expiring on Sept. 30, 2014. Each of these individuals expressed a high interest in making sure there is is equality in the Ingham County workforce.

Commissioner Sarah Anthony is not part of the County Services Committee, but she was present on the board in support of the candidates. Anthony is also a member of the Equal Opportunity Committee.

“I am here just to say that each of these candidates work hard and are active in our community. I have personally worked with Mr. Solis and from that, I believe they are all fit for the committee,” said Commissioner Anthony.

The committee was created in April 1998 to assure that equality within the community. The committee advises the board of commissioners in monitoring affirmative action plans. Over the past couple years, the committee has dwindled.
“I am delighted to see how these individuals carry out their positions, I am sure they will do well,” said Commissioner Deb Nolan.

The sign in front of the plaza

“The César E. Chavez Plaza,” formerly known as Lot 56 in Old Town, Lansing, will soon be decorated with an arch in memorial of César E. Chavez.

Maria Starr, 56, president of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement in the Greater Lansing Area, hopes to raise more than $10,000 to build the arch. “The arch will be styled in the same way of the London Bridge and will have engraved ‘César E. Chavez Plaza’ on an iron rod over the structure,” said Starr.

The fundraiser will be March 30. This is the council’s third annual fundraiser. They began when Lot 56 was renamed “The César E. Chavez Plaza.” “What was called Lot 56 has been used for events like jazz performances and other festivities. The arch will make this area seem less like a parking lot and more like what it is actually used for,” said Starr.

Starr remembers visiting this area, on the north side of Lansing, when she said it was mostly filled with Latino businesses. Chavez is recognized as a Latino who “decided to have a voice,” said Starr. Chavez stood up for Latino field workers who were treated poorly.

“Growing up, we weren’t vocal. We would simply do what we were told. The second and third generation started learning about civil rights and standing up for yourself,” said Starr, who is also Latino.

The chapter educates diverse people about civil rights, voter education, immigration and more.

Chavez wanted respect and equality for field workers, unlike the hardship and injustice he experienced in his childhood. The Ingham County Board of Commissioners has declared March 31, 2013, as “Cesar E. Chavez Day.” The day would have been his 86th birthday. He died in 1993.

The fundraiser for the “The César E. Chavez Plaza” arch will take place at 426 Clare St., Lansing. It will begin with a dinner at 6 p.m. followed by a presentation and dancing ending at midnight. Tickets will be $10 at the door and children 12 or younger will be free.