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Senator Howard Marklein's Weekly E-Update
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Fall Clean Your Old Medications

Statewide Drug Take-Back Day Is October 22, 2016
Saturday, October 22, 2016 is one of the semi-annual, statewide Drug Take-Back days in Wisconsin.  On this day, law enforcement throughout our state will be collecting old medications and prescription drugs so they can be disposed of safely to prevent them from landing in the hands of someone who might abuse them or in a way that harms our environment. It is a good reminder for each of us to go through our medicine cabinets and households to collect old, expired, unused medications and take them to a safe disposal site in our community.
 
Most disposal sites will accept:
  • controlled and uncontrolled substances,
  • over-the-counter medications,
  • ointments,
  • patches,
  • creams,
  • non-aerosol sprays,
  • vials,
  • pet medications.
Most disposal sites do not accept:
  • needles,
  • sharps,
  • aerosols,
  • inhalers
  • medical waste
Check with your local site to confirm the items they are willing to dispose of for you.  For more information on guidelines, special events and drug disposal in Wisconsin, please visit http://www.doseofrealitywi.gov/.
 
Safe drug disposal is very important because it keeps powerful drugs out of the hands of someone who may abuse them or sell them. Old prescriptions in your cabinets are prime temptations for young people to steal, sell or take to parties where miscellaneous, random prescription drugs are abused. According to the Green County Department of Health, 70% of all abused prescriptions are taken from family and friends. Statistics show that many heroin users start by abusing prescription opioids like oxycodone, Vicodin and other common painkillers that are often prescribed following routine surgeries.
 
Unfortunately, many people do not understand the extreme danger of abusing prescription drugs. They assume that prescription medications are “safe” because they are prescribed by doctors. But they do not understand that over-dosing and mixing medications can be lethal.
 
Safe drug disposal is also important to protect our environment.  Flushing drugs down the toilet contaminates our water supply. Municipal water treatment can’t remove some very powerful medications from our water.  It is also important to keep them out of landfills where they leech into water and may be consumed by animals.
 
If you have ongoing prescriptions and medications that you keep in your home, consider keeping them in locked storage. For more information on techniques to secure your medications, please contact your county health department or visit http://www.lockyourmeds.org/.
 
Grant and Juneau counties are holding special events for Drug Take-Back Day in addition to the permanent sites in each county:
 
In Grant County, take your medications to the following locations on 10/22/16, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.:
Hazel Green Village Hall – 1610 Fairplay Street, Hazel Green
Livingston Village Hall – 220 W. Barber Ave., Livingston
Bloomington Township Garage – 534 State Hwy 35, Bloomington
 
In Juneau County, take your medications to the following location on 10/22/16, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Riverside Park, Mansion Street, Mauston
 
While Drug Take-Back Day is an official event this month, all of the counties of the 17th Senate District have permanent drug disposal boxes that are available nearly every day of the year.  

Click on the link for each county's disposal sites with their days and hours of operation:

Grant County

Green County

Iowa County

Juneau County

Lafayette County

Monroe County

Richland County

Sauk County

Vernon County


Thank you for taking time to fall clean your medicine cabinet to protect the people in your life and the environment in which we live. Drop-off your old medications today!
Have you ever heard of a Pharm-Party? It's a party where teenagers take random prescription drugs for fun.  

Dangerous Fun.

Click on the image  for a video from www.doseofrealitywi.gov.



Every parents' nightmare.

Click on the image for another eye-opening video from www.doseofrealitywi.gov
Rep. Travis Tranel and Sen. Marklein helped out at the Second Harvest Mobile Foodbank co-sponsored by Alliant Energy in Patch Grove.  They helped to distribute approximately 6,000 pounds of food to approximately 100 people. Second Harvest distributes food every month in Patch Grove on the second Tuesday of the month.  Click here for a full list of mobile food pantries in our area.  Pictured above are the volunteers who assisted with the Food Pantry.
Sen. Marklein met with local members of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities in Dodgeville on October 12, 2016 to learn more about their ideas and priorities for the next legislative session.  Pictured above: Sen. Marklein with Gary McCrea, President, Village of Benton.

Sen. Marklein was also honored to received the Legislative Champion Award from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities for my work with local leaders during the last session.  
Sen. Marklein attended the Fennimore Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting on October 13, 2016.  The featured speaker was Drew Nussbaum, Regional Tourism Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Pictured: Drew Nussbaum, Rep. Travis Tranel, Sen. Howard Marklein and Linda Parrish. Photo courtesy of Robert Callahan, Editor, Fennimore Times.

Property Values Up 3% Statewide

Recent data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) shows the value of taxable property statewide had a 2016 value of $505.1 billion, which is an increase of 3.0% from 2015.
 
Preliminary Full-Market ("Equalized") Property Values by County in the 17th Senate District and Percent Change ($ billions) 
County 2015 Total Value 2016 Total Value Percent Change
Grant $3.0 $3.07 2.3%
Green $2.72 $2.83 4.2%
Iowa $1.89 $1.93 2.1%
Juneau $1.92 $1.97 2.8%
Lafayette $1.08 $1.12 4.3%
Monroe $3.04 $3.17 4.2%
Richland $1.07 $1.11 3.8%
Sauk $6.83 $6.90 1.1%
Vernon $1.84 $1.91 3.5%
Data provided by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Copyright © 2016 State Senator - 17th Senate District, All rights reserved.


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