August 6, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Opinion Page “ElkCituNews Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Dispose of drugs safely Muskogee Phoenix, Okla. Local residents have the perfect opportunity on Satur- day to clean out their medicine cabinets and dispose of old medications safely at the Prescription Drug Take Back and Sharps Collection Event. “Residents can bring their unwanted, unused or expired medication for safe disposal. In addition, used and unused needles, syringes, and lancets stored in a puncture proof container will be accepted at this event,” said Lindsey Roberts, regional prevention director at Neighbors Build- ing Neighborhoods. The Muskogee Community Anti-Drug Network, a pro- gram of Neighbors Building Neighborhoods, is a coali- tion of volunteers that seeks to prevent substance abuse in Muskogee. They recommend getting rid of old medica- tions no longer used or are out of date. Some people believe it’s safe to flush old medications or New boost for U.S. pour them down drains. Not so. Medicines that are flushed or poured down the drain can end up polluting water, im- pacting aquatic species, and contaminating food and water supplies. Putting them in the trash also can be dangerous. Chil- election securi dren or pets could find them and accidentally ingest them. Trash that makes its way to landfills also can contaminate groundwater. If you have any unwanted, unused or out-of-date medi- cations to get rid of, take them to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat- The Oklahoman, Okla- said, “I have seen a number ica’s vulnerable voting sys- how they approach election urday. Those medications will be safely destroyed by law homa City of challenges to our democ- tems,” Miller wrote. security” in the past three enforcement, Roberts said. Similar to his report to racy. The Russian govern- McConnell, R-Ky., has years, but that, “There is And, if you can’t make it to the event, the Muskogee Congress about the 2016 ment’s effort to interfere in blocked two bills recently, still much work that remains Police Department, as well as the Muskogee County Sher- presidential election, special our election is among the saying they’te redundant. to be done, however.” iff's Office, have disposal boxes. The one in the sheriff's prosecutor Robert Muel- most serious. This deserves He also notes that Congress One recommendation office is open during business hours during the week, but ler’s recent appearance be- the attention of every Amer- already has allocated about from the committee is for the one in the police department is in the lobby and is fore two House committees ican. They’re (the Russians) $380 million in the past year states and local jurisdictions available 24/7. served to further members’ doing it as we sit here. And to boost states’ election se- to replace outdated voting Don’t take chances with others’ lives. Dispose of medi- political causes. Demo- they expect to do it during curity. systems that are potential cations properly. crats continue to push for the next campaign.” However, last week the targets for cyberattacks (this impeachment _ proceedings wouldn’t apply to Oklaho- Oklahoma agency against President Trump, House Intelligence Commit- Several times before the Republican-led Senate In- telligence Committee re- ma, whose system is first- Republicans say it’s time to tee, Mueller cited the poten- leased its report on Russian rate). shifts continue move on. What may have gained from meddling by Russia $380 million is spent, Con- tial damage that could result meddling and said once that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the committee vice chair- The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City some momentum, however, and other U.S. enemies. gress should direct more man, said he hopes the re- Little by little, Gov. Kevin Stitt is getting what he asked is the issue of election se- Journalist Judith Miller, money and attention toward port drives home the point for on the campaign trail last year -- a much more direct curity, a topic Mueller was writing for City Journal, this issue. that “regardless of political hand in the oversight of Oklahoma’s largest state agen- firm about on a day when he suggests that Mueller’s ap- The report said elections party ... this threat remains cies. otherwise seemed addled. pearance could ramp up should continue to be locally urgent, and we have a re- Becky Pasternik-Ikard, CEO of the Oklahoma Health Mueller reiterated that pressure on Senate Majority run -- McConnell and others sponsibility to defend our Care Authority, which administers the state’s Medicaid Russia is already trying to Leader Mitch McConnell to have cited concerns about democracy against it.” program, announced her retirement this week effective mess with U.S. elections as allow votes on bills that seek federalizing elections -- but Miller argues that McCon- Oct. 1. This follows by about six weeks the abrupt and it did in 2016. His report had to strengthen our voting sys- suggested Congress could nell “may be able to dismiss immediate resignation of Joe Allbaugh as director of the said that “sweeping and sys- tems against interference. do more to help. prosecutor Mueller’s warn- Department of Corrections. temic” attacks were leveled “As the 2020 presidential The committee’s chair- ing, but ignoring the Senate The Legislature this year passed a bill giving the gov- against election infrastruc- election nears, Democrats man, Sen. Richard Burr, R- intelligence committee may ernor the power to hire and fire the heads of five agencies ture, along with a disinfor- may benefit from what they N.C., says election officials be harder.” In the months -- the OHCA, the DOC, the Department of Transporta- mation campaign on social portray as Republican indif- at the state and local levels ahead, we'll see whether tion, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, and the Department of media. Before Congress, he ference to protecting Amer- “have dramatically changed that proves true. Mental Health and Substance Abuses Services. The idea behind the change was to make the governor, instead of unelected board members, accountable for the agencies’ performance. A new escape route for domestic violence victims Stitt reappointed Steve Buck to lead the Office of Juve- nile Affairs. He also named Tim Gatz as the top official at ODOT, filling a vacancy that arose when the former executive director announced his retirement. In 2018, the Legislature had given the governor the The Oklahoman, Okla- and Infant Crisis Services The National Network class in September. Students power to appoint the head of the state’s largest agency, homa City and Oklahoma City Public to End Domestic Violence will attend full time for four the Department of Human Services. In early June, Stitt We have written a handful Schools. notes that ruined credit rat- months, then complete a used that tool to hire Justin Brown, CEO of a senior living of times since its opening in The services are all valu- ings and sporadic work his- two-month internship. company, to replace Ed Lake as DHS director. 2017 about the good work able. However, this new tories serve as impediments Domestic violence is a Lake, director since 2012, hadn’t resigned. Allbaugh done by Palomar, an Okla- education offering is par- to those who do escape abu- scourge, statewide and lo- and Pasternik-Ikard each chose to leave, although All- homa City facility that helps ticularly noteworthy be- sive relationships. cally. Oklahoma’s rate of baugh apparently clashed with his board after it was over- victims of domestic vio- cause completing it could This new program, called women killed by men ranks hauled under the new legislation. “They have a different lence, sexual assault, elder give victims of domestic Ctrl+Shift Code School, No. 11 nationally; in Okla- set of ideas than I do,” Allbaugh said in exiting after 3 1/2 abuse and human traffick- violence more confidence to will be the community’s ing. A new initiative under- leave the abusive relation- only full-time, immersive homa City, Palomar’s CEO years on the job. way merits further attention. ship for good. program of its kind and was told the city council recently Pasternik-Ikard, who became CEO in 2016 after join- ing the agency when it was created 22 years earlier, an- The Oklahoman’s Darla made possible through an One of the heart-wrench- that 911 dispatchers take nounced her retirement in a short email to employees. In Slipke wrote Sunday about ing themes played out so anonymous $50,000 dona- one domestic violence-re- a news release, she praised her workforce. “I know their a coding academy that will often in domestic violence tion. More donations are lated call every 15 minutes, exemplary work will continue in the days and years to provide Palomar’s clients cases is the inability of vic- being sought, with a goal of on average. Providing ad- come as they continue to work to provide health care to with an avenue to potential tims to pack up and move making this program self- ditional escape routes is im- Oklahomans, regardless of ability to pay,” she said. employment as software and out. Concerns about being sustaining. portant. The person who succeeds Pasternik-Ikard will oversee web developers. able to support themselves Survivors who enroll will The driving force be- more than 400 employees and manage a budget of more Palomar already offers or their children can be cen- pay nothing while in the hind the coding academy is than $6 billion. a range of free services to tral to that decision-making, program, but will pay back Bekah Mercer, Palomar’s Thus far, the state’s mental health agency, led ambi- those who enter its doors at a mindset often bolstered a part of the cost once they marketing director and head tiously by Commissioner Terri White since 2007, hasn’t 1140 N Hudson. These are by the abuser’s verbal put- graduate if they find em- of IT. “If we can empower been impacted by the new law. However, given the chang- provided by more than two downs and by their physical ployment as a developer. es seen thus far, no one should be surprised if White de- dozen community partners, Applications also are avail- them to find a new career actions, such as withhold- cides on her own to leave or is shown the door. ranging from the Oklaho- ing money and incurring able to the public; cost and one that means that they “With this legislation, we are ensuring Oklahoma’ gov- ma City Police Department enormous amounts of debt for those enrollees will be don’t have to ever depend ernment is truly accountable to the people of Oklahoma,” and the office of Oklahoma on joint accounts. Concerns $7,500. (Applications can on anybody else ever again,” Stitt said at the bill signing ceremony in March. Before County District Attorney about the partner not provid- be made at ctrl-shift.dev.) Mercer said, “then we’ve much longer he may have ownership across the board, David Prater, to the Region- ing child support also con- The first group of stu- given them something really with voters getting the final say on whether they approve. al Food Bank of Oklahoma tribute. dents is expected to begin special.” Amen to that.