Le Mars Fire-Rescue Fund Drive
Plymouth County Supervisors Buy New Defibrillators with Opioid Settlement Funds
Yesterday (Tuesday) the Plymouth County Board of Supervivors approved the purchase of three high-tech, LifePak defibrillators for three communities. Hinton, Remsen and Akron. The board is paying 138,000 dollars and the funds come from the county’s share of the national opioid settlement. Supervisors approved the purchase of a LifePak 35, the newest model, for Le Mars at their last meeting.
Chair of the Plymouth County Supervisors Don Kass says the technical level of the LifePaks varies depending the supportive technology available in each community.
The LifePaks provide clinically advanced therapy tools to improve CPR performance.
Kass notes that the new technology can help in many different kinds of emergencies.
The board also signed off a resolution to terminate Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Services by July 31st. Iowa has launched a new Behavioral Health and Disability Services system, effective July 1, to improve access to mental health, substance use, problem gambling, and disability support services.
Kass says there is a 30 day crossover in the programs so that business issues could be easily resolved.
Kass added that although he does not want to be pessimistic, he is concerned about the time needed for the new service to be up to speed.
Kass says he is conerned about having adequate transportation services in place for mental health care. However, Kass says he is more optimistic about the disablity side of the new plan, becuase the state did create more local connections for disablity services.
The state’s new mental health and disablity service consists of seven behavioral health districts, the integration of disability services into the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Center network, and the introduction of Behavioral Health System Navigators to connect individuals with services.
UNI Offers In-State Tuition to All Border States
The University of Northern Iowa is taking a step to benefit students across the Midwest. UNI will offer in-state tuition to new undergraduate students from all six states bordering Iowa beginning this fall. Families taking advantage of UNI’s Neighboring State Rate will save over $12,000 annually compared to paying traditional non-resident tuition.
The new rates are pending approval from the Iowa Board of Regents, which will consider them at its July 30 meeting.
