Elected officials presented annual State of Linn County address

Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers gave the main address to a crowd of 200 people at the 11th annual State of the County luncheon at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids on April 20 during National County Government Month.

New this year, Linn County’s other elected officials also spoke about initiatives within their offices, including the Linn County Attorney, Auditor, Recorder, Treasurer, and Sheriff’s Office. The event was open to the public and hosted by the League of Women Voters of Linn County.

The event highlighted Linn County’s initiative to embrace an internal culture transformation to create a customer-centered culture throughout all county departments. The work will be guided by Linn County’s new five-year strategic plan that focuses on customer satisfaction, high quality of life, and financial health.

Save money on prescription medications

Do you or your pet have a prescription not covered by insurance? The National Association of Counties (NACo) Prescription Discount Card Program might help reduce the cost. Linn County residents save an average of 24% off the full retail cost of prescription medications that are not covered under a traditional insurance plan.

The discount cards are free to Linn County residents and are available online or at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center and the Linn County Community Services Building.

The discount cards can be used immediately at participating pharmacies on prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. Since launching the program in 2006, more than 21,000 Linn County residents have used the discount card and saved more than $648,000 on prescription medications.

Safely dispose of prescription, over-the-counter medications on Saturday 

This Saturday, April 30, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft.

The Sheriff’s Office will collect potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted medications for destruction at three different locations throughout Linn County from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a free service that will help keep your home safe and could even save lives.

The collection sites include:

• Alburnett Fire Department, 120 N Main Ave, Alburnett
• Linn County Sheriff’s Office (West Parking Lot), 310 2^nd Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids
• Fairfax Fire Department, 523 Vanderbilt St., Fairfax

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.