In the May, 2010 Issue:
Dispose of Unused or Expired Prescription Drugs
Free event will help residents protect kids and the environment
The public is invited to bring expired or unused prescription drugs to a safe disposal event on Saturday, May 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This drive-through event will take place in front of the Carriage House at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, OR.
"No questions will be asked about who the prescription was made out to or the type or amount brought in," said Sheriff Diana Simpson. "This is a public safety issue. We want to keep unused prescription drugs from being misused and we also want to help keep them out of the water supply."
A number of national studies indicate that the intentional abuse of prescription drugs, particularly among teens, is a growing concern. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, among young people ages 12 – 17, prescription drugs have become the second most abused drug, behind marijuana.
Disposing of medications by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can lead to contamination of our drinking water. While most drugs can be treated at wastewater treatment plants, some cannot. Drugs collected at the public event will be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Individuals who bring drugs to the event are asked to keep the medications in their original containers, if at all possible, but to mark out any personal information such as name, phone number and prescription number prior to turning them in. Once collected the drugs will be catalogued by type to determine what was collected and then they will be incinerated.
The event is being organized by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the Philomath Police Department and the Benton County Fairgrounds. More information about this event is available on the Benton County Sheriff’s Office website at: www.co.benton.or.us/sheriff.
Use Fog Lights Correctly and Safely
With increasing numbers of vehicles on the road with fog or auxiliary lights, state transportation safety officials are reminding people to use vehicle lighting correctly and safely.
Fog lights are designed to be used at low speeds in fog, heavy mist, snow and other situations where visibility is significantly reduced. Front fog lights are generally aimed and mounted low to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface. In low visibility situations, fog lights should be turned off when an oncoming vehicle approaches. In normal visibility conditions, fog or auxiliary lights should be turned off.
"When a car is using fog or auxiliary lights, it’s very visually distracting for oncoming drivers," said Michele O’Leary with the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Division.
According to Oregon law, fog and/or auxiliary lights must be used like the high beam headlight system of your car. They must be turned off within 500 feet of approaching an oncoming vehicle and 350 feet when following another vehicle. The color of fog and/or auxiliary lights is also regulated. Fog lights may be either white or amber (yellow). Rules prohibit other colors such as blue.
If you car came equipped with auxiliary lighting, O’Leary recommends knowing where the switches are and how to use them.
If you plan to install fog and/or auxiliary lights as an after market feature, it is important to know that Oregon has adopted federal rules that all manufacturers must meet. Products must be labeled; anything that is labeled "not for street use" cannot be used on public roadways. Manufacturers must meet or exceed SAE and/or DOT manufacturing standards to market their products for street use.
For more information on vehicle equipment and standards, visit ODOT’s Transportation Safety website, www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/Veh_Equipment.shtml, or see the Oregon Driver Manual on the DMV website, www.oregondmv.com.
Courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation
Benton County Sheriff’s Office presents The 3rd Annual BCSO Chili Cook-Off
Benefiting We Care of Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon
Mark your calendars for September 12, 2010. BCSO will once again be holding its 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off benefiting We Care of Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon (We Care). The event will be held at the BC Fairgrounds from High Noon to 4:00 PM. Admission $5 (children 5 and under free); 1/2 off admission with your Military I.D.
The BCSO has been a strong supporter of We Care for many years, and has chosen this non-profit to be the beneficiary of this year’s event. Through your participation, the BCSO and We Care of Corvallis, Benton County will continue to make a difference in the lives of children and families Benton County.
What is We Care of Corvallis, Benton County Oregon? We Care provides compassionate financial assistance to Benton County residents in emergency need.
WHAT THEY DO:
We provide one-time financial assistance to residents of Benton County in emergency situations when:
- No other help is available from public or private sources
- It appears they will be able to manage successfully after a single assist.
More than 60% of assistance given affects children.
HOW THEY DO IT:
We Care's six-member volunteer board meets weekly to distribute funds. Requests are brought to the board by Community Services Consortium (CSC) in Corvallis. The board does not meet the persons seeking assistance. Requests are kept confidential. When assistance is granted, checks are made payable to the provider (landlord, power company, etc.) and not to the person receiving assistance.
HOW WE CARE FINDS OUT WHO NEEDS HELP? All requests are brought to We Care by Community Services Consortium (CSC). Religious organizations and individuals approached for help refer requests to CSC (Some requests come to We Care from other agencies such as Community Outreach and FISH.)
CSC staff is fully familiar with public and private resources and is experienced in helping those in distress. They ask appropriate questions and with the client's permission, talk to landlords, creditors, employers, etc. They can help determine if other assistance is available. This system discourages duplication, waste, and fraud, and encourages long term solutions. It helps to ensure that contributed funds are used for the most urgent needs. Greater than 99% of funds contributed go directly to those in need.
The Cook-Off will have teams from the Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Fire & Police Departments, Philomath Police Department and various other agencies and departments in Benton County and our community that will be competing to win the title of…
"Benton’s Best Rootin’ Tootin’ Shoot ‘em Up Chili"
There will be plenty of free chili samples for everyone to enjoy. Family friendly attraction include: Live music, door prizes, REACH Air Ambulance Helicopter, Fire trucks, Benton County Mounted Posse, K-9 Unit, Marine Patrol Unit, a bouncy house and more, will be on hand to enjoy.
For more information, please contact Event Coordinator Nicole Dodson at 231-3719 you can reach her by e-mail at: nicole.DODSON@co.benton.or.us
Nicole DodsonEvent Coordinator & Volunteer
Benton County Sheriff's Office
180 NW 5th Street
Corvallis OR 97330
541-231-3719 cell
The Benton County Sheriff's Mounted Posse
The Benton County Sheriff's Mounted Posse is a non-profit, volunteer organization under the command of Sheriff Diana Simpson.
The Posse was formed in 1946 with the intention of carrying on and assisting with the preservation of law and order, search and rescue, and the traditions, pageantry and horsemanship of the Old West. Today’s Posse integrates family, horses and enjoyable activities into a service oriented organization.
The Posse assists the sheriff with preservation of law and order by providing security, both on horseback and on foot, during a variety of events throughout the year including the Benton County Fair and Rodeo, the 4-H Horse Fair, and the Sheriff’s Chili Cook-off to name a few. Upon request the Posse also assists the Sheriff at crime scenes by providing support such as man-tracking and securing the perimeter for a crime scene or provides traffic control. The Posse is also available to assist the Sheriff if/when she needs additional resources during natural or man-made disasters, celebrations or other public events.
Search and rescue is a major part of the Posse’s training and covers a wide range of disciplines. Members and their horses can become SAR (Search and Rescue) certified after attending many hours of classes both indoors and in the field. Some of its members have also become certified in man-tracking.
Because the Benton County Posse takes pride in the services it provides to its community, its members feel it is necessary to provide the best trained personnel they can for the duties they perform. For this reason they spend many hours during the year training for their various responsibilities. To offset training costs, the posse has several fund raising activities annually, such as parking at the OSU football and basketball games, and fingerprinting for the Sheriff’s Office.
The Posse promotes good horsemanship and fosters family activities and annually donates to a variety of youth groups including 4-H, the Benton County Fair and Rodeo Court and other community groups.
These community values and activities are carried out with a strong sense of duty and commitment by its volunteer members.
