Thursday, February 14, 2019

In the News: opioid deaths down 4% in MA; another solar system in planning for Franklin

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Opioid deaths down 4% from prior year
"Deaths from opioid-related overdoses declined in 2018 for the second consecutive year, according to state figures released Wednesday that officials said showed signs of progress in the fight against an epidemic that took nearly 2,000 lives last year. 
Total confirmed and estimated opioid-related deaths dropped from 2,056 in 2017 to 1,974 in 2018, or about 4 percent. From 2016 to 2017, the figure decreased 2 percent. 
The death rate is still significantly higher than it was before it began climbing rapidly at the start of the decade, but state officials said two straight years of decreases should be seen as evidence that efforts to support treatment programs, to improve access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, or Narcan, and to raise awareness about the risks of addiction are working. 
“When you look from 2016 to now, we are making progress,” Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said Wednesday after a meeting of the Public Health Council. “We are making progress and fighting this devastating opioid epidemic. We’ve seen a 6 percent decrease, we know the efforts we have in place are beginning to work, and importantly, to me, from a public health point of view, we have to continue our sustained work to bring those deaths down further.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190213/mass-opioid-deaths-total-nearly-2000-in-18

SAFE Coalition - local support for substance abuse
SAFE Coalition - local support for substance abuse

Another solar system in planning for Franklin
"A California company is proposing a 2-megawatt, ground-mounted solar array that would occupy 15 acres off Summer Street. 
A public hearing to discuss the proposal from Santa Monica, California-based Cypress Creek Renewables is planned for 7:20 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Franklin Municipal Building’s Town Council Chambers. 
The town has teo existing arrays - on Union Street and at Tri-County Regional Vocational High School - and three others in the proposal stage. 
Nicolas Galletout, project developer at the company, doing business as Simi Solar, LLC, is continuing to expand to the East Coast, with specific attention to Massachusetts."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190214/another-solar-array-proposed-for-franklin

the solar farm at Mount St Mary's Abbey as it was being installed in Aug 2013
the solar farm at Mount St Mary's Abbey as it was being installed in Aug 2013

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