USDA Launches Interactive Data Tool to Help Rural Communities Address the Opioid Crisis
New Community Assessment Tool Empowers Rural Leaders to Make Data-Driven Decisions to Build Resilient Communities
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched an interactive data tool to help community leaders build grassroots strategies to address the opioid epidemic.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural America in addressing this monumental challenge,” Hazlett said. “Local leaders in small towns across our country need access to user-friendly and relevant data to help them build grassroots solutions for prevention, treatment and recovery.”
The opioid misuse Community Assessment Tool enables users to overlay substance misuse data against socioeconomic, census and other public information. This data will help leaders, researchers and policymakers assess what actions will be most effective in addressing the opioid crisis at the local level.
The Community Assessment Tool is free and available to the public. It can be accessed on USDA’s Rural Opioid Misuse Webpage or at opioidmisusetool.norc.org.
USDA’s launch of the Community Assessment Tool closely follows President Trump’s declaration of October as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. Approximately 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017; 49,000 of those deaths involved an opioid. Many of these deaths have been fueled by the misuse of prescription pain medications. The severity of the current opioid misuse crisis requires immediate action.
Rural Development partnered with the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis at NORC at the University of Chicago to create the Community Assessment Tool. NORC at the University of Chicago is a non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business and policy decisions. Today, government, corporate and nonprofit organizations around the world partner with NORC to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. The Walsh Center focuses on a wide array of issues affecting rural providers and residents, including health care quality and public health systems.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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Author Gary D. Bergquist announces the release of ‘Brambles’
LANDER, Wyo. – Gary D. Bergquist and wife Lenore never had a shortage of stories to tell around the dinner table. They loved sharing and recording few tales for their posterity. One of which is “Brambles” (published by Xlibris), a children’s book about overcoming challenges and accepting oneself.
Brambles the bumblebee had a challenge all his very own. The queen bee said the hive had an even bigger challenge. They were almost out of honey, and winter was coming. Everyone was worried that they would not have enough to eat. Will the hive find enough flowers in time? Will Brambles be allowed to help?
“We all have challenges. [The book] allows the reader to see how others’ challenges are faced and conquered,” the author expresses.
Full of relatable children’s adventure along with illustrations and lessons that every child should learn, the book shows readers how Brambles conquered the challenges that came his way with positivity and determination.
“Brambles”
By Gary D. Bergquist
Hardcover | 8.5x11 in | 44 pages | ISBN 9781984543813
Softcover | 8.5x11 in | 44 pages | ISBN 9781984543820
E-Book | 44 pages | ISBN 9781984543837
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Gary D. Bergquist was part of the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps. He was also a Russian communications analyst. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business management. He was a husband for 37 years, a father of six grown children and a grandfather of 19. His collection of children’s fiction includes, “Coral Cove and Rudy's Big Discovery,” “Giraffes on the Loosa in Tallapoosa” and “Brambles.”
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
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Gov. Gary R. Herbert issues Executive Order declaring state of emergency in advance of potential flooding
SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 2, 2018) – Gov. Gary R. Herbert issued an Executive Order this afternoon declaring a state of emergency due to potential flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for much of Utah as what remains of Tropical Storm Rosa moves across the state. Communities near burn scars created by recent wildfires are at increased risk for flash flooding and debris flow.
The governor issued the following statement:
"Our communities, state agencies and Utah National Guard have been in lock step in their preparations for this storm. I am grateful for their efforts, as well as the efforts of volunteers who have stepped in to help fill and place sandbags. As we continue to work together, we will do everything we can to protect life and property. I urge all residents in at-risk areas to heed all warnings and orders from local public safety officials."
You can view the Executive Order here.
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A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.
SURVEY NONSENSE. Don’t we all just love surveys that give zero sum options to respondents? A group called GenForward partnered with the prestigious University of Chicago to ask Millennials their views on the issues that will drive their votes, including education. These 18-24-year-olds think more progress was made under Obama in education than during Trump, (because they remember or because they were told?) and have a less than favorable view of Ed Sec Betsy DeVos. In isolation the survey finds that millennials like charters and vouchers, but when given a choice as to which would most likely improve public education, they strongly prefer strengthening unions and paying more money. This is the kind of public opinion analysis (push polls they are called, because they push a point of view) that really gives the profession a bad name (and the university, I might add). This stuff is hard folks; the issues complex. It takes more than a flippant inquiry of very green young people to determine public opinion.
SPEAKING OF MONEY… Despite record education spending in K-12 ($620 Billion and roughly $12,500 per student), money is a big issue in these elections. Some states have low per pupils, even though the funds they spend are up. What gives, you say? It’s called bloat, according to EdChoice. Bureaucracy has increased dramatically more than teachers, and teachers more than enrollment.
ABOUT THOSE ELECTIONS? Wherever there are elections, there will most assuredly be candidates paying lip service to their own interpretations of “education reform” or “educational improvement.” Naturally, many politicians favor the abstract concepts of “building better schools,” “accountability,” and an old favorite, “doing what’s best for our kids.” But do these lofty statements on education make these candidates more likely to support what’s best for kids? Most of the time, like polls, it’s all lip service. CER produced this handy Candidate Meter to help you determine the score on your local candidates at all levels. Wondering how to spot a real champion of education opportunity and innovation? When speaking of education, the real education opportunity advocate emphasizes the need for educational options and Parent Power; advocates for transformation will talk about student centered learning, ensuring student outcomes are measured by competency vs. seat time. Charter school advocates will argue that there need to be more, not fewer charters, and that it’s time to allow numerous organizations to create them and support their efforts.
Conversely, if a candidate reform isn’t for them, and insists that money and support for our teachers is enough, you’ve likely got a wolf in sheep’s clothing and you might want to reconsider how you are voting. CER’s ED50, coming soon, will help you with your votes on gubernatorial candidates. Keep your eyes on this spot!
ED TECH LEADERS TALK. Want to know what ed and tech are all about? Listen to podcasts brought to you by the Boston Search Group (BSG)’s Todd Hand, from Google’s Jamie Casap, EdTech Exec and former MA Gov. Jane Swift, Edmentum’s Jamie Candee, to CER’s own Jeanne Allen. Plus check out the wealth of info BSG provides while you’re there.
THIS WEEK’s GUEST ON REALITY CHECK... Tommy Thompson has spent decades of his career bringing people of all stripes together to solve problems, from his time as governor of Wisconsin from 1987 to 2001, to his service as Secretary of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush, to his role as a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs and lawmakers alike and as a voice in his community and for many across the country. Throughout his life and across all his initiatives and efforts Thompson has remained a staunch and relentless advocate for improving health and expanding opportunity. This week on Reality Check former Governor Tommy Thompson sits down to discuss the beginnings and condition of education and opportunity in America, as well as some of his newest ideas to increase economic prosperity for some seldom thought-of candidates.
ISS AMERICA. The newly crowned Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin will join CER’s 25th Anniversary Summit and Gala Dinner as keynote speaker, to share her vision for education and her commitment to making that part of her crowning year.
Visit edreform.com for the full list of attendees, honorees and speakers, and stay tuned for further information about the event. Rooms are filling up fast—book yours today.
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
