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Augusta City Council considering needle buyback program [Video]

OR EMAILS. IN AUGUSTA I’M JACKIE MUNDRY FOR MAINES TOTAL COVERAGE AUGUSTA – IS THE LATEST CITY CONSIDERING A “NEEDLE BUYBACK” PROGRAM. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE PILOT PROGRAM PORTLAND IS GETTING READY TO BEGIN – AND TODAY CATE MCCUSKER SAT DOWN WITH THE CITY COUNCILOR WHO HOPES TO BRING IT TO AUGUSTA. 00;02;45;07 – 00;03;10;26 “THESE THINGS ARE PILING UP OUT IN THE PUBLIC AREAS AND THEY’RE NOT GETTING PICKED UP. ” AFTER THE PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL PASSED A NEEDLE BUYBACK PROGRAM LAST MONTH – KEVIN JUDKINS SUGGESTED A SIMILAR EFFORT TO THE AUGUSTA CITY COUNCIL. 00;00;47;27 – 00;01;31;20 COUNCILOR KEVIN JUDKINS “IN ADDITION TO THEM EXCHANGING A NEEDLE WITH SOMEBODY, IF THEY COULD MAYBE THEN GIVE THEM LIKE A FIVE CENT DEPOSIT OR $0.05 ON THE NEEDLE THEY BROUGHT BACK.” HE SAYS THE CITY COULD PARTNER WITH EXISTING NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS AND OFFER A MONETARY INCENTIVE USING OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO CLEAN UP THE NEEDLES OFF THE STREETS. 00;02;01;02 – 00;02;25;03 “AND HOPEFULLY IF IF PEOPLE CAN PUT A LITTLE DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKET TO BUY A LUNCH OR WHATEVER, THAT THEY MIGHT BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT PICKING UP THEIR NEEDLES” JUDKINS USED TO OWN A BOTTLE REDEMPTION CENTER – AND HE SAYS A SIMILAR PROGRAM WAS HELPFUL IN CLEANING UP THAT LITTER IN THE AREA. 00;04;26;10 – 00;04;55;00 “SO IT KIND OF STRUCK ME AS IS, YOU KNOW, IT WORKED. THE BOTTLE LAW HAS ACTUALLY WORKED. I REMEMBER AS A YOUNGER PERSON GROWING UP AND SEEING LOTS OF THOSE, THAT TYPE OF LITTER AROUND OUR STREETS, AND WE DON’T SEE IT ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH ANYMORE” MAINEGENERAL IS ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS CURRENTLY OFFERING A SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAM IN THE CITY – AND THEY SAY IT WORKS TO MINIMIZE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE USE. WHILE THEY HAVE NOT YET REVIEWED THE CITY COUNCIL’S PLAN – THEY SAY ACCORDING TO THE CDC – NEEDLE EXCHANGES HELP REDUCE THE SPREAD OF DISEASES AND DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SYRINGES IN PUBLIC SPACES. JUDKINS SAYS THE COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO DISCU

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Burlington businesses optimistic for holiday season amid ongoing construction [Video]

DOCTOR ABOUT FINDING THE BEST MEDICINE AND DOSE THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU. BUSINESSES ALONG MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON ARE FACING THE CHALLENGES OF ONGOING CONSTRUCTION. CITY LEADERS AND LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE URGING RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING DOWNTOWN SHOPS. OUR YUNIER MARTINEZ SPENT THE DAY SPEAKING WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND CITY LEADERS. HE JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM BURLINGTON… YUNIER? BEHIND ME YOU CAN SEE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES EVERYWHERE BUT BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED (CENTER LOGO WIPE) FOR MONTHS- BUSINESSES ALONG MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON HAVE DEALT WITH ONGOING CONSTRUCTION WITH THE BUSY HOLIDAY SHOPPING getting started – CITY LEADERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ARE URGING LOCALS TO KEEP DOWNTOWN ON THEIR SHOPPING LIST. AT SKIRACK CUSTOMERS ARE FORCED TO TAKE DETOURS TO REACH THE STORE… AS BOTH SECTIONS OF MAIN STREET ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION JUST DOWN THE STREET AT DIRT CHIC… OWNER ANYA HUNEKE ALSO NOTES THE TOLL THE CONSTRUCTION HAS TAKEN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON HAS HEARD THE CONCERNS AND ARE BRINGING BACK ITS POPULAR HOLIDAY PARKING SERVICE THE CITY’S BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HOPES THESE EFFORTS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR VERMONTERS TO SHOP LOCALLY BOTH BUSINESS OWNERS AND CITY LEADERS ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY SEASON…AND EXPECT A LO

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VIDEO REPORT: Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi is seeing his emphasis on closing out games paying off [Video]

Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi jokes that hes started to resemble the cartoon character Bob the Builder during team meetings.Thats because in the two weeks since taking over as interim coach, hes been using construction equipment shovels, hard hats, lunch pails, etc. as symbolic props while preaching the blue-collar approach he wants the Saints to take toward filling the metaphorical hole they dug during a seven-game skid that led to coach Dennis Allens firing.Last week, he brought in a level as he discussed the need for the team to be prepared to play their best at the ends of games. You use a level at the end to make sure you finish off the work and the job is done right, Rizzi said.The Saints blew late leads several times during their skid. But since Rizzis promotion, the Saints won in Week 10 by protecting a 20-17 lead throughout the fourth quarter against Atlanta and won on Sunday by blowing open a 14-all tie with Cleveland in the final quarter for a 35-14 victory.As you watched that game, I think you saw a team that just continued to get more and more confident, said Saints versatile tight end Taysom Hill, who rushed for a career-best 138 yards and three scores against the Browns.Finishing games was something we struggled with, but (Rizzi) has a really good pulse on what we need collectively as a team to get ready for a football game, Hill added. The guys have responded to that. Whats workingThe running game appears to be back on track. After gaining 214 yards on the ground as a team against Cleveland, the Saints have averaged 156 yards rushing during their past four games, with their lowest output during that span being 96 yards during a victory over Atlanta. What needs helpThe Saints exhibited a couple of losing habits on Sunday but got away with it against struggling Cleveland. New Orleans turned the ball over twice on Hills intercepted deep pass and his lost fumble after a reception deep in Browns territory. The Saints finished the game minus-2 in turnovers because they did not take the ball away.Meanwhile, the Saints allowed the Browns offense to produce five explosive plays, or plays that cover at least 20 yards. Those included touchdown passes of 89 and 30 yards.Rizzi said the explosive plays and turnovers were the reason that game was as close as it was, at 14-all in the third quarter.Those things are still a little bit of an Achilles heel, Rizzi added. We have to make them methodically go down the field and not have 89-yard touchdowns. Stock upTaysom Hills 248 combined yards as a runner (138), receiver (50), passer (18), and kick returner (42) provided the best example yet of how influential he can be when hes healthy and a central figure in the game plan.Stock downAlontae Taylor is perhaps New Orleans most talented available defensive back and has had increasingly tough assignments since the Saints lost Paulson Adebo to injury and traded Marshon Lattimore. Still, Taylor was covering Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy when he turned a short pass into an 89-yard catch-and-run for the Browns first touchdown. InjuriesCenter Erik McCoy, who played for the first time in eight weeks since having surgery to repair a Week 3 groin injury, left Sundays game in the second half. He did not appear to have a significant injury as he rode a stationary bike on the sideline but seemed concerned about enduring groin tightness or weakness as he intermittently appeared to stretch or test that part of his body. Rizzi has said McCoy might have been able to continue playing but that staff didnt want to risk further discomfort during his first game back from a long layoff.We really wanted to be cautious with that because he had all that missed time, Rizzu said Monday. It looks like in the long run hes going to be OK. Its probably a good thing we have a bye week this week.Key number6 The number of failed field-goal attempts by opposing kickers during the Saints past two games in the normally kicker-friendly Superdome. Just five of those misses counted, however, because one of Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins misses, from 32 yards, was voided by a Saints penalty on Sunday only to set up a subsequent miss from 27 yards. That marked just the second time in 65 field-goal attempts inside of 30 yards that Hopkins was unable to split the uprights.Next stepsAfter 11 straight weeks of football, the Saints have this week off before returning to action in the Superdome on Dec. 1 against the Los Angeles Rams.