Members of opioid crisis task force named

AUGUSTA — Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau, R-Waldo, has announced his appointments to the Maine Legislature’s “Task Force to Address the Opioid Crisis in the State.”
The Maine Legislature established the committee following a record amount of opiate overdoses in Maine last year. On average, more than one person a day died from a fatal overdose in 2016.

The task force will examine current state laws regarding law enforcement, prevention, treatment and recovery. It will also review the report and recommendations of the Maine Opiate Collaborative issued on May 6, 2016 as well as initiatives that have been successfully undertaken in other states.

An initial report to the Legislature from the task force is due on April 30, 2017, and a final report will be issued by December 6, 2017. Lawmakers will use the recommendations to submit legislation during both sessions of the 128th Legislature.

Members of the committee include lawmakers, members of law enforcement, the medical community, and drug treatment specialists.

Senate President Thibodeau’s appointees are:

Maine Senate:
Senator Andre Cushing, R-Newport, Chair.
Senator Scott Cyrway, R-Benton.
Senator James Dill, D-Old Town.
Senator Geoffrey Gratwick, D-Bangor.

Other appointees:
Katie Fullam Harris, Opioid Treatment Facility.
Dr. Steven Diaz, Augusta Administrator of Hospital.
Gordon Smith, Association of Physicians.
Sherriff Jeff Trafton, Law Enforcement.

Thibodeau said, “I am pleased all of these individuals have made a commitment to help solve this epidemic, and I look forward to the results of their work.”

Snow reduces drought conditions in most of Maine
AUGUSTA, MAINE —The State’s River Flow Advisory Commission met on March 9 in Augusta to discuss ice conditions across the state, flood risks and the ongoing drought.
“It’s mostly encouraging news today,” said Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Bruce Fitzgerald. “There are only a couple of ice jams, which we will be watching closely, but we have no major concerns for flooding.”
Many of Maine’s rivers, including the Penobscot and Kennebec were open due in part to the Coast Guard’s Ice Breaking Mission as well as warmer temperatures before the recent cold snap. The Carrabasset River and Sandy Rivers did experience ice jams, which refroze and will be monitored for problems. The Piscataquis River in Dover-Foxcroft was reported as ice covered on Monday.
Representatives from the National Weather Service stated that overall the snow season brought warmer temperatures and more snow than normal. The 6-10 day forecast called for some colder than normal temperatures and higher than normal levels of precipitation, including a major snowstorm March 14-15. National Weather Service data showed that Maine has experienced the tenth-warmest winter on record.
The drought has improved significantly during the winter, with only York County remaining in severe to moderate drought and 12 counties, at least in part, considered abnormally dry.
“We received more snow than normal which may have recharged some groundwater, which is what we were hoping would happen,” said Fitzgerald.
Higher than normal levels of precipitation combined with a slow, gradual melt would be ideal conditions for eliminating the drought, according to a U.S. Geological Survey representative.
“Stream flow levels for February were normal to high,” said Nicholas Stasulis, Data Section Chief, U.S. Geological Survey. “As far as groundwater, we still have some wells that are low to very low for the month of February.”
With the recent warm temperatures combined with periods of cold temperatures, the public is urged to use extreme caution before going onto the ice. Many rivers were reported to have poor ice conditions.
The River Flow Advisory Commission is not expected to meet again unless conditions warrant. The report will be available online at www.maine.gov/mema or can be obtained from MEMA by calling 207-624-4400.