March 3, 2018
This weekend we are continuing our yearlong series, Addicted & Dying, examining the impact of the opioid epidemic on Johnson County.
This week, the new director of the Indiana Department of Child Services granted us her first media interview. The agency has been under close examination since December, when the director resigned and raised concerns about the well-being of children who were in the state’s care. The agency is under review as a record number of children need foster homes.
Terry Stigdon, the new director, talked at length about the impact on the opioid crisis on Indiana families, and how it is becoming more difficult to unite families because parents simply do not have the resources to recover from their addiction.
See the video clip to hear from her.
We’re also explaining the cycle of relapse that so many people addicted to drugs experience. Studies show that it takes five to seven years of recovery before the chance that a person who has been addicted to drugs will relapse falls to 15 percent.
What about the families who desperately want to help their children – regardless of if they are 20 years old or 40 years old – escape addiction. We talked to experts about their best advice for loved ones, but the answers aren’t always easy to accept.
Unanswered questions.
Get up to speed on stories about multiple school threats in today’s newspaper. We are continuing to talk to police about the incidents.
Sectional frenzy.
Six high school boys basketball teams are fighting to continue their seasons tonight. We’ll have reporters and photographers at all the games and bring you the scores, stories and photos on our website and in Saturday’s newspaper. Follow along with score updates tonight on Twitter.
Keeping kids moving and focused.
Schools are turning to online videos to give kids physical activity or a break and keep them focused on tasks.
The rest.
Scholarship listings; Greenwood mayor’s prayer breakfast; Two local teenage powerlifters compete in weekend competition.
Send us your tips, comments and story ideas to [email protected].
Michele Holtkamp
Editor
