News
Page 2 - Friday, February 11, 2022
Mental Health First Aid Trainings Offered in Langdon By Shanda Christianson
Cavalier County Health District is looking for residents interested in being trained to offer mental health first aid trainings. Mental health first aid is a course that teaches people the skills and abilities to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or is having a mental health crisis. Just like people train in CPR to offer to someone who’s having a heart attack a lifesaving intervention, mental health first aid is the equivalent for a mental health crisis. “It’s a real benefit in our community to have local trainers to train community individuals in the skills to apply this mental health first aid in order to give people that bridge maybe to get through the crisis they are currently in so they can be seen by a mental health professional,” said Steph Welsh, public health nurse for Cavalier County Health District. Mental health first aid is a course that shows how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training teaches the skills people need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. Many people can participate and benefit from the class - including teachers, first responders and veterans. The class is for anyone who wants to make their community healthier, happier, and safer for all. “The real beauty of this course is there are no specific professional credentials or prerequisites or academic requirements to become a trainer in mental health first aid,” Welsh said. “We really are looking for people who are invested and passionate about the topic of mental health in our community.” Cavalier County Health District will pay for the course for individuals to become mental health first aid trainers. The only expectation is that those individuals that complete the course offer at least one class of mental health first aid locally. Mental health first aid was created in Australia in 2001 by Betty Kitchener, a nurse specializing in health education, and Anthony Jorm, a mental health literacy professor. Mental Health First Aid USA adapted the program from Mental Health First Aid Australia. To learn more about the class and how to sign up, contact Cavalier County Health District at 256-2402.
The Borderland Press
Radon and Smoking: A Dangerous Project Sees Movement in Nekoma By Shanda Christianson Combination by Cavalier County Health District
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium in rocks and soil breaks down. Concentrations outside are low due to the dilution of ambient air. However, radon becomes a health risk when it accumulates inside buildings, and prolonged exposure to elevated radon levels can cause cancer. In North Dakota, 63% of homes have an elevated level of radon above the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Action Level” of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). All North Dakota counties are in the highest risk zone with the potential to test above the Action Level of 4 pCi/L. The good news is that radon is a problem that can be managed. By installing a radon mitigation system, homeowners can effectively lower the level of radon in their homes. These systems use many conventional building materials and require few specialized tools to install. Systems may be installed by a homeowner or a radon mitigation contractor. Once in place, a properly installed mitigation system will reduce radon gas and safely vent it outside. The US Surgeon General has declared radon the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Radon is also the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Radon and smoking are a dangerous combination. The CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states that the risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is estimated at between 10 to 20 times greater for persons who smoke cigarettes than those who have never smoked. Radon-induced lung cancer typically develops 5 to 25 years after exposure. Our staff at Cavalier County Health
District are committed to help people remain healthy and reduce their risk of lung cancer. To reduce your risk of developing lung cancer, test your home for radon and quit smoking. The only way to know your radon level is by testing, and radon kits can be found online or at home improvement stores for $20 to $30. Cavalier County Health District has testing kits available. Call 701-256-2402 or stop in to learn more about getting a test kit. Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, and tobacco treatment resources are available at NDQuits at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or https:// ndquits.health.nd.gov/. Locally, David Kavish PharmD,RPh is a tobacco treatment specialist at Langdon Prairie Health who can help you develop your quit plan – how to avoid triggers and establish routines to become tobacco-free. A quit plan improves your chance of success. David Kavish says, “We are committed to helping Cavalier County residents live the healthiest life possible. Quitting tobacco and reducing home radon levels are both important ways to reduce the risks of lung cancer. Quitting smoking is beneficial at any age, and you do not have to quit alone.” Call Langdon Prairie Health today to become tobacco-free, 701256-6120. Learn more at: h t t p : / / w w w. c i t y - d a t a . c o m / r a don-zones/North-Dakota/North-Dakota.html#ixzz79HBtX7SU https://deq.nd.gov/publications/ WM/Radon/RadonFactSheet.pdf https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/radon/docs/radon.pdf
Electronic Posting System for Private Land Available Landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 202223 hunting season can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd. gov. The deadline for landowners to digitally post land is July 1, which is necessary to produce print material and digital content prior to hunting seasons that begin in August. The 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private property. Landowners who enrolled land elec-
tronically last year can renew, add, or modify posting designations during the enrollment period. Others posting for the first time might need to create a profile. To post land, proceed to the “Land Parcels/Electronic Posting” section at the bottom of the page and click “Search/Renew Land parcels.” The electronic posting system is linked to land descriptions based on county tax parcel information. The Game and Fish website has complete instructions for landowners, along with frequently asked questions for both landowners and hunters.
Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Nekoma. Photo by Larry Stokke.
There is movement on the project for the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in Nekoma. The Cavalier County Job Development Authority (JDA) has been working with Carol Goodman, who is the Oak View consultant for the complex in Nekoma. She said on the side of the property that JDA owns, the tactical area is reaching a point where work is going to be able to be done in the pyramid, and they’re eyeing a March 1 start date. Goodman said she will begin circulating a request for bids. A bid package will go out for companies that would be interested in coming in and removing all the asbestos tiles, which Goodman said will be an extensive amount of work.
“The good news about that is to be able to show that we are now going in there and starting to do some very visible clean-up. That is going to help us a lot with the marketing and searching for permanent partners to be in that building so this is pretty exciting,” Goodman said. Goodman said the payment for this portion of the project will be through the funds that were appropriated through the Legislature last winter in the form of a $1.5 million grant. She said Frost Fire Park got about $900,000. “We ended up with about $600,000 of that, so we’ve got the funds to do this asbestos clean-up, and it’s going to be very nice to get that part of it done,” Goodman said.
School Lunches Undergoing Changes By Nick Vorlage
On Friday, Feb. 4, the Biden Administration issued transitional standards for school lunches which are meant to ease the path for cafeterias to get back on a healthier course as they recover from pandemic and supply chain disruptions. Schools have been struggling to meet the government's nutrition benchmarks through the pandemic but are not being punished for falling short. The “bridge” rule announced by the USDA on Friday extends emergency flexibilities for the next two school years as they gradually transition back to normal. Beginning during the 2022/23 school year, children ages six and up may now be offered flavored low-fat 1% milk. Before the change, children could ONLY be offered nonfat, flavored milk, as well as nonfat or low-fat unflavored milk.
Grains will be seeing a change as well. Previously, all grains offered through schools - whether that be in the form of cereals, breads, or pasta would have to be high-grain offerings. Beginning next year, only 80% of all grains offered in school lunches must be whole-grain rich. Sodium in school lunches will also be seeing a reduction of 10% starting the 2023/24 school year. The USDA has previously planned to have a larger reduction in sodium, but the 10% reduction still falls in line with suggestions provided by the FDA. The last time the USDA changed school nutrition standards was back in 2012 as part of former first lady Michelle Obama’s healthy eating initiative.
Langdon Prairie Health Named Top Healthcare Organization in N.D. Langdon Prairie Health, formerly Cavalier County Memorial Hospital, was named the top healthcare organization in North Dakota by their Accountable Care Organization, Caravan Health, and in the Top 5 in the region for surpassing Medicare’s quality benchmarks.
Exceeding the benchmarks means that Langdon Prairie Health’s Medicare beneficiaries received improved access to services, which resulted in improved health. The five-state region consists of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The quality benchmarks include the completion of Medicare’s free Annual Wellness Visit; HbA1c blood test, which measures blood sugar to diagnose and manage diabetes; regular blood pressure checks; and screenings for breast and colorectal cancers, tobacco use and depression, as
well as several other measures.
In addition, Langdon Prairie Health was recognized by Caravan for its use of telehealth during the pandemic. Caravan featured Langdon Prairie Health in the spotlight of its Weekly Digest e-newsletter, lauding Langdon Prairie Health’s quick adoption of telehealth early in the pandemic as a way to maintain continuity of care with patients. “Our staff and providers took the initiative to reach out to patients, and it has been nothing but a success,” Darla Roder, chief operating officer for Langdon Prairie Health, said of the organization’s telehealth program. “Our providers were pleased to be able to continue care for their patients, and the patients were appreciative of the opportunity to have that connection from the safety of their homes.”
Theater Auditions in Walhalla, Sunday Auditions for Frost Fire Summer Theatre’s production of "The Sound of Music" will be held 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 13 at Walhalla Lutheran Church, 416 Central Avenue, in Walhalla. Those who audition are asked to sing a short, prepared song. An accompanist will be provided. There will also be a short reading and a movement audition; bring a resume if you have one. The cast will include approximately 20 male and female performers of all ages. All positions are salaried, and room and board is provided on rehearsal and performance weekends. Rehearsals will be held in Grand Forks
during the month of June, and the show will be mounted on the stage at Frost Fire Park June 17-19 and 2324. There are no rehearsals once the show opens. There will be 19 performances from June 25 running through July 31. Shows will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays. The show will be under the direction of Amy Jo Paukert and will star Misti Koop as Maria. For more information, contact Amy Jo and David Paukert at 701-259-2384 or email dpaukert8@gmail.com or text 701-270-9424.
Pancake Breakfast in Walhalla, Sunday The Knights of Columbus will host a Pancake and Langdon Locker Sausage Breakfast from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13 at the St. Boniface
church in Walhalla. The event will benefit local Knights of Columbus charities. Take out and delivery available. Free will offering.
