04/22/21: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Adopt a Pot in Hartley this spring

The Adopt a Pot program will once again return this spring in Hartley. Participants can contribute to the beautification effort in a variety of ways, be it through the donation of time, money, both or one.

Fifteen petunia-filled pots will be placed throughout the City With a Heart this spring. If interested, contact Sue Schulz (712) 261-2605 or Dyan Roth (712) 229-2503 by May 1.

Expanded hours at Royal library

The Royal Public Library has expanded its hours. New hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m .; and Tuesday and Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Due to COVID-19, the library will remain locked. Please call (712) 933-5500 or knock at the door during open hours. Social distancing practices remain and masks are required.

Suicide prevention program available for faith leaders

As communities across Iowa continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges continue to impact Iowans at alarming rates.

Suicide is among the Top 5 leading causes of death for Iowans between the ages of 10 and 54 years old, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Additionally, over five times as many people died by suicide in 2019 than in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. The most recent data suggests little to no improvement in suicide trends as Iowans recover from the pandemic.

In response to this continuing impact, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering “Question. Persuade. Refer.” programs to faith community members across the state through June. QPR is a suicide prevention program that teaches participants three steps to help save a life from suicide.

“Faith community leaders often regularly encounter and can help individuals who are in distress or at elevated risk for suicide, yet many have not had specific and evidence-based suicide prevention training that would be beneficial to their work,” said Danielle Day, Extension human sciences specialist, in a news release. “Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help.”

QPR will be offered Tuesday, May 4, and Tuesday, June 1, from noon-1 p.m., and Thursday, May 20, and Thursday, June 17, from 10-11 a.m. Each program will last for one hour. Private classes for groups of 10-20 participants are also available upon request.

Clergy, congregation members, youth group leaders, volunteers and other concerned individuals can register at no cost for any of the programs. To register, go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/QPR. Participants will receive a unique URL prior to the program to access the Zoom hosted program.

For more information or to schedule a private group class, contact Demi Johnson at [email protected].