Breaking News

• The CHI is very pleased to introduce our new CHI Coordinator/Project Manager: Elizabeth A. Burkhardt. Elizabeth's first day on the job will be Monday February 2. Elizabeth is a recent graduate of Winona State University, holding a degree in Social Work and Community Health Promotion. In addition to an impressive academic career, Elizabeth brings excellent professional experience to this position as well. She has created a Service Learning Project at Winona State University to reduce binge drinking on campus; organized a Hmong Alcohol Free Youth Group in Winona; worked at Winona Middle School to educate middle school students on health topics; worked on several Goodhue County Public Health initiatives while competing an internship in that department, including participating in Catalyst MN Youth Anti-Smoking Summit and promoting health eating to Elementary Students and the elderly in Goodhue County. Elizabeth will be a tremendous asset to the CHI as it prepares for a second cycle of funding from the Drug Free Communities Support Program in 2010.
• Julie Hatch, School-Based Prevention Specialist for the CHI will soon be completing the tabulation of the CHI Student Surveys completed by the 6th/9th/12th graders of all schools within the Goodhue County Education District. When the statistics have been recorded and analyzed, the CHI will host a county-wide meeting in March to review the data with school and county officials as well as youth-serving organizations in Goodhue County.
• The CHI is assisting local CHI Councils in Goodhue and Zumbrota in planning and implementing a Community Assessment around alcohol and drug issues in those communities. The CHI will partner with the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center to identify an Assessment Tool that will produce important data about local citizens' attitudes, opinions and needs in this area of chemical health. The results of the Assessment will provide the foundation for the development of a strategic plan for the Councils' activities and programs in the upcoming year.
  

Breaking News

• The Goodhue Council is sponsoring a parent program called "Walking the Talk" on Wednesday September 17th at the Goodhue School 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The program is designed to help parents learn to talk with their children about the dangers of alcohol and drug use. Call the Goodhue School to register. There is a $5.00 fee. Registration deadline is September 12th.

• A special thank you to PHanson Marketing for placing CHI advertisements in several local publications over the past weeks. The CHI is very grateful for these in-kind contributions to our cause. A strong and supportive public media sector is critical to the success of our CHI coalition efforts. Thank you PHMarketing!

• SAVE the DATE: The CHI Recovery Community Recognition Picnic is being planned for Sunday September 21, 2008 at the Crossing Park in Zumbrota. This event is being sponsored by several local businesses who are teaming up with the CHI and our Community Councils to show support and appreciation for the important prevention work that is being done by our recovery communities across Goodhue County. Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate the wonderful people and organizations that are working to create healthy families and healthy communities! More details on this event will follow.

• The CHI participated in the Goodhue County Fair activities on Family Day August 7th! It was a family centered event with informational handouts for parents and treats and stickers for the kids. Howie added to the fun with the kids and posed for photographs!

• Everyone is invited to participate in an exciting video filming event taking place in Red Wing on Tuesday August 19th! Bluff Street, between 4th and 6th Streets will be closed off to traffic from 5:30 to 7:30 pm for the actual filming which will begin at 6:45 pm. The filmed scene is simply people dancing in the street behind Andrew as he performs his rap song, Content of Character. Andrew won one of the top prizes in the essay contest at RWHS, sponsored by the Red Wing Chemical Health Council. His rap song was professionally recorded at Mothlab Studios in Minneapolis. Taproot, Inc will be filming the video which will be entered into film festivals!

Breaking News

• The CHI received confirmation that the FY 2009 Drug Free Communities grant has been approved! This means that the CHI will again receive $100,000 from the federal government to fund prevention programming in Goodhue County Minnesota. These federal dollars cannot be used to pay for direct services to individuals. The DFC grant will only pay for the administrative infrastructure that supports the planning and implementation of environmental prevention strategies at the population level. The CHI uses its federal dollars to support the salary of the School-Based Prevention Specialist, Julie Hatch, and the CHI Community Council Coordinator and Project Manager, Jean Balcome Dicke. The CHI has received the DFC grant award every year since September 2005. The FY 2009 DFC Award Notice means that the CHI prevention work will go on for another year!

• The CHI participated in Zumbrota's National Night Out on Tuesday August 5th! Julie Hatch and Jean Balcome Dicke distributed prevention brochures and informational handouts to parents and the CHI mascot Howie handed out stickers and treats to the kids! CHI sends thanks to the Zumbrota Police Department for sponsoring the National Night Out event and for inviting the CHI to participate!

• The local Community Chemical Health Councils in Red Wing, Cannon Falls and Goodhue have been participating in Sports Registration events at local schools. The local Councils are utilizing these school events to highlight the importance of parent involvement in children's lives. The CHI works to build healthy families and healthy communities by supporting programs and activities are proven to help our children make healthy choices!

CHI Breaking News

• The Goodhue Chemical Health Council is having a “Splish Splash” party at the Goodhue Pool on July 31 from 6-7 p.m. Howie will be handing out balloons and root beer floats will be served.

• CHI Special Events Coordinator Jodie Schmidt is working with CHI Coordinator Jean Balcome-Dicke to plan a county-wide Recovery Celebration picnic in Zumbrota for a Sunday in September. More details to follow!

• The CHI will be having special event booth at the Goodhue County Fair on Family Day at the Fair, Thursday August 7th! Howie will be a special guest, handing out balloons and prizes to kids. "It's fun to be alcohol free!" Stop by and say hello!

• The CHI will be participating in the Red Wing River City Days parade this Sunday August 3rd. Our float will be pulled by an antique tractor owned by Mr. Neil Stemmann and volunteers will be handing out Howie stickers and candy to kids along the parade route.