Medical Community Speaking Out on Drugs: Community Forum

Doctors who treat drug addictions are expected to be the featured speakers at an upcoming anti-drug community forum.

Al-Anon meetings in Mokena and New Lenox; an active response to Will County HELPS

Mokena Al-Anon meets at 7 p.m. Mondays at Old Plank Trail Bank, 20012 Wolf Road. New Lenox Al-Anon meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 508 N. Cedar Road, lower level.

Part VI: Heroin Becomes a Way of Life

New Lenox Police Chief Bob Sterba tells the community saving a life may mean "ratting out" family or friends.

A recent symposium on heroin called Will County HELPS (Heroin Education Leadership Prevention) drew a crowd of more than 450 people at Lincoln-Way Central High School. It also gave New Lenox Police Chief Bob Sterba a chance to share his philosophy on the issue. For some people, the criminal justice arena—arrest, trial and jail time—is the only way they're going to overcome this deadly trap. Others benefit from treatment that provides counseling and coping mechanisms. Regardless of the path toward rehabilitation, heroin is a sure path toward destruction, he said. "Heroin is in a class by itself. "It differentiates itself from other drugs in that it literally steals your soul." In the past year, at least three teenagers from New Lenox have …

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Names in the News: Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow

A heroin symposium featuring Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow got the community talking about authentic support for addicts.

Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow was among a panel of speakers at Will County HELPS (Heroin Education Leads to Preventative Solutions). He discussed the success of Drug Court for those who have been convicted of drug-related crimes, and told a crowd of 450-plus that he would work on a plan to adapt the program for those who have not been involved in the criminal justice system.  A heroin symposium, sponsored by the Village of New Lenox, New Lenox Police Department and Safe Communities of America, was held Sept. 27 at Lincoln-Way Central High School.  Like Patch on Facebook.

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September in Review: Water Rates, Community Sharing and More Top Stories

We recap your most-read stories, the editor's favorite stories and other top headlines.

The month of September was filled with a community giving projects and political discussions during this election year.   At the start of the month, the ShareFest 2012 committee completed 11 days of giving and concluded with the community coming together to halt the spread of heroin. In the days between, residents took opportunities to discuss the pros and cons of political issues while commenting on policies and more. See below for the most-read stories, my favorite stories and five more headlines that impacted the community. Most-Read Stories: Man Charged with DUI After Fatal Accident ShareFest 2012 Stories: ShareFest 2012 Introduces a Fair Atmosphere: It's Fun to Volunteer A New Way to Pay it Forward Through ShareFest In Spirit of …

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Part V: Heroin Addiction can be Avoided and Overcome; Will County Drug Court Proves its Case.

As part of the Will County HELPS symposium on heroin, State's Attorney James Glasgow addressed a packed house talking about the proven success of Drug Court.

Normally the Little Theater at Lincoln-Way Central High School is full of parents, grandparents and friends watching on-stage student performances. On one particular evening, the regular crowd filed in and sat down as usual. This time, however, it wasn't about applauding achievements. It was about preventing tragedy and saving lives. On Sept. 27, the Will County HELPS symposium on heroin packed the house with community members desperately seeking information about the drug that in decades past was associated with the dangerous margins of society and how it's become trendy and chic. It's the new heroin; it's more potent, cheap, easily accessible and flourishing as an underground capitalistic market that's driven by gangs. Will County State'…

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Part IV: The Number of Heroin Fatalities is Rising Exponentially, from five in 2009 to 33 so far in 2012.

Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil calls his office, the last stop on the line.

A panelist at the Will County HELPS symposium on heroin use Sept. 27 at Lincoln-Way Central High School, Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil told a packed house when it comes to heroin, there are outcomes: The reason for such a surge in the popularity of heroin use, he said, is purity and ease in preparation. "You don't have to cook it." It's not boiled on a spoon before its injected, he said. Readers might also care to read about the focus on prevention. Apparently heroin has managed to kick a reputation earned in decades past as a drug associated with a lifestyle lived on the margins of society. Today heroin is characterized as trendy. And that's exactly the image that the gangs want to promote. If trendy and upscale don't hook enough …

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Part III: Will County Circuit Judge Ray Nash Battles the Heroin Epidemic with Grit and Commitment

At only $8-to-$10 for a hit of heroin, teens are getting addicted fast and finding themselves in front of a stern judge who's looking to save their lives.

Will County Circuit Judge Ray Nash doesn't mind being considered tough or rough in the eyes of those who come before him on a heroin related charge. Nash joined a panel discussion Sept. 27 at Will County HELPS symposium on heroin at Lincoln-Way Central High School. He told a crowd of 450-plus that he will do everything in his power to beat back the silent killer, heroin, from robbing the current generation of teens and young adults of productive lives. Heroin is no longer a drug reserved for the back alley; it's accessible and plentiful in the suburbs. A former prosecutor for the Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow's Office, Nash took the lead as chief of the gang crimes division some 25 years ago. In those days, "we were behind" on …

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Part II: Will County HELPS Symposium on Heroin Use Addresses Education and Awareness

Kathleen Burke, of the Robert Crown Center for Health Education, in Hinsdale, addresses a crowd of 450-plus at the Will County HELPS Symposium about effective education and communication. The key here is ongoing communication.

Having spent years working to educate youngsters on healthy eating, human reproduction, puberty, tobacco, and alcohol and drug prevention, Kathleen Burke, of the Robert Crown Center for Health Education, told a crowd Sept. 27 at Lincoln-Way Central High School's Lee F. Rosenquist Auditorium that "the heroin epidemic has been a huge challenge." New Lenox community members packed the auditorium for the Will County HELPS symposium about heroin. The program was organized and sponsored by the Village of New Lenox and the New Lenox Police Department.  The reasons for the spike in use of heroin, which is far more potent than it was in decades past, include the availability of drugs and social anxiety. At the same time, many of those who fall prey…

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