Harrison to Dedicate First Safe Haven Baby Box Today

Abortion, , ,

The following press release is from our friends at Arkansas Right to Life.

HARRISON – Harrison’s 1st and Arkansas’ 30th Safe Haven Baby Box will be dedicated at 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 16, at the Harrison Fire Department, 523 S. Pine St. The public is invited.

“Saving lives just got a little easier in Harrison, Arkansas, as our newest baby box will be blessed on July 16th. The newest addition represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide a safe and anonymous alternative to surrendering an infant,” said Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. “Our new location will offer a secure and compassionate option for parents in crisis and help ensure every infant has a chance for a safe and loving future. Across the country, there are 358 Safe Haven Baby Box locations with 30 in Arkansas.”

Kelsey added, “The Safe Haven Baby Box in Harrison would not have been possible without the local advocates, the Knights of Columbus, who worked tirelessly to bring this resource to their community.”

Speakers at the event are Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, and Jerry Hogue of the Knights of Columbus. Father Ben Riley of Mary Mother of God Catholic Church will offer a blessing and remarks.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes was founded by Monica Kelsey on a mission to end infant abandonment. In addition to baby boxes, the organization provides a confidential National Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1. Twenty-four states have a Baby Box presence within their state. Kelsey shared, “We have seen time and time again that preparation can save and change lives. We never know when or where we will be needed, so it is crucial to have options for mothers in crisis. I am grateful for local advocates who take our mission to their community.”

Since 2017, 60 infants have been safely and legally surrendered in a Baby Box. The National Safe Haven Crisis line has assisted with more than 150 handoff surrenders. Each year the numbers increase with more baby boxes available across the country. Surrendered infants are adopted by families who have registered as foster to adopt. The Local Department of Family Services coordinates the adoption process.

–30–

Arkansas Right to Life is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, the oldest and largest pro-life organization. For more information, visit https://artl.org/.

READ MORE

Authorities Seize Kratom, Meth in Southwest Arkansas Raid

Drugs,

On July 2, law enforcement seized kratom and other drugs during a raid in Sevier County.

Officers from the Arkansas Sate Police’s 9th West Drug Task Force, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department, and the DeQueen Police Department recovered 115 Grams of Methamphetamine, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and kratom while executing a search warrant.

Kratom is a dangerous drug that is often marketed as a dietary supplement. The federal government has advised public officials to prohibit kratom, and states like Arkansas have done so.

The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

Last April, Arkansas lawmakers voted not to pass a bad bill that would have legalized kratom in Arkansas.

During his comments against the bill, Rep. Zack Gramlich (R — Fort Smith) described a seventh-grader who was caught using kratom and trying to sell it to other students at a school in his district a few years ago.

Kratom is a dangerous drug. We deeply appreciate our lawmakers and law enforcement officers who have worked hard to protect people from it.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

WSJ Highlights Growing Concern Over Sports Gambling Scandals

Gambling,

Last week The Wall Street Journal highlighted how “spot-fixing” is a growing concern when it comes to gambling on professional sports.

“Spot-fixing” is a type of gambling fraud that involves manipulating small events during a game. Most of the time, spot-fixing is difficult to notice, because it centers on things that don’t clearly affect the outcome of the game — like a specific pitch or kick in a ballgame.

Spot-fixing is particularly concerning given that modern sports betting lets gamblers wager on nearly every aspect of a game — not just its final score.

The WSJ reports Major League Baseball recently “placed Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz on leave amid an investigation into suspicious betting activity surrounding his pitches.” Observers noticed unusual wagers placed on specific pitches that Ortiz threw outside the strike zone during ballgames on June 15 and 27. The incident is currently under investigation.

Thanks to smartphones, sports betting it’s now possible for people to gamble — and lose — on sporting events from anywhere with Wi-Fi or cell service.

Nationwide, sports betting is now legal in most states — including Arkansas. Last March, Arkansans wagered more than $2 million per day, on average, on sports betting.

Studies show people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems.

Young men in particular are hurt by sports betting. Twenty-year-old males account for approximately 40% of calls to gambling addiction hotlines, and upwards of 20 million men are in debt or have been in debt as a result of sports betting.

And research now shows that the legalization of sports betting may be linked to serious financial problems in America — such as credit card debt, overdrafts, late payments on loans, lower credit scores, and higher bankruptcy rates.

We’ve seen how sports betting companies often oppose safeguards and promote compulsive gambling. Last year the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it had seen a 22% increase in calls for help — a spike driven largely by sports betting.

Scandals like spot-fixing corrupt sporting events and erode public trust in athletes and athletic programs, but there’s a much bigger problem in play. Sports gambling in general is a scourge, and it is ruining lives. As multi-billion dollar corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise gambling addiction will simply continue hurting families in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE