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Burke County moving in the right direction on opioids
The Paper’s Columnists

Burke County moving in the right direction on opioids

  • By JOHNNIE CARSWELL FOR THE PAPER

Burke County is not yet “winning” the opioid epidemic if winning means the crisis is over, families are no longer burying loved ones, and emergency responders are no longer answering overdose calls. But if “winning” means building a serious, coordinated, evidence-based response after years of devastation, then Burke County is finally moving in the right direction.

County negotiating with architect for crisis center
Courts and Crime

County negotiating with architect for crisis center

  • By JACOB CHRISTOPHER jacob@thepaper.media

For tens of thousands of hours each year, people struggling with mental health and substance use problems fill UNC Health Blue Ridge’s emergency department. Now, Burke County is moving forward with plans for a 16-bed crisis center designed to ease that burden and provide an adequate alternative to the hospital and the jail.