WARSAW – The first of two more public meetings about the opioid crisis will be Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw.

The event will be from 6 to 8 p.m. and is open to the public.

Another meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Syracuse Community Center.

Mayor Joe Thallemer is serving as MC for the Warsaw event.

Although Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes and other community leaders are expected to talk, there will be some time set aside to hear from some who are in recovery.

The event theme is “The Opioid Epidemic: Our Community Speaks!”

The meeting is an opportunity to hear updates on the opioid crisis in Kosciusko County from the perspective of city and county leaders, as well as directly from those in recovery who want to share their stories.

The meeting will also provide updates on different aspects in which the community is reacting to the opioid crisis.

One aspect that has changed in the past year is the establishment of NET 43, a unified drug task force involving multiple police departments and initiated by Dukes.

“Working with NET 43 puts us in a better position in regards to enforcement, but that’s just one step,” Thallemer said. “Breaking that cycle of addiction is what this is all about and that’s the goal of this group.”

This event is free and open to the public and will include refreshments, handout materials and additional information about community resources.

Organizers are paying for the workshop with money from a $5,000 grant through AIM, which is the official voice of municipal government in Indiana and formerly known as Indiana Association of Towns and Cities.

Thallemer is president of AIM.

There were four community discussions on opioid abuse in 2019.