At the Mentone Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 4, are from left: Town Council Member Tim Croy, Town Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak, Town Council President Jill Gross, Town Council Member Shelly Krueger and Town Attorney Andrew Grossnickle. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — Mentone received $3,023.36 as its first payment as part of an opioid settlement.

Clerk-Treasurer Amanda Yaprak announced that news at the town council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The settlement was part of an agreement reached with Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen for their contribution to the national opioid epidemic.

Indiana was one of multiple states to benefit from the $26 billion settlement.

A portion of the money Mentone has received must be spent on combatting and preventing opioid abuse, which includes Narcan distribution and training, medication-assisted treatment for addiction and treatment for infants suffering from drug withdrawal due to their mothers using drugs while pregnant, among other things. A full list of those required usages for restricted funds may be found here.

The rest of the money is discretionary. Mentone didn’t make a decision at Wednesday’s meeting on how to spend any of the funds.

In other business, the council:

• Agreed to allow Yaprak to apply for a $20,000 Go Forward! grant from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. The KCCF created the grant program for towns in the county who participated in planning through the FORWARD Kosciusko County initiative.
• Agreed to use funds as part of applying for an Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings Matching Grant for street repairs in town.
• Allowed Mentone Town Marshal Jim Eads to sell the police department’s old Taser equipment. He said he hopes to receive at least $900 for it.

The council’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Mentone Town Hall.