County Overdoses on the Rise

by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY

BALLSTON SPA — A Public Health Advisory was issued Jan. 20 by the Saratoga County Department of Health reporting an increase in drug-related overdoses – 10 in all including one fatality – during a 7-day period between Jan. 13-18. Six of the 10 cases involved males and the overall ages ranged from 17 to 41. The local advisory coincides with the New York State Department of Health’s County

Permanent Homeless Shelter: Problem Solved, Problems Arise

by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Plans are underway to site a permanent 24/7 year-round shelter at the soon-to-be-vacated Senior Center on Williams Street.

City Mayor Ron Kim originally announced the comprehensive initiative to address the city’s homelessness last October, and the City Council unanimously approved a resolution in favor of the project.

The location is the longtime home of the Saratoga Senior

Center, a structure developed by the city on city-owned property in the 1970s. The timeline of the shelter’s opening is tentatively slated for late spring, and is dependent on the components of the existing Senior Center relocating to a new venue at the Saratoga Springs YMCA property at 290 West Ave.

The search for a permanent shelter site has been ongoing for nearly a decade. The Williams Street plan is something city officials and Saratoga County officials began discussing early in 2022.

See Story pg. 10

Opioid Quarterly Report for January 2023 - released this week, noting a statewide 14% increase in 2021 overdose deaths involving opioids, compared to 2020. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a 30% increase in overdose deaths nationally.

The state report, published quarterly, provides information about county-level health impacts related to heroin and opioid use and enables local communities to better respond to the opioid crisis.

See Story pg. 9