Category: Blog Posts


Take the Lead on Lead: Safeguarding Your Family’s Health

The Allegany County Department of Health would like to remind any residents doing home renovations that there are ways to keep lead dust to a minimum. Allegany County has many older housing units and those that were built before 1978…

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Welcome to Plastic-Free July: A Time to Consider the Plastic Pollution Caused By Cigarette Butts and Tobacco Litter

While plastic bottles are often the first topic to come up when discussing plastic pollution, the most abundant type of plastic litter in the world is cigarette butts. They are the single largest form of litter by count, and despite…

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Fillmore Reality Check Youth Speak Out against Big Tobacco

Washington, DC – As Altria Group Inc. shareholders held their annual virtual meeting on May 15, approximately 50 youth advocates, including William Washburn and Grant Smolen, students at Fillmore Central School, held a first amendment assembly encouraging the public “Don’t…

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Allegany County Participates in DEA’s National Take Back Day

This past Saturday, April 26 from 10am to 2pm the Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (ACASA), the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, Cuba and Wellsville Police and Volunteer Fire Departments, and Partners for Prevention in Allegany County (PPAC)…

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Fillmore Teen Participates in Earth Day Youth Summit Focused on Tobacco Litter

More than one billion people in 200 countries around the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Reality Check teens started the celebration early by participating in a 3-day Earth Day Summit in Niagara Falls from April 13-15. The Summit, a…

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39th Alcohol Awareness Month

This April marks the 39th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) since 1987.  Alcohol-Free Weekend has traditionally been observed the first weekend in April, which was April 4-6.  This is a…

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Local Author Writing Books that Kids Find Fun

Hello there! My name is Noah Merritt, author of the children’s books ‘Gruntbrush Goes to Town’ and ‘Gruntbrush Finds a Friend’ Who is Gruntbrush? That’s hard to explain, but simply put, he’s our protagonist. Not a hero perse, but he…

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An Autism Advocate and a Spiritual Journey 

So, to break the ice I’m going to say I’m a very language abled Autistic young adult male. I’ve struggled with it a lot, but I’ve also accomplished a lot. My very first big accomplishment was receiving my high school…

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Preventing Youth Gambling: Raising Awareness During Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, an important time to highlight the risks associated with gambling, especially among young people. While gambling may seem like harmless entertainment, it can lead to serious financial, emotional, and psychological consequences, particularly for adolescents…

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World Teen Mental Health Awareness Day

World Teen Mental Wellness Day is annually celebrated on March 2nd. The day aims to raise awareness around mental health struggles that a teenager may face. For some background about this day, Hollister Co. which is a clothing brand, founded…

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