The Toledo city council and Winlock city council have taken steps toward making communities aware of the importance of the month of April. The governments of both cities have signed declarations brought to them by Amber Buck of the Board of Human Resources, urging citizens to be aware and alert when it comes to sexual assault. Every 107 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Roughly 293,000 Americans are sexually assaulted or abused every year. Teens and preteens are the most vulnerable. 44% of victims are under the age of 18, making up the largest age block. 80% of victims are under the age of 30. If you are or have been a victim of sexual assault, the Board of Human Resources is designed for you and will help you.
The month of April is also distracted driving awareness month. Distracted driving is the number one killer of teenagers, and the rate has escalated with the use of cell phones. Using cell phones while driving is illegal in the state of Washington, and Lewis County Superior Court has a no tolerance policy with drivers who get into accidents due to being distracted or under the influence. In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. The Washington State Patrol has a plan called Target Zero which is a plan to eliminate driving deaths by the year 2030. To learn more about this, you can contact the Washington State Patrol or go online to their website. The link to the Target Zero plan is: www.wsp.wa.gov/targetzero