Licking County Health Department is hosting a Drug Take Back Day between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30.

This year's event is in partnership with Newark police, the Licking County Sheriff's Office, Licking Memorial Health Systems, Kroger, and with support from Mental Health and Recovery of Licking and Knox Counties.

The agency said people can drop off unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs at Kroger Marketplace located on North 21st Street in Newark and East Broad Street in Pataskala.

People are asked to drive through the locations and hand the medication to professionals for disposal and remain in their vehicle as a safety measure. The agency asks people who are dropping off prescriptions to empty all pills into a clear, plastic bag. If disposing of medicine bottles, they are asked to black out their personal information such as their name or prescription number.

Accepted items include unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, pet medications, vitamins and supplements, medical ointments, creams and lotions, liquid medications like cough syrup, inhalers, vaping pens and cartridges.

The agency will not accept IV bags, thermometers, hydrogen peroxide, bloody or infectious waste, needles, syringes, lancets or other sharps.

For more information, visit LickingCoHealth.org.

The Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE) is partnering with the Ohio Department of Health to host mobile pop–up COVID–19 vaccination clinics on Saturday, May 7, and Friday, June 3, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Newark Public Library. Though the clinics are designed for people with disabilities who are not yet fully vaccinated, people without disabilities are also welcome to attend for vaccinations.

For more information, or to obtain free transportation assistance to and from the clinics, call CDE: (614) 575–8055.

Registration for the Blue Light Twilight Run 5K and 10K is open through May 11.

The annual event honors law enforcement personnel during National Police Week, which is May 15-21. Proceeds from the event benefit the Licking County Sheriff's Office's Stuff the Backpack Fund for local school children and Central Ohio Technical College's Officer Thomas W. Cottrell Jr. Award for Character and Dedication to Public Service.

The event will be held May 14 at 7 p.m. at the COTC Newark Campus. Online registration is available at Go.COTC.edu/BlueLineRun.

Entry fees are $35 per person. Current or former law enforcement personnel receive a $10 discount. All participants will receive a souvenir goody bag, and medals will be awarded to registrants completing the course. Walkers are also welcome.

In-person late registration will be available 3-5 p.m. May 14 at the campus's John L. Christine Warner Library and Student Center, located at 1219 Univeristy Dr. in Newark. A $10 late registration fee will be added per registration.

Packets with race bibs will be available the day of the race from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Warner Center.

NEWARK West Locust Street will be closed for two weeks east of North Fourth Street, beginning 7 a.m. May 9, the city’s engineering department announced.

North Fourth Street will remain closed from West Locust Street to West Main Street, as the Fourth Street infrastructure project continues.

During the closure, traffic entering downtown from Ohio 16 will be unable to continue straight on Fourth Street or turn left onto Locust Street. The detour to reach the Courthouse Square will be to turn right onto Locust, left onto North Fifth Street and left onto West Main Street.

Beginning 7 a.m. on May 23, West Locust Street will reopen east of North Fourth Street, but West Locust Street will close for six months west of North Fourth Street.

North Fourth Street will remain closed from East Locust Street to West Main Street.

The recommended detour will be Locust to North First Street to Scheidler Street to South Second Street to Walnut Street.

For more information, visit the project website at http://www.newarkohio.net/city-services/projects/fourth-street-project

For daily and weekly construction updates, visit the city's Facebook page at "City of Newark Ohio Construction Updates." The dates are subject to change.