US Senator Amy Klobuchar made a stop in Montevideo on Tuesday to announce that Montevideo was one of eight communities in the state to receive a grant to reduce opioid abuse by using controlled substance care teams and community-wide re­sourc­es of abuse prevention initiatives.

Klobuchar met with local medical professionals, treatment specialists, and advocates at Chippewa County-Montevideo Hospital’s ambulance garage to discuss the opioid crisis and hear concerns about health care issues.

The senator was introduced by Shelly Elking­ton, who has been a staunch advocate in the fight to bring awareness of the opioid epidemic into the public sphere.

Klobuchar opened her remarks by acknowledging the effort put forth by Elkington. “I just want to thank Shelly for everything she’s done. If you ever thought that one person could make a difference, I think you all know this started here and in an interesting way it is coming back here with the all of the work she has done,” she said.

Klobuchar went on to speak about the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act which she, along with three other senators, introduced in the Senate. The bill encourages states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies in the fight against opioid addiction.