CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Syringes from injectable weight loss medications are turning up in drug drop-off boxes across eastern Iowa, creating a safety hazard for law enforcement officers who handle the containers.

Sgt. Erich Lear of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said emptying the drug drop-off box is part of his daily routine — and the box fills fast.

“It’s probably a 30-gallon tote, and I’d say 3 out of the five days of the week it’s completely full,” Lear said.

Needles found mixed in with other medications

Lear said he has noticed over the past five years that people are placing medicine, nasal sprays and syringes in the bin. He said many of the syringes come from people discarding GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

“That tote that I pull out — there’s nothing that protects me from needles other than my observation and using gloves when I sort through things,” Lear said.

The Hiawatha Police Department said it is also seeing an increase in improperly discarded syringes.

Where syringes should go

The Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency is the proper disposal site for sharps. The agency said it has seen syringe intake increase by more than a ton in recent years.

“We’re talking about two thousand pounds of sharps and syringes coming in,” said Joe Horaney of the solid waste agency. “Before 2021 we were around 1.9, maybe 2 tons a year — now we are over 3 tons a year.”

Horaney said any Linn County resident can bring syringes to the facility, provided they are contained properly.

“We just ask that you have it in a heavy plastic container — so one of those medically certified red biohazard containers,” Horaney said. “If you don’t have that, it can be a heavy plastic container like an old laundry detergent [bottle].”

A third-party company picks up the sharps from the facility and incinerates them.

Some drop-off programs discontinued

Lear said another reason sharps are appearing at drop-off locations is that some agencies have ended their disposal programs. The Marion Police Department said it stopped offering the service after people continued to place broken glass, liquids and other garbage inside the box.

While most of the focus for the Iowa State Cyclones will be on the football program for the next couple of months, the basketball program will also be getting set soon for a new campaign. Coming off a strong season, expectations for them will be high. 

The 2025-26 season will go down as a memorable one for the Cyclones. This was a team that exceeded most expectations and ended up being one of the best teams in the country. 

Iowa State started out the campaign with a 16-0 record, and the group looked like a real contender. While there were some hiccups during a challenging conference schedule, the Cyclones were one of the best teams in the country. 

In March Madness, Iowa State was a number two seed, proving to be one of the top eight teams in the country. As they get set for next season, their goal will undoubtedly be to be ranked highly again. However, they may have to prove themselves a bit. 

Joe Lunardi of ESPN recently updated his very early bracketology report for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign for the Cyclones. After being a number two seed last year in the NCAA Tournament, he currently has them on the five line. 

Iowa State Has Work To Do

While being a five seed in the NCAA Tournament would indicate a Top 25 season for the Cyclones, expectations for the program are higher than that at this point. 

Iowa State has become one of the more consistent programs in the country over the last several years, and they will undoubtedly want to take a step forward this coming season. 

Due to a lot of production leaving, it is understandable that how they are viewed now could be very different from how they are perceived come March. Due to all of the new players that are coming in, it is going to take time for them to gel. 

The Cyclones have a few key returning players led by Killyan Toure, Jamarion Batemon, and Blake Buchanan. Both Toure and Buchanan were starters for the team last season, and that should remain the same this year. However, Batemon also played a significant role coming off the bench, and his scoring ability might put him next to Toure in the starting lineup this coming year. 

Overall, while the team did lose a lot of production, they have a good amount of depth with the new players coming in and some key freshmen returning. If things go right and the team gels quickly, they should be better than a five seed. 

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It didn’t take Tre Singleton long to learn the lesson that has dawned on so many Iowa State basketball transfers before him. 

“There’s not much to do around Ames,” the Northwestern transplant said July 14, “besides get better and be good at basketball.” 

Perhaps not a slogan the Ames Chamber of Commerce will be adopting any time soon, but a sentiment – and, maybe, self-fulfilling prophecy – that the Cyclones themselves have turned into something of a brand, going back to the early days of Fred Hoiberg’s Transfer U tenure. 

Get in the lab. Get better. Get wins.  

Repeat. 

“Cut all the distractions,” Singleton said of the setup. “It helps you key in on the things you need to work on to get better at.  

“It helps me come in here every day with the focus of being better.” 

That’s a focus Iowa State and its fans hope they’ll be able to appreciate this winter when Singleton is expected to take on a significant role for a Cyclones team that will reconfigure itself after losing three starters off last year’s Sweet 16 squad. 

Most notably, Singleton has the look and feel of a Joshua Jefferson approximation. At least in terms of style and role. Expecting a transfer coming off a promising, but certainly not elite freshman season to just slide into the spot previously occupied by an All-American and first-round NBA Draft pick would probably be … unwise. 

More: Iowa State basketball 2026-27 non-conference schedule breakdown

“I think it’s best to stay away from any comparisons to other guys because Tre needs to be the best version of himself,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger. “There’s differences between him and Joshua, even though I know there’s a natural inclination to draw that comparison.” 

That natural inclination comes from their similar size (both 6-foot-8 though Jefferson has 30 pounds on 215-pound Singleton), versatility as playmaking power forwards, ability to rebound and high-IQ play. 

I think the expectation for Singleton (and Iowa State fans) is to see if the sophomore can operate in that same Jefferson role, if not with the same sort of production and overall impact.  

“We see him as somebody who can create advantages for us offensively to make plays,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a gifted passer. He takes a lot of pride in making the right play.” 

I think the high-end hope would be that Singleton can approach that Jeffersonian impact in a year or two. 

More: How to watch former Iowa State basketball stars in NBA Summer League

“Tre,” Otzelberger said, “is a very gifted player.” 

Singleton’s bet on Iowa State’s development model and the Cyclones’ bet on Singleton to maximize it seems like the sort of transfer portal match that’s often overlooked amid doom-and-gloom bellyaching about player movement. 

I’m sure the dozens (dozens!) of Northwestern hoops fans would disagree, but Singleton’s move from a middling Big Ten program with a sparse NBA track record to a Big 12 contender with a strong developmental program seems like not only an inoffensive use of the portal but one that rewards both ascendant players and programs.

We’ll see how it plays out, but Singleton and Iowa State feels like a win-win marriage of skillset, opportunity and culture. 

“I chose Iowa State,” Singleton said, “because it fits me as a person. “ 

Besides, Evanston has the lakeshore and a world-class city 20 miles away. Which, sure, I’d call amenities, but aspiring NBA players might consider distractions.  

You take your wins where you can get them, I suppose. 

Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.