The Ross Grange in Falconer is inviting the public to a meeting on Monday to talk about a "silent epidemic" facing the nation. One the speakers will be Jeff Winton, a Chautauqua County native who founded the national organization Rural Minds. Winton says the epidemic is the suffering caused by mental illness, suicide ideation and substance use disorder in rural areas. Winton, who lost a nephew to suicide early in the 2000s, says the "independent" people who live in rural areas are often reluctant to acknowledge and talk about mental illness, even though it is prevalent.