DEATH * BY * METH

This is dedicated to Travis Holappa who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on July 25, 2004 in Northern Minnesota. This was all due to meth. I am Travis' mother and I wish to make this devastation turn into a better thing by educating and exposing the truth about meth, the dangers, and the deadly consequences it brings about to individuals and communities.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Colorado, United States

I want to do what I can to educate people about what is going on around the world with the meth problem. I want people to know about it BEFORE they even get the idea to want to try it. It is a dangerous drug and will ruin your life as well as all those who love you. I am on a mission on behalf of my only son, Travis.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Duluth woman charged with witness tampering in meth case (Minnesota)

A 40-year-old Duluth woman has been charged with threatening a witness who helped Duluth police bust a methamphetamine trafficking ring.

Suzette Leah Anderson is charged with aggravated first-degree witness tampering and tampering with a witness in the first-degree.

Police and the Lake Superior Drug and Gang Task Force said Anderson, who is also known as "Momma Gotti," threatened bodily harm to a confidential witness in a drug investigation that led to Anderson's son being indicted on federal drug charges.

Anderson's son, Lee Ronald Nesgoda, 24, pleaded guilty this month to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of meth. He faces a potential sentence of 21 to 27 years in prison. Three co-defendants also entered guilty pleas for their roles in the meth-trafficking ring.

Anderson's next court date is scheduled for April 17.


http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14211745.htm

Montana's Gritty Meth Ads Are Turning Heads (Montana)

Project Financed by Billionaire Aims to Keep Teens From Trying the Drug

By JONANN BRADY

March 30, 2006 — The ads most often seen in Montana these days are graphic and more than a little disturbing.

In one TV spot, you see a close-up of a teenager plucking her eyebrow with tweezers. The camera pans back and you see that she's completely tweezed off the other eyebrow, leaving angry red welts on her face. A voice-over says: "It's amazing what you can accomplish on meth."

Watch "Nightline"next week at 11:30 p.m. ET for its series on methamphetamine in America.

The gritty, hard-hitting ads, created by the Montana Meth Project, all share the same message aimed at teenagers: Don't try meth, not even once. Click here for more on the Montana Meth Project.

Thomas Seibel, a software billionaire who lives part time in Montana, donated $5.6 million to help launch the ad campaign. Since the project kicked off in September, it has become the biggest advertiser in the state, with anti-meth messages popping up on billboards, television, radio and newspapers.

Seibel told "Nightline" that the ads simply reflect the dangers of methamphetamine, the stimulant that has ravaged many communities across the country, especially in the Midwest and West.

"The ads are disturbing. They're gripping. They're attention getting," Seibel said. "This is a disturbing subject … This is difficult to sugarcoat, OK, this is about disease and degradation."

According to the Montana Meth Project, methamphetamine use by young people in Montana is dramatically higher than the national average, and its focus is solely on prevention — to keep teens from even trying the drug.

Seibel and others say the graphic ads are realistic and reach teens in a way that other anti-drug campaigns have not.

"I think they weren't credible, they didn't reach us," Seibel said of the This Is Your Brain on Drugs campaign. "I think those were adults talking to adults, and in the meth project … our message is young people talking to young people."

While the ads have stirred up some controversy, they have also gotten high marks from law enforcement and health officials in the state. And even more important to the project, they do seem to be getting kids' attention.

More to the story at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Health/story?id=1784296&page=1

Traffic Stop In A.A. County Leads To Drug Bust (Maryland)

(WJZ) MILLERSVILLE, Md.

Anne Arundel County police say they detained three young people from Evansville, Indiana, Tuesday evening after they were seen at a drug store buying large amounts of over-the-counter cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine.

Police say the group admitted they planned to resell the medicine in their home state to people they knew who would use it to make methamphetamine.

In all, police seized 103 boxes of the medication bought from several local stores.

Lieutenant Dave Waltmeyer says the two men, ages 21 and 22, were on spring break from a trade school and traveled to Maryland with a 17-year-old girl to buy the cold medicine because Maryland has less stringent regulations for its sale. The trio told police they planned to sell the boxes back home for a large profit.

The three people broke no Maryland laws and have been released. Waltmeyer says they could still face charges in Indiana.

http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_089120251.html

Former addict chills audience (Minnesota)

By Tracy Frank, The Forum
Published Friday, March 31, 2006

ADA, Minn. – When David Parnell was lying in a hospital bed three years ago, his face a swollen and sunken distortion of what it once was, the drug addict decided to turn his life around.

Parnell was hospitalized after he threatened to kill his wife and children, he and his wife struggled with the gun and a bullet went through his head.

After barely evading death’s grasp a second time – the first was when he tried to hang himself – Parnell resolved to spend his life warning others of the dangers of drugs, specifically methamphetamine.

Ada-Borup high school students sat Thursday, some on the edge of their seats, others huddled on their chairs with their hands over their faces, as the motivational speaker from Tennessee graphically described the deadly consequences of using methamphetamine.

While Parnell rattled off statistics like 95 percent of people who try meth become hooked, he tossed in stories about his own struggle, “facing the dragon,” like the time he bought marijuana instead of milk for his kids.


David Parnell
Parnell also showed picture after picture, each more disturbing than the last, of people burned alive in meth lab explosions.

“That’s what this drug is doing every day in the United States,” Parnell said.

The students gasped and cringed when Parnell displayed pictures of meth addicts reduced to walking skeletons with rotten teeth and bloody, scarred arms.

“It was really gross and hard to watch to see they had to go through that,” said ninth-grader Nina Lofgren.

And teachers were reduced to tears when Parnell detailed the torture, suffering and eventual death children of meth-addicted parents are forced to endure.

“There’s not a word in the English language bad enough for me to describe the conditions children have to live in because of meth,” Parnell said.

Parnell does not hold back when warning the teens of the dangerous drug. He shows photos of his own face, bloodied and broken from a bullet shot from his own gun, he discusses getting his wife hooked on meth, and he talks about the miracle of finding out his wife was pregnant with their seventh child while he was fighting for his life.

“With drug addicts, the pain it really causes is to the people around us,” Parnell said.

Parnell now devotes his life to fighting meth, by speaking to schools, churches, jails, rehabilitation centers and community groups to warn about the dangers of meth.

“It was really effective,” ninth-grader Derek Webb said of the presentation.

Not only does Parnell want to prevent others from trying meth, but he also wants to give hope to those already addicted.

“You guys can make a huge difference in this fight, if you would pledge not to use meth, it would die off with the cooks and users because their life expectancy is so short,” Parnell said.

“I really believe in my heart I’m trying to save these kids’ lives.”


Readers can reach Forum reporter Tracy Frank at (701) 241-5526
David Parnell is a motivational speaker from Tennessee

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=122108§ion=News

Saskatchewan allows mandatory detox for minors (Canada)

CBC News
Parents of drug-addicted teenagers in Saskatchewan will be able to force their children into drug treatment programs under a new law that goes into effect April 1.

Under the Youth Drug Detoxification and Stabilization Act, parents of children aged 12 to 17 can apply to a judge to have a child put into a short-term detoxification program against his or her will.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/31/sask-detox060331.html

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Got a gram, Grandmother? (Navajo Nation, New Mexico)

Police arrest three generations of methamphetamine dealers in Dilkon
By George Hardeen / Navajo Nation President's Office


DILKON, Ariz.— Navajo Nation police officers executed a federal arrest warrant Tuesday and took a Navajo grandmother, her daughter and granddaughter into custody for dealing methamphetamine in this small, remote community.

Police arrested Effie Nezzie, 81, reputed to be a Navajo traditional diagnostician known as a hand trembler, her daughter Marjorie Conley, 63, and her granddaughter, Frederica "Bubba" Conley, 39, at their home one mile from the Basha's shopping center here. Also at home at the time was the one-year-old infant daughter of Frederica Conley. Her five-year-old son was at his Navajo Headstart program.

The three were transported to Flagstaff for their initial court appearance. Navajo police said the family had been dealing for the past three years, and residents had recently complained about their activities again.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/mar/032906dilkon.html

Father Talks about the Death of his Infant Daughter (Utah)

Amanda Butterfield Reporting

The father at the center of a controversial custody battle talked to us about the difficult circumstances surrounding the death of his infant daughter.

Judges have to make difficult decisions when custody cases are complicated by drug addiction.

We traveled to Wells, Nevada, today to talk to the girl's father about his hope that parents will be heard.

Cleaning stables, feeding horses, whatever it is, Cole Morrow just tries to keep busy to keep his mind off his daughter.

Cole Morrow, Father: "The last couple of months have been better."

Estella Lacey died in December while in the care of her mother, Mary Lacey, and boyfriend Raymond Chesley. Cole, with the help of his mother, took the baby from Lacey when he heard she was using drugs. They brought Estella back to Wells to raise her.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=183545

Killer thought victim was police informant (Kansas)

Killer thought victim was police informant
BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle

David Meggers thought Bonnie Galloway was a police snitch who was trying to sell him some bad drugs, so he stabbed her to death, he admitted Wednesday in court.

Meggers, 27, pleaded guilty in Reno County District Court to premeditated first-degree murder in the Jan. 27 death of Galloway, 36.

He will face a term of life without parole for at least 25 years when he is sentenced April 25.

Meggers told District Judge Steve Becker that he stabbed Galloway in her South Hutchinson home after he went there to buy cocaine and methamphetamine.

Deputy Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton said Meggers decided to kill Galloway after concluding that the meth she was trying to sell him was not real.

Meggers also assumed -- mistakenly -- that Galloway had become a police informant after her arrest last year on felony drug charges, Stanton said.

Galloway, who was awaiting trial on the charges at the time of her death, had been granted a continuance in the case. Meggers wrongly thought the delay was a sign that Galloway was working with police, Stanton said. The continuance was a routine matter that had nothing to do with the facts of her case.

Investigators said that when Meggers confessed to killing Galloway, he also claimed to have murdered people in three other states. Stanton said a thorough KBI investigation of those claims turned up no evidence that any of those crimes occurred.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local/crime_courts/14219813.htm

Urban invasion of meth coming (Indiana)

Message gets out at town meeting
By Sarah A. Meisch
The Journal Gazette

Methamphetamine production and use may be a bigger problem in southern and rural parts of Indiana, but state and local officials want to be prepared for an urban invasion that they say is already happening.

That was part of the message at a town hall meeting Wednesday night at Indiana Tech. About 30 people attended the event sponsored by the Drug & Alcohol Consortium of Allen County.

“We want to make sure Fort Wayne and Allen County (are) prepared,” said Mike Cunegin, a Fort Wayne police sergeant and Allen County councilman. “We want to give out as much information as we can to make sure we’re well-prepared and don’t get blindsided like we did a few years ago (by crack).”

Daryl Hall, director of programs for the Indiana Department of Correction, talked about what meth is and why some people use it.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/14221818.htm

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

High School Student Develops Project to Test for Meth (Arkansas)

Reporter: Michelle Rupp Posted By: Amanda Manatt
Hot Springs - A winning science fair project could change the way homes are tested for meth production -- possibly making the job for law enforcement officers easier. A senior at the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences and the Arts has come up with a formula that has some at the crime lab excited about it's possibilities.

The Control Substance Lab was busy Tuesday as chemists and forensic scientists are busy testing anything from meth to pot. A new experiment, however, could indicate methamphetamine almost immediately at the scene.

(Jenni Perry, Forensic Chemist) "With her test you wipe it against the surface and there's a color change you see."

The experiment is being developed by a senior high school student, Jennifer Wu, who is working with the crime lab to further develop the project.

(Jennifer Wu, senior) "We'd like to test an actual meth production facility."

Forensic chemist, Jenni Perry, says this could be a vital tool for police around the state.

(Perry) "If it's a situation law enforcement agents can come out, narcotics officers can come out to determine if they need further assistance we can respond or they can take samples."

Perry says in 2003 and 2004 approximately 1,200 meth labs were seized and submitted to the crime lab. That number was nearly cut in half for 2005, primarily because legislation made it difficult to purchase meth ingredients.

(Perry) "It’s absolutely wonderful to see interest in forensics and to have a project like this that could really impact the community."

There is still plenty of testing to be completed. The new technology won't likely be available for several years. Wu won the regional science fair competition with her project.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0306/314006.html

On TV tonight: Al Roker Investigates: Meth, Murder & Madness

Deb Breuklander, 47, of Des Moines will be featured tonight on "Al Roker Investigates: Meth, Murder & Madness," which looks at the effects of methamphetamine use on families and communities across the country. The special will start at 10 p.m. on Court TV (Channel 43 for Des Moines-area Mediacom customers).

Man Accused Of Attempt To Run Drug Lab (Connecticut)

By GARY LIBOW,
Courant Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN -- Officer William Mudano went to the Wesley Inn and Suites to investigate a reported larceny, but ended up making the first crystal meth lab bust this year in Connecticut - and what city police believe to be the first-ever in Middletown.

The occupant of Room 212 reported money missing. The investigation Friday led Mudano to Room 216 where he spotted a duffel bag. Mudano inquired about the contents of the bag, and the makings of a meth lab were spilled out - a Coleman butane cylinder, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, a beaker with residue, coffee filters and plastic containers capable of holding fluids.

As a result, Middlefield resident Timothy Gionfriddo, 21, was charged with criminal attempt to operate a drug factory, criminal attempt to possess methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held with bail set at $25,000 and was scheduled for court on April 7.

"In Connecticut, this is the first one [bust] we have responded to this year," Special Agent Tony Pettigrew of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration said Monday.

Gionfriddo was in possession of the equipment and ingredients for a "box lab," but was not manufacturing the drug at the time of his arrest, Pettigrew said.

Box labs are transportable and usually produce anywhere from a half-gram to a gram of methamphetamine, Pettigrew said.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-midmeth0328.artmar28,0,2895195.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

Dial-a-dope operation disconnected (British Columbia, Canada)

By ROBYN STUBBS, 24 HOURS

Vancouver Police busted a sophisticated dial-a-dope operation run out of apartment buildings in Vancouver's downtown core.

Five people face drug-trafficking charges after police seized eight kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of methamphetamine, 97 grams of heroin and smaller amounts of the date-rape drug GHB, ecstasy and pot from an SUV and two apartments, located at 969 Richards Street and 1221 Homer Street.

Police also seized $30,000 in cash from the operation, which isn't believed to be associated with organized crime.

While many dial-a-dope operations aren't as sophisticated as this most recent bust, police are "constantly getting complaints about folks dial-a-doping," said VPD Insp. Dave Nelmes.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/2006/03/28/1508552-sun.html

Police: Meth Lab Seized Across From Officer's Home (Indiana)

Police Lived Near Meth Lab
By Maureen Kyle

(CLARKSVILLE, Ind.) -- Four people were in custody Tuesday after a meth lab bust in southern Indiana. As WAVE 3's Maureen Kyle reports, undercover detectives with state police found the lab in an unlikely place.

In a community of quiet streets and cul de sacs, neighbors get to know each other well -- 12-year-old Mallory Pinnick knows the two boys who live at 2321 Brookwood. "They have a trampoline and I go in the summertime and jump on it with them."

Mallory says one of the boys is "like 15 or 16, and he's really smart. And one of them goes to Parkwood."

On Tuesday Mallory learned something about their father she never would have expected. "I asked my mom and she was like, 'oh, that guy got busted for a meth lab.'"

Mallory says she and her mother watched as police officers cleaned up the remnants of a meth lab. Only hours earlier, detectives had been led to the home by its owner, Brian Dowland.

Police say they arrested Dowland and three other people for dealing the drug after a surveillance operation at an apartment on Hallmark Blvd late Monday. After some questioning, police say Dowland told them where it was being made.

"It appears to us right now that everything they've found leads us to believe that they are manufacturing it some other place besides here, bringing it here to do the last phase, what we call the gassing off stage of the methamphetamine itself," said Indiana State Trooper Josh Banet.

One of the most surprising facts about the meth bust is the neighborhood where it was found. Several police officers live in the area -- and a Clarksville police officer lives right across the street.

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=4693445&nav=0RZF

Gordon men arrested in bust of suspected meth lab (Wisconsin)

BY MARIA LOCKWOOD
SUPERIOR DAILY TELEGRAM

Two men suspected of operating a methamphetamine lab are behind bars as the result of a Saturday investigation in Gordon.

The men, ages 38 and 39, were arrested on charges of possession of paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, according to Michael Miller, narcotics detective with the Douglas County Sheriff's Department.

The 38-year-old also was arrested on suspicion of storing anhydrous ammonia, a chemical used to manufacture meth, in an unauthorized container.

The two made an initial appearance in Douglas County Court Monday but no criminal complaints were prepared. Court Commissioner Paul Baxter set bail at $1,000 cash with conditions for both men and ordered them to appear for a second initial appearance Tuesday.

According to a Sheriff's Department report, a neighbor of one of the men saw both driving near his property. When asked why, they told the neighbor they were looking for a lost dog. Later, the neighbor found a discarded box nearby that appeared to contain parts of a meth lab, and he called the Sheriff's Department.

Sgt. Al Peterson responded to the call at 7:06 a.m. and confirmed the equipment was the type used to manufacture methamphetamine. It exuded a strong odor, typical of the meth-making process, according to the report.

Miller said sheriff's deputies went to the 38-year-old suspect's property with a search warrant at 3 p.m. Saturday, assisted by the Superior Police Department's SWAT team and agents from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigations Narcotics Bureau. Miller said officers located precursor chemicals for meth and a propane cylinder that tested positive for anhydrous ammonia, which is also used to make meth.

Because there were children present at the home, Miller said, both child protective services and the county's public health department were contacted.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/14207226.htm

Meth leaves lingering effects on homes (South Carolina)

(National-NBC) March 28, 2006 - In January, state and local law enforcement busted the biggest meth ring in state history.

Officers seized about 37 pounds of meth ice with an estimated street worth in the millions. Forty suspected drug dealers were arrested.

That bust is just one of hundreds made around the state since methamphetamine has become an increasingly popular drug. It's a growing problem in South Carolina and across the nation.

One of the reasons is because it can be made inside a home, and when a meth lab inside a house is busted, the remnants of the toxic drug can harm future families who move in.

Despite new restrictions on pseudoephedrine, meth continues to have effects on not only users and manufactures but innocent people too.

The Garland County Sheriff's Department says they often find people moving into houses and apartments that were once fully operational meth labs and paying for it with their health. And it's not the just the junkies to blame, but landlords too.

Lt. Rodney Neighbors says, "It's a problem everywhere, not just in Garland County. It costs a lot of money to get this cleaned up right. They don't want to invest the money to get it done so they put a couple coats of paint on it and let it go, but that don't solve the problem."

To adults, the leftover fumes may just be irritating but to children it could be lethal.

Lt. Neighbors says, "You have a toddler that's crawling around on the floor. If he chews on the carpet or something like that then it goes straight to their mouths and it's worse on them."

But in the labs of the Arkansas School of Math, Science and the Arts, one young mind may have thought of a solution to the lingering problem.

Jennifer Wu was just looking for a good science project for the school science fair when she developed a test to determine the past presence of meth, "There's been a big problem in methamphetamine in Arkansas, obviously, and throughout the nation and we should come up with some to help."

Jennifer found by adding a few harmless chemicals to the walls of a home she could determine if harmful chemicals used to make meth were ever present. It is a concept that has earned her way to the state and national science fair, "I'm excited to be representing my school. Especially, I often joke that I'm a humanities person I guess, but this project has really shown me how wonderful science is and how much there is to be discovered in all aspects of learning."

And as for the secret to her home testing kit, right now she is keeping that bottled up.

Jennifer says her test is still in the feeble stages but it shows a lot of promise. Safety officials say on average, it costs about $3,000 to rid a three-bedroom home of meth toxins.


http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4695115

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Nineteen People Busted in Meth Trafficking Ring (California)

Nineteen in Southern California charged in meth smuggling case

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO

A Chula Vista man suspected of leading a methamphetamine trafficking ring that used juveniles to sell or smuggle the drug was in federal custody Monday after being charged in a two-count indictment, authorities said.

Jorge Arreola-Gomez was among 19 people named in the indictment unsealed Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office alleging that the defendants used numerous couriers, many of them teenagers, to smuggle methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border.

An investigation led to the seizure of more than 140 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $25,000 in cash, a firearm and 20 pounds of pseudoephedrine, a nasal decongestant authorities say is commonly used to make methamphetamine.

Among those charged were Arreola-Gomez's wife, mother, two sisters and two brothers-in-law. Most of the defendants were from Southern California, with one man identified as a Mexican national.

All 19 faced one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Arreola-Gomez and two others also were charged with carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

The penalties range from 10 years to life in prison and fines of $250,000 to $4 million.

The defendants were scheduled to appear at a detention hearing on Wednesday, said Assistant U.S. attorney Peter Ko.

Crystal meth ruled out in home explosion (New Brunswick,Canada)

CBC News
Chemical specialists say a house explosion in Smiths Corner last week may not be linked to the production of crystal meth, though drugs were likely being made in the home.

RCMP began investigating the house on March 22, after neighbours found a man wandering aimlessly around the neighbourhood.

Valerie Thompson worried the man might be dangerous, so she brought in her dogs and locked her door. "He didn't look like he was in the right frame of mind," she said.

Neighbours called the police, who took the man away on suspicion of drugs. The next day, a small explosion blew the roof off the house and it became engulfed in flames.

RCMP Sgt. Dave Mazzerolle says police believed the home was producing crystal meth, a highly addictive and inexpensive type of amphetamine. "Based on preliminary evidence, there was a strong indication there was a crystal meth lab inside the residence," he said.

INDEPTH: Drugs: Crystal meth
Officers brought in chemical specialists from Montreal to examine the charred remains of the home, and concluded that there isn't enough concrete evidence to prove the existence of a crystal meth lab.

http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_homeexplosion20060329.html

Are Meth Homes in Montana Getting Cleaned Up? (Montana)

You think you’re looking at your dream home. It’s affordable, needs a little TLC, but looks like a solid fixer-upper. But what you can’t see – the former residents cooked methamphetamine in the kitchen, and the house is thoroughly contaminated by the drug’s toxic residue.

Or you rent a nice hotel room for the night – with no knowledge that meth was cooked up in the drip coffee maker.

To many in Montana, meth use is largely invisible. Small-time manufacturers create the drug out of their homes, mostly for their own use. The rising meth problem is a crime story in the local newspaper, or a gritty, disturbing ad on television.

But for renters and home buyers, the drug can have a devastating impact long after it has been made and consumed. The toxic chemicals used to cook meth leave a home, motel room, or rental property unsafe for future residents – who often don’t know about the home’s past.

There are countless recipes for manufacturing methamphetamine, but most involve either over-the-counter cold medications or large quantities of agricultural chemicals. In the process, toxic chemicals, vapors and solvents are left behind.

According to a national law enforcement research agency, each pound of meth results in about five pounds of toxic waste – a deadly mix that often gets dumped outside, washed down sinks, or left as dangerous vapors and residue materials.

The health effects from exposure to these chemicals are significant: As the Washington state health department reports, the chemicals left by meth manufacturing can cause a wide range of health problems, ranging from dizziness or lethargy to long-term birth defects or organ failure, depending on the length of exposure.

See much more to this story at:

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/7305/

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Difficulties send lab activities south of border (Arizona)

By JIM SECKLER

KINGMAN - Crank. Ice. Speed. Crystal.

The most common name is methamphetamine and it is tearing this county and nation apart piece by piece.

Cheap and easy to make, meth can be made using everyday household items.

The production of meth in homemade labs large and small has decreased in Mohave County in the last few years, Deputy Chief Jim McCabe said. However, the devastating use of meth has steadily increased with the county's burgeoning population.


The number of meth labs found has decreased in recent years because of law enforcement efforts and the increasing difficulty in buying items used to make meth. About four to five years ago, sheriff detectives raided 50 to 65 meth labs a year. Last year, only about a dozen or more labs were discovered, McCabe said.

In past years, many of those meth labs were found in the Bullhead City area largely because of gang activity in the area, McCabe said. In recent years, meth production has shifted to Mexico where large “super labs” produce larger and cheaper amounts and better quality meth.

Mexico does not have the regulations that this country has to purchase ingredients used to make the drug.

It is estimated that about 70 percent of the methamphetamine produced now comes from Mexico's super labs, which is then smuggled into this country.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2006/03/26/news/local/local4.txt

Chemical company investigated (Kentucky)

DEA gets limits put on its sales

By Kay Stewart
kstewart@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

A small chemical and lab-supply company tucked away on a dead-end street south of downtown Louisville boasts on its Web site that it sells chemicals "in any amount, in any grade, from a gram to a barge load," to industries, schools and individuals.

That willingness to sell has left the company, Antec Inc., with a brew of legal troubles:

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has investigated Antec because its chemicals have been found during raids of methamphetamine labs.

The company is the target of a civil lawsuit over its online sale of poison to a Maryland teenager who used it to kill a classmate in 2003.

Environmental officials have alleged that Antec violated state regulations and the federal Clean Water Act.


http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/NEWS01/603260388/1008/NEWS01

COMET graduates (Washington)

To 10 of the brightest stars in our community, the COMET graduates who were honored Monday. The Co-Occurring Methamphetamine Expanded Treatment program has helped clients for a year and now serves about 60 mentally ill meth addicts. COMET's first graduating class includes eight women and two men, each of whom had to log 60 days free of meth use and have stable housing, a reliable source of income, and the ability to manage his or her mental illness.

What a wonderful personal conquest, and what a measurable step forward for the entire community.

http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/03252006news15823.cfm

Police say mobile meth labs pose new threat (Kentucky)

Police say area methamphetamine makers have responded to recent crack downs with more creative ways of producing the drug.

Meth makers are taking their craft out of our neighborhoods and onto the highway.

A mobile meth lab bust occurred Thursday on the Gene Snyder at Smyrna Road. Mobile meth labs are a growing problem with more health hazards than one might think.

Authorities say meth lab busts hit an all time high in 2004 with 1,115 by state police alone.

http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/032506cckrWhasTopmethlabs.5fae5995.html

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Older Addicts: Baby Boomers Turn to Meth (Wisconsin)

Chippewa Valley

The face of meth is changing. Local counselors say the average meth user is 29 years old, but that number could go higher. People in their 40's, 50's and 60's, are becoming part of the meth crisis. Drug counselors say Baby Boomers who used to come in for alcohol treatment are now coming in for meth treatment and their numbers are increasing.

The reasons why they use and their road to recover differ from younger users.

Dunn County Sheriff Dennis Smith says, "Some of the older ones that we've had have been people who wanted to lose weight and they thought this is the best way of losing weight." Weight loss, dental problems, and body sores are all signs of meth use.

McKinzi Simonsen is a drug counselor. She says, "Our Baby Boomers are taking care of their parents, taking care of their children and their children's children. And some of them are turning to meth to be able to keep up, because it gives them that energy."

Simonsen says meth takes its toll faster in older people because their slower metabolism keeps the poison in them longer.

When it comes to recovery, counselors say it can be harder to get an older person in for treatment, because they are reluctant to admit they need help at their age.

On the other hand, counselors say having children, a home, and a job to return to can help motivate older users to complete the treatment process.

For anyone that is interested. I am a Chippewa, older, caring for my mother, niece, daughter and grand sons...AND a disabled husband. I have not turned to drugs or alcohol (probably because I did up until 15 years ago and found they don't help)... BUT I have found Jesus Christ and HE alone keeps me going and gives me strength. Praise God.

Please find the rest of the older addicts story at the url below:

http://www.wqow.com/news/articles/article_6257.shtml

Hawaii's Government Repeatedly Refuses to Allow Hawaii Residents to Defend Themselves - Even in the Face of Death (Hawaii)

Like Sheep to Slaughter

By Malia Zimmerman

Twenty-five-year-old Greg Hunter, high on crystal methamphetamine Sunday, threatened a young couple at their home on three separate occasions, according to sources and a Honolulu Star-Bulletin report by Rod Antone. Although they did not know him, Hunter yelled obscenities at the couple, smashed their front window and tried to reach in and enter their ground floor apartment. Honolulu police were called and they took reports at the apartment located just across the street from Maryknoll School, the state’s largest Catholic grade school, but did nothing except fill out paperwork and search the area briefly for the culprit.

Later that day, after the police left, and the couple went outside to clean up their glass window that shattered on the ground, Hunter came back, this time even more violent than before. As the couple raced into their home and tried to shut the door behind them, Hunter broke down their front door and raced into the apartment, attacking the woman, using all 200 pounds to knock her to the floor. Her boyfriend, who was smaller than the attacker by several inches and 50 pounds, took a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the attacker three times, finally getting him off of his girlfriend. This time when police returned, instead of helping the couple, they arrested the man who defended himself and his girlfriend from the intruder on suspicion of second degree murder and held him overnight. He could still face murder charges, depending on what the city prosecutor determines his fate to be.

There is more of this story at the following url: But first... How would you feel if you lived in Hawaii or went there on vacation and someone high on meth attacked you; you were forced to defend yourself and ended up going to prison. THAT'S CRAZY!!

I think Hawaii needs to get into step with the constitution! Kim


http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?2d8eb07d-b250-45ae-972c-f950b7599e6c

Troy man facing child endangerment and drug charges after meth lab found (Illinois)

BY JAYNE MATTHEWS
News-Democrat
TROY - A rural Troy man's alleged beating of his girlfriend Monday led to the discovery of a methamphetamine lab, marijuana and the club drug ecstasy in a house where two children live.
After the girlfriend of 35-year-old Ronald Seagraves told police she believed Seagraves was involved in illegal drug activity, deputies searched the house and found a meth lab, said Sgt. Gary Burns, spokesman for the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
Seagraves is on parole from a Missouri prison where he served time for previous drug crimes, according to the police search warrant application.
Deputies also called in the Illinois State Police regional drug unit.
Deputies arrested Seagraves, who was hiding in the woods behind the couple's house at 8555 Steele Lane. Circuit Judge Ann Callis on Tuesday set Seagraves' bail at $700,000 on eight separate felony charges.
"If it weren't for deputies at the scene being alert and going the extra mile, this would not have come out the way it did," Burns said.
Two of the charges against Seagraves are in Illinois' most serious felony category.
Other charges include felony child endangerment, because two children, ages 4 and 8, live in the home where Seagraves allegedly had a meth lab.
He could receive prison sentences totaling more than 60 years.
One of the most serious charges was that Seagraves used surveillance cameras to protect his meth lab. The anti-camera law was part of a meth law package passed by the Illinois General Assembly last year.
Seagraves faces a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery for allegedly beating Dawn Rowane with his fists.
Police also found about $5,600 cash, more than 15 ecstasy pills and a stash of marijuana large enough to charge Seagraves with felony possession with intent to sell, Burns said.
Contact Jayne Matthews at jmatthews@bnd.com or 345-7822 ext. 25.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/14167540.htm

Washington, Oregon and Idaho join forces against meth

KENT, Wash. -- Washington, Oregon and Idaho are joining forces to crack down on methamphetamine, partly by tracking sales of some key chemicals, Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna said.

The newly formed Pacific Northwest Pre-Cursor Chemical Committee will focus on monitoring sales of anhydrous ammonia, red phosphorous and hydriotic acid, which are used in manufacturing the illegal and highly additive stimulant, McKenna said.

The three states also plan to coordinate health and education programs to aid children and families hurt by meth and other drug abuse, he said.

McKenna outlined the program Wednesday during a visit by John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy, to the Pediatric Interim Care Center, a program in this suburb south of Seattle for infants going through withdrawal because of drug abuse by their mothers.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Meth_Fight.html

Death leads Homer to face meth issue (Alaska)

BY MICHAEL ARMSTRONG
STAFF WRITER
The death of a young Homer woman from an apparent drug overdose last week has raised the question of how big a problem methamphetamines has become in Homer.

Bethany Woodworth, 19, died March 16 in Anchorage after being found unconscious and not breathing at a Lighthouse Village cabin on the Homer Spit.

Her parents, Julie and Shane Woodworth, said they hope their daughter didn’t die in vain and somebody can learn from their tragedy.

“I sure hope this helps some families out there,” Shane Woodworth said. “If there are any families out there going through rough things, or suspicious … we’re not experts, but we’ve lived through it.”

Police, social workers, school officials and families of meth users all said meth is prevalent on the lower Kenai Peninsula, and close to becoming a major problem.

“It’s rampant in town,” said Shane Woodworth. “That stuff isn’t a party thing. It’s an addictive killer.”

Homer Police Chief Mark Robl warned that Homer is at a turning point.

http://www.homernews.com/stories/032206/news_032306new001.shtml

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Police Investigate Possible Meth Lab (Pennsylvania)

FBI and state police were investigating what appeared to be a meth lab bust on the city's east side Tuesday. Officials are tight-lipped about the investigation, but neighbors say they aren't at all surprised the home is finally getting some attention.
Neighbors who live near 617 Perry Street, in Erie, say they're relieved it's finally being investigated.
They say they've been worried about it for years and believe it housed drugs and other illegal activities.
The home is just one block away from an Erie middle school. Kids probably walk by every day. Now FBI and police are investigating what could have put these children and neighbors in danger...a possible methamphetamine lab.
Meth is a dangerous drug that can cause explosions.
Neighbors say a man in his fifites lived in the home, where drugs seemd to be a problem for years.
One neighbor who didn't want to be identified, said, "We've noticed a lot of traffic. People in and out of the house all day and all night."
But Tuesday FBI and police were the ones goin in and out, removing items from the home.
Hazmat was on the scene and one neighbor says a gas company also came out early in the day to shut off the gas.
This neighbor also knew the man who lived in the home, saying, "We got along well together, didn't have any problems, but kind of a strange duck."
The neighbor says he never had a problem with the home's resident, but was afraid of the crowd he drew into the neighborhood.
Many of the neighbors agree it's a relief a potential problem is being investigated. Now they hope the street will soon be a much quieter one.

http://www.35wsee.com/news2a.cfm?more=8494&category=1&news=fullstory

Youths affected by meth always need our help (Salem, Oregon)

Seventy-five foster families stepped up; more are needed

Last fall, anti-drug advocates made an urgent plea to leaders of local faith communities: Find 75 new foster families by May 1 for children removed from meth homes. They have reached that figure with six weeks to spare.

Our community can be grateful for these thoughtful, compassionate families. Opening one's home to traumatized children is a huge decision. But it's one of the best things people can do to heal methamphetamine's damage and to keep it from spiraling through another generation.

Still, thanking these families is just a start. Each one will need a circle of supporters to back them up in this difficult task. If others would offer to cook an occasional dinner, baby-sit for a weekly "date" night or get trained to provide respite care, they could help these new foster families keep alive their generous resolve.

Unlike earlier generations of addictive drugs, meth falls especially hard on children. Cheap and swiftly addictive, it appeals to people in their childbearing years. Kids are left to fend for themselves for days at a time while Mom and Dad are high, then again while their parents sleep it off.

By now, everyone has seen photos of authorities clearing toxic chemicals out of houses after a meth bust. But children are exposed to another kind of poison, one less talked about, in homes where adults use a drug that arouses them sexually.

Many children of meth homes see pornography and sexual acts in full view. Even worse, some are sexually abused by their parents or visiting strangers. No wonder that when police raid a meth home, one of the priorities is to find a safe place for the kids.

Children survive such places as best they can. For many, the transition to a normal, loving foster family will be rocky. But how these families are needed, now and in the months to come!

Seventy-five, the number that No Meth -- Not in My Neighborhood set before faith leaders in the fall, was just a minimum goal for new foster homes. If more families step up, child-welfare advocates will be better able to place kids with foster parents who can best meet their needs.

Last fall's invitation still stands. May more people hear it and accept.

http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/OPINION/603220304/1048

Federal sweeps net drugs and cash (San Diego, California)

By Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Authorities said yesterday they have dismantled a South Bay methamphetamine ring that brought large amounts of the drug into the United States from Mexico and endangered the lives of more than a dozen children.

A San Diego federal grand jury indicted 19 people yesterday. They all are accused of being part of a ring headed by Jorge Arreola Gomez, 31, of Chula Vista's Eastlake neighborhood, authorities said.

Arreola and other members of the alleged ring – including his mother, his wife, two sisters and their husbands – are scheduled to appear today in San Diego federal court, where a federal judge will decide whether they may be freed on bail.

Most of the arrests came in sweeps by federal agents March 15, during which child-welfare officials took custody of 13 children from homes where methamphetamine was kept, Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Misha Piastro said.

Agents seized more than 140 pounds of methamphetamine and more than $25,000 in cash as part of the investigation, according to court documents.

A DEA agent said in a court filing that the ring might have distributed thousands of pounds of the highly addictive stimulant.

One member of the ring was arrested in October when, authorities alleged, he was on the way to threaten or kidnap the wife of a drug dealer who had failed to pay a debt.

At the time of his arrest by National City police, the man, Manuel Omar Garcia Cervantes, was carrying a loaded, semi-automatic handgun, according to court documents.

“We were able to head him off before he was able to take any action,” Piastro said.

The investigation began more than a year ago and quickly homed in on Arreola, who authorities said was getting methamphetamine smuggled from Mexico.

A juvenile working for the ring was stopped and arrested while driving to Mexico in a car in which investigators later found 20 pounds of pseudoephedrine, a cold medicine that can be used to make methamphetamine, authorities said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060322-9999-1m22meth.html

A face to meth (Hibbing, Minnesota)

Kjerstin Lang
The Daily Tribune

Kjerstin Lang
Former meth user Mark Walls speaks to a crowd of interested community members about his past meth addiction. Looking on are Racheal Pierce who also battled with the drug and Outpatient Treatment Counselor for Arrowhead Center Pat Grahek.
HIBBING — Former meth users, local law enforcement and a treatment counselor spoke about their personal experience dealing with meth at a panel discussion on Tuesday night. The panel made it clear that the addiction can happen to anyone, and once addicted, the drug abuses the person.

Former meth user Mark Walls said when he started using meth he wanted to work and make more cash.

“I wanted to have more money and be able to buy my kids the best toys on the block, have the nicest house...,but you don’t do meth. Meth does you,” said Walls. “It tells you when you are going to go to sleep, when you are going to go to work, all this stuff is true.”

The meth problem has spread all over communities of northeastern Minnesota. That’s why Executive Director of United Way of Northeastern Minnesota Shelly Renner said that their path has began to focus heavily on the battle. They brought together the panel to talk facts, resources and spotting the problem.

“The best thing about education and talking about it is people will get the help they need,” said Renner. “And what we have found in the last years is there is help, and we do have success stories.”

Renner cited a 6 percent recovery rate for meth users. Some of those success stories were present, including Wall.

“I once thought I had worms coming out of my skin. It was real at that time,” he said. “The schizophrenia is there because at that point they think there are helicopters landing in their yard. They think the police are in the trees, and it isn’t the normal police coming to get them, it’s the FBI or the CIA.”

Lt. Tim Harkonen of the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, discussed the definition of meth, common names, how it is taken, the “binge cycle” and signs.

He showed before and after photos, reflecting meth mouth with teeth completely decayed. The faces went from young, healthy-looking complexions to gray tinged skin, sunken cheek bones, and sad lifeless stares.

Harkonen said one photo of a 13-year old girl was particularly disturbing to him.

“This is what we are starting to see more and more — young teenagers and younger people starting to use meth at an age where they really don’t have a clue,” said Harkonen. “Some of these children obviously don’t have a choice, they are being dragged into it and you can see the devastating effects on a 13-year old girl, after only a few months, she looks like hell — basically.”

Harkonen described other signs such as meth users craving sugary liquids, having high energy and restlessness. He said the addiction produces not only a physical problem, but a mental one.

“It replaces all pleasure. A lot of users I have spoken with say they have no idea how they feel,” said Harkonen. “Meth has told them what type of day they are going to have. It is very devastating. It takes over their life and the ability to feel pleasure and pain.”

Outpatient Treatment Counselor for Arrowhead Center Pat Grahek has seen patients suffering from addiction and withdrawal. He said it’s hard for meth users to stay off the drug because it is the only thing that can make them feel good.

“Nothing else makes them feel good,” he said. “Being with their children does not make them feel good, being at a Christmas party does not make them feel good, helping someone else does not make them feel good. Nothing makes them feel good.”

Renner said that people of all ages have stepped forward to talk about the addiction. She said they shouldn’t be looked at like outsiders.

“We don’t want to look at them like the scum of the earth,” she said. “These are real people with a real problem.”

http://www.hibbingmn.com/dailytribune/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=208483

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

22,000 meth addicts in Nebraska

Methamphetamine

More enforcement is also needed to control the state's methamphetamine problem, the candidates said. Osborne said there are about 22,000 meth addicts in the state and they cost about $1 billion in enforcement, cleanup and treament. Osborne said education and prevention would save the state money to the tune of every $1 spent on education producing as much as a $15 savings on the enforcement end.

Nabity suggested that if the state passes a concealed carry bill for guns, people who are currently afraid to point the finger at addicts and dealers would feel empowered to step forward. He said people are scared to testify against meth users because as soon as they bond out of jail, they come after those who fingered them.

Heineman pointed to the $45,000 he's allocated to start the process of getting a meth treatment center in the state.

http://www.ketv.com/news/8129116/detail.html

Money taken away from a major Mexican methamphetamine ring (Illinois)

Pontoon Beach's windfall bust

Pontoon Beach Police owe a big debt to rookie patrolman John Simmons, whose alertness and suspicions of a truck driver led to a $3.3 million drug money seizure.
Congratulations. That's money taken away from a major Mexican methamphetamine ring. It's money pumped into the drug fight.

Pontoon Beach's share is $2.37 million, which is a heck of a windfall for a community of about 6,000 where the year's police budget is $1 million.
Federal law directs that the money be used for law enforcement and fighting drugs. Pontoon Beach Police Chief Charles Luehmann said he has an equipment and training wish list.

But can the small department effectively spend $2.37 million?
It would be nice if the money could "fight drugs" through something permanent, such as a community center or scholarship. But it can't under federal law.
States have tried to divert the drug dollars. Missouri law directs the bulk to education, but local police subvert that by handing the bust over to the feds whose rules return most of the bucks to the locals.

We don't like begrudging the Pontoon Beach department because this money would not exist without them. But it seems like a poor system when so much money is concentrated in one department and the meth scourge is so widespread.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/editorial/14129772.htm

Doctor says killer had psychotic disorder (California)

By: JOHN HALL - Staff Writer

FRENCH VALLEY ---- A psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of addiction told jurors Monday that he believes Dustin Stanford was suffering from a psychotic disorder caused by methamphetamine when he stabbed his girlfriend 22 times, killing her.

Stanford, 25, is charged with murdering 21-year-old Amber Frink on Aug. 13, 2004. The body of the Murrieta woman was found with a bayonet protruding from her back in a bedroom of Stanford's parents' Murrieta home.

Stanford's attorney, Jeff Zimel, has conceded his client killed Frink, but is asking jurors to convict him of manslaughter rather than first-degree murder, saying the killing was caused by meth-induced psychosis.


Dr. Theodore Williams was the final witness called by the defense Monday and both sides have now rested their cases. The Southwest Justice Center jury is expected to hear closing arguments Wednesday before beginning deliberations.

Before Zimel called Williams, his expert medical witness, Stanford's mother again took the witness stand. Deputy District Attorney Stephen Gallon continued his cross-examination of Gail Stanford that started Friday. The prosecutor played an audiotape of a conversation between Stanford and his mother, recorded during a telephone call from jail two months after the killing.

In the tape, Gail Stanford asked her son, "Did you guys fight?"

"Who?" Dustin Stanford asks.

"You and her," his mother says.

"No. I don't even know why I did it," Stanford responds.

Gail Stanford told the prosecutor jail doctors had been giving her son medication and she didn't know if he was taking it the day of that conversation.

"I don't know what was going through his mind at that time," she said.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/21/news/californian/18_48_283_20_06.txt

Doctors call for more focus on meth kids (Washington DC)

By Raam Wong
Stephens Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON --- Two weeks after Congress moved to crack down on methamphetamine cooks, pediatricians urged lawmakers Monday not to forget about children, "the silent victims" of the drug.

About a third of the busts of home meth labs include children, who are often found hungry, filthy and living in environments so toxic that authorities have to wear respirators and Hazmat suits as they lead them out.

Their teddy bears and other toys, coated with noxious chemicals, have to be left behind.

"What I saw was neglect beyond anything I had ever seen," said Penny Grant, a pediatrician who responded to meth cases in Tulsa, Okla. "These kids had not seen the inside of a bathtub in weeks."

The purpose of Monday's meeting on Capitol Hill was to brief congressional aides on the ravages of meth on families. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can lead to paranoia, crime and violence.

Several participants said children stuck in meth households had received scant attention from lawmakers focused on passing legislation that limits the sale of pseudoephedrine used to cook the drug.

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/03/21/WashingtonDCBureau/335077.html

Elementary teacher caught in class with meth, man (New Mexico)

Joanna Chavez during Monday's video arraignment

By: Reed Upton

A first grade teacher at a Valencia County school is behind bars after she was discovered late at night in a classroom with a large quantity of methamphetamine and a man who said he was there for sex.

Joanna Chavez, 37, and 22-year-old Tyler Stalker were caught by police after officers spotted there cars outside Valencia Elementary School in Los Lunas late Sunday night.

“I would never have expected,” said Valencia Elementary parent Tracy Dunlap. “I mean, I didn’t know her very well at all, but I wouldn’t expect any teacher to put their children in any type of risk like that.”

According to police, Chavez had several pre-wrapped packets of methamphetamine in her purse. Stalker allegedly told police that he met Chavez at the school to get high and have consensual sex with her.

Chavez was arraigned Monday for possession of methamphetamine.

A school district spokesperson said that there were no students in Chavez’s classroom on Monday and an environmental team will analyze the classroom to make sure it’s safe before children return.


http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=24872&cat=NMTOPSTORIES

Woman gets 10 years after snubbing drug treatment (Missouri)

Judge Pratte gives woman maximum sentence
By TERESA RESSEL\Daily Journal Staff Writer

FARMINGTON - A lack of interest in a drug treatment program netted a Farmington woman 10 years in prison.

Even though the State Board of Probation and Parole recommended probation in her sentencing assessment report, Geneva Jarvis, 33, of Farmington, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of meth and possession of a chemical with intent to create a controlled substance.

Jarvis' public defender, Ben Campbell, asked Circuit Court Judge Kenneth W. Pratte to follow the recommendation in the sentencing assessment report.

Prosecuting Attorney Wendy Wexler Horn said she was against out-right probation but would not oppose sentencing the woman through a 120-day drug treatment program.

She reminded the judge that four charges of child endangerment and one charge of possession of a meth precursor drug were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. She said children were present when Jarvis was in possession of these items.

Campbell asked the judge to consider that Jarvis had already spent quite a bit of time in the county jail on this charge and this was the first time she has been in trouble. He said she wanted to get out of jail.

Judge Pratte said he did not understand why she did not want to take advantage of a drug treatment program when she was facing 10 years in prison. The judge went ahead and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.

According to court records, an officer with the Mineral Area Drug Task Force observed Jarvis purchase a box of pseudoephedrine pills from a local retail store. Officers went to her house and were allowed to search her property. The officers found 860 pseudoephedrine pills, meth precursors and paraphernalia and meth.

Officers noted that all of the items including syringes and meth were in reach of four children that resided in the home.

Jarvis told police she was purchasing the pills for meth manufacturers.

In other cases, Jonathan Black, 35, of Farmington, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for two counts of possession of a controlled substance - meth and oxycodone. The judge will consider releasing him on five years of supervised probation after he completes a 120-day drug treatment program.

According to court records, officers were called to a residence in Farmington by Black's mother who was concerned about an odor in her garage that was making her and her dog sick.
Officers found anhydrous ammonia and other ingredients used to make meth, as well as meth residue.

James Taylor III, 19, of St. Louis, was sentenced to five years in prison for three counts of tampering with a motor vehicle. The judge will consider releasing Taylor on five years of supervised probation after he completes a 120-day drug treatment program.

Scott Fritz, 40, of Park Hills, was sentenced to four years in prison for fraudulent use of a credit device. The judge will consider releasing him on five years of supervised probation after he completes a 120-day shock incarceration program.

Houston Lane, 18, of Farmington, was sentenced to seven years for tampering with a motor vehicle. The judge will consider releasing him on five years of supervised probation after he completes a 120-day drug treatment program.

Clint Richards, 40, of St. Louis, was sentenced to three years in prison for driving while intoxicated.

Kelly Castor, 36, of Farmington, was sentenced to seven years in prison for second-degree burglary.

Robert A. Radford Jr., was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the probation he received for stealing, second-degree assault, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and delivery of meth.

Brad Lynn Owen, 25, of Bonne Terre, was sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the probation he received for possession of meth. The judge will consider releasing him on five years of supervised probation after he completes a 120-day drug treatment program.

Russell Eye, 36, of Ste. Genevieve, was sentenced to four years in prison for violating the probation he received for failure to support a child.

Placed on five years of supervised probation were Michael LaBrot, 33, of Farmington, for possession of meth; Susan Weber, 45, of Park Hills, for fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance; Joseph Ivory, 19, of Farmington for forgery; Jerad Skaggs, 29, of Doe Run, for possession of a meth precursor drug with intent to manufacture; Lindell Barbee, 48, of Irondale, for failure to support a child; and Ervin Stokes, 46, of Park Hills, for possession of meth.

Several other individuals pleaded guilty to felony charges and will be sentenced in May.

Rikki Shibley, 19, of Desloge, pleaded guilty to possession of a meth precursor drug. Lilburn Eckhoff, 25, of Bonne Terre, pleaded guilty to sale of marijuana. William Sharp, 19, of Park Hills, pleaded guilty to sale of marijuana.

Brittany Duvall, 25, of Farmington, pleaded guilty to possession of meth. Shawn M. Kathcart, of Farmington, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon. Joshua Lindsey, 24, of Ironton, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Rickey K. McClenahan, 28, of Fenton, pleaded guilty to failure to support a child.

Albert Baker, 41, of Park Hills, pleaded guilty to stealing. Jeffrey W. Murphy, 32, of Bixby, pleaded guilty to possession of a meth precursor drug. Robert E. Page Jr., 29, of Farmington, pleaded guilty to failure to support a child.

http://www.mydjconnection.com/articles/2006/03/20/community/news6.txt

Friday, March 17, 2006

Woman Allows Kids to Smoke Meth (Florida)

A Crestview woman is being held at the Okaloosa County Jail charged with giving drugs to children.

According to Okaloosa County Sheriff's reports, Pamela Walters, age 46, of Dunedin Street, allegedly allowed a 12-year-old and 8-year-old to smoke methamphetamine. Reports said, that one of the children told authorities Walters put meth into a pipe and heated it for the child.

Walters has been charged with felony child abuse, in addition to trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of MDMA and conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.

The relationship between Walters and children, reports said, is unknown.

Walters, currently held on $250,000 bond, is schedule to appear in court on April 18.

http://community.emeraldcoast.com/crestview/news/article.showarticle.db.php?a=3618

“Meth on the Move: What Parents and Communities Need to Know” (Duluth, Minnesota)

“Meth on the Move: What Parents and Communities Need to Know” will be presented from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Central High School, 800 E. Central Entrance. Admission is free and open to the public. For details, call 728-7426, ext. 419.

Funding tops $1 billion for anti-meth measures (USA)

Friday, March 17, 2006
KYLE W. MORRISON ~ Southeast Missourian

If the federal budget passes, the money will become available beginning Oct. 1.
More than $1 billion in funding to combat methamphetamine crimes was approved by the U.S. Senate this week.

On Thursday, a $23 million amendment was approved to provide additional funding for meth enforcement and a meth clean-up program as part of the Senate Budget Resolution, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo. An amendment providing $900 million in grant funding for combating meth was approved by the Senate Wednesday, restoring funding previously eliminated in President Bush's budget for the Justice Assistance Grants. The grants fund local drug education and drug law enforcement programs

See the rest of the story at:
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1144193.html

Thursday, March 16, 2006

State police hear Ashland residents’ meth concerns (Pennsylvania)

By Rodney L. Sherman, Clarion News Editor

ASHLAND TWP. -- Ashland Township residents told a state police representative March 9 they are concerned about crime in the township but stressed worries about methamphetamine production.

Last month state police discovered an alleged methamphetamine lab along Whitehill Road . The alleged operators of that lab allegedly dumped chemicals from the manufacture of the drug and waste by-products before police arrived.

Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Kevin Doverspike, commander of at the Clarion barracks, attended the March 9 meeting of the Ashland Township Board of Supervisors as part of his community outreach policy.

Referring to the methamphetamine case, supervisor Cecil Cochran said a nearby resident of the alleged lab is pregnant. Cochran asked if township officials could be immediately notified of incidents during which actions such as the dumping of methamphetamine chemicals and waste is dumped.

Cochran said township officials are likely to know if anyone near such an incident should be evacuated.

“I think that’s a good idea,” said Doverspike. “We can add that to our response protocol.”

Doverspike said the state police have a “clandestine laboratory response team” to handle methamphetamine labs.

“If you think one of your neighbors is cooking meth, we need to know about it,” said Doverspike. “Your identity will not be revealed. Meth is dangerous stuff and we take any reports of it very seriously.”

http://www2.theclarionnews.com/General_News/51932.shtml

More money for crystal meth fight (Vancouver, BC)

CBC News
The provincial government has announced it's spending an additional $8 million a year for crystal meth treatment programs and detox beds.

Health Minister George Abbott says the money will be added to the budgets of B.C.'s six health authorities:

The government is stepping up its efforts
to deal with the effects of crystal meth

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority receives $2,183,915;

The Fraser Health Authority receives $1,964,558;

The Vancouver Island Health Authority receives $1,539,324;

The Interior Health Authority receives $1,261,421;

The Northern Health Authority receives $426,662;

And the Provincial Health Services Authority receives $624,120.

Vancouver police Deputy Chief Bob Rich welcomes the move, saying he sees the impact of crystal meth on the young addicts.

"It is awful. It will make your blood chill to watch what this person is going through. Crystal meth is a different drug than anything we've ever seen before, and it is awful. It is killing our children."

Addictions counsellor David McAleese says he was 19 when he started using crystal meth, and he fought his addiction for three years.

McAleese has been clean for two years. But he says when he lived on the street, crystal meth was an attractive drug to try.

"It helps a lot, because it makes it so you don't have to eat, and it makes it so you don't have to sleep. And it makes it so you're just aren't so depressed with being on the street and sleeping outside all the time."

http://www.cbc.ca/bc/story/bc_crystal-meth20060316.html

Governor, feds announce methamphetamine strategy (New Hampshire)

By Beverley Wang, Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. --With the presence of methamphetamines increasing in New Hampshire, state and federal officials Thursday released a plan to fight production and use of the highly addictive drug.

The plan, the result of a statewide task force, focuses on legislation, enforcement, treatment and prevention as well as protecting children and the environment. Gov. John Lynch and Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said raising public awareness about the dangers of meth, which is cheap to buy and easily made with store-bought ingredients, is another key point.

"It is crucial that we stop the production and use of this drug before more individuals become addicted and more lives are ruined," Ayotte said.

Both urged the House and Senate to pass bills restricting access to meth ingredients and imposing stiffer punishments for convicted meth producers when legislation crosses from one chamber to the other next week.

The House last month voted to require pharmacists to place some over-the-counter cold medicines containing contain pseudoephedrine and ephedrine -- key meth ingredients -- behind their counters, require photo identification of buyers and bar sales to minors. The bill also tracks sales and set purchase limits of the medications.

"I look forward to signing these pieces of legislation when they reach my desk," Lynch said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/03/16/governor_feds_announce_methamphetamine_strategy/

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Task Force and New Law Hope to Fight Meth Addiction (Utah)

Jed Boal Reporting

The state's top cop says meth continues to be the number one drug-related criminal problem in Utah, but a new law and new approaches may help in the battle.

The Utah Methamphetamine Joint Task Force met today for only the second time, but already it has positive momentum. Meth has plagued the state for nearly a decade. Now, a renewed commitment to fighting the drug on numerous fronts could have an impact.

The Utah Methamphetamine Joint Task Force unites law enforcement with health care and county, state and federal resources. Utah has made strides in the war on meth and closed down many labs, but high rates of addiction continue.

Last week the US Combat Meth Act was signed into law. It could help keep the manufacturing materials out of the cooks' hands. Starting in September, all Sudafed products must be held behind the pharmacy counter or locked in a cabinet. To buy Sudafed, you will have to show ID and sign a log.

The Utah Attorney General says reducing demand for meth is just as important.
Mark Shurtleff, Attorney General: "One of the issues we have not addressed is the issue of rehabilitation. There needs to be more money and emphasis put on helping people with their drug addictions, and education and rehab up front."

The Attorney General says Utah ranks second or third in the nation for addiction among women per capita. The task force presently is assigned to meet for one year.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=175708

Supervisors get snapshot of fight against meth (California)

By ROGER H. AYLWORTH/MediaNews Group

Butte County has the uncomfortable distinction of being at the front line in a battle with a modern scourge, and Tuesday the Board of Supervisors got a snapshot look at how the fight is going.
During the regular board meeting, Butte County Sheriff Perry Reniff, along with Keith Krampitz, commander of the south county narcotics task force, reported on the activity of the "Methamphetamine Strike Force."

The strike force is an unusual coalition of law enforcement, education, public health agencies, and public and private social services agencies, joining forces to "eliminate methamphetamine here in Butte County," said Reniff.

Reniff said it is difficult to quantify the total impact of meth on the county, but some numbers are easy. According to his figures, in 2004, 27 percent of the bookings in Butte County Jail were "for production, possession or (being) under the influence of methamphetamine."

http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_3602376

Meth summit shifts from talk to action (Oregon)

Goals include ways for victims and neighborhoods to fight back

The Daily Astorian

SEASIDE — A Meth Summit to develop strategies to fight the drug methamphetamine is happening from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Seaside Convention Center at 415 First Ave.

“This is really a call to action,” said Clatsop County County Commissioner Patricia Roberts. “You go because you have an interest in helping to change.”

The event is a follow-up to the February town hall meeting in Astoria.

Leaders from businesses, the faith community, treatment, law enforcement, government and others will attend.

The Public Safety Coordinating Council and the County Commission are sponsoring the event. Finding solutions for drug prevention and rehabilitation problems is one of the commissioners’ three priority goals for 2006.

The public is invited to attend and discuss strategies to prevent and treat meth addiction, improve public safety and protect children and families. Those attending will be broken up into groups to discuss the various topics, and each group will include a person trained in that field. People are asked to pre-register by e-mailing (methfree@co.clatsop.or.us) or calling Andrea Kennet at 338-3759.

Roberts said the goal is to provide concrete, tangible answers to problems and steps that individuals can take. For instance, she said law enforcement discussions may include what citizens should do when they have been the victim of a car break-in or burglary or if there is a suspected meth house in their neighborhood.

http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=31802&TM=20744.87

GUILTY PLEA IN DRUG KILLING (Canada)

The fourth accused in the drug-related killing of Trevor (T.J.) Wiebe pleaded guilty yesterday to second-degree murder as a jury waited to begin hearing evidence in his trial.

Chad Handsor had been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder but agreed to plead to the reduced charge after Justice Perry Schulman ruled a videotaped statement Handsor made to police could be used as evidence against him. Schulman also ruled jurors could hear evidence Handsor led police to Wiebe's body.

Wiebe, 20, was murdered Jan. 5, 2003, over an apparent drug dispute. His body was found a month later south of Ste. Agathe.

Two co-accused have been convicted in Wiebe's murder while the fate of the third -- the alleged mastermind behind the plot -- remains in the hands of a judge.


A date for Handsor's sentencing has not been set.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Harshman sentenced for meth, neglect charges (Indiana)

Brittney Dick
Reporter

One of the four suspects arrested early this year on charges of dealing methamphetamine was sentenced in Montgomery Circuit Court last week.

Christopher J. Harshman, 23, pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent and dealing in methamphetamine.

Judge Thomas Milligan sentenced Harshman to one year in the Montgomery County Jail, five years on house arrest and four years probation.

Milligan dropped charges of possession of precursors, possession of meth, possession of paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance in exchange for Harshman’s plea.

Harshman was arrested after police searched the Crawfordsville apartment he shared, 2019 Cloverleaf Court, at the request of a probation officer.

Crawfordsville Police Officer Todd Huckstep reported finding an operational meth lab in the kitchen, meth in other areas of the apartment and materials commonly used for making and ingesting the illegal drug.

Shannon Lanier, 25, and Ashley Johnson, 19, also lived at the apartment, police said.
http://www.journalreview.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=21582&TM=84393.48

Second time around (Wyoming)

By JENNI DILLON
Star-Tribune staff writer
When company shows up at the Doll house, 12-year-old Williy runs to shut his bedroom door.

"Never look in my room," he calls, laughing, as his grandmother, Connie Doll, scoffs at the mess.

Williy props himself on a footstool, back against his grandmother, and describes the off-limits space.

"I have a glow-in-the-dark space comforter and space sheets," he says. "I really basically like space."

By most standards, Williy is an average pre-teen boy. He loves hopping on his bike or four-wheeler and exploring the open spaces near his home. He tells of daring adventures speeding on two wheels down hilly dirt roads, and he points to his thigh, where he carries a scar from breaking his femur in a four-wheeling accident. He dreams of someday going to space camp and later becoming an astronaut.

In some respects, though, Williy's life has been far from average.

He has never stayed in the same school for two consecutive years, and his grandmother worries that he's a bit of a loner.

He's been in foster care, the Youth Crisis Center and ongoing counseling.

And, for the past four years, he has lived with his grandparents in Casper.

In a trend that social workers attribute primarily to the methamphetamine epidemic across the state, Wyoming has the highest rate of kinship care placements in the country. Most of those placements are with grandparents.

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2006/03/13/news/casper/c6d35a17645dd01c8725712e007c9881.txt

Drug-scarred kids need long-term special care (Montana)

By KIM SKORNOGOSKI
Tribune Staff Writer

Meth babies start their lives in a hole.

"These babies are crying all the time. They don't know how to feed. They may have difficulties bonding with their mothers," said Dr. Dan Nauts, director of the Benefis Addiction Treatment Center.

"And of course, you have mothers who don't know how to respond, either."

Every week in Great Falls, a baby is born who tests positive for methamphetamine.

Sometimes the babies are abandoned. Sometimes the state already is caring for the baby's siblings and knows the newborn won't be safe returning home with his mom.

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060313/NEWS01/603130302/1002

Man avoids jail by testifying in murder, meth case (Michigan)

Monday, March 13, 2006
By Norma Lerner
Special to the Gazette
CASSOPOLIS -- A 28-year-old man avoided jail time for the manufacture of methamphetamine after testifying against his older brother and another man in a murder and meth-manufacturing conspiracy.

David Richards walked out of Cass County Circuit Court on Friday a free man after serving 137 days in jail. But his brother, Robert Richards, 31, of Portage, will spend the next 17 years in prison for the murder of Joshua McCreary and for meth manufacturing. Travis Schmid, 23, of Richland, received 34 years in prison for his involvement in the murder and for the meth-manufacturing operation.

The two men were convicted for killing of 25-year-old McCreary, of Bloomingdale. The Richards brothers, Schmid and another man, Randall Reeves, 43, operated a meth lab on Reeves' Marcellus property, where McCreary's body was found.

http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1142266872290520.xml&coll=7

Saturday, March 11, 2006

President Bush signs ‘Combat meth act’

By Noelle Caylor
BDN Staff Writer

On Thursday, President Bush signed the “Combat Meth Act,” a nationwide law requiring that all medications containing pseudoephedrine, a substance used in the production of methamphetamine, be placed behind store counters, lessening accessibility and creating a paper trail for those that abuse.

“This is a major victory for people in neighborhoods across Missouri and the country who are threatened by meth,” Sen. Jim Talent said.

Missouri passed a similar law last year.

“This will create thousands fewer labs and addicts and fewer children will be contaminated,” Talent said.

Under the bill, consumers would be limited to 3.6 grams, or about 120 cold pills, per day, and 9 grams, or about 300 pills, per month. Buyers would need to show photo identification and sign a logbook.

Based on statistics from other states, Talent said there will be anywhere from a 70-90 percent decrease in meth labs.

“You will not see as many fires caused by (cooking) meth, you won't be passing vans cooking meth, and children aren't going to be exposed to meth by their parents cooking meth,” he said.

Stone County Sheriff Richard Hill said that after Missouri passed its meth law, he saw a decrease in meth labs. But the inaccessibility in Missouri created an influx of imported meth from Mexico, he said. Officials said the federal law will address the problem because there will be changes in reporting and certification procedures for countries exporting and importing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and other drugs.

Law enforcement, local and state governments will receive $99 million per year for the next five years under the bill's Meth Hot Spots program.

Recently, a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that Missouri, along with 18 other states, ranked higher than the national average for people seeking treatment for methamphetamine.

“What everyone needs to know is that they shouldn’t try meth even once; not one time,” Talent said. “This drug is the worst drug that there ever was and you will not control (the drug). It will control you.”


http://www.bransondailynews.com/story.php?storyID=520

Bismarck area women form "Mothers Against Meth" chapter (North Dakota)

Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. - Women here have formed a chapter of Mothers Against Methamphetamine, a Christian-based group seeking to provide help in coping with family addiction problems.
Wendy Sanderson of Bismarck, said methamphetamine use led to prison for her two grown sons.
"My daughter goes around telling people, 'My brothers are in prison.' It's normal for her," she said.
Nicole Johnson, a former corporate accountant, also is a founder of the Bismarck-Mandan chapter. She said she did what she could to hide her addiction from others, while using meth "off and on" for five years.
Johnson said she quit a year ago, when her mother made her choose to clean up her act or lose custody of her three children.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14076546.htm

Nephew of tribal judge sentenced (Wyoming)

By Gazette News Services

RIVERTON -- A nephew of a tribal judge accused of enlisting relatives to deal methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs on the Wind River Indian Reservation was sentenced to 17½ years in federal prison for his role in the drug ring.

James Goodman, 43, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Casper.

Twenty-five people were charged in the case -- the largest drug bust in reservation history. Among them was former Judge Lynda Munnell, also known as Lynda Noah, who was charged with threats against a federal officer, distribution of prescription pills and conspiracy.

Donna Goodman, Munnell's sister, and Goodman's husband, John, were accused of enlisting various family members for the drug ring. They are accused of distributing more than a pound of meth per month.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/03/11/news/wyoming/68-sentance.txt

Friday, March 10, 2006

Attempted murder charge is ordered (California)

By Dana Littlefield
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

It sounded like a cat yowling in the darkness.

Or maybe a baby crying, Gerry Williams thought momentarily when he heard strained sounds coming from outside his Bay Terraces apartment. Whatever it was, it clearly was in distress.

“Whoever's watching this baby isn't doing a very good job,” he remembered telling his wife the morning of June 5.

While testifying in San Diego Superior Court yesterday, Williams said he followed the sounds to a parking lot, where he found a tightly knotted trash bag stashed behind a large trash bin.

“I told my neighbor, 'If this is a cat, then this cat is going to have to bite me because I am going to open this bag,' ” Williams said. When he did, he found a newborn boy, lying among bloody paper towels, discarded cigarette butts and torn-up lottery tickets.

Its umbilical cord was still attached.

After hearing testimony from Williams and several other witnesses, Judge Browder A. Willis ordered Janelle Akemi Bulatao, 24, to stand trial for attempted murder.

If convicted, she could face a life sentence.

She was arrested Jan. 12 after police received an anonymous tip. The baby was taken to a hospital, where doctors found trace amounts of methamphetamine in his system.

The boy was later placed in foster care.

Bulatao's lawyer, Brad Patton, argued that prosectors had not presented enough evidence to show Bulatao's actions were premeditated. He said Bulatao had a number of stressful factors in her life and was “in a panicked state of mind” when she left the baby outside.

Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick Mazzarella argued that Bulatao could have abandoned it more safely, such as by placing the baby in a basket on a doorstep, rather than inside two trash bags behind a Dumpster.

Another witness, Gary Wilson, testified that Bulatao and her on-again, off-again boyfriend stayed at his apartment on Deep Dell Road occasionally. He said Bulatao spent the night on June 4 and told him she wasn't feeling well.

Wilson and his roommate left late that night and went to a casino. When they returned the next morning, they found blood in the floor of the hallway and living room, and Bulatao was lying on the couch.

Wilson he did not know that Bulatao had been pregnant.

Wilson and his roommate started to clean up the blood and called Bulatao's former boyfriend, James Shelton, to help. Bulatao later admitted to Shelton that she had given birth and left the baby outside, Wilson said.

Wilson, his roommate and Shelton then drove Bulatao to her parents' house.

Shelton testified that Bulatao told him in September 2004 that she was pregnant and was planning to have an abortion. She told him another man was the father.

Bulatao told a San Diego police detective she thought she had a miscarriage early in the pregnancy, but realized she was still pregnant when her belly kept growing.

Bulatao told the detective she believed her family would be disappointed in her if they knew of her pregnancy.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dana Littlefield: (619) 542-4590; dana.littlefield@uniontrib.com

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060307-9999-1m7bulatao.html

Walker meth workshop focuses on public health (Minnesota)

Gail DeBoer, Staff writer
The Pilot-Independent

If you think the meth epidemic doesn't affect you because (choose one) ...
• you never have used and never will use illegal drugs;
• your kids would never use the stuff;
• you live in a rural area or small town away from big city evils;
• you're a senior citizen, so it's no longer your concern; or
• law enforcement and government officials are handling the problem;
... you might want to think again.

The facts are (choose all) ...
• You don't have to use meth to have it affect your life. If you pay taxes (state, federal, sales, etc.), you're paying to fight meth.
• Kids who "would never use the stuff" — are using the stuff.
• Meth addicts come in all ages and genders, and from all rungs of the socio-economic ladder.
• Meth abuse occurs in almost every small town and rural area in the state, including here.
• The problem is so huge, law enforcement and government need your help.

To address the public health and safety crisis that the meth epidemic has created and to better inform the public, WHA Community Education will hold a day-long workshop devoted to methamphetamine education April 3 at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Walker.
To ensure that a cross-section of the community is represented, more than 100 "stakeholders" from Walker, Hackensack, Akeley, Onigum and the surrounding areas will be invited to attend the presentations and panel discussions.
It's not too early for stakeholder groups to choose a representative to attend the meth workshop.
Stakeholder groups can be
• faith communities (churches, religiously-oriented organizations)
• civic clubs
• local governments (township, county, Leech Lake Band)
• schools and other educational institutions
• health and dental care providers
• lake associations
• environmental groups
• senior citizens' clubs
• youth organizations
• chambers of commerce and other business organizations.

The afternoon session runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. After registration and lunch, Rick Moldenhauer of the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Jim Atkins, admissions director for the Hazelden Foundation, a Twin Cities drug treatment facility will give presentations.
Next are two panel discussions with opportunities for questions.
The first features Margie Ryan, Cass County Public Health nurse, who conducted a meth survey for the county; Leech Lake Tribal Council Chair George Goggleye; and John Sumption, director of Cass County Environmental Services Department.
The second panel features Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher; Leslie Bouchonville, director of the Pine River-Backus Family Center, and Sandy Munson, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School nurse.
District Court Judge John Smith and Probation Officer Reno Wells also will explain the new Cass County Wellness Court.
The afternoon session runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $15 charge per participant. Register by calling WHA Community Ed, 547-4360.
In the evening from 7 to 9 p.m., the community is invited to a free presentation by David Parnell, a nationally-known and widely-respected recovering meth addict. Parnell will give his unique and gripping story about the affects of meth on both the user and the family. Young people, parents and other concerned citizens are invited to attend.
In coming weeks, more details about the meth seminar will be announced.
To register or for questions, call WHA Community Ed at 547-4216 or 547-4360, or e-mail to larts@wha.k12.mn.us.
http://www.walkermn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=216229

President Signs Talent's Combat Meth Act (Washington DC)

President Signs Talent's Combat Meth Act

by Steve Walsh

President Bush has signed the Combat Meth Act into law. The legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Jim Talent, will restrict access to cold medications containing pseudoephedrine and other ingredients essential to the making of methamphetamine. Furthermore, products that contain these ingredients will now be placed behind the counter in pharmacies, with purchasers required to show identification and sign a logbook. Senator Talent was among those taking part in the signing ceremony at the White House

Eleven arrested in Hawkins drug raids (Tennessee)

By JEFF BOBO
Times-News
ROGERSVILLE - It was a busy couple of days beginning Tuesday night for the Hawkins County Sheriff's Department, as four separate drug raids netted 11 arrests and a huge cache of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, pills and cash.

Combining the cash and street value of the drugs, the total take for all four raids exceeded $56,000. The Rogersville Police Department's K-9 unit Driggon and his handler Officer Chris Pinkston participated in the first three stings.

HCSD Chief Detective Ronnie Lawson, who heads the Narcotic Unit, said Thursday his department received an unusually high number of drug tips and information in a short period of time, which deputies were able to act upon quickly.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.dna?_StoryID=3609995

Provision Strengthens Penalty against Offenders Caught Manufacturing Meth in the Presence of Children (Washington)

WASHINGTON - Congressman McHenry's (R-NC) methamphetamine bill was signed into law today by President Bush as a provision in a larger law enforcement bill. The congressman's measure doubles the prison sentence from 10 to 20 years for offenders caught manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of children.

"Methamphetamine use is a growing problem across our region and a clear and present danger to our children, as more and more young lives are destroyed by this deadly drug," Congressman McHenry said. "My meth bill comes as the result of meeting with local sheriffs and drug enforcement officials last year to discuss solutions to the meth problem. The president's signature today is a step forward in the fight to curb meth's destructive influence in our streets and communities."

Congressman McHenry is leading the fight against methamphetamine use in the Tenth District. As Vice Chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, the congressman has taken a lead role in crafting legislation to deal with this growing problem.

"Children are the silent victims of our nation's meth epidemic," said Congressman McHenry. "This provision toughens the law against some of our nation's worst criminals, the offenders who make this drug around children. I am going on the offensive against meth's hold in our region because our communities deserve to be safe, healthy and secure."

The provisions in this legislation are the most comprehensive federal laws to date targeting methamphetamine manufacture, distribution and use. Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006 (S. 2271) by a vote of 280 to 138.

http://www.lincolntribune.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4083