Student involvement in after-school activities like sports has been shown to reduce drug use. They keep kids busy during the hours they are most likely to get into trouble. Forcing students to undergo degrading urine tests as a prerequisite will only discourage participation. Drug testing may also compel marijuana users to switch to harder drugs to avoid testing positive. Despite a short-lived high, marijuana is the only illegal drug that stays in the human body long enough to make urinalysis a deterrent. Marijuana's organic metabolites are fat-soluble and can linger for days. More dangerous synthetic drugs like methamphetamine are water-soluble and exit the body quickly. If you think drug users don't know this, think again. Anyone capable of running an Internet search can find out how to thwart a drug test. [continues 82 words]
I'm writing about Editor Rebecca Dial (mailto:editor@cknj.com)'s column: "Sometimes an 'easy out' is the best way" (April 14, 2006). It seems to me that to solve our nation's drug problems, we should model the drug policies of another nation with little or no drug problems. I suggest that we model the Czech Republic's drug policies. The Czech Republic is the only nation in the world where adult citizens can legally use, possess and grow small quantities of marijuana. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is quasi-legal - not officially legal.) [continues 134 words]
Dozens of students gathered beside the White Hall Classroom Building yesterday to get fired up about reforming marijuana laws. The students came for a membership rally held by the UK chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Lexington lawyer and politician, Gatewood Galbraith, spoke to students about the legalization of marijuana and their rights as citizens to understand and be an active part of government. "I like coming out here and getting the students riled up," Galbraith said. "I represent a lot of them in court later on so I like to take opportunities like this to talk to students and teach them about marijuana and about their rights." [continues 550 words]
As much as we hate to admit it, there's a drug problem in our community. It might not be as horrendous an issue as some other communities deal with, but any problem at all is bad. A neighboring school district is considering a drug and alcohol testing policy for students in extracurricular and co-curricular activities. At least one school administrator said he feels a testing policy would actually help students say no to the temptations of drugs and alcohol. [continues 545 words]
In 2000, a Federal law came into effect that brought a whole new set of worries to students convicted of certain drug offense. They can be stripped of their eligibility for financial aid. Since then, more than 175,000 would-be students have been denied financial aid under that prohibition in the Higher Education Act, according to the American Civil Liberties Union Web site. Since then, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and the ACLU have filed a lawsuit that challenges the drug provision of the law that blocks financial aid to students with drug offenses. [continues 489 words]
With the ongoing war on terror taking up a significant portion of news budgets across the United States, another war within our own borders has gone largely ignored in the public eye. Our generation has been inundated with anti-drug campaigns for years - from "This is your brain ... this is your brain on drugs" to "A very special 'Fresh Prince.' " As we entered our teenage years, the majority of us were probably scared of drug use - scared of the physical effects and the social and legal consequences. But now that we've all grown up, it would be safe to assume that a large majority of us have either tried drugs or been around when others have. [continues 559 words]
More Pike County students will be randomly drug tested next year - and they could be tested more often. Until this week, a maximum of 20 percent of students could be drug tested in Pike County schools. Tuesday, Pike County Board of Education members changed the policy to a minimum of 20 percent. Eugene Sisco, with ASAP Consulting, asked the board to make the change in order to "broaden the pool" of students who can be tested and allow the district to maintain a grant that pays for the program. Sisco said he expects to complete a full analysis of this year's testing results within a couple of weeks. [continues 551 words]
Democrats Revive Educator-Sponsored Bill Stalled In Senate FRANKFORT -- The House yesterday took another crack at pushing through a bill that's aimed at curbing bullying in schools. The proposal -- sponsored by Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, and supported by various education groups -- has languished in a Senate committee because some senators have deemed it unnecessary. The bill would require schools to have a plan in place to deal with disruptive students. Many school districts already have enacted such policies. With the original bill stalled, the House tacked the measure onto a bill requiring teachers to take drug tests. That legislation was sponsored by Republican Senate President David Williams. [continues 69 words]
A newly formed faith-based effort to try to rid Clark County of illicit drugs is hoping a higher power will succeed where laws and tougher sentences have failed. More than 70 people signed up during an organizational meeting on Saturday afternoon to be part of Winchester-Clark County Christians United Against Drugs. Organizers plan to create educational anti-drug programs as well as new rehabilitation programs to help drug addicts in Clark County. Attending the meeting, which was held at the Church of God Cathedral on Lexington Road, were ministers, political candidates, physicians and others who indicated they want to have a role in the anti-drug effort. [continues 337 words]
Several times each week deputy jailers lead a line of handcuffed inmates from the Clark County Detention Center to circuit or district court to face a judge. In the majority of cases, perhaps as much as 80-90 percent of drug use is directly or indirectly responsible for inmates being locked up, according to prosecutors. What bothers Henry Baker, an 83-year-old retired minister in Winchester, even more are the drug overdose deaths he hears about - nearly one per month in Clark County over the past year. [continues 532 words]
The Bush administration has made a habit of keeping public information from the very public that owns it. A good example can be found at the U.S. Department of Education. After dragging its feet for months, the agency has asked a tiny non-profit group to pay a ruinous sum for information on the impact of a law that bars students who have committed drug offenses from receiving federal grants and loans. The law, which cuts off former offenders from receiving financial help even when the crimes they committed were minor and long ago, has become a subject of intense debate. Congress recently approved changes that should moderate some of the law's most destructive effects. [continues 161 words]
It's a rare act of courage when children turn their drug-using parents in to police, says an expert on children from troubled homes. "It takes a lot of guts because a child really doesn't know what is going to happen," said Connie Freking, youth service department director for the Brighton Center, a multi-program social service agency headquartered in Newport. "It also takes a lot of love. I don't think a child's first thought is that the parents may go to jail. The first thought is, 'They need help. We need help. I need help.' In the long run, they're looking out for their family's best interest." [continues 510 words]
E. Kentucky Woman Agrees To Plea Deal PRESTONSBURG, Ky. -- An 87-year-old woman charged with dealing drugs would be sentenced to five years in prison under a plea agreement she accepted. The woman, Dottie Neeley, of Hueysville, pleaded guilty Thursday in Floyd Circuit Court to three counts of drug trafficking. Neeley admitted to Judge John D. Caudill that she had sold hydrocodone to an undercover agent for the Operation UNITE drug task force. The task force has been cracking down on a crime authorities say is rampant in Appalachia. Neeley also admitted selling methadone and marijuana. Special prosecutor David Jorjani from the state attorney general's office worked out the plea agreement, which calls for Neeley to serve five years in prison, followed by five years of probation. [continues 207 words]
Due process and parental concern knocked heads in an eastern Kentucky county recently, sparking controversy and leaving the door open for potential legislative action. A couple of drug trafficking charges against teacher Stephanie Tackett Hall in Floyd County have not kept her from returning to her classroom while her trial is pending. According to a story in a recent Lexington Herald-Leader, parents of students at John M. Stumbo Elementary School would like to see Hall reassigned to a job outside the classroom until after her trial - which has been delayed until March. She was indicted in February and was initially assigned to work in the central office - away from students. [continues 421 words]
It would be unconscionable if the General Assembly again fails to pass a law that would establish a drug testing regime at Kentucky's coal mines. The extended dance in which labor, industry and government officials have participated on this issue was predictable, and the details of any eventual legislation will be difficult to negotiate. But one thing is clear: Something needs to be done. The state's coal mines operate in regions where prescription drug addiction is a long-time problem, where meth labs have become a major industry and where marijuana production and distribution have frustrated law enforcement. [continues 318 words]
Some Seniors Turn To Dealing Prescription Drugs For Extra Money PRESTONSBURG, Ky. - Dottie Neeley, 87, was fingerprinted, photographed and thrown in jail, imprisoned as much by the tubing from her oxygen tank as by the concrete and steel around her. The woman, who spent two days in jail after her arrest last December, is among a growing number of Kentucky senior citizens charged in a crackdown on a crime authorities say is rampant in Appalachia: Elderly people reselling their painkillers and other medications to addicts. [continues 418 words]
Disputes May Stall Kentucky Action David Napier was bolting the roof in a Harlan County coal mine this year when a fellow crew member fell asleep while working on a nearby ladder. Napier notified the superintendent, and the sleeping miner was ordered by the mine operator to take a drug test. The miner refused and was fired, Napier said. For Napier, a miner for three decades, the incident demonstrates the advantages of working for a company that conducts drug testing -- and the risk at mines where such testing is not done. [continues 1351 words]
Federal Agents Think Meth Was Smuggled From Mexico Ten members of the Iron Horsemen motorcycle club -- nine from Kentucky - -- face charges of conspiring to traffic in methamphetamine that federal agents believe was smuggled from Mexico. The 10 men, who were indicted Tuesday, may have distributed hundreds of pounds of the illegal stimulant valued at millions of dollars in the past two years, according to U.S. Attorney David Huber. Tony King, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Louisville, said yesterday that such cases may become more common as small meth labs disappear because of laws limiting access to meth ingredients. Large quantities of the illegal stimulant manufactured in Mexico and the Southwest are being brought into Kentucky, King said. "That's the big battle we're going to be fighting right now -- the return to smuggling," he said. "We are seeing a dramatic decrease in 'tweaker labs,' the mom and pop ones." [continues 276 words]
Starting Jan. 1, about 3,600 Kentucky mental health employees will be subjected to random drug tests. And job applicants won't be hired if they test positive. "It's a common-sense thing to do," Mark Birdwhistell, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said. And he's right, given the vulnerability of those the state cares for. Chris Wells, executive director of the Kentucky Association of State Employees, disagrees, saying there's no evidence of a drug problem and that testing should be conducted only on an as-needed basis. That's understandable, but unworkable. [continues 176 words]
National Campaign Opens in Louisville Todd Zaborac knows what it's like to feel the euphoric surge of invincibility that comes with a methamphetamine high. He also knows the damage the drug can do -- it ruined his teeth, aged him prematurely and landed him in trouble with the law. Zaborac, 29, said he recognized himself in some of the images unveiled yesterday in several television spots aimed at educating people about the dangers of meth use. The messages are part of a campaign sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Office of National Drug Control Policy that was unveiled yesterday in Louisville. [continues 285 words]
Appalachian Jails Hold More Elderly PRESTONSBURG, Ky. -- After being fingerprinted and photographed, 87-year-old Dottie Neeley sat quietly in the local jail, imprisoned as much by the tubing from her oxygen tank as the concrete and steel surrounding her. Neeley, who sometimes uses a wheelchair, is among a growing number of senior citizens charged in a crackdown on the illegal trade of prescription drugs, a crime that authorities say is rampant in the mountains of central Appalachia. Floyd County jailer Roger Webb said seniors have a ready market for their prescription pills, especially painkillers, and some may be giving in to the temptation of illegally selling their medications. [continues 264 words]
PRESTONSBURG - After being fingerprinted and photographed, 87-year-old Dottie Neeley sat quietly in the local jail, imprisoned as much by the tubing from her oxygen tank as the concrete and steel surrounding her. The elderly woman who sometimes uses a wheelchair is among a growing number of senior citizens charged in a crackdown on the illegal trade of prescription drugs, a crime that authorities say is rampant in the mountains of central Appalachia. Floyd County jailer Roger Webb said seniors have a ready market for their prescription pills, especially painkillers, and some may be succumbing to the temptation of illegally selling their medications. "When a person is on Social Security, drawing $500 a month, and they can sell their pain pills for $10 apiece, they'll take half of them for themselves and sell the other half to pay their electric bills or buy groceries," Webb said. [continues 503 words]
Detectives Used Forged Warrants Louisville metro government has agreed to pay $30,000 to settle two lawsuits involving two former narcotics detectives involved in Jefferson County's largest police scandal in decades. "We believe they are reasonable settlements," said Bill Patteson, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Attorney's Office, which defended the metro government. The civil lawsuits stem from more than 50 criminal cases involving former detectives Mark Watson and Christie Richardson in which charges were dismissed or convictions erased because of the two detectives' conduct. Watson is serving a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty in January 2003 to 299 felonies and three misdemeanors for using photocopied judges' signatures on search warrants and using them to enter people's homes. Richardson is on probation after a jury convicted her in February 2003 on 20 felony charges, including 19 counts of tampering with public records and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument. The jury also found her guilty of official misconduct, a misdemeanor. [continues 329 words]
Kentucky's Only Two Burn Units Are Overburdened by Drug Cooks His eyebrows and lips already burned away, Ricky Dale Houchens screamed and thrashed around a tiny trailer in Allen County. Flames climbed over his face; his skin ran in thick gobs down his cheeks and over his chin. Houchens' buddies watched in horror. The group had been making methamphetamine when the concoction exploded, engulfing Houchens in a ball of fire. Afraid they would get in trouble, no one called for help. Instead, someone drove Houchens to a nearby hospital and left him at the emergency room door. [continues 1538 words]
Man Booked For Intoxication; Official Says Cause Was Natural A Fayette County jail inmate died yesterday after he was booked for alcohol intoxication -- the third inmate to die in less than three months. Drugs or alcohol could also have been factors in the previous two deaths. Lt. Darin Kelly, a spokesman for the Fayette County Detention Center, said yesterday the jail is not yet looking to change its policies for handling impaired inmates. "We're looking at a natural cause of death," Kelly said yesterday about the latest death. "We can't prevent that at all. There's nothing you can do about it." [continues 438 words]
Jones Indicted, Denies Charge An Oldham County sheriff's detective has been indicted on a charge that he falsified affidavits in a drug arrest last year. Capt. Rob Jones, 38, is charged with one misdemeanor count of false swearing. He was indicted Thursday night and is restricted to administrative duties pending the outcome of his case in Oldham District Court and an internal investigation. He's been with the sheriff's office for nearly three years. Jones denied any wrongdoing yesterday. [continues 434 words]
Prominent Residents In Madisonville Held MADISONVILLE, Ky. -- When it came to drugs, lawyer William A. "Willie" Nisbet III allegedly worked on both sides of the law, police say. Nisbet is from a well-to-do family that helped establish two banks in the area. And after graduating from the University of Kentucky law school, he built a criminal defense practice, often defending people charged with crimes involving prescription drugs and methamphetamine. Now Nisbet, 59, is accused of dealing painkillers and cocaine as part of a suspected drug ring. Since July, police have arrested 15 people in connection with the case, including several prominent residents. [continues 1209 words]
After wiretapping two of his cell phones and recording thousands of conversations, federal authorities charged Reggie Rice with heading a major drug-conspiracy operation in Louisville. The seized evidence was startling -- nearly 50 pounds of cocaine with a street value of more than $2 million, expensive gold and diamond jewelry, $250,000 and loaded assault weapons. But Rice, 32, and his 11 co-defendants -- who all face charges that carry possible life sentences -- might soon go free because a judge has ruled that the wiretaps weren't justified and can't be used in court. [continues 1157 words]
Electronic surveillance is a powerful tool, one that law enforcement must use prudently to safeguard the privacy of innocent citizens. U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell's recent ruling -- which bars prosecutors from using wiretap evidence in a major drug case -- is a firm reminder of the importance of following the rules before tapping private conversations. It is believed to be the first time a federal judge has issued such a ruling in Kentucky. The front-page headline -- which noted that 12 drug suspects could walk as a result of the decision -- could serve to inspire anger against the judge. [continues 215 words]
Group Tries To Hold System Accountable MANCHESTER, Ky. -- For more than a year, John Becknell has spent nearly 15 hours every week painstakingly taking notes in the front row of Clay County courtrooms. He is one of about 70 people who have volunteered to monitor drug cases that pass through the courts, with the goal of holding prosecutors and judges accountable in the face of Clay County's epidemic drug problem. "We're asking the courts to stand up and be accountable," said Becknell, 57, retired owner of a commercial refrigeration business. "I think what we're doing can bring about a lot of change." Becknell and his "court watchers" track every local drug and alcohol case through a database and plan to issue periodic reports. The first report, published in January in the Manchester newspaper, summarized 835 felony and misdemeanor cases during a three-month period the previous summer. The report made no recommendations or conclusion about how cases were handled. Becknell said the next report will analyze why cases are dismissed and how the court system deals with repeat offenders. And for Becknell, the work is personal. His two sons' struggles with drugs left him wondering whether prosecutors and judges in Clay County were doing all they could to get offenders help or put them in jail. The county's court system last year handled more cocaine cases than any other Eastern Kentucky county, according to state court records. "My experience, motivation and passion come from my family situation," Becknell said. "My family and friends have been touched by devastation. I don't want to see any more lives destroyed." "I perceived an attitude in the court system that alcohol and marijuana cases aren't taken very seriously," he said. "I know marijuana is a gateway drug." Some police, judges and prosecutors said the volunteer group, Court Watch of Clay County, has helped increase the civic-mindedness of citizens. But other prosecutors and some defense lawyers dismiss the court watchers as vigilantes, question their tactics and wonder whether they influence jury decisions by their presence in courtrooms. Pro and con Clay District Judge Renee Muncy said the added scrutiny prompted her to hold fewer bench conferences so the court watchers and other members of the public could follow proceedings more easily. "The public is finally taking notice of the court system," Muncy said. "It's important for the public to know what's happening in court." She said she recently asked Becknell to evaluate her performance on the bench. Stephan Charles, a Manchester defense lawyer, believes the court watchers' monitoring of cases can hinder a jury's ability to remain impartial and unbiased. He recently filed a motion asking Clay Circuit Judge Cletus Maricle for permission to ask prospective jurors about whether the program affected their views on drugs and the court system. Charles was representing a defendant in a drug case who ended up pleading guilty before trial and was sentenced to three years in a diversion program. Charles could not be reached for comment. Maricle said he approved the motion but didn't find that prospective jurors were predisposed to find drug suspects guilty because of monitoring. The defendant, Joe Bunch, couldn't be reached for comment. More jurors? The court watchers include students, business owners, farmers and retired police officers. [continues 930 words]
Programs Train Drivers To Be Vigilant WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -- Tammy Logan had dropped off nearly all 79 students in her Whitley County school bus when she saw three people breaking into a car in May. She called the sheriff's department on her two-way radio, and deputies were on the scene within minutes. It was all part of Whitley County's rolling Neighborhood Watch program, a growing effort in Kentucky and the rest of the country to enlist bus drivers as the eyes and ears of law enforcement. [continues 994 words]
A Pike County school principal has been arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and endangering a minor, Kentucky State Police said today. Kyle Tackett, 32, was arrested Saturday after the police responded to his call that a 17-year-old male had been assaulted after arriving at his property in Virgie. Police found the boy in the road. After entering Tacket's house, police said they saw marijuana and other drugs. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a hallucinogen; endangering the welfare of a minor; possession of marijuana; and unlawful transaction with a minor. The principal at George F. Johnson Elementary School in Virgie was taken to the Pike County Jail. [end]
Boy Allegedly Ingested Mushrooms At School Official's Home PIKEVILLE - A Pike County elementary school principal was arrested Saturday after a 17-year-old boy apparently overdosed on hallucinogenic mushrooms at his home, state police said. Kyle Tackett, 32, a well-regarded principal at G.F. Johnson Elementary School at Virgie, "admitted to doing mushrooms" after police responded to his 911 call and the teenager was admitted to Pikeville Medical Center at 2:57 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest citation. The teen's condition was not available yesterday. [continues 252 words]
Prominent Men Help Lead Dialogue Troubled by violence in recent years, 17 of Louisville's most prominent African-American men and an audience of about 800 people held a dialogue for three hours yesterday in search of solutions. The event was a success, if only a start, said two of the participants in the Brothers Reaching Brothers forum, the Rev. Kevin Cosby of St. Stephen Baptist Church and Ricky Jones, chairman of the University of Louisville Pan-African Studies department. "This was a large forum bringing some constituencies together that normally wouldn't come together," Jones said. "So today I think was going to be more symbolic than substantive. The substantive work comes later." [continues 498 words]
An elementary school principal faces several drug-related charges after a 17-year-old juvenile was taken to Pikeville Medical Center early Saturday morning, according to documents at the Pike County Detention Center. Kyle Tackett, principal of G.F. Johnson Elementary School in Virgie, was arrested after Kentucky State Police Trooper Ivan Sewell responded to a possible overdose call at Tackett's residence at 848 Long Fork Road in Virgie. Pike County school board member Earl Thacker confirmed Tackett's employment at the school based on information in his school system handbook. [continues 110 words]
Other Witnesses Include Bushey FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The special grand jury investigating state hiring heard from employees of the Office of Drug Control Policy and other witnesses yesterday. And the state Personnel Board, conducting its own investigation into allegations of illegal hiring, elected as chairman a man whom Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed to the board in June after its investigation began. Heather Wainscott, a branch manager in the drug policy office, and Berry Hammermeister, a staff assistant, declined to comment on their grand jury testimony. But Wainscott's lawyer, John Baughman, said, "She had no reason to plead the Fifth (Amendment) or otherwise not testify. [continues 605 words]
Assaults on personal freedom and the right to be free of governmental intrusion into our lives and our bodies, however cloaked in good intentions, remain assaults. This week, Lt. Gov. Steve Pence was in Owensboro promoting drug education for children, which we applaud. Whatever can be done in an appropriate fashion to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse and prevent them from becoming victims is worth exploring. We support Pence when he says, "We've got to find a way to keep our kids from going down that road." [continues 336 words]
This column is in response to John Dixon's column yesterday, "Drugs don't seem so tantalizing when you meet users' children." I've never understood drug use, even in the recreational sense. It's not that I'm a self-righteous, straight-laced Pollyanna. I'd like to think that it's because I possess a rational mind, and I'm capable of intelligent choices. But the methamphetamine problem slowly miring Kentucky in a cesspool of strung-out junkies desperate for their next fix, even in my tiny hometown in the south central part of the state, makes me wonder if I'm not missing something, after all. [continues 615 words]
Drug-rehab group makes bid for new unit In the back of the crowded Covington City Commission chambers, Jackie Keach held up a sign that memorialized her late son, Josh Motz. The former Covington resident died in 2004. He was addicted to OxyContin and heroin, his mother said. "I would have been better off with cancer," the sign read. "I needed treatment, not hate." Keach, of Cincinnati, was supporting Transitions Inc.'s plan to build a residential drug treatment facility for 100 men off Donaldson Avenue in Covington. [continues 565 words]
Marijuana Is Hitting an All-Time High on the Small Screen Nancy Botwin is a widowed suburban soccer mom who happens to sell marijuana to support her family. Played by Mary-Louise Parker, she's the star of Showtime's fresh half-hour dramedy "Weeds," which made its debut on Monday. An attentive parent and a member of the PTA, Nancy is one of many sane, seemingly everyday TV characters who relate to reefer. The Supreme Court may have voted against legalizing medical marijuana, but that hasn't stopped pot from cropping up all over cable TV, where you're more likely to see a joint dangling from a character's lips than a cigarette. [continues 1107 words]
When the Messenger-Inquirer published a series of articles in May describing the multiple facets of this community's efforts to fight drug and substance abuse, it became quickly evident that gaps in those services existed. That isn't surprising, considering the enormity of the problem. It was discouraging, however, to learn that treatment programs for adolescents was one of the areas missing in action. To keep today's teenagers with addiction problems from becoming the next generation of hard-core adult drug abusers is a mission that must not be ignored and cannot be hindered by a lack of resources and prevention and treatment options. The stakes are simply too high for the young people involved and the community as a whole. [continues 387 words]
Federal Funds Aid Eastern Kentucky LONDON, Ky. -- Government vouchers would pay for treatment for low-income addicts in drug-ravaged Eastern Kentucky under an initiative unveiled yesterday. The vouchers, paid for with $1.6 million in federal funds from the anti-drug organization UNITE, will be good in either public or private treatment centers and can be used only by people who couldn't otherwise afford treatment, said U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers, R-5th District. "It's no secret about the epidemic we face," Rogers said. "It's certainly the most devastating scourge that I've seen in my 25 years in Congress." The federally funded UNITE program has resulted in the arrests of about 1,500 street-level drug dealers during the past two years and confiscation of $4.5 million worth of drugs, Rogers said. [continues 220 words]
Nine Teenagers In Program The efforts of local youth advocates, substance abuse counselors and judges to bring a juvenile drug court to Daviess County are finally paying off, with nine teenagers now participating in the county's fledgling program. The drug court, which got off the ground in May and now has a full-time program manager, might grow to serve as many as 25 juveniles by the end of its first year. But for now, organizers said they are just happy that the long-awaited project is starting to serve area juveniles with addiction problems. [continues 381 words]
Lawsuit Brings Attention To Drug Treatment Facilities HAZARD - In the wake of a $2.8 million jury award last week to the family of a Leslie County man who died while being treated for drug addiction at a methadone clinic, state regulators are taking the first steps toward monitoring the deaths of clinic patients. "There is no investigation process for the state with the death of a client," said Mac Bell, administrator for the State Narcotic Authority, which oversees 11 methadone maintenance programs in Kentucky. [continues 771 words]
Waiting Lists As High As 130 BELLEVUE--Mac McArthur has seen just about every type of drug addiction in his 15 years as executive director of Transitions Inc. The Bellevue-based substance abuse treatment facility for men helps clients battling powdered cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, marijuana and assorted prescription drugs. But the common denominator connecting most of those men, said McArthur, is a chemical dependency on alcohol. Although legal and not usually associated with drug rehab centers, alcohol remains a very powerful drug affecting more people than all illegal drugs combined. [continues 771 words]
$5.7 Million Grant Funds Programs COVINGTON -- Unlike other Northern Kentucky school-based drug abuse prevention programs, Covington's is funded by a $5.7 million federal grant the district received in 2001. That money has enabled Covington Independent Public Schools (CIPS) to implement a comprehensive drug abuse prevention program to engage the entire community in helping its students stop using drugs or, even better, avoid them entirely. "The reason that we have the funding and the resources is because we actively pursue it n we're being proactive," said Resource Development Coordinator Warner Allen. [continues 1166 words]
Enforcing a new Internet drug law for the first time, the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation has seized packages containing 10,000 painkiller pills at a FedEx center in Lexington. The hydrocodone pills -- with an estimated street value of more than $100,000 -- came from a Florida Internet pharmacy that is unlicensed in Kentucky, Attorney General Greg Stumbo said yesterday. "These drugs would have been sold on our streets," said Stumbo, whose office directs the KBI. "Addicts would have been crushing them, snorting them, or dissolving them in water and injecting them like heroin." [continues 477 words]
FLEMINGSBURG -- Fleming County School Board met Wednesday evening to discuss changes in board policies, as well as policy updates from the Kentucky School Board Association. Among those changes were such issues as Sunday play and practice for sports teams, fund-raising and new employee drug testing. Though the current policy allowed Sunday play and practice, the board moved to prohibit such play except for high school teams during the hours of 1 and 5 p.m. They also retained the ability to rent their facilities on Sundays to other schools or organizations. [continues 371 words]
The Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force will pull its belt half as tight as expected this year. The task force, funded by a federal justice assistance grant awarded to Elizabethtown, was expecting a roughly $78,000 cut for the 2005-06 year. However, a one-time grant from the state's Office of Drug Control Policy will pump $42,317 back into its coffers. This week, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet passed out nearly $4 million in grants, including federal justice assistance grants and money generated through DUI fines. [continues 450 words]
It is the lot, duty really, of elected officials to worry about money. It is called being fiscally responsible. But it is also their responsibility to weigh the risks and be willing to say yes to worthy projects. A $4.38 million Recovery Kentucky substance abuse treatment center is one such worthy project for the Owensboro-Daviess County community. The facility will require Daviess Fiscal Court to allocate $200,000 from its "wellness fund" account to match a Community Development Block Grant of $831,000. The Kentucky Housing Corp. will contribute $1.13 million to the project. [continues 291 words]
Inside Kentucky
