To the editor, Regarding your Dec. 15 editorial: Rutherford County's police-state approach to substance abuse will make for an interesting class discussion when the Bill of Rights is covered, but it won't likely impact rates of drug use. The steady rise in drug-sniffing dogs in schools, warrantless police searches, and random drug testing have led to a loss of civil liberties in America, while failing miserably at preventing drug use. Based on findings that criminal records are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents, a majority of European Union countries have decriminalized marijuana. Despite marijuana prohibition and perhaps because of forbidden fruit appeal, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country. [continues 129 words]
To the editor, After 92 straight years of failure, it is amazing that The Daily News Journal still thinks there is any virtue in a lunatic drug crusade. Rather than saving kids from dangerous drugs, drug prohibition exposes everyone to a dangerous criminal black market that functions in the shadows of Murfreesboro and every other city in Tennessee. History shows that no one was robbing, whoring and murdering to get drugs when addicts could buy all of the heroin, morphine, cocaine and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally at the corner pharmacy. A legal heroin habit cost less than tobacco addiction (25 cents per week) and "drug crime" was unknown. [continues 365 words]
$4.7b Estimate Exceeds Top 3 Legal Crops By Jennifer Brooks, Staff Writer Tennessee's biggest cash crop isn't cotton or soybeans or corn. It's marijuana. State officials have known this for years and responded with an ever-escalating war on the drug -- patrolling the skies, searching remote mountainsides with heat sensors, sending in the National Guard, burning the crops to the ground and casting a wide net to catch the drug as it moves across the state. Using law enforcement's own records of marijuana seizures, a group dedicated to the legalization of marijuana has released a new report, ranking Tennessee number two in the nation in marijuana cultivation. [continues 366 words]
$4.7b Estimate Exceeds Top 3 Legal Crops Tennessee's biggest cash crop isn't cotton or soybeans or corn. It's marijuana. State officials have known this for years and responded with an ever-escalating war on the drug -- patrolling the skies, searching remote mountainsides with heat sensors, sending in the National Guard, burning the crops to the ground and casting a wide net to catch the drug as it moves across the state. Using law enforcement's own records of marijuana seizures, a group dedicated to the legalization of marijuana has released a new report, ranking Tennessee number two in the nation in marijuana cultivation. [continues 366 words]
DeSoto County officials bailed out an endangered drug enforcement squad that roots out dealers and traffickers in Hernando and rural areas. The Board of Supervisors OK'd $150,386 Monday to offset a loss of federal funds that threatened to shut down the Metro Narcotics Task Force after Jan. 1. The funding will keep the team going through Sept. 30, 2007. The action came after Dist. Atty. John Champion and Sheriff James Albert Riley made strong pitches for county taxpayers to pick up a tab left unpaid by a federal grant. [continues 438 words]
$4.7b Estimate Exceeds Top 3 Legal Crops By Jennifer Brooks, Staff Writer Tennessee's biggest cash crop isn't cotton or soybeans or corn. It's marijuana. State officials have known this for years and responded with an ever-escalating war on the drug -- patrolling the skies, searching remote mountainsides with heat sensors, sending in the National Guard, burning the crops to the ground and casting a wide net to catch the drug as it moves across the state. Using law enforcement's own records of marijuana seizures, a group dedicated to the legalization of marijuana has released a new report, ranking Tennessee number two in the nation in marijuana cultivation. [continues 364 words]
High school students don't have much to complain about when it comes to random law enforcement sweeps for drugs and weapons. There's no place on our campuses for these things, and we support efforts by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department to make sure schools are clean. Law enforcement officers using K-9s searched Blackman and Oakland high schools Monday, asking schools to keep all students in classrooms until the sweep was complete. No illicit items were found at Oakland, but authorities arrested three students at Blackman on drug charges after finding marijuana in their cars. Under the school system's zero-tolerance policy, all three were expelled along with another student whose car had knives in it. [continues 370 words]
As part of on-going efforts to provide safe learning environments in the Rutherford County Schools system, two high schools were scanned today for drugs using specially trained K-9 units. The two schools -- Blackman High and Oakland High -- were selected at random, and similar scans are planned for all other high schools in the county sometime this school year, Director of Schools Harry Gill Jr. said. The operation was part of a joint effort between the Rutherford County Schools system and the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department School Resource Officer program to emphasize the school system's strict anti-drug stance. [continues 183 words]
53-Year-Old 'Sweet Lady' Has Run Crack House For Decade It was justice meted out with a big dose of reluctance. Faced with the prospects of putting a 53-year-old woman behind bars for more than 16 years, Senior U.S. District Judge James H. Jarvis on Monday was clearly troubled. "If you were a big burly man standing out there, this would be so much easier," Jarvis told Jamsey L. Foster. "You're a sweet lady, but I'm going to have to put you in the penitentiary." [continues 300 words]
How should Tallahassee respond to the growing use of methamphetamine? During the crack epidemic of the '80s, New York City chose the zero-tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many offenders as possible. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack, and America's capital had the highest murder rate in the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. Simply put, the younger generation saw what crack was doing to older brothers and sisters and decided that crack was bad news. This is not to say nothing can be done about methamphetamine. Access to drug treatment is critical for the current generation of meth users. Diverting resources from prisons and into cost-effective treatment would save both tax dollars and lives. Robert Sharpe Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy www.csdp.org [end]
It was Thanksgiving eve as I sat in the living room of my son's suburban Atlanta home having a conversation with him as he and his wife's 26-month-old son moved happily about the room. Suddenly, my son asked me, "Did you hear what happened here last night?" No, I replied. What my son told me seemed almost unbelievable: Using a no-knock warrant obtained after claiming they had purchased drugs there earlier in the day, three Atlanta undercover police officers burst into an 88-year-old woman's house before identifying themselves. The officers were met by gunfire from the woman who apparently thought her home was being burglarized. [continues 478 words]
Department of Energy officials are further postponing cleanup work at an Oak Ridge National Laboratory facility on a project already 20 months behind schedule and $10 million over budget. The latest delay at the Molten Salt Reactor is because of suspected drug use and other personnel issues, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The cleanup project has been halted since a fluorine leak in May. "It's one of the harder decisions I've had to make," said Steve McCracken, who heads the environmental management program in Oak Ridge. "This thing is costing me money, and I can't seem to get it done. I need to get it done. I would very much like to get it done." [continues 226 words]
JOHNSON CITY - What started out as a small marijuana bust in Johnson County has since led to major recoveries of the drug in both Johnson City and Abingdon, Va. The investigation into possible drug activity started when the Johnson County Sheriff's Department provided information to the 1st Judicial District Drug Task Force that led to the successful execution of a search warrant there. During that investigation, the DTF received information that a 26 year old man would be traveling through Johnson City to conduct marijuana transactions in early October. [continues 194 words]
Superstition and secrecy - those were the guiding forces for decidedly New Age drug peddler Mike West, newly unsealed court records reveal. Mercury and its alignment with the other planets served as the forecast for success in the view of the brother of Market Square entrepreneur Scott West, who has admitted occasionally pushing some marijuana but more often laundering his brother's drug money by investing it in his downtown Knoxville businesses and properties. Secret safes, tunnels and underground rooms provided the veil for a massive, decade-long drug trafficking conspiracy unearthed in January with the arrest of a courier for the West brothers and uncovered with an eyebrow-raising raid on Market Square in July. [continues 903 words]
Nine people were arrested and 55 kilograms of cocaine seized from a Brentwood home, federal prosecutors said, in what was described as one of the largest cocaine busts ever in middle Tennessee. The bust also led to the seizure of $1.1 million in cash from an organization that was operating as a major pipeline of cocaine from Mexico to Nashville and nearby counties, according to officials from the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Five of the individuals arrested are Mexican nationals who were in the country illegally, the federal officials said. The remaining suspects are U.S. citizens. [continues 112 words]
MEMPHIS -- A Drug Enforcement Administration agent has been indicted on charges of tipping off a former high school classmate who was a target in a drug trafficking investigation. Tommie Purifoy II worked out of the agency's Miami field office and turned himself in to authorities there, authorities said Wednesday. He has been suspended without pay. Purifoy is originally from West Memphis, Ark., and was a police officer in Memphis from 2001 to 2004. He was in Memphis on personal business on Aug. 21 and stopped by the local DEA office during a wiretap operation, according to the indictment. [continues 206 words]
Bradley County Schools working with Bradley County Sheriff's Office performed surprise narcotics and contraband sweeps at Walker Valley and Bradley Central high schools Thursday. "I appreciate the partnership that exists between the sheriff's office and the Bradley County School System as we all work together to ensure the health and safety of our students," said Sheriff Tim Gobble. Bob Taylor, director of Bradley County Schools, said eight K-9 officers along with 16 other law enforcement officers from BCSO and Cleveland Police Department were utilized during the searches. [continues 204 words]
Christiana Elementary School's fifth-grader Chase Capley loves the annual Red Ribbon Week -- a time when teachers and staff stress the importance of living a drug-free life. He swears he'll never do drugs. Caplet's classmate, Dominique Wade, said he's well aware of the dangers of drugs. "It can kill you and give you a horrible disease. Drugs are bad for you," he said. It's the message that schools across the nation want to get out to their students. [continues 440 words]
Local residents who consider the right to bear arms a basic freedom will probably be relieved to know a noted criminologist places the responsibility for murder on individuals, not weapons. "It's not just guns. You can't blame it all on firearms," Dr. Jack Levin said Thursday. "There are guns everywhere." He pointed out that in single-victim crimes, even when a semiautomatic weapon is used, the pistol is usually only fired once. He said the problem is there are "handguns in the hands of youngsters who shouldn't have them." [continues 418 words]
To the Editor: Thank you for raising awareness of the Higher Education Act's denial of student loans to youth convicted of drug offenses. ["Drug convictions cost students financial aid," Oct. 5] Instead of empowering at-risk students with a college degree, HEA limits career opportunities and increases the likelihood that those affected will resort to crime. Speaking of crime, convicted rapists and murders are still eligible for federal student loans. Most students outgrow their youthful indiscretions involving illicit drugs. An arrest and criminal record, on the other hand, can be life-shattering. After admitting to smoking pot - but not inhaling, former President Bill Clinton opened himself up to "soft on drugs" criticism. Thousands of Americans have paid the price in the form of shattered lives. More Americans went to prison or jail during the Clinton administration than during any past administration. [continues 105 words]
ROGERSVILLE - The Third Judicial District Attorney General's Office is investigating the possibility of pursuing grand jury indictments against four people whose cocaine and marijuana trafficking charges were dismissed on a technicality last week. Mount Carmel police received an anonymous tip March 8 which had originated in Sullivan County that a man was being held hostage by one of the suspects. As a result of the investigation, police tracked the suspect to 286 W. Ellis Lane, which is about 100 yards outside the Mount Carmel town limits. [continues 613 words]
A federal law preventing college students convicted of drug violation may keep students convicted of past drug violations from receiving financial aid. "About 3 students this school year couldn't get aid because of their drug convictions," said David Chambers, associate director of the Student Aid Office. "It's not fair to single out students who have drug related offense." "Have you ever been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs?" is question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application, the form used by the government to determine eligibility for financial aid. [continues 468 words]
Wife Of Vandy Chancellor Keeps Her Counsel After Journal's Story Forgive Constance Gee if even she chooses to disagree with one or two of Wikipedia's takes on her given name. Constance: a plain, old-fashioned woman who is prim, proper and patient. Forgive her, too, for not finding time in recent days to talk about herself. It was one of those weeks. When invited to sit and chat for the purpose of a "get-to-know-you" profile in the wake of Vanderbilt University's Wall Street Journal-gate, Gee, who along with being on faculty is also married to the school's chancellor, politely declined and explained: "People who know me already know me." [continues 1289 words]
Vanderbilt Reins in Lavish Spending by Star Chancellor As Schools Tighten Oversight, a $6 Million Renovation Draws Trustees' Scrutiny Marijuana at the Mansion NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- At Vanderbilt University, the board is trying to rein in star chancellor E. Gordon Gee, without running him off. Since arriving here in 2000, the 62-year-old Mr. Gee has dramatically boosted the 133-year-old school's academic standing and overseen fund raising of more than $1 billion. Mr. Gee's $1.4 million annual compensation is among the highest for U.S. university leaders. [continues 3054 words]
Regular Searches Key Part Of Prevention Strategy With drug-related problems on the rise in Metro high schools, administrators are turning to the regular use of drug-sniffing dogs as another tactic to keep the drug trade out of schools. This month, a trained dog and its handler scoured the hallways, parking lots and classrooms of 11 Metro middle and high schools looking for trace scents of illegal drugs or alcohol. And while most Midstate school directors say they use canines occasionally, Metro officials say they plan to keep running the random, unannounced searches regularly to see if the threat of getting caught helps curtail the flow of illegal drugs. [continues 752 words]
Here's a look at how Midstate school districts are responding to drug problems in their schools and what they're planning for this school year. Drug dogs: This year, officials have started using drug dogs on a regular basis for random, unannounced searches at middle and high schools. Testing: There have been informal discussions about drug testing, but there is no policy allowing for drug tests, except during a physical required for athletes, Ralph Thompson of Metro schools said. [continues 655 words]
Students Enouraged to Trust the Faculty Memphis and Shelby County public high schools will launch a program today that will pay rewards averaging $200 to students who report crimes or give information that prevents them. In partnership with Crime Stoppers, the Trust Pays program is designed to give students a way to report incidents at school without fear of retribution. Students will tell a trusted faculty member, who will tell the principal. The Plough Foundation will provide money to pay rewards. [continues 483 words]
Leading Offense In Memphis Schools; Weapons Next Closest Illegal drug possession was the most common zero-tolerance offense recorded in Memphis City Schools last year, following a trend in Tennessee's other urban schools. The offense accounted for 465 of the 751 reported incidents in the 2005-06 Memphis school year, and accounted for the highest percentage of offenses in Knox and Davidson counties, according to the state's latest report on zero-tolerance offenses. The data, reported by schools every 20 days to district officials, come from the 75 schools that reported zero-tolerance offenses in 2005-06. They represent 39 percent of the district's schools. [continues 421 words]
Illegal drug possession was the most common offense recorded in Memphis City Schools last year, according to the district's behavior data. Possession accounted for a significant portion of the 751 reported incidents. Schools reported incidents under six categories, including possession of firearms, battery against teachers or staff, possession of weapons other than firearms and possession of alcohol. Northside High School led the way with 42 total incidents reported in 2005-06. Of those, 30 incidents were drug related. High schools reported the most incidents, a fact reflected in 51 of the 60 new campus monitors being sent to high schools. [continues 162 words]
Study Finds Marijuana Use Down By Knoxville, Lexington Students Regional and national surveys, including one tracking Knoxville students, differ on whether the federal anti-drug ad campaign over several years helped reduce illegal drug use among youths. A recent analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office looked at a national survey by a contractor, Westat Inc., and concluded that there was "credible evidence" that a national TV, radio and print campaign "was not effective in reducing youth drug use" from 1998 to 2004. About $1.2 billion was spent during those years, GAO found. [continues 712 words]
Heroin buys by a Murfreesboro vice detective in April 2005 provided early information that developed into an nationwide investigation targeting dealers, said a Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor. The investigation, nicknamed "Operation Black Gold Rush," resulted in 130 arrests Tuesday after local, state and federal officers served search warrants simultaneously in 15 cities, including Smyrna and La Vergne from the Nashville area. Rutherford County houses searched included: Sanchez, Porto and Veronica Liliana Sanchez Cortez were taken into custody from those homes, said Murfreesboro Vice Lt. Nathan McDaniel. They are illegal immigrants. [continues 515 words]
My appreciation for the attention you have drawn to the drug problem in the area. As a Kingsport native, I have seen this problem escalate to unimaginable levels in recent years. This problem needs to be addressed to ensure the safety of innocent citizens. I have lived in the Bloomingdale community all of my life. There has been an influx of drug dealers in this community in the past few years. I agree that prescription drug abuse is a major problem here; however, the issue of street drugs should not be overlooked. All types of drug abuse are a major problem. [continues 156 words]
An investigation meant to dismantle a Mexican drug ring that started in Nashville almost one year ago has led to more than 150 arrests around the country. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez announced the findings of a€oeOperation Black Gold Rusha€ on Tuesday even as local law enforcement officials were making arrests. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials said the Mexican-based organization was made up of mostly illegal immigrants based in 15 cities, including Knoxville and Memphis. They allegedly had a well-run business model set up to move heroin around the country, with members even using titles like district manager and receiving salaries with benefits. [continues 392 words]
Will random drug testing take place in Williamson County Schools? The county school board gave a skeptical nod at its work session last night for district staff to begin preparing a grant application for federal program that would give an estimated $140,000 a year for four years. The Department of Education will be using the information it gathers for a study and is assuring districts the information will not be turned over to law enforcement. Board members had a lot of questions, mostly about the board policy that would have to be created on their end. Exactly who would be tested is still at question. School District Attorney Jason Golden said they could test school athletes or they could widen it to test any student in a competitive extra-curricular activity. [continues 68 words]
Northeast Tennessee's most dire drug problem isn't crack, methamphetamine or marijuana. Because of common medical practices and the growing philosophy of a pill for every ill, Sullivan County District Attorney Greeley Wells says prescription medications have become the drug of choice for many. "In numbers, what we're talking about in this area, the biggest problem we see is with prescription drugs," Wells said. In 2005, the 2nd Judicial District saw 93 people indicted for prescription drug fraud. This year there have already been 48 separate counts of prescription fraud, with 32 defendants indicted. [continues 557 words]
Solving the drug problem is no easy task. Some experts even say it's nearly impossible. But that isn't stopping local law enforcement officers from waging the battle every day on two fronts: enforcement and education. On the education front, District Attorney General Greeley Wells said getting to kids early in their life is important. Wells' office is involved in a statewide education presentation for middle and high school students that addresses one of the worst drugs in America's history - methamphetamine. [continues 564 words]
Additional stories in the Day One of examination our area's drug problem can be found in today's print editon of the Times-News and on its enchanced electronic edition. Those stories include: Five people sit in a circle. Once strangers, they're now a quasi-family, a safety net that serves as a sounding board to grapple with each others' addictions. Page 1B. Drug and alcohol testing by businesses is up in Tennessee, thanks at least in part to a state program with financial incentives that cut workers' compensation costs. Page 1D. [continues 720 words]
KINGSPORT - Drug and alcohol testing by businesses is up in Tennessee, thanks at least in part to a state program with financial incentives that cut workers' compensation costs. Tennessee's Drug-Free Workplace Program in fiscal 2005-06 reported 5,891 participating employers, up 1,861 from the 2004-05 employer participation of 4,030, according to state Department of Labor and Workforce spokeswoman Milissa Reierson said. "It's a good program. It does affect employees," said John Leonard, vice president of Kingsport-based Armstrong Construction Co. Inc. and a supporter of business drug testing. [continues 1632 words]
CHATTANOOGA - A prosecutor says the state will appeal a judge's decision to dismiss methamphetamine charges against 30 people after ruling that prosecutors misinterpreted a 1-year-old Tennessee law. David McGovern, an assistant district attorney general for the 12th Judicial District, said the Aug. 3 ruling by Circuit Court Judge Thomas W. Graham would be challenged. McGovern said the Tennessee attorney general's office was preparing the notice of appeal. The 2005 law restricts purchases of cold and allergy tablets that contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in making the addictive stimulant, as well as other common products such as coffee filters or matches if they are knowingly purchased to make methamphetamine. [continues 303 words]
Officials Say Many Drug Cases In Limbo JASPER, Tenn. -- Prosecutors here on Tuesday appealed last week's ruling by Marion County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Graham dismissing 30 cases of promoting methamphetamine manufacture, officials said. "It's a matter of serving (legal papers) to the folks involved," said David McGovern, an assistant district attorney for the 12th Judicial District. "A hearing is likely months away." After hearing challenges last week to the "promotion provision" of the Meth-Free Tennessee Act, Judge Graham dismissed charges against 30 defendants who had bought more than 9 grams of pseudoephedrine, methamphetamine's precursor drug, over a period of time. [continues 406 words]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - A prosecutor says the state will appeal a judge's decision to dismiss methamphetamine charges against 30 people after ruling that prosecutors misinterpreted a 1-year-old Tennessee law. David McGovern, an assistant district attorney general for the 12th Judicial District, said the Aug. 3 ruling by Circuit Judge Thomas W. Graham would be challenged. McGovern said the Tennessee attorney general's office was preparing the notice of appeal. The 2005 law restricts purchases of cold and allergy tablets that contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in making the addictive stimulant, as well as other common products such as coffee filters or matches if they are knowingly purchased to make methamphetamine. [continues 303 words]
Dear Editor: I would like to voice my opinion on some of the problems I am seeing in not only this county's law enforcement but others as well. Last night as he was coming home from work, my father, who has Never been arrested or convicted of a crime, and who like my mother, avidly protests the use of illegal drugs to their children, was searched for drug possession. The Johnson County Drug Task Force arrogantly looked throughout my father's vehicle, only to find ...Nothing. This was a simple case of profiling and harassment and my family was deeply offended at even being accused. [continues 262 words]
To the Editor: Highland View has a terrible drug enforcement problem. The city seems unable to deal with it effectively. We citizens have done all we know to do. All the responsible government authorities seem inclined to cast blame upon each other. All public meetings have been apparently sincere, but to no avail. Why isn't more than just "lip service" given to the problem? Why is the buck always passed on upstairs? On two occasions I know of, our district attorney at least made suggestions to Oak Ridge City officials, but it was like a tree falling in the woods with no one around to hear. Those suggestions have been ignored by city officials and not even reported by the newspapers. I know, but only because I was there. Business as usual. [continues 528 words]
For the last two years, Tennessee has ranked second in the nation for having the highest number of methamphetamine lab seizures. This year, that should change. Meth lab seizures are down nearly 50 percent in 2006, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. That, officials said, is a strong indicator that domestic production of the drug has declined substantially. "Meth is still a major issue in Tennessee, however, we are pleased that we are seeing fewer labs this year than in years past," said TBI Director Mark Gwyn. "If we can curb the number of domestic labs, we will be able to protect many innocent children from being exposed, burned or possibly killed because of a parent's decision to cook meth in the home." [continues 373 words]
Judge Rules State Law Unconstitutional In Jefferson County Drug Ring Case A judge has struck down as unconstitutional the state's so-called "crack tax" in the case of a man accused in a massive Jefferson County marijuana trafficking ring. But Knoxville attorneys insisted Tuesday that Davidson County Chancellor Richard H. Dinkins should have added one more descriptor for the now 18-month-old tax - evil. "It makes you ashamed for America," attorney Ralph Harwell said of the state's enforcement of the Unauthorized Substance Tax Act, a law enacted ostensibly to levy a tax on drug dealers. [continues 793 words]
Citing Knox Murder Case, Appellate Panel Says Federal Judges' Reasons Must Be Clearer An appeals court is using the case of a Knoxville killer to serve up a judicial throwdown to federal judges in four states, including Tennessee. The challenge: Stop the robotics. Using convicted murderer Alvin Vonner's case as a backdrop, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals warns federal judges to do a better job of justifying their sentencing decisions or face a nasty reversal on their appellate record. [continues 881 words]
Nashville Red Cross Tennessee has made major progress over the past year in combating methamphetamine, according to state law enforcement officials. Through initiatives like the Meth-Free Tennessee Act, the Meth Offender Registry, and educational campaigns like the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference's Meth Destroys Campaign, Tennessee has seen a significant drop in meth lab seizures, and a general increase in awareness about the drug's dangers. Meth labs are highly toxic, extremely combustible, and are often found in homes, trailers or cars. The labs usually contain ingredients such as acid, lye, phosphorus, iodine, ammonia and other dangerous and even deadly chemicals. Meth labs pose an immediate threat to everyone in proximity of the site, particularly small children who can ingest poisons or be burned by chemicals spilled in the house. [continues 573 words]
On Thursday July 6 the Benton County Sheriff's Department received an anonymous tip regarding the location of a large number of marijuana plants. Responding to the tip Sergeant-Investigator Ricky Pafford, Sheriff Cecil Wells, and Reserve Deputy Mike Jenkins were led to the heavily wooded area south of Camden. They found approximately 60 healthy marijuana plants. A search of the immediate area uncovered fertilizer and potting equipment. The search area was expended with the assistance of Benton County Deputies Judy Stevens and Pat Chandler, Reserve Deputy Bobby Kee and his tracking dog. Also assisting was James Inman with the Camden Police Department. [continues 144 words]
Tennessee's fight against methamphetamine abuse has received almost $1 million for after school programs to develop messages against use of the drug. The money comes through federal grants designated to assist programs in developing messages to help children stay away from the drug and encourage them to help their peers avoid it. The federal grants were awarded to the Tennessee Commission on National and Community Service, which is a partner in the state's program. The state could receive up to 25 sub-grants, each totaling $10,000, for the next three years. The commission will award funds to local programs in the fall. [continues 69 words]
Inside Tennessee
