GRANTS - Grants/Bluewater Head Start children shouted "Drug free!" and released red balloons during Red Ribbon Week opening ceremonies at the Grants/Bluewater Head Start on Monday. More than 120 tots heard an encouraging a talk in the morning on saying "No!" to drugs from Grants Police Sgt. John Castaneda as they greeted "Gage" of the Kasey Says program in front of the Mountain Road facility. "Kasey says, 'We don't do drugs,' " Castaneda announced. "This week, we are celebrating Red Ribbon ... and Gage will be wearing his ribbon." [continues 374 words]
CIBOLA COUNTY - Law enforcement agencies use any means available when it comes to battling methamphetamine in Cibola County, because meth abuse results in criminal behavior to support the habit. Officers from New Mexico State Police, Milan and Grants shared information at the August meth awareness discussion before 50 city, village and county officials. New Mexico State Police Lt. Frank Musitano said the McKinley County Sheriff asked him why he thought McKinley County had an increase in burglaries, robberies and larceny in Thoreau. Lt. Musitano contended that the problem was possibly drug related. Then Lt. Musitano spoke with the vice principal of Thoreau Middle School, who said citizens were upset about the increased number of burglaries, and Lt. Musitano learned that six middle school students tested positive for meth abuse. [continues 505 words]
CIBOLA COUNTY - At the August methamphetamine awareness discussion one focus was educating our youth and citizens about the drug. DWI Coordinator Rhetta King and Nicola Martinez, a certified preventionist from the Cibola County Teen Court are finding prevention strategies and ways to address the problems here. Grants City Manager Robert Horacek said both are needed in Grants. "We have an excellent police force," he noted, but added prevention is important, too. King said she and Martinez want to work with the Grants/Cibola County School District and find out what the parents want to know. They want to learn which anti-drug curriculums serve Cibola County, but first they need to gather demographics, institute current anti-drug abuse curriculums and then evaluate them. Other meeting attendees agreed that education was important, and suggested programming begin at young ages and not end until youths are seniors in high school. [continues 362 words]
CIBOLA COUNTY - More than 50 city, village and county officials attended and several testified at a methamphetamine awareness discussion in early August at Grants City Hall. Facilitated by U.S. Representative Steve Pearce, R-Dist. 2, the discussion resulted in unofficial plans to combat methamphetamine abuse through local ordinances, training, law enforcement and drug treatment. Pearce said he expects to have an official report for Cibola officials this fall, so that officials can determine which programs they need to start or expand. [continues 188 words]
