PLYMOUTH - The message that Plymouth sixth graders learned during the nine-week course of DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) may be the most important lesson of them all. The formal graduation for this year's class was held at Riverside Intermediate Thursday. The program was launched in Plymouth in 1989. Officer Mark Owen has been the DARE instructor over the last several years. During the graduation ceremony, Owen said, "There are more personal family stories now than ever before." Each of the students in the class was asked to write an essay on what they had learned. A panel then chose 12 of the authors to receive special recognition at the ceremony. [continues 333 words]
ARGOS - The peace of rural Argos was broken Tuesday afternoon as police officers swarmed the property at 15706 Lilac Rd, Argos during a large methamphetamine lab bust. No arrests were made in conjunction with the meth lab and the tenant who lives at the residence is still at-large. Argos Police Chief Ed Barcus had been working with the Drug Task Force and Deputy Les McFarland on this particular case for some time. Many of the officers had the same names and information that continued to point to the residence on Lilac Road, he said. [continues 477 words]
PLYMOUTH - When a person is addicted to methamphetamine, nothing else matters except their next high. When that person is a parent, they are destroying more than their own lives. "The children are the true victims in this," said Mary Lou Connolly, local attorney. Connolly has been the Guardian ad Litem in Marshall County for more than 10 years. A Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the court to ensure the best interest of children who end up in the legal system. Connolly represents 90 percent of the Marshall County children who go to court through the Division of Child Services (DCS). [continues 763 words]
PLYMOUTH - Once in the legal system, many methamphetamine users are either incarcerated, put on probation or court-ordered to obtain treatment. Even meth users who truly wish to break the habit have a difficult time, due to lack of resources and the powerful addiction of the drug. "I was a probation officer in Porter County for 17 years and I had never heard of methamphetamine until I came here," said Mary Jane Walsworth, Marshall County chief probation officer. Walsworth was put on meth cases immediately after moving into the area, and had a quick education and insight into the meth epidemic in the county. [continues 947 words]
PLYMOUTH - In 2005, 52 methamphetamine drug labs were seized in Marshall County. As a result, the county was ranked fifth highest in the state in lab seizures, according to the Indiana State Police. That number is not getting any lower, said Randy Dickson, member of the LCC, the Local Coordinating Council for Drug-Free Marshall County. To combat the meth epidemic consuming the community, the LCC has developed a two-part meth series titled "The Cost of Meth." The topics will pertain to how the growing meth problem has affected and will continue to plague Marshall County individuals and the community. [continues 510 words]
It's a sunny, spring afternoon. Deborah Moss, 32, looks like an average mother, outside playing with her kids. The tall blonde wears a purple blouse, jeans and an easy smile, especially around Xavier, 7, and Briana, 6. But Moss remembers when a sunny day didn't mean much-except a chance to sit indoors with the shades drawn and catch her next high. Moss was addicted to drugs for more than half of her young life. She took her first hit of acid when she was 14, and continued to use cocaine, crack and marijuana for years. But it wasn't until her father introduced her to something called Methamphetamine that her life completely spiraled out of control. [continues 1059 words]
PLYMOUTH - More than 120 people packed Christo's Banquet Center in Plymouth on Tuesday for an emotional and educational evening. Part one of the Cost of Meth series, organized by the Local Coordinating Council for Drug-Free Marshall County (LCC), touched on the individual impacts of methamphetamine to residents in the county. The audience heard from several members of local law enforcement and had a chance to see the ingredients of a meth lab first hand. The group also listened to personal testimonials from two recovering meth addicts and the mother of an addict. The night ended with an informal question and answer session between the audience and a panel of experts. [continues 139 words]
PLYMOUTH - The typical methamphetamine user is a white male, in his mid-twenties. He only planned on trying meth once, but is now addicted. He lives in Marshall County. He could be your neighbor. The average "mether" in the county is a white male between the ages of 19 and 30, according to Jason Faulstich, Indiana State Trooper and head of the Meth Suppression Team at the Bremen post. Statewide, the average user age is 25 years old, but statistics are showing younger users, including more women. [continues 732 words]
