Methadone clinic cleared for south Everett EVERETT -- The city's planning commission approved a measure Tuesday night restricting the location of a proposed methadone clinic to commercial areas south of the Boeing Freeway, Highway 526. The vote was unanimous, with Commissioner Earl Dutton absent. The measure's passage means it will now come before the Everett City Council for final approval. The council is expected to hold a public hearing on the measure July 16. The planning commission's measure, which restricts the number of methadone clinics in Everett to one and keeps it out of downtown, was endorsed by Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf. [continues 495 words]
Ross Wigney's life changed forever when he learned his 19-year-old daughter was addicted to methamphetamine. He gave up the good life in Hawaii and became a Washington State- certified drug lab clean-up contractor. It was his way of fighting back against the highly addictive drug that snagged his daughter, who's now 22 and in her third year of addiction. Now, he is taking his fight public. Wigney will present a series of Methamphetamine Awareness talks at Sno-Isle libraries in Lynnwood and Arlington in September for children and adults. [continues 349 words]
Granite Falls Students Take To The Streets To Educate Residents About The Dangers Of Drugs. GRANITE FALLS -- Tyler Anderson was determined to knock on every door. The 17-year-old Granite Falls teen-ager had a message to deliver to local residents. It began with the sentence, "There's a real problem with methamphetamine here." It ended with the words, "We're trying to do something about it today." More than 150 teen-agers from across the state and Granite Falls met at the Pilchuck Valley Chapel Monday morning to distribute 2,000 skinny yellow folders crammed with information about methamphetamine. By the end of the day, they had spread out across town and talked face-to-face with local residents, young and old. [continues 466 words]
Snohomish County is the driving force behind Washington state's dubious reputation as one the nation's top producers of high-potency marijuana. "It's known as the best bud around -- second only to B.C. bud," which comes from British Columbia, said Lt. Ron Perniciaro of the Snohomish County Drug Task Force. High distinction Snohomish County is a perennial challenger for being tops in the state for marijuana production - most of it grown indoors. The county is included in an eight-county high-intensity drug trafficking Area designated by federal authorities. But pot is not the county's only drug dilemma: Methamphetamine labs are also a problem. [continues 503 words]
When 18-year-old Dennis Cramm, who was sentenced Thursday to 60 years in prison for killing two Everett teen-agers, told authorities his father shared illegal drugs with him, local juvenile probation counselors were not surprised. About 20 percent of teen-agers prosecuted for drug use either had shared drugs or were introduced to them by their parents, Snohomish County probation counselors say. A new University of Washington study supports their conclusions. The drugs parents share with their kids include alcohol and prescription medications all the way to heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and barbiturates, said Dawn Williams, a county juvenile drug court coordinator . [continues 937 words]
Snohomish County residents are stumbling across dangerous trash - the refuse of illegal methamphetamine labs Like many parents, Sandra Kelly taught her children to leave a campground or a trailhead cleaner than they found it. Picking up someone else's bottles and cans is just something you do to make the world a better place, she said. But Kelly no longer thinks that's such a good idea. After attending a seminar on the hazards of methamphetamine, Kelly, a grant writer with the Lakewood School District, learned that some litter can cause serious injury. [continues 1215 words]
Drug 'chefs' Target Food Plants For Their Ammonia Someone is stealing ammonia from local food processing plants and cold storage facilities -- and it's not Mr. Clean. Since the passage of a new state law and a change in who licensed distributors sell to, ammonia has become a prime target for theft in Snohomish County. Anhydrous ammonia, which is 99.5 percent pure, is a hot item on the black market because it's a vital ingredient in the production of methamphetamine. [continues 1176 words]
There's Still A Risky Job Left To Do -- Cleaning Up Toxic Chemicals Dave Morris, an expert in hazardous waste removal, is more afraid of the criminals he cleans up after than the toxic chemicals they leave behind. Morris, 65, has a license to clean. He is one of a handful of private contractors certified by the state Department of Health to remove and neutralize the chemical residues left by "cooks," the producers of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. While toxic materials represent a hazard to Morris, the greatest risks have little to do with fumes or acid spills. [continues 1061 words]
When methamphetamine cooks get busted, there's still a risky job left to do - -- cleaning up toxic chemicals Dave Morris, an expert in hazardous waste removal, is more afraid of the criminals he cleans up after than the toxic chemicals they leave behind. Morris, 65, has a license to clean. He is one of a handful of private contractors certified by the state Department of Health to remove and neutralize the chemical residues left by "cooks," the producers of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. [continues 1127 words]
They topple in twos and threes. First the police arrive and haul off the suspects. Then state Department of Ecology crews, in full face respirators and moon suits, pick through bottles, jugs and canisters, always on the alert for explosive booby traps. "One guy gets busted and tells the cops, 'If you're going to bust me you should go down the block and bust Jimmy Joe, he's got a meth lab too,'" said Curt Hart, department spokesman. And so the manufacturers of methamphetamine fall, leaving a void to be filled by the next enterprising operator. [continues 778 words]
Tools of the trade for a meth lab cleanup are nothing fancy. Methamphetamine labs can be located in homes, apartments, mobile homes or recreational vehicles, presenting substantial health, fire and environmental risks. Dave Morris, who specializes in cleaning up meth labs, said the following conditions may be tipoffs to their presence: The strong odor of solvents, such as those used with paint. Blacked out windows. Late night activity or excessive visitors. An overabundance of chemical, solvent or acid bottles or, in particular, commercial drain cleaner containers in the trash. [continues 291 words]
