Less than a week ago, the DeKalb County Drug Task Force was unsure whether funding would be available for an annual $100,000 grant. But DeKalb County Drug Task Force Director Darrell Collins said Friday his fears were put to rest when the U.S. Senate passed a $12.5 million budget for drug task enforcement across the state. "There is actually a little more money available this year than in the past," Collins said. He said there had been talk the grant would cease to exist, but was happy that did not prove to be the case. [continues 178 words]
When a child exposed to methamphetamine is placed in foster care, it is standard procedure for all of their clothes, bottles, blankets and toys to be tossed out. Everything has to be replaced, and Department of Human Resources' Executive Director Jennice Floyd said such replacements could cause a financial burden. And that's one of the main reasons the "Meth Orphan" program, sponsored by Lee Marshall and the Kids to Love Foundation, is coming to DeKalb County. Mickey Bell, the program coordinator, recently told social workers at the DeKalb County Department of Human Resources the program is funded through donations from businesses and agencies throughout the county. [continues 226 words]
DeKalb County District Attorney Mike O'Dell is opposing a proposed methadone clinic in Fort Payne, saying the clinic would serve no purpose and could actually hurt efforts to combat drug addiction. In a Wednesday press release, O'Dell also said that assuming a local clinic is needed is wrong. "Apparently, the proposal to place a methadone clinic in Fort Payne is based on the assumption that there exists a need for such a clinic. I feel very strongly that this assumption is erroneous. I work with our local Court Referral Office, and am familiar with the daily drug-testing that occurs in our area," O'Dell said. [continues 383 words]
Giant retailer Wal-Mart is getting the jump on proposed legislation in Alabama and other states by moving popular cold and sinus medication off the counters. That legislation, spearheaded by State Sen. Lowell Barron and still under consideration in Montgomery, would require medications containing pseudoephedrine, a key component for making methamphetamine, to be sold behind the counter and limit the amount sold to a single customer. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, which has nearly 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in the United States and another 1,600 international locations, announced Monday they will join rivals Target Corp. and Albertson's Inc in moving such medicines behind the counter throughout all locations. [continues 482 words]
A surprise drug search at two DeKalb County schools turned up no drugs, DeKalb County Drug Task Force Agent Mitchell Dendy said. The task force, along with local police departments, searched Collinsville and Crossville schools, using a drug dog. The schools were the second and third in the county to be randomly searched this year, according to Dendy. The first was Ider, which was searched in May. "We don't have a set schedule," Dendy said. "We just go into each school at least once a year at a random pace." [continues 167 words]
Don't think it can't happen to your child - it can happen to anyone. As 16-year-old Zack shared his story as a drug dealer, he tried to get the message across at the Adolescent Drug Intervention Summit on Tuesday in Rainsville that drugs aren't just a problem that affect a select few - anyone call fall into the trap. Zack, along his mother, Tammy, and an undercover agent named Andy, took turns sharing Zack's encounter with drugs and how his problem affected their lives. [continues 653 words]
Students at Northeast Alabama Community College in Rainsville have produced a video about the dangers of crystal methamphetamine with the intent of educating communities with the help of donations like the $500 the group received from the DeKalb County Commission on Tuesday. Commission President Sid Holcomb recommended the commission give a donation after he watched video called "Crystal Menace." "I feel this video is something everyone needs to see. It contains interviews from people that have been on the drug and gives a realistic insight into what this drug can have on those who are on it," Holcomb said. [continues 194 words]
A new program developed nationwide for children exposed to drugs and other toxic chemicals is being made possible in Fort Payne through the cooperative efforts of several local agencies. The Drug-Endangered Children Program, according to District Attorney Mike O'Dell, is a cooperative effort of representatives of the Drug Task Force of each, Department of Human Resources child protective services workers and medical personnel to take care of children exposed to toxic materials. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, 35 percent of children found at math labs across the county tested positive for toxic levels of chemicals in their bodies during 2001. [continues 356 words]
With the near-overwhelming methamphetamine, marijuana, powder cocaine and crack problem growing in DeKalb County, the DeKalb County Drug Task Force needs money. That's where the U.S. Department of Justice and the DeKalb County Commission comes into play. The task force was again awarded a $75,000 grant from the Department of Justice with a $25,000 local match from the commission to keep fighting the local war on drugs. According to Drug Task Force Commander Darrell Collins, 90 percent of the county's violent crime is estimated to be drug-related. [continues 284 words]
