Petaluma Mayor David Glass says that three months ago he might well have voted for lifting his city's ban on marijuana dispensaries. He has no doubt medical cannabis helps some and has the support of many more. But times have changed. When the topic of lifting the ban arose at Monday's City Council meeting, Glass told the audience his views had been tempered by the recent federal crackdown on the state's medical marijuana industry. "I believe the people want it," Glass said. "I just don't think at this time, in this environment, it's the right thing to do because of the risks that are there." [continues 495 words]
If California voters want to legalize it, Larry Robinson wants to tax it. The Sebastopol councilman is asking his fellow city leaders to consider ways to tax marijuana sales if California voters approve a measure on the November ballot that would legalize pot. The council is scheduled to discuss the idea at its meeting Tuesday night, joining a growing number of cities intrigued by the bottom-line benefits of taxing marijuana. Robinson said he's not asking the council to take a stance on legalizing recreational use of cannabis. He just wants the city to position itself to move quickly if voters approve the November ballot measure, which would allow adults to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. [continues 504 words]
Anyone can tell from the grimace and the gun that this is one snowman that won't be making it into any fluffy Christmas song. But the full menace of the T-shirt is more clouded. On the bottom, it reads "Got SnowUKP' - a harmless play on the famous milk campaign to some, a blatant reference to cocaine to many others, including officials with New Hanover County Schools. "We banned them two or three weeks ago," said Bob Grimes, the principal of Laney High School. Like all county principals, he was warned to keep an eye open for the shirts by the county's gang task force. Still versions of the character are hot sellers at Street Stuff in Westfield Independence mall, said J.R. Holmes, a sales associate at the store. Buyers of all races and both sexes associate them with rap, not drugs, he said. Young Jeezy, a drug-dealer turned star rapper, popularized the angry image. His album Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album charts this summer. In one of his songs, he raps, "Get it? Jeezy the Snowman/ I'm iced out, plus I got that snow, man." Snow is slang for cocaine. [continues 360 words]
Testing Limited To New Employees; Agenda Includes School Redistricting Pender County Schools could become the first school district in the area to drug test all new employees if the Board of Education approves a proposal at its busy meeting tonight. The board is also expected to decide whether to continue to allow out-of-county residents to enroll in its schools and to redistrict its eastern elementary schools. "It's pretty jam-packed," said Kenneth Lanier, chairman of the Pender County school board. [continues 443 words]
Two districts consider screening of new hires, full staff In December, Blaire Thompson, a former elementary school teacher in Pender County, was found in a Wilmington motel room, dead of an apparent heroin overdose. Last month, Grant Norfleet, a former Chapel Hill principal, pleaded guilty to larceny, admitting he stole school equipment to fuel a cocaine addiction. Next week, Richard McCloud, a Laney High School teacher, has a court hearing on charges of allegedly violating his probation from a drunken driving conviction by testing positive for cocaine three times last year and not completing a drug treatment program. [continues 673 words]
The Decision Formalizes A Break That Had Taken Place In All But Name Months Ago. The six-year collaboration between the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department and Wilmington police anti-drug units has ended, Wilmington's city manger said Monday. In a Friday meeting with Sheriff Sid Causey and Wilmington Chief John Cease, both sides agreed to terminate the City-County Vice and Narcotics Unit, said Sterling Cheatham, Wilmington's city manager. The decision formalizes a break that had taken place in all but name months ago, Mr. Cheatham said. Both sides had been operating separately for at least a year, he said. [continues 129 words]
'the Person I Loved Could Never Have Done That' The photo is stunning in its warmth. Standing with arms around each other, Joseph Cook and Richard Skipper look like buddies enjoying the Christmas cheer. Less than a month later, Mr. Cook apparently murdered the 20-year-old and Jennifer Schooler, 19, as the couple lay in bed in the home they all shared. Then, with guns firing, he led police on a 25-mile, crash-filled chase that ended in Mr. Cook's suicide. [continues 567 words]
Even numbed by grief, Kristen Pascale was surprised by the size of the crowd at her stepbrother's funeral visitation. Each time another group entered, tears started to well. "I had no clue that it would be this big of a number," she said. At 23, T.J. Blackburn did not have a list of accomplishments that would explain why his death on April 16 of a suspected heroin overdose should pain so many people. But in the downtown Wilmington scene, T.J., with his passion for art and music, was a well-known fixture. With a fashion sense more East Village than small Southern city, he had an easy kindness that made friends from the mayor to barflies. [continues 899 words]
