The city is one step closer to creating a bylaw governing raves and other late-night clubs or events. On Tuesday, the city's protective services committee approved a draft bylaw put together by Grande Prairie Enforcement Services and moved that it be considered by city council for adoption. The proposed bylaw forbids alcohol and condemns drug use on the site where youth congregate to dance all night and the club or venue won't be allowed to remain open later than 6 a.m. [continues 153 words]
RCMP Resources Taking Aim At Growing Problem In The Area A major drug bust at the Grande Prairie airport was more a product of the time and manpower committed to rooting out dealers rather than the sign of a drug epidemic, a local police officer says. "Successes are the direct result of the resources that are dedicated toward those specific types of investigations," said Cpl. Gary Beam of Grande Prairie RCMP's drug section. "Now that we have increased our dedicated resources toward those investigations, we anticipate increased successes." [continues 467 words]
RCMP confident it has sent a major shock wave through local drug community A massive drug sweep in the city over the weekend should send a strong message to pushers who haven't been caught yet, a local Mountie believes. "I'm sure there's a huge wave rippling through the drug trade right now in terms of what happened," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Carol McKinley. Police officers arrested 27 city residents on 36 counts of drug trafficking and a half-dozen counts of possession over the weekend. [continues 315 words]
The massive drug bust of a week ago is starting to fill federal prison cells. As of today, three of the 28 people arrested have pleaded guilty and received jail sentences. Charles Wesley Morris has had the longest prison term so far - 54 months in a federal penitentiary for three counts of trafficking cocaine. He pleaded guilty to the charges last Wednesday. Morris, 26, was picked up on a warrant early last week, a few days after police arrested 27 people on trafficking and other drug-related charges. [continues 391 words]
More than 150 area teenagers flock to pro-marijuana rally The long weekend started off with a bong for many area teenagers Thursday. A crowd numbering somewhere between 150 and 200 gathered in front of the Muskoseepi Park amphitheatre after school to take part in 4-20 Day, an informal rally held in several North American cities to protest marijuana laws. The rally was made up mostly of older teens with some young adults and junior-high students mixed in. Most were from the city, although kids from Fairview, Beaverlodge and Calgary were said to be there. [continues 367 words]
