LOUISA - The Lawrence County School District is trying to crack down on drug use among its students, but one family says school officials are going too far and unfairly punishing those who should be given another chance. Willie Parks, of Louisa, said his grandson Dusty Branham, 18, has been put in alternative school and is not allowed to attend Lawrence County High School functions - including his senior prom - because a drug-sniffing dog with the Kentucky State Police reportedly found prescription-pill residue in his car during a search at the school a few weeks ago. The district regularly brings in dogs for unannounced searches in the hopes that it will quash drug use. [continues 522 words]
LOUISA The Lawrence County School District has stepped up its efforts to prevent and treat drug abuse in its schools. The school district will now use a federally-funded full-time drug counselor and drug-sniffing dogs to help quash drug activity. Superintendent Jeff May said there is not a serious problem in the district, but even one case of drug use among students is too many. "We take this very seriously," May said. "The board has been very strict in dealing with drug activity in the schools and we will continue to do so." [continues 244 words]
LOUISA - City employees here could soon be randomly tested for drug use, a proposal which has been met with open arms by many of those employees who could be affected. "I think it's a good idea," said Louisa Mayor Teddy Preston. "I don't think any of us have a problem with it." The first reading of the drug-testing ordinance was passed unanimously during Tuesday's City Council meeting. A second reading is needed before it is enacted. Under the proposal, employees will be put in a "pool" and then names will be randomly picked for testing, which will be done by a local medical laboratory. [continues 253 words]
Louisa Lawrence County Sheriff Garrett Roberts is hoping that more citizens will get involved in trying to solve the county's drug problem. A meeting of the UNITE task force, an anti-drug initiative, will be Monday evening at the Lawrence County Courthouse. UNITE, an acronym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education, was formed last year by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, and is funded with $8 million in federal funds. The money is shared among a 29-county area, including Lawrence. [continues 214 words]
ASHLAND - Those from the FIVCO region who are concerned about drug abuse are invited to attend a public forum regarding the problem next week in downtown Ashland. The forum will be from 1 to 5 p.m. March 4 at the Ashland Plaza Hotel. It is part of Gov. Ernie Fletcher's Drug Control Policy Summit Initiative, which calls for selected state, local and federal officials who work closely with those affected by drug use to conduct 16 meetings across the state for a comprehensive evaluation of substance abuse in the state. Next week's meeting will be the third in the series. [continues 165 words]
LOUISA Drug- and alcohol-addicted criminals in Lawrence County will soon have an alternative to serving time in jail. A drug court starting early next year will offer treatment rather than jail time for non-violent offenders whose charges stem from the need to obtain drugs or a crime that was committed while using drugs or alcohol. Participants are chosen for the program based on prior history, level of addiction and input from legal and drug addiction professionals. A drug court is a court-managed, drug intervention treatment program designed to provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional criminal case processing. According to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, it costs about $3,000 to put an offender through drug court for one year, one-fifth of the $15,000 it costs to house a prisoner for the same time period. [continues 294 words]
HAZARD Street-level drug dealers in eastern Kentucky are the prime target of an innovative new $8 million program unveiled Monday by state and federal leaders. Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy John P. Walters joined U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, at the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center in Hazard for the announcement of the new program called Operation UNITE. UNITE, an acronym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education, is a three-pronged attack on the local drug problem and covers the 29 counties in Rogers' district, including Lawrence, Rowan, Martin and Johnson. [continues 327 words]
LOUISA - There's a drug epidemic sweeping through Eastern Kentucky, U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers says, and it needs to be stopped before more lives are destroyed. Rogers recently announced details of an initiative aimed at combating what he calls "the worst scourge we've ever faced." The congressman helped secure $8 million in funding for the creation of the Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education (UNITE) program, which is aimed at bringing together law enforcement officials, health care professionals, government officials and concerned citizens to fight local drug abuse. [continues 265 words]
Louisa Drug Problem Needs Immediate Action LOUISA - Police Chief Kevin Adkins says the drug problem in this town of 2,000 residents calls for immediate action. Having one in every two arrests being made for drug offenses is unacceptable, he says. A multi-jurisdictional drug task force to target those involved in illegal drug activity is the best course of action, the chief said. "I think we need to act. It has gotten so bad that something needs to be done now," Adkins said. [continues 265 words]
LOUISA - As the Lawrence County Board of Education considers testing students and teachers for drugs, the board's chairwoman says she is not ready to put a policy in the books. Barbara Robinson said a decision on drug testing is ``far from being made." ``Right now we are discussing it, but it is nothing more than that," she said. Board members spent part of last week's meeting discussing plans to test students and teachers who are suspected of drug use and/or caught with drugs or under the influence of them. [continues 313 words]
Policy To Be Drafted In Coming Months LOUISA - Lawrence County could be the first school district in the state to require both teachers and students to submit to drug testing. Admitting they have a tough battle ahead of them, the Lawrence County Board of Education and its attorney, Nelson Sparks, are pushing forward with plans to mandate testing for teachers and students suspected of drug use and/or caught with drugs or under the influence of them. "It is something that you have to be careful with," Sparks said at the board's meeting Monday night. "There are a lot of things that you need to look at and take into consideration when you begin mandating drug testing. [continues 541 words]
