Unfortunately, alcohol and drugs are a part of many teenagers lives. They are factors in wrecks that kill and maim teenagers and other drivers, no matter what age the person behind the wheel. Hundreds of Comal County fifth graders are receiving their end-of-semester Drugs and Alcohol Resistance Education completion certificates. Comal County Sheriff's Office sponsors the program in some Comal Independent School District schools. At New Braunfels High School this week, officers presented the stark story of a San Antonio high school valedictorian killed in a New Braunfels wreck in 2003 involving a drunk driver. [continues 140 words]
Stacie Zercher has formally requested a grievance hearing before a panel of her peers in hopes they will reinstate her as the city's highest ranking female firefighter. Zercher's attorney Matt Kyle confirmed he had submitted the request Tuesday. He also confirmed an independent drug test Zercher took last week came back negative for TetraHydroCannabinol (THC), the chemical component of marijuana. The drug test Zercher took Nov. 15 after a minor traffic accident in the city hall parking lot indicated she had 87 nanograms per milliliter of THC in her urine and resulted in her immediate termination after 18 years of employment with the city of New Braunfels. [continues 354 words]
Many parents are now aware that the New Braunfels Independent School District will be implementing a random drug-testing policy this school year. But what parents may not know is how the policy works, what rights they have to appeal a positive test result and who's going to foot the bill. Parents and students 18 years or older will be required to sign a consent form before they will be eligible to participate in competitive extracurricular activities or receive a parking permit. [continues 1100 words]
The New Braunfels Independent School District could have a random drug testing policy in effect if trustees give the go ahead Thursday. The policy, which would impact students in grades seven through 12, has undergone significant changes since its first reading June 20. The new version of the draft reduces a student's suspension from extracurricular activities and campus parking, gives students three chances before receiving a permanent suspension from privileges and removes alcohol from the list of testable substances. NBISD Trustee Lee Edwards said that the changes were made because the policy was meant to identify students with drug problems rather than punish them for drug use. [continues 274 words]
The New Braunfels Independent School District Board of Trustees debated whether a proposed drug policy would hurt the students it was designed to help. The NBISD Board of Trustees heard the first reading the policy in a regular meeting Tuesday night. The policy calls for random drug testing of students in grades 7 through 12 who participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities or obtain a high school parking permit. The test results will be used to determine eligibility for extracurricular activities and parking privileges. [continues 240 words]
The trustees will return to the issue of salary increases, concerns at New Braunfels Middle School and student drug testing during a regular meeting Monday. The board will consider approval of salary increases, stipends and extra days for district staff for the 2005-06 school year. When the trustees adopted a budget last month, salaries increases were approved at 3 percent. However, the board and audience members debated whether the increase would be enough to retain qualified teachers. Board President Jorge Maldonado said amendments to the budget are possible as the issue is still up for discussion. [continues 168 words]
I want to thank Ron Maloney for addressing the problem of drug prohibition. For more than 90 years this "drug war" has wrought havoc on our communities, our nation and indeed the whole world. We have invested more than half a trillion US tax dollars for absolutely zero results. Despite the arrest of tens of millions of our fellow citizens for baggies of powders, flowers and pills, drugs are cheaper, purer and more freely available to our children than ever before. [continues 320 words]
Comal County's district attorney and one of its district judges agreed this past week that the United States government's "war on drugs" - and its judicial system - just aren't working when it comes to stopping abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. For decades, the government has been trying to enlist its citizens in some form or fashion as allies in the fight - only to find that many of them go over to the other side by creating the very demand the illicit drug trade depends on. [continues 1709 words]
You might not know it, but chances are, you know a drug dealer -- or know where one plies the illegal trade. Today, you can report him or her to the police -- and get a reward. Comal County Crime Stoppers, the Safe City Commission and local narcotics investigators will be manning telephones as part of "Crackdown New Braunfels," an effort to close down drug dealers as part of the annual "Red Ribbon Week" crime prevention effort. "Red Ribbon Week" is the annual nationwide celebration in which thousands of communities and schools across the United States attempt to raise drug awareness. [continues 276 words]
