Pubdate: Fri, 15 Dec 2000
Source: Lincoln Journal Star (NE)
Copyright: 2000 Lincoln Journal Star
Contact:  PO Box 81609, Lincoln, NE 68508
Fax: (402) 473-7291
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Website: http://www.journalstar.com/

GRANT COUNTY MAKES RARE DRUG ARRESTS

HYANNIS (AP) - It had been 10 years since anyone was arrested for drugs in 
Grant County, but in the last 30 days the sheriff has been busy, arresting 
six people in three separate drug busts.

With only about 800 people living in the Sandhills county, Sheriff Mark 
Crouse did not worry much about drugs in his jurisdiction until recently.

"We handle traffic cases, accidents, domestic disturbances, trespassers and 
game violations," Crouse said. "We just don't have much drug activity up here."

But since mid-November, Crouse has seen enough drugs to raise concern.

The first drugs were found at Hyannis High School when a locker was 
searched based on a tip about students with drugs. Two students were cited 
for possession of drug paraphernalia and less than an ounce of marijuana.

Then on Nov. 20 Crouse found a vial of methamphetamine hidden in the door 
panel of a pickup truck stopped for speeding six miles east of Hyannis.

The latest bust occurred Dec. 1 after Crouse was told by South Dakota 
police that three men may be in his county transporting marijuana from 
Colorado to South Dakota.

When he stopped a car that had failed to dim its headlights, he realized he 
had the suspects.

Since Grant County doesn't have a jail, the suspects in the recent drug 
busts have been held either at the Box Butte County Jail, 57 miles west in 
Alliance, or the Custer County Jail, 118 miles east in Broken Bow.

Grant County used to have one jail cell, but the fire marshal condemned it 
in 1976 and it hasn't been used since.

The sheriff's office has just two employees, Crouse and a deputy, to patrol 
the more than 1,000 square miles of Grant County and the southern end of 
Sheridan County.

Crouse credited the recent string of drug arrests on networked 
law-enforcement agencies that exchange intelligence.
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