Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 Source: Tullahoma News (TN) Copyright: The Tullahoma News 2004 Contact: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=49033&BRD=1614&PAG=461&dept_id=161070& Website: http://www.tullahomanews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2031 Author: Shanna Gunn EDMONDS DISCUSSES DRUG ARRESTS By now most everyone in the county has probably heard about last week's round up of 119 drug offenders that resulted from a yearlong undercover investigation throughout Franklin County. Three of those indicted are or have been employed by the Franklin County Board of Education's (BOE) Maintenance Department. Donald Ferguson, 35, of Estill Springs was indicted on a charge of felonious sale and delivery of Schedule IV, a narcotic, within a school zone. Lester Green, 43, of Winchester, was indicted on charges of sale and delivery of Schedule III, a narcotic, two counts of sale and delivery of counterfeit controlled substance, and two counts of the sale of legend drugs, non-narcotic pills. Mark Council, 25, of Cowan, was indicted on charges of two counts of felonious sale and delivery of Schedule VI, a narcotic. Only one of the three was alleged to have sold drugs on school property, but that may be of very little consolation to many of the county's parents. Perhaps greater consolation will come from knowing that the BOE officials, local police authorities, and our local government are all taking this matter very seriously and are taking measures to address this problem in our county. "The individual (Donald Ferguson) who was alleged to have been involved with drugs on BOE property; his contract has been terminated," said Director of Franklin County Schools, Dr. Charles Edmonds. "The other two individuals (Lester Green and Mark Council), to the best of our knowledge through the investigation, the instance happened away from work, on personal time," Edmonds continued. "They have been suspended from work pending further investigation and developments in their case." Edmonds also said that the suspended individuals are being permitted to use their accumulated leave time while on suspension. Richard Stewart, mayor of Winchester, addressed the methamphetamine situation in his mayoral communications in Tuesday's city council meeting. "Franklin County has recently had a good day, a bad day, and a sad day, all in one day. It was good that the law enforcement did such an outstanding job, but bad and sad that it is here in our community." Stewart said. Stewart went on to tell a disturbing story of one officer saying to another that one of the offenders picked up for the sale of meth would receive greater punishment for his driver's license being expired than for selling drugs. "There is nothing right about that at all." Stewart said. The mayor went on to ask that the council draw up a resolution to be sent to the state legislature asking them for a Zero Tolerance law against drugs. City Administrator Beth Rhoton will begin drafting this resolution and it will be reviewed at the next city council meeting. "We have a drug problem here in Franklin County, but drugs are everywhere." Winchester Public Safety Director Dennis Young said. "(At the round-up), we arrested people from all sectors of society, it just so happened that three of the 119 worked for the BOE." "Law enforcement is actively working on this problem through round-ups like the one last week, and through education, such as the DARE program in schools, but this is society's problem, and everyone needs to get involved to stamp this out." "These drugs destroy the lives of good kids from good families. Last year, 72 children were placed in foster care because they had to be removed from unfit parents due to the drugs in the household," Young added. This drug problem is putting a tremendous burden on Franklin County's foster care system and is the main reason more foster parents are so desperately needed. Winchester Public Safety and the Franklin County Department of Children Services is holding a town meeting entitled, "Meth and the Effect on Children", to be held at First Baptist Church in Winchester Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. This town meeting is an opportunity for the public at large to get involved. Mayor Stewart also mentioned his desire to get the community involved: "The people of Winchester and Franklin County do not want to be known as the drug capital of the state." "Our community really needs to get behind law enforcement, legislature, and our judicial system and support them because most of our crimes are drug-related," he added. Franklin County Mayor Monty Adams has said that he believes the main solution to the problem with drugs lies within greater education. Adams agrees with Mayor Stewart's desire to have a Zero Tolerance law as far as methamphetamines are concerned, but believes that the drug problem as a whole is better served with maximum education rather than zero tolerance. "One thing I would suggest would be an expansion of the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) program. I think it would be a good thing to begin the program in first grade and carry it straight through high school to present the dangers of drugs, and particularly of meth, to kids and keep it reinforced," Adams stated. Currently, DARE is only for sixth graders. "It's really a social issue; by the time the police arrest someone, it's too late. I think prevention has to begin in the home and in the schools," Adams added, "however, I would support a Zero Tolerance law against meth, because it is really a bad, bad thing--a scourge on our community." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens