Residents Want A Return To N. Ridgewood's Stately Past North Ridgewood Avenue wasn't always a boulevard of broken dreams, with human drama fueled by drugs and prostitution in the open for all to see. Matt Larsen, 36, owns several buildings including an apartment house on Tanglewood Street he bought last year. Larson, like many residents in the North Ridgewood area, wants to see an end to the drug dealing and prostitution to make the neighborhood more habitable. In the 1930s, when stately homes and sprawling oaks lined the avenue, decadence played out in secret. [continues 1097 words]
Meet Tara, The Crack-Addicted Prostitute DAYTONA BEACH -- She sits on a park bench, gobbling a burrito and sipping tequila, things she hasn't had in a while. A small roll of belly fat hangs between Tara Price's faded purple tank top and jeans. Under the orange haze of a streetlight, her dark roots show. The month she was in jail, she couldn't dye her hair. Finishing her burrito, she belches, some of the tequila returning and burning her throat. She spits. She will avoid crack tonight -- jail dampened her cravings -- but she will take a walk around the dark, broken blocks west of the river. [continues 1760 words]
The Stetson University Junior Tells An Audience About The Scope And Depth Of The Crisis DeLAND - If there's one thing Stetson University student William Collum wants his classmates to know about methamphetamine, it's this: "This ain't your grandma's speed." On Friday, more than 100 Stetson students in tie-dye T-shirts and baseball caps found out for themselves just how much worse it is. Collum, a junior political-science student who has spent his summer vacations as a congressional intern in Washington, had done so much research on meth that he felt compelled to share his findings with others. He said that college students are one of the groups most likely to use the drug. [continues 336 words]
Issa Nakoul stares nervously out the window of his convenience store. For the next three hours, his workday will turn hellish. From 3 to 6 p.m., the pimps, prostitutes and day laborers stream into Nakoul's business -- the J Food Store -- on Ridgewood Avenue and North Street. The day laborers want to cash their meager checks so they can buy beer, a sandwich and cigarettes, Nakoul says. "They are my best customers." But the crack-addicted prostitutes who meander in and out daily just want something for nothing, Nakoul says. [continues 359 words]
When thinking about the various problems that affect our communities, a multitude of issues come to mind. We often ask ourselves what difference we as individuals can make. An individual who embraced this idea of making a difference was U.S. Drug Enforcement agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. In 1985, while serving as an undercover agent in Mexico in the fight against illegal drugs, he was brutally tortured and murdered. Every year in October we honor him during Red Ribbon Week and recommit ourselves to living drug-free lives. This drug prevention event is recognized all over our country and involves an estimated 80 million people. [continues 325 words]
OCALA - A woman in a stolen car led deputies on a high-speed chase Wednesday down the wrong side of the highway, weaving through traffic and slamming on brakes, and then began smoking crack cocaine as officers tried to apprehend her, deputies said. According to an incident report from the Marion County Sheriff's Office, a passenger also fell out of the blue 2007 Dodge Neon during the chase which reached a speed of 120 mph. The woman, 39, of Williston, was arrested and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, grand theft auto, fleeing and several counts of drug possession. She was being held Thursday in the Marion County Jail in lieu of $33,500 bail. [continues 237 words]
Penny Lofton offered excellent advice in her Oct. 22 column, "Our kids are listening." The importance of parental involvement in reducing adolescent drug use cannot be overstated. School-based extracurricular activities also have been shown to reduce use. They keep kids busy during the hours they're most likely to get into trouble. In order for drug prevention efforts to effectively reduce harm, they must be reality-based. The most popular drug, and the one most closely associated with violent behavior, is often overlooked by parents. That drug is alcohol, and it takes far more lives each year than all illegal drugs combined. [continues 155 words]
To no one's surprise, authorities say the "persons of interest" in the gruesome Florida's Turnpike slaying of a family of four were involved in drugs. Is it any less of a surprise that two of the reputed bad guys had lengthy criminal records - and were still on the streets? The roadside execution of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife and two small children exposes the tragic results of turnstile justice and highlights one immutable fact: Drug dealing is not a victimless crime. [continues 470 words]
School-Pill Incident Needs To Be Addressed Seriously There is a popular television public service announcement depicting teenagers joy-riding in search of something to do and pulling up in front of a house. It has neon signs advertising it as a 24-hour pharmacy of fun - where drugs are free. The house could be anyone's house. The point is that some of the most accessible and dangerous drugs are already in your medicine cabinet, dresser or kitchen knickknack drawer. [continues 184 words]
If you don't think drug use in DeSoto County is on the increase you are just avoiding reality. In fact, methamphetamine, or meth, is very much on the rise here, and it is a dangerous, illicit drug. There is a group of community-minded people who are gearing up to work on educating as many residents as possible about the dangers of illicit drugs and alcohol use. The DeSoto County Drug Education Task Force met recently to discuss goals and to begin some preliminary planning for priorities they feel should be pursued. Their mission statement is simple and to the point: "The mission of the DeSoto County Drug Education Task Force is to increase community awareness of the effects of illicit drug use." [continues 299 words]
Her newborn's eyes still shut, his skin still purple, Julie Wolfcale motions to a nurse in Indian River Memorial Hospital's maternity wing. "I want to have him with me as long as I can," she says. "I got my 48 hours with him, and I want them all." She lifts the 4-hour-old boy to her face and says, "I'm thinking Sam. . It'll be my name for him. I'm sure they'll change it." His adoptive parents will drive in from Maryland this same October day. [continues 2457 words]
School Anti-Drug Club Brings The Drama A drug-free club in schools across Miami-Dade held parties, rallies, dramatizations and trivia games for Red Ribbon Week, to increase teens' awareness of the dangers of substance abuse. The door to Aaron Tucker's English class flew open, dispersing a chilly fog while a high-pitched voice ululated mournfully in the background. The Grim Reaper stepped in through the fog and paced before a circle of students, eventually choosing a girl. She shrieked, kicking as he picked her up and took her outside, returning for one more "victim." [continues 611 words]
BARTOW - An investigation into a detention deputy's use of prescription drugs has ensnared eight of her colleagues, plus a major. Lena J. Reeves, 37, is accused of getting fellow employees to trade or give her prescription drugs, including Vicodin and hydrocodone, which she then misused, according to a Polk County Sheriff's Office statement. Reeves was charged with one count of conspiracy for unlawful compensation involving official behavior, a third-degree felony. According to a report released by the agency, Reeves sometimes paid for the pills and was involved in sexual relationships with some of her colleagues who provided pills from personal prescriptions. [continues 323 words]
Polk Jail Employee Is Charged With Conspiracy in Prescription Drug Inquiry That Snares Co-Workers BARTOW - A Polk County Jail deputy was arrested Thursday and other employees, including the jail's second-ranking administrator and two other supervisors, took early retirement after an investigation into allegations the deputy offered money and sex for prescription painkillers. Detention Deputy Lena Reeves, 37, was charged with conspiracy for unlawful compensation involving official behavior. Reeves posted $1,000 bail and was released from the jail. [continues 972 words]
Sheriff's investigators arrested a man they say tried to sell a kilogram - about 2.2 pounds - of cocaine worth as much as $86,000 on the street. (Name redacted) of Tampa is facing charges of trafficking in cocaine and conspiracy to commit a felony. The 22-year- old is a security guard at an Ybor City club, according to his arrest report. (Name redacted) first met with an undercover sheriff's investigator last week in the parking lot of the Super Target store on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, the report said. He sold the detective about 2 ounces of cocaine for $1,800. They met again about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the same place. (Name redacted), the report said, told the detective he had obtained the drugs from a supplier, and the price for the kilo of pure powder cocaine would be $24,000. The sale price and street value can differ, depending on purity, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said. The supplier Oliveras mentioned has not been arrested, he said. (Name redacted) remained in the county jail in Land O'Lakes on Thursday. Bail was set at $150,000. [end]
MANATEE - When Jan Sumner asked a student who had overdosed on six prescription anti-anxiety pills what he learned from the near-death experience, he told her, "Six is too many. I'd be OK with five." "Teens are definitely taking more chances with drugs than we did back in the day," said Sumner, the Manatee school district's program specialist for safe and drug-free schools. "Their rationalization is really scary. It's like a brush with death is not scary enough to them." [continues 642 words]
PORT ST. LUCIE - To Arthur Roberts, the men who in the gray house next door were "perfect neighbors." "They came and went, were very quiet," the 32-year resident said Thursday. "There weren't any parties going on, no drinking. They had their garbage out when it should be. They mowed their lawn when it should be." But inside the home of the "perfect neighbors" in the 200 block of Southwest Lucero Drive, police turned up a suspected marijuana farm with about 50 small plants, said Officer Robert Vega, police spokesman. [continues 182 words]
Legislature Should Review State's Forfeiture Law Florida's Contraband Forfeiture Act is a bad law. It was a bad law a decade ago when North Port police became embroiled in controversy over the seizure of money and a car during a traffic stop, and it's a bad law today, amid growing concerns that Bradenton police have been carrying the measure to extremes. The forfeiture act permits law-enforcement agencies to confiscate cash, vehicles and other assets if there's "probable cause" to believe that the property was obtained through illegal means. [continues 642 words]
"Not my kid. Not my friends. Not my co-workers." In Collier County, many of us believe we are protected from the negative impacts of substance abuse. And if we continue with such beliefs, ultimately, our youth will pay. The Substance Abuse Coalition of Collier County (SACCC) is a 501(c)3 organization comprised of a team of experts who share a passion for educating our youth and preventing substance abuse. This team has created a holistic approach to providing a nurturing and drug-free community for our youth. By bringing together leaders of multiple organizations with citizen members, we can strengthen our community's resolve to decrease juvenile substance abuse in Collier County through: [continues 614 words]
WEST PALM BEACH (AP) -- Authorities investigating the slaying of a family of four alongside a Florida highway said Friday that the father probably was involved in drug trafficking and that the suspected killer is in custody. The suspect was among three men and a woman arrested Wednesday on drug charges who are "persons of interest" in the killings, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said. No one has been charged in the slayings. The couple and their two young sons were found shot to death Oct. 13 off a desolate stretch of Florida's Turnpike near Port St. Lucie, about 50 miles north of their home in the Palm Beach County city of Greenacres. [continues 604 words]
A sea of red shirts filled the Gulf Breeze Elementary School (GBES) cafeteria Wednesday, Oct. 25 as students recognized the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) Red Ribbon Week. The anti-drug drug campaign, which began in 1985 to honor a fallen DEA agent, is the nation's largest drug prevention campaign and was celebrated by students in all three Gulf Breeze proper schools. Gulf Breeze High School students wore red ribbons and pledged to remain drug free. Students at Woodlawn Beach Middle School commemorated the week by wearing red ribbons and participating in themed dress up days such as crazy hat day, inside out and backwards day and tacky day. [continues 470 words]
As usual, Republicans are hoping that righteous voters will come through for them on Election Day. But this year looks like the revenge of the sinners. The sinners aren't easy to count, since they don't spend a lot of time doing grass-roots politicking. There is no Washington lobby for the Coalition of the Damned. They don't like to confess their urges to pollsters. But there are enough of them, particularly in places where Republicans are struggling, to cast doubt on the party's long-standing strategy. [continues 663 words]
Last Week Was a Very Special Week for All Law Enforcement and Our Fight Against the Flow of Illegal Drugs into Our Country. Each year we have our red ribbon week in recognition of a federal agent who was tortured and killed. The agent was working under cover on a large drug artel that was shipping illegal drugs into our country. The drug cartel found our who he was and as a result of his knowledge of their illegal activity they killed him. [continues 452 words]
Students Celebrate Red Ribbon Week And Commit Themselves To Being Drug Free Seventh-grader Philip Russo was afraid he'd fall asleep during Friday's drug-free assembly, the last in a line-up of Red Ribbon Week events at Southside Fundamental. But when the Knucle Headz, a St. Petersburg rap duo, got on stage and screamed, "We're drug free and we're ready to have a party," Russo was wide awake. The lights dimmed, the speakers blared and the students jumped and screamed. [continues 307 words]
It doesn't pay to continue claiming innocence - even if it's true - after being found guilty by a judge or jury. That was the message from the U.S. Supreme Court Monday. It refused to hear a case in which a judge said he was increasing the sentence for a rape defendant because he hadn't shown "remorse" for the crime. "I don't see any remorse in this case," Circuit Judge Daniel Burress of Livingston, Mich., said at the 2003 sentencing of Craig M. Haskell. "None. And it's bothersome to me. I took the bench today not knowing what I was going to do to you. ... The only question I have is how much above the minimum I should go." He sentenced Haskell to 12 years to 30 years, far more than the minimum sentence under Michigan law. [continues 137 words]
BRADENTON - A $10 bag of marijuana cost Jacquelyn Sweet nearly $1,000, with half of that earmarked for the Bradenton Police Department. Sweet, arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor possession charge, instantly and unwillingly joined a growing list of residents who have had their vehicles seized as part of a little-known city ordinance. A 21-year-old waitress who attends St. Petersburg College, Sweet lost her car, handed over hundreds of dollars to a towing company and found out the hard way that local cities have the right to take cars for even the smallest of crimes. [continues 568 words]
Found guilty eight years ago of manslaughter in the slaying of a Golden Gate man dumped with his car in a canal, Adam Moore is headed back to prison. Moore, 34, was one of five people charged in connection with the 1995 drowning death of Shawn David Wood. Sentenced to eight years in prison, he served five and was released from prison to begin serving seven years of probation. He made it through four of those years. Then he tested positive for drug use. [continues 691 words]
Police's Policy Of Seizing Criminals' Cars Draws Criticism A $10 bag of marijuana cost Jacquelyn Sweet nearly $1,000, with half of that earmarked for the Bradenton Police Department. Sweet, arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor possession charge, instantly and unwillingly joined a growing list of residents who have had their vehicles seized as part of a little-known city ordinance. A 21-year-old waitress who attends St. Petersburg College, Sweet lost her car, handed over hundreds of dollars to a towing company and found out the hard way that local cities have the right to take cars for even the smallest of crimes. [continues 1032 words]
The Nation's Longest Running Drug Awareness Campaign, Red Ribbon Week, Joined a Growing County Organization During One of Its Many Events to Keep Kids Off Drugs. Luis Melgar might only be 11 years old but he understands he has an important role at his school. "I represent an organization that promotes drug awareness and keeps other students away from drugs," he said. "If all the important figures in U.S. history would have done drugs where would America be?" Melgar is this year's Drug Free Youth in Town president, an anti-drug program working with his school, Devon Aire Elementary, along with a host of others across Miami-Dade County. [continues 374 words]
West Palm Beach -- Jose Escobedo was caught up in a web of drugs, guns and money. He brought his wife and two young boys from Texas and got involved with drug dealers and traffickers. At least one of them shot all four Escobedos to death on a dark stretch of Florida's Turnpike. Yessica Escobedo was found sheltering her sons in her arms. The St. Lucie County sheriff and federal documents on Friday began painting a picture of the ruthless homicides and the people authorities think are responsible. [continues 682 words]
WEST PALM BEACH -- Of the nearly 2,000 people who died in Florida last year after using cocaine, many overdosed in front of fellow drug users who were too afraid to call 911. Offering amnesty or immunity to drug users in such situations -- similar to a program that allows women to leave newborns at fire stations, no questions asked -- could save lives. That was one of the ideas presented Wednesday at the "Cocaine: Call for Action" forum at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, which brought more than 250 people who work closely with drugs and drug users together to discuss the state's growing cocaine problem. [continues 497 words]
This weekly column is supplied by Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade and is intended to provide information that will help readers in their efforts to be safe. This past week, Citizens' Crime Watch held its 31st annual Board meeting to select members of our Executive Board and our Board of Directors. The meeting was held at the Fire Fighters Tower, with breakfast sponsored by the Miccosukee Tribe -- one of our partners -- and Chief David Ward, an Executive Board member. The event was attended by more than 100 police officers and crime watchers. A proclamation declaring October Crime Prevention Month was presented by the office of County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez, who is a member of our board. We also received a visit from state Sen. Walter ''Skip'' Campbell of Fort Lauderdale, who brought a message of support for our crime prevention programs. [continues 474 words]
SEFFNER - Nathaniel Clemmer raced ahead of his friend Destiny as he rounded the park slide, a blur of blue and orange in the morning sun. As his mother, Melissa, watched the 23-month-old from a nearby bench, she recalled a scene that could not seem more distant: the jail cell she shared with a crack-addicted prostitute. "They don't take showers when they come in," she said quietly. "After those first few days, maybe they will. But when they're going through that hard withdrawal, they just lay there and stink." [continues 1226 words]
Effect on Trade Likely Minimal TAMPA - A federal jury Wednesday handed the government a near-total victory, convicting a man described by prosecutors as one of the world's most powerful drug lords. However, the case against Joaquin Mario Valencia-Trujillo will have little effect on the U.S. drug war. A former leader in Colombia's notorious Cali cartel, Valencia was the top prize of "Operation Panama Express," a decade-long Tampa-based international drug investigation, which continues to target cocaine smugglers with no signs of abetting. [continues 813 words]
More than 350 students at Tommie Barfield Elementary School and Marco Island Charter Middle School recently made a pledge to remain drug free. On Oct. 12, fourth- and fifth-grade students at TBE and MICMS students participated in Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide activity that gives students a chance to take a positive step toward eliminating abusive drugs in their lives. The week devoted to drug-free activities actually is Oct. 23 to 29, but due to scheduling conflicts, the event was held early. [continues 630 words]
It's Red Ribbon Week. Do you know if your children are doing drugs? Drug testing is being offered for $2 this week at the Drug Lab on Palm Avenue in Palatka. Red Ribbon Week began Monday and ends on Halloween. It is a nationally recognized campaign that began in 1988 to encourage children and teens to stay off drugs. Testing began Tuesday from noon to 5 p.m. and will continue through Friday. Times vary each day. Parents were asked to bring their children to get tested to ensure they are drug free. [continues 506 words]
FORT PIERCE - Most of the people committing crimes within the Weed & Seed target area live outside of the program's enforcement parameters, according to reports released Tuesday. Of the 4,130 people arrested since the program started three years ago, about two-thirds, or 2,757 people, live outside the target area, acting Fort Pierce Police Chief Sean Baldwin said in a news release. The remaining 1,373 people live within the target area bounded by Orange Avenue on the south, 17th Street on the east, Juanita Avenue on the north and 33rd Street on the west. [continues 196 words]
Sunglasses in the classroom; baseball caps during school hours; inside-out clothing. Students' ensembles may appear mildly rebellious this week, but they are, in fact, a sign of solidarity against a dangerous foe: drugs. Throughout Collier County this week, students are participating in a variety of spirit activities to promote a drug-free attitude during Red Ribbon Week. From wearing wacky socks on "Sock it to drugs day" to sharing stuffed animals on "We do hugs not drugs day," students at all participating schools have embraced the daily themes, while taking to heart a serious message. [continues 749 words]
PALATKA - Ronice Fells Said Friday Is The Perfect Day To Help Drug Addicts. Fells, the secretary for the Weed and Seed Ex-offender Re-Entry program, will march Friday with a group including Palatka police, city officials and children from Weed and Seed's after-school program. The march, sponsored by the re-entry program, is part of America's Red Ribbon Week Oct 23-31. The week was founded to honor a federal drug enforcement agent, Enrique Camarena, murdered by drug traffickers in Mexico. [continues 481 words]
Regarding the forfeiture policy that is utilized by the Bradenton Police Department, I say keep up the practice until the document in question is proven to be wrong, in a court of law. To make the leap that this procedure is corrupt because "other police departments" have had corruption in their ranks is nonsensical. Let the police do their job! If It is effective/legal and streamlines the process in confiscating drug monies, all the better for our citizens and society. Believe it or not we do not need lawyers to solve all of our problems. The police, better than anyone, know the "players" in the drug world, and the utilization of this document saves our city time and money as well as keeping officers on the street, fighting crime rather than in court fighting our overburdened legal system. I still place my trust and confidence in the police until proven otherwise. [continues 107 words]
On Saturday, Nov. 19, 250 people attended "An Evening of Gratitude with Judy Collins," sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Northwest Florida, Inc., at the Hilton Garden Inn. Board members, volunteers, supporters and friends gathered in support of the life-saving work of NCADD of Northwest Florida. Although everyone has been affected by alcoholism/drug addiction, directly or indirectly, the public doesn't understand recovery! The evening became a celebration of recovery, a celebration of hope, help and healing! Millions of individuals and families are in recovery, and the volunteer stories and presentation by Executive Director Leo Donnelly were truly inspiring. Concluding his talk, Donnelly quoted Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever as." [continues 91 words]
Officers Had Made Many Arrests At Site Of Rooming House, Single-Family Home HAINES CITY -- City commissioners approved buying a piece of property the city had taken control of last year because of illegal drug activity. The Haines City Police Department took over the property at 1102 Ave. G after making numerous drug arrests there. State laws allow a city to seize property where repeated criminal activity occurs. At the meeting Thursday night, which was held at the community center because of construction work on the commission chambers at City Hall, commissioners agreed to buy the land, which is being foreclosed on, for $25,892. [continues 403 words]
What Is the Number One Reason Students Won't Do Drugs? Parents. Talking to your children about drugs is the best weapon available. If boundaries are set and followed through by you, your teen is less likely to try drugs. According to the Florida Youth Survey, two out of three teens in Marion County have tried a drug in their lifetime. Communication, discipline and nurturing are the keys to raising a drug-free child. Red Ribbon Week in Marion County kicked off Saturday and runs through Oct. 31, and according to Dan Geer, Safe and Drug Free School consultant for Marion County Schools, this year will focus on family activities. [continues 607 words]
BRADENTON -- With the recent rash of school shootings fresh on his mind, Manatee High School Principal Jeff Asher wanted to see how well his staff would respond if there was a weapon on campus. So he came up with a mock scenario -- aided by about two dozen uniformed officers -- about a student bringing a gun onto campus, and decided to find out. But Thursday morning's drill quickly turned real, with police arresting four students for drug and weapons possession. "I knew right away something was going on," said sophomore Destiny Dawson. Other students said wild rumors -- including that someone had been abducted or killed -- spread throughout the school. [continues 297 words]
The Red Ribbon Run Classic went off without a hitch Saturday morning, marking the race's 15th year in Polk County. The one-mile run promoting drug awareness drew nearly 1,400 runners from local schools this year. "It gets bigger and bigger every year," said Kaye McConnell, chairman of the Red Ribbon Campaign, a drug prevention program. The nationwide event occurs throughout October. Locally, the Red Ribbon Campaign coordinated kickoffs at Rochelle School of the Arts and Griffin Elementary earlier this month, with speakers from the Polk County School Board. [continues 314 words]
BRADENTON -- For years, the Bradenton Police Department has quietly, without judicial review, confiscated hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and property from people they arrested for drug possession and other crimes. The police bypass the courts and confiscate money and property on the spot through a department-created form called the "Contraband Forfeiture Agreement." By signing it, a person agrees to relinquish their property to the police and waive any rights they have to try to get it back through the courts. [continues 1161 words]
TAMPA - After more than three months of trial, a federal jury will begin deliberations Monday in the case of a man prosecutors say was once one of the largest drug kingpins in the world. Jurors are set to decide the case of [Name redacted] , who is accused by the government of exporting hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of cocaine into the United States from Colombia. The prosecution alleges [Name redacted] was a top leader in the notorious Cali Cartel. After receiving legal instructions from U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich on Friday, jurors selected a foreman and determined a schedule for deliberations that could take days or weeks. [continues 494 words]
Sarasota Businessman Is Accused of Heading a Distribution Ring SARASOTA -- Three men met at the Ritz-Carlton in February to talk business -- the sale of several kilos of cocaine, and a way to launder drug money to leave no trace of the crime -- according to federal court records released Friday. At the meeting, [Name redacted] , a manager of Khrome nightclub, bragged his boss could launder the drug sale proceeds because he is a "miracle worker" who owns all the Jackson Hewitt Tax Offices from Tampa to Venice, the records show. [continues 762 words]
BRADENTON - Four Manatee High School students were arrested on campus Thursday morning during a drill held to see how teachers and students would react to a dangerous situation, according to Principal Jeff Asher. At least 10 law enforcement vehicles surrounded the school until noon. The students were arrested on charges of drug possession, and two of them also face weapon charges, according to School Resource Officer Sgt. Patrick Proudler. The students were taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and their parents were contacted, according to Proudler. [continues 504 words]
BRADENTON -- With the recent rash of school shootings fresh on his mind, Manatee High School Principal Jeff Asher wanted to see how well his staff would respond if there was a weapon on campus. So he came up with a mock scenario -- aided by about two dozen uniformed officers -- about a student bringing a gun on campus, and decided to find out. But Thursday morning's drill quickly turned real, with police arresting four students for drug and weapons possession. "I knew right away something was going on," said sophomore Destiny Dawson. Other students said wild rumors -- including that someone had been abducted or killed -- spread throughout the school. [continues 382 words]
Inside Florida
