FRANKLIN COUNTY - A woman accused of tending an allegedly religion-based marijuana crop in Fannettsburg last winter was given local jail time for her part in the operation. Karen L. Sheaffer, 47, Carlisle, was sentenced Wednesday to nine to 23 months in Franklin County Jail by Judge Shawn Meyers. Her three co-defendants -- Robert G. Henry, Carl Goshorn and Cynthia Ritchie -- are scheduled to go to trial in January. Henry, 50, Fannettsburg, is accused of directing the pot-growing operation from his Cumberland County jail cell last winter. He gained notoriety three years ago when he claimed his marijuana possession and use was part of a religious practice. [continues 414 words]
Local authorities are concerned that an unregulated psychoactive drug is readily available for sale over the Internet and from at least one location in Franklin County. Sea the Source, a store in the Chambersburg Mall that also sells bongs, glass pipes and other items associated with cannabis culture, has been offering synthetic marijuana for more than a month, Chambersburg Police Chief David Arnold said. "It's definitely out there and it's definitely something we need to be concerned about. Parents need to know about it," he said. [continues 1160 words]
While incentives can help to motivate people, one area mother took the wrong approach. A woman, 30, smoked marijuana with her son each day after he had finished his homework, according to Adams County Court documents. She pleaded guilty to several drug-related charges and corruption of minors this week and will be sentenced Nov. 27, The Evening Sun reported. The woman, of Conewago Township, admitted in court that she had been smoking marijuana with her son since he was 11, and that she often gave it to him as a reward. Hopefully, mother and son will get the counseling they need and the courts will consider this lack of judgment a serious matter. [end]
CHAMBERSBURG -- Illicit drug use among 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students declined 19 percent between 2001 and 2005, according to a recent survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. To help local students lead drug-free lives, Summit Health and Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce officials continue their six-year program offering incentives to those who "just say no." Sixteen students from Dickinson College assistant professor Margaret Davis' class traveled Monday to Chambersburg from Carlisle to learn more about the "Teens Resisting Unhealthy Choices Everyday" program, which is geared toward reducing the demand for drugs and alcohol among adolescents. TRUCE, an affiliate of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation, is funded by a $21,000 grant from Summit Health. "We've identified three different community organizations throughout Cumberland County promoting drug-free awareness for our students to research. We're thrilled about this opportunity to become more familiar with the TRUCE program," Davis said. [continues 377 words]
