Number Drops From 37 in 2005 to 16 in 2006 Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith believes law enforcement officials have turned a corner in the fight against the methamphetamine drug trade. In 2006, 16 labs were uncovered in Putnam County -- fewer than half the 37 labs found in 2005. This year's drop also comes just two years after authorities discovered 50 drug labs at Putnam County sites. Only seven of the 2006 labs were actually being operated when deputies found them. [continues 360 words]
People In Mercer County Are Concerned Over The Possibility Of A Methadone Clinic PRINCETON -- A recent drug sweep in Mercer County has people second-guessing the need for a methadone clinic in their county. Residents are worried about the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs being at these clinics. During the sweep, police found prescriptions of liquid methadone. They believe people are taking the liquid methadone from local treatment centers and using it for sale on the streets. Police caution that mixing liquid methadone with other illegal substances can be fatal and several overdoses have been reported this year. [continues 84 words]
Putnam Is Expected to Be the First County to Do So but the Practice May Soon Become a Common One Across County Lines. WINFIELD -- Putnam County employees are about to be held accountable for their off-the job behavior. Random drug testing will begin in January for those holding safety-sensitive positions. "Would you want someone showing up, like me in my position, answering a call under the influence of a narcotic?" asked Putnam County Sheriff's Deputy Chas Ashley. "I just think it'll hold everyone accountable for their actions." [continues 200 words]
America the Stockade THE International Center for Prison Studies, part of King's College in London, has published a new study of prisoners in various countries. China, the world's most populous nation with nearly 1.3 billion residents, has 1,548,498 people in cells, putting it second on the worldwide list. America, with 300 million people, has 2,186,230 locked up -- ranking first by a wide margin. Other nations in the top 10 of jail populations are: Russia, 869,814; Brazil, 361,402; India, 332,112; Mexico, 214,450; Ukraine, 165,716; Thailand, 164,443; South Africa, 157,402; and Iran 147,926. [continues 195 words]
Kanawha County is one step closer to a drug testing policy for employees after commissioners agreed to hire lawyers to oversee the effort. The commission voted Thursday to hire local attorney Jan Fox to advise the commission before it implements such a policy. Commissioner Dave Hardy said he hopes the county will adopt a plan similar to the one used by the City of Charleston. He said Fox should review that plan and make it fit the county's needs. "It's exactly what we want and I can't imagine why anyone would oppose it," Hardy said. "It's a very fair policy." [continues 454 words]
Kids across America are warned to stay away from "nose candy" in anti-drug campaigns. But a Kanawha County student is fighting his suspension for pretending to put actual candy up his nose. According to a lawsuit filed in Kanawha Circuit Court Monday, a student-athlete at Sissonville High School was given Smarties candy as a reward for good academic performance. In front of his teacher and fellow classmates, the student pretended to put one of the small candy discs up his nose. Another student used his cell phone to record video of the incident. [continues 352 words]
KANAWHA County school officials were shocked earlier this year to learn that an elementary school principal had been arrested and charged with possession of cocaine. Dismayed, the board of education began talking about testing all school employees for drugs. The board's concern is not only understandable, it is necessary. Children are required by law to attend schools. The board is responsible for maintaining a safe environment there. Not long thereafter, the issue came up in Putnam County. The county's insurance carrier suggested the county amend its personnel policy to require drug tests of new employees, random drug tests of employees in safety-sensitive positions, and upon a supervisors' request, testing of other employees suspected of being under the influence while working. [continues 162 words]
A proposal to open a methadone clinic in Mercer County has led the local Chamber of Commerce to organize a protest caravan headed to Charleston today. California-based CRC Health Group has filed paperwork with the state Health Care Authority seeking approval to start a drug treatment facility using methadone to wean addicts from opium-based drugs like heroin and oxycodone. CRC, the largest for-profit drug treatment provider in the country, reported in its filing with the state that it expects to initially spend $150,000 establishing the facility in Princeton. Thousands of residents, spurred by the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, have signed a petition objecting to the proposal. - advertisement [continues 299 words]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A proposal to open a methadone clinic in Mercer County has led the local Chamber of Commerce to organize a protest caravan headed to the capital on Tuesday. California-based CRC Health Group has filed paperwork with the state Health Care Authority seeking approval to start a drug treatment facility using methadone to wean addicts from opium-based drugs like heroin and oxycodone. CRC, the largest for-profit drug treatment provider in the country, reported in its filing with the state that it expects to initially spend $150,000 establishing the facility in Princeton. Thousands of residents, spurred by the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, have signed a petition objecting to the proposal. [continues 300 words]
This is part of an ongoing Gazette investigation of methadone, a drug that has the unique ability to kill if you don't take it exactly as directed, and sometimes even if you do. Methadone "can cause death" if not taken exactly as prescribed, the federal Food and Drug Administration is now warning doctors and patients who take the popular painkiller. On Monday, the FDA issued a public health advisory for methadone, titled "Methadone Use for Pain Control May Result in Death." [continues 942 words]
The company that provides random drug testing for St. Albans city employees is now offering free, random drug screenings for students in St. Albans area schools. The drug screenings are offered as part of a program provided by the city's Drug Prevention Task Force. The task force formed in July, months after two St. Albans High students died from apparent drug overdoses. Students can volunteer to be in a database from which their names might be picked at random for a drug screening. [continues 695 words]
PRINCETON -- On one side of the Mercer-Raleigh county line, methadone maintenance treatment was presented as a solution. On the other, area businesspeople worried the addiction therapy would turn into a scourge. Beckley Treatment Center and CRC Health Group officials opened the Beaver facility's doors Friday in an effort to show the public and people concerned about a proposed Mercer clinic how the operations worked. CRC Health Group, a California-based company that has worked in addiction treatment for the last 10 years, has filed an application for a certificate of need to establish a similar clinic in Mercer County. Vice President of Operations Joe Pritchard estimated 400 Mercer County MMT patients travel beyond county boundaries for their daily doses of methadone in either Beaver or Tazewell, Va. [continues 1915 words]
A representative from the company that does drug testing for Kanawha County school bus drivers countered teachers unions' fears by providing more information about the drug tests and how they're performed. The school board wants to extend the drug tests to teachers, principals and other personnel. "We're very careful to protect a person's privacy, both medically and personally. We don't accompany someone into a restroom or stand behind them. That would only be in extreme cases," said Randy Pauley, an employee with Examination Management Systems Inc. [continues 641 words]
West Virginia Dilemma SENSIBLE people can't understand why part of the population craves illicit drugs -- even risking jail, health damage or job loss. Perhaps dope users are dissatisfied with their lives, and want to flee into narcotic dreamland. Some addicts may be like alcoholics, with body chemistry that makes them susceptible. West Virginia has acquired a high ratio of drug abusers, according to a long report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The paper quoted Joe Ciccarelli, former FBI chief for the southern half of the state: [continues 498 words]
Like most people, I never thought of Huntington as having a serious drug problem. Gradually, my awareness began to change. The shootings of the four teenagers on prom night (four blocks away from where I grew up) and the drive-by shootings on Fairfax Drive and 12th Avenue (streets where friends and family live) were alarming to me. I remember thinking that "someone" should do "something." Soon thereafter, I found myself newly employed as a project director for a substance abuse prevention planning grant. I became immersed in all things related to substance abuse issues in Cabell County and surrounded by people who care passionately about these issues that plague our community, state and nation. [continues 373 words]
WHEELING -- Playing with balloons and a dog Monday were part of the start of Red Ribbon Week in Ohio County Schools. A national event occurring through Oct. 31, Red Ribbon Week focuses on educating children about healthy choices, especially the decision to avoid drugs. Ohio County Schools Director of Student Services Connie Myer said the Red Ribbon Campaign was started when a drug trafficker in Mexico City tortured and killed Kiki Camarena, a federal drug enforcement agent, in 1985. This began a tradition of wearing and displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. [continues 271 words]
HUNTINGTON -- Cabell County Board of Education members expressed mixed opinions about enforcing random drug testing in schools after viewing a video segment provided by Superintendent Bill Smith at Tuesday's regular board meeting. The video explains the components and legal issues of drug testing by focusing on a school system that utilizes the program. "I think it's something we need to explore and take a look at even though we have a lot on our plate already," Smith said to board members. [continues 224 words]
Parents Expect Their Children to Be Safe at School. After Charleston Police arrest David Anderson, a principal, for cocaine possession and the FBI charged Garland Eary, an elementary teacher, with possession of child pornography, student safety has come into question. "Throughout industry and throughout the workplace, random drug testing is taking place for the safety of the product," said Pete Thaw, a member of the Kanawha County School Board. "We're doing it for the safety of the children." Thaw wants to all district employees to be subject to random drug testing. [continues 165 words]
Public School Teachers, Administrators Should Have Random Drug Screenings The weekend arrest in Charleston of an elementary school principal for alleged cocaine possession has triggered discussion for implementing random drug testing for public school teachers and principals in the state's most populous county. We think it would be a great idea if it were to become mandatory statewide. Student safety must be the driving force behind the operation of our schools, and when you have teachers and/or administrators who are abusing drugs, you just don't have any level of comfort. [continues 287 words]
Most Kanawha County school board members say random drug testing of teachers and principals should be considered in the wake of an arrest of a grade-school principal on cocaine possession charges. "Under the circumstances, maybe the time is right for us to have a random drug testing program," said Jim Crawford, board president. Pratt Elementary School Principal David Anderson, 42, was arrested outside Washington Manor at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday by Charleston police. Board member Bill Raglin said he supports random drug testing for teachers and principals. [continues 589 words]
Mining and construction reportedly top list of workers who abuse alcohol and drugs. Employers will tackle the war on drugs this week. The first ever Drug-Free Work Week kicks off Monday with a variety of activities including supervisor training and health screenings. The U-S Department of Labor says research shows construction and mining top the list of industries whose workers report the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse. The Labor Department wants workers to know being drug free on the job improves workplace safety and health. [end]
In his Sept. 22 column, "The war on marijuana is expensive," Dave Peyton is right. Prohibition of marijuana -- just like Prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s -- is an expensive failure that serves only to enrich organized crime. Look at the government's own research: According to the U.S. Justice Department's 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, "marijuana availability is high and stable or increasing slightly." In another recent government survey, 86 percent of high school seniors said marijuana was "easy to get" -- a figure that has remained virtually unchanged since 1975. [continues 68 words]
Regarding Dave Peyton's Sept. 22 column, if health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican migration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical Association. [continues 100 words]
GLEN DALE -- Methamphetamine labs are easy to set up and can be portable, which leads to many being located in neighborhoods, said Douglas Sturm, an expert on those who make the drug. The chemicals used to make the product also can be extremely toxic and explosive, which puts the surrounding community in danger, he added. Sturm, an officer with the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, presented a program at John Marshall High School on the dangers of methamphetamine labs not only to the people involved with the production of the drugs but also for the members of the community who happen to be close to the lab's location. [continues 363 words]
HUNTINGTON -- Because of the high level of drug activity in the Tri-State, the Cabell County Board of Education discussed enforcing its own drug testing policies during the regular board meeting Tuesday night. "You read about the heroin activity in Huntington, and it's only a matter of time before it shows up in our schools," said Bill Smith, superintendent of Cabell County Schools. "It's bad enough having cocaine around, but heroin is a very dangerous drug. ... We need to make sure students will get the proper medical attention and that their parents are aware." [continues 378 words]
Man Played Instrumental Role In Creating Group LEWISBURG -- Even before being elected prosecutor in 2000, Kevin Hanson knew illegal drugs were a significant problem in Greenbrier County. Although the county is touted statewide for its beauty and $231 million a year tourism trade, Hanson's work in locking up drug traffickers belied a darker side of the county that could be seen just below its pristine surface. Before drug dealers could declare Greenbrier County "open for business," Hanson played an instrumental part in the war on drugs in southern West Virginia by helping create the Greenbrier County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. [continues 778 words]
The Prohibition Is Not Working, As Records Show IT'S times like these that I wish I had been alive when prohibition was coming to an end in America. I'd like to know if the folks who believed that the attempt to eradicate alcohol in America was not working were labeled immoral drunks. After all, those of us who believe marijuana prohibition isn't working are labeled "potheads" or worse. No matter what they think, the war on marijuana isn't working. It's costing billions and it's giving criminal records to thousands of people who don't deserve it. [continues 519 words]
So I was scrolling through these different campaign issues that have recently popped up on Facebook (by the way, I still do not like the site's annoying news feed), and there was one campaign issue in particular that caught my eye - the legalization of marijuana. That made me wonder: why exactly is marijuana illegal in the first place? If I were to make a plant illegal, I'd choose something like poison ivy or kudzu. Even though I have not smoked marijuana, I know what it smells like. How is that you may ask? Because in every apartment complex I've lived in there have been at least two tenants who like to party with Mary Jane. And I must say - the stuff doesn't smell bad. Actually, it almost has a pleasant, earthy smell to it. I wish I could say the same for cigarette smoke, which, to me, smells like old, moldy gym socks. [continues 477 words]
Long before Billy Cole became Beckley's chief of police, he was a high school football standout with dreams of becoming a coach. Little did he know that one day he would find himself coaching a team through an endless battle against one of the most formidable opponents on earth -- crime. From his own experience as a policeman, he knew the Beckley Police Department team would take its fair share of hits. As a detective, he investigated the murder of fellow officer Sgt. David Lilly in 1975. He just never expected his team to take another blow like that. Now, as the force recovers from the shooting death of one of its own, this 41-year veteran of the department he now runs eagerly awaits answers from the ongoing State Police investigation into the death of Cpl. Chuck Smith, 29, who was shot last month while carrying out an impromptu undercover drug buy. [continues 1286 words]
Thousands of students are ineligible for financial aid this semester due to an obscure amendment made to the Higher Education Act in 1998. Congressman Mark Souder, R-Ind., made provisions to the HEA in 1998. The provision included a line stating drug felons were not eligible for financial aid. In reaction to law, Students for Sensible Drug Policies formed. SSDP is an international grassroots network fighting for fair drug regulations. "These harsh drug laws are directly targeting our generation," Tom Angell, SSDP Campaigns Director, said. "If we don't fight back against them, then no one else is going to." [continues 254 words]
Thousands of potential college students will not be heading off to universities this year because of a little known federal law. A law that can strip them of their financial aid if they are convicted of a drug offense. Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an organization that was started in 1998 to work on overturning the penalties that young people with drug convictions face in college. "This organization is concerned with the war on drugs. It causes more harm than it does to prevent it with young people," said Tom Angell, the Campaign Director for SSDP. [continues 468 words]
Social services and law enforcement officials from throughout West Virginia will gather for a conference this week on how to help children who live in homes where methamphetamines are being produced. We don't mean to sound flippant, but here's a thought: Throw their parents or guardians in jail and get them out of those homes. In fairness to those involved in the conference, it needs to be pointed out that part of the reason for it is to discuss how to help children who have been removed from such homes. They face both physical and emotional challenges. As one State Police officer who is involved in drug investigations noted, "A majority of addicts use a majority of their money on addiction. The kids can wind up with malnutrition and can be underdressed." They also can be subjected to dangers of physical abuse not present in homes where drugs are not a preoccupation. [continues 88 words]
A city police officer is dead, and two Beckley men are in jail charged with his murder following an early Tuesday morning shooting during an undercover drug buy. Beckley Police Detective Cpl. Charles "Chuck" Smith, 29, received three or four gunshot wounds to his torso and was pronounced dead at Raleigh General Hospital, State Police Capt. Scott Van Meter said. Thomas Leftwich, 24, of South Fayette Street, and Michael Martin, 41, of Sour Street, were charged with first-degree murder and arraigned late Tuesday morning before Raleigh County Magistrate John Tanner. [continues 883 words]
Huntington's drug-dealing community got a dose of shock and awe on Tuesday when the Huntington Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the FBI, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Marshall University Police Department and the Cabell County Prosecutor's Office cooperated on a sweep that saw 80 people arrested in the largest one-day sweep in the city this year. About 110 law enforcement officers, troopers and agents participated. The daylong series of raids focused on residences throughout Huntington, where police say they confiscated large amounts of crack cocaine, guns and other items. [continues 530 words]
BECKLEY -- The tightly knit Beckley Police Department's Narcotics Enforcement Division mourned a man its two remaining members considered far more than a co-worker. Detective Charles "Chuck" Smith, 29, died Tuesday morning after being shot multiple times while working undercover. Two Beckley men have been charged with his murder. Smith had worked in the narcotics division for three years, said Detective Sgt. Gant Montgomery, his immediate supervisor. Montgomery and Detective Sgt. Dean Bailey, also of the Narcotics Enforcement Division, worked with Smith daily for those three years. The two said no one could find a more dedicated officer. [continues 1202 words]
A Beckley police detective was gunned down in the middle of a downtown street early Tuesday when an undercover drug buy "went sour," a State Police captain said. Two men were arrested several hours later and charged with the murder of Detective Charles "Chuckie" Smith, 29, who died at Raleigh General Hospital a short time after being shot. The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on South Fayette Street outside Club Attraction, where Smith had arranged to purchase crack cocaine from the two suspects, according to a criminal complaint filed by State Police Trooper R.A. Daniel. [continues 425 words]
A man has pleaded guilty to a federal bomb charge stemming from a conspiracy to kill or injure the Clay County sheriff. Samuel Todd Murphy, 37, of Clay admitted Tuesday that he conspired with at least one other person to build a bomb and place it in a wooded area. The bomb was inside in a box with a pressure switch that would detonate the device when the box was opened, U.S. Attorney Charles T. Miller and Paul J. Vido with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a news release. [continues 147 words]
The nation's drug czar toured an all-female addiction recovery house in Charleston. John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, met with local officials and residents of the Rea of Hope Fellowship Home on Lee Street along with Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. One reason for Monday's visit was to acquaint Walters with local addiction recovery facilities, Capito said. Walters was appointed drug czar in 2001. Capito was in Charleston during Congress' summer district work session, when politicians work the home front. She is running for re-election against former West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Callaghan. [continues 307 words]
Three Fifth-Graders Win Bicycles As Part Of D.A.R.E. Essay Contest FAIRMONT -- Three local fifth-grade graduates proudly wheeled brand new bikes out of the Fairmont City Police Department headquarters Monday as a reward in the academic D.A.R.E. program's annual essay contest. "We had some really good essays in there, but these guys surpassed," said county D.A.R.E. Officer Don Neal of the prize winners. As part of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program held each year within area elementary schools, students were given a final assignment to write an essay about what they learned in the course, how it was helpful to them and why they plan to say no to drugs and alcohol in the future. Then, these essays were evaluated by Neal, the Fairmont City Police Chief and the F.O.P. president, and the best three were chosen to receive brand new bikes as prizes. [continues 420 words]
WELCH -- A three-day marijuana eradication campaign in McDowell County has netted more than 800 plants with an estimated street value of approximately $1.6 million, officials said Friday. The marijuana plants were located by ground and air in several remote, mountainous locations across the county, Trooper S.A. Murphy, of the West Virginia State Police Welch Detachment, said. Murphy said the marijuana plants were found in different areas, including Maybeury, Valls Creek, Northfork Hollow, the Big Creek District, and other remote locations across the county. [continues 220 words]
West Virginia's death rate from the prescription drug methadone is the nation's highest. Next month, doctors from across the state will attend an education session to learn more about the drug, and how to prescribe it more safely. An investigation published by the Sunday Gazette-Mail in June "led us to include a methadone expert at our conference this year," said Nikki Williams, coordinator of the 10th annual Mountain Retreat Continuing Education Conference. The investigation found that methadone is involved in the deaths of more people nationwide than any other prescription narcotic. Some of those victims took their methadone exactly as their doctors prescribed it for pain, and it killed them anyway. - advertisement [continues 602 words]
In one of the most abhorrent statistics published in our newspaper in recent years, a study reveals the number of drug-exposed infants at one Bluefield hospital has risen 760 percent in 10 years. Let that sink in for a moment. Not a five or 10 percent gain -- or 50, 100 or 200 percent. But a 760 percent increase. It's contemptible. The escalating drug problem in Mercer and surrounding counties is no secret. Read the headlines, watch the news, talk to those within the criminal justice system or chat with people who have the misfortune to live in neighborhoods stricken by this plague. [continues 435 words]
A federal agency is developing a plan to deal with an increase in deaths tied to the prescription drug methadone, one month after a Sunday Gazette-Mail series revealed a spike in overdoses nationwide. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is coming up with a strategy to deal with the spike in deaths, said spokeswoman Leah Young. The agency plans to work with the White House Drug Czar and the Drug Enforcement Administration to reduce the number of overdose deaths, she said. [continues 924 words]
HUNTINGTON -- Panel members for a community forum on drug abuse prevention are bringing to the table a vast array of experience and expertise. The forum, which will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, in the Rhododendron/Dogwood Room at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in downtown Huntington, is sponsored by The Herald-Dispatch. The public is encouraged to attend. "At the root of the drug and violence problem in our community is the demand -- the drug abuse," said Ed Dawson, executive editor of The Herald-Dispatch. "But residents often feel helpless to do anything about that." [continues 496 words]
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Today begins phase two of a statewide offensive to enforce drug trafficking laws across West Virginia. Gov. Joe Manchin reiterated a pledge to dedicate $1 million in state revenues to fight drug trafficking within the state. The governor made his latest comments at a Friday morning press conference, but he first made the promise during his State of the State address in January. ADVERTISEMENT It's not known how much of that $1 million dollars will be spent in Huntington, but Manchin said the Detroit drug trade is a particular focus. [continues 406 words]
State and local police have seized almost $6 million in illegal drugs over the past 18 months as part of a crackdown on the drug trade in West Virginia. Gov. Joe Manchin today was to unveil evidence gathered during two of the most recent drug raids: 6.5-pounds of crystal methamphetamine and five kilograms of cocaine, all seized by police during raids in the Charleston area. Those drugs alone have a street value of more than $750,000. When Manchin took office in 2005, he asked state and local police departments to refocus their efforts on eradicating the drug trade, which in recent years has become a hotbed of activity by dealers coming in from out of state. [continues 473 words]
State troopers will hit the streets Saturday armed with an extra $1 million to aid their ongoing efforts to stop illegal drug trafficking in West Virginia. Gov. Joe Manchin said Friday that the additional funding will bolster efforts that have already seized more than $5.7 million worth of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and other illegal drugs statewide in the past 18 months. Speaking to reporters at State Police headquarters, Manchin stood behind a table where troopers laid out a half-dozen recently seized guns as well as bags of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The firearms included an AK-47 assault rifle, while the drugs had an estimated street value of more than $800,000. - advertisement [continues 265 words]
At least 11 more police officers will patrol classrooms and school hallways across the state next year, including one at Stonewall Jackson Middle School. Their salaries and equipment will be paid with more than $360,000 in state money, Prevention Resource officers, local law enforcement officers who work full-time in schools, help counsel students against drug use and bullying. They also help school administrators keep peace in the halls. Already the state has 38 officers in 18 counties, according to April Dickenson, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. She said they've helped prevent 38 violent incidents since 2000, such as bomb threats, potential shootings and explosions. State officials could not provide specifics of any situations. [continues 349 words]
GIVEN the dangers of the drug methadone recently outlined in the Gazette, you would think that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- charged with protecting the public health -- could at least require more specific and cautionary labeling on the packages. Not so. While FDA officials say they're working on it, Congress requires the FDA to cooperate with drug companies in deciding how drugs should be labeled. Drug company lawyers can veto any warnings they don't like. The unwary public is just out of luck. [continues 452 words]
Cities across the country are seeing an increase in violent crime, in part because gangs from the East and West coasts are looking for new turf. This affects cities as large as St. Louis and as small as Huntington. While Huntington has focused more on the presence and activity of gangs from Detroit bringing crack cocaine to town, the city has been usually quiet in one regard. The city had six homicides in 2004 and 13 last year, but none so far this year, with the year almost half over. [continues 103 words]
Inside West Virginia
