The seeds of a health care revolution in drug and alcohol treatment are just starting to germinate. The outcome is far from certain, but, with billions on the table, an epic battle is percolating. Let's start with the convoluted back story. A hundred-plus years ago, drug and alcohol problems were generally viewed as moral weakness and/or personality defect confined to working class Caucasians or ethnic minorities. Alcohol and drug use was legal in America. Then, the temperance movement produced alcohol Prohibition in 1920. [continues 694 words]
My neighbor and friend Andy Whyman wrote a guest column in the Aug. 15 Sierra Sun and Aug. 24 Bonanza stating his case for legalizing pot. Hopefully after he reads this we will still be friends. But Andy is just plain wrong on this issue and here is why. His opening paragraph states that "the criminalization of marijuana is a war on citizens, particularly citizens of color." So by that reasoning we should legalize killing in the inner city neighborhoods for the same reason. Or maybe make mass murder legal because it is a war on white people. [continues 741 words]
According to recent reports, it's probably not what you think you're smoking. I read Andy Whyman's guest column, "Legalizing pot would lead to positive social change," with interest, especially because coincidentally, I had just finished reading, "Legal Pot Is a Public Health Menace" that ran the same day in The Wall Street Journal. Missing from Whyman's information are two key points. One, there is a huge disconnect between science and public opinion. Facts exist that show smoking marijuana can be detrimental. The Wall Street Journal references a study in the journal "Current Addiction Reports," which found that "regular pot use (defined as once a week) among teenagers and young adults led to cognitive decline, poor attention and memory, and decreased IQ." (The Wall Street Journal, 8-14-14, p. A11) [continues 233 words]
Regular readers of this column know I have argued that marijuana is far safer than alcohol. Also, that the criminalization of marijuana usage, a central component of the failed "War on Drugs," really amounts to a War on Citizens, particularly citizens of color. Now, the New York Times, in an unprecedented series of editorials, forcefully contends that the time has come to end the federal prohibition against marijuana and allow the states to make their own rules about this drug (See N.Y. Times, July 27, 2014). [continues 784 words]
TRUCKEE, Calif. -- Nothing was found during the first-ever search by a police dog last week at Truckee High School, officials said. Trax, Truckee Police Department's narcotics detection canine, made an unannounced visit to the school on Thursday, May 8. "Our objectives are maintaining a safe community and preventing our youth from alcohol and drug abuse," TPD Chief Adam McGill said in a statement. "Trax is one of the many tools we're using to accomplish those objectives." The 2-year-old black lab joined the force last November, working with his handler, Officer Andrew Holbrook. The dog is trained to detect heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy. [continues 192 words]
NEVADA CITY, Calif. -- Paperwork has been filed to force Nevada County to hold a special election that will ask voters to decide the substance of its medical marijuana ordinance enacted last year. Patricia Smith, president of the Nevada County chapter of Americans for Safe Access, has repeatedly asserted that last May's county-approved cultivation ordinance is a de facto ban on collective cultivation of the medicinal plant and presents other problems for patients who need the medicine to allay various ailments. [continues 466 words]
Former South Lake Tahoe medical marijuana dispensary owner Gennaro "Gino" DiMatteo was arrested on federal charges prior to a court hearing in Placerville Friday. As DiMatteo entered the El Dorado County Superior Court's Department 7 courtroom during a recess about 2 p.m., a District Attorney's investigator told him they had to talk, took his arm and shuffled him over to a corner of the courtroom between the audience and where arguments are heard. He then asked DiMatteo to put his arms behind his back because he was being arrested on a federal warrant. [continues 587 words]
Although the former Third Street site of the City of Angels 2 medical marijuana collective sat shuttered Friday, the fight over the marijuana dispensary appears far from over. On Wednesday, attorneys representing the collective filed suit against the South Lake Tahoe City Council and former City Manager Tony O'Rourke, challenging the city's July denial of a proposed relocation of the pot club. Wednesday's petition for writ of mandate asks El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Steven Bailey to compel the city to vacate its July 3 vote denying approval of the move, and make the City Council issue a resolution approving its June 5 support for transferring the collective's operating permit to a new location. [continues 250 words]
Former South Shore medical marijuana dispensary owner Gino DiMatteo has pleaded not guilty to felony charges including bribing a City Council member and possession of a controlled substance. Gennaro "Gino" DiMatteo and his wife, Irene DiMatteo, were arrested Aug. 31. Details of the arrests have not been made public by the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors have charged Gino DiMatteo, who previously operated the City of Angels 2 Collective, with bribery, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of Methelone and illegal possession of ammunition. [continues 554 words]
A second medical marijuana dispensary in South Lake Tahoe is facing closure after having its operating permit revoked last week. The city revoked Patient to Patient Collective's dispensary permit July 11 after making several unsuccessful attempts to get the medical marijuana dispensary to properly install a fire safety wall, Interim City Manager Nancy Kerry said Tuesday. During a July 13 inspection, city officials also found the dispensary growing marijuana in an upstairs room at the property in violation of their permit, Kerry said. [continues 457 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- Whether three medical marijuana dispensaries should be able to transfer a permit to a new operator hung up a South Lake Tahoe City Council discussion about proposed regulation of the dispensaries Tuesday. Council members agreed to most of a proposed ordinance that would grant permits to three dispensaries considered "established operations" by the city if they successfully complete a two phase application process. The requirements of the permit include being in compliance with state law, not causing a public nuisance, allowing yearly inspections, operating on a not-for-profit basis and providing the city access to financial records. [continues 403 words]
Boreal Hearing Delayed GRASS VALLEY, Calif. -- Nevada County officials are one step away from uniformly banning medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the county. On Thursday, the county's planning commission voted 3-0, with two members absent, to recommend its board of supervisors adopt a ban on storefront dispensaries. If approved at the supervisors Tuesday, July 12, meeting, such businesses would have no place to function in Nevada County, as owners would be barred from opening up shop in the unincorporated county, Grass Valley, Nevada City and Truckee, which have all either already banned the establishments or don't allow them under current zoning laws. [continues 664 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe's medical marijuana dispensaries could face stringent operational and financial regulation under a proposed ordinance released by the city this week. The proposal requires existing dispensaries to submit detailed applications to the city and receive a permit to operate. Where a dispensary can grow marijuana is also restricted under the draft ordinance. A moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries has been in place since November 2009 to allow the city time to regulate the operations, which opened in South Lake Tahoe as far back as 2008. [continues 372 words]
After being asked to write a column for the Tribune, I gave thought to the format. The bureaucrat in me started to think about a formal report to inform the readers about the latest police action, community issues, and our organization's future plans. Then I thought readers might like to know about my personal experiences as I adjust to living in South Lake Tahoe. Lastly, I thought that an interesting format might be to pretend it is like writing a letter to a friend - so here goes. [continues 730 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Medical marijuana growers will be able to make it official in the eyes of South Lake Tahoe following a decision by the City Council this week. The council unanimously approved an ordinance regulating the cultivation of medical marijuana in residential homes Tuesday. The ordinance is designed to encourage medical marijuana growers with legitimate needs to comply while discouraging unscrupulous growers from damaging rental properties, said Mayor Hal Cole. City of Angels 2 collective owner Gino DiMatteo said he supports the ordinance, which should deter people from coming into a town, renting a place to grow marijuana, damaging the rental and leaving, DiMatteo said. [continues 686 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On Tuesday, the South Lake Tahoe City Council rejected a proposed new medical marijuana cultivation ordinance with reduced penalties and improved security for patients from ripoffs and raids. Instead, the council demanded the fine for noncompliance, which had been reduced by the city manager and attorney to $100, be increased back to $1,000 per day. Even more disturbing, the council opted to add a clause that would make public the names of patient growers who are alleged to not be in compliance with the city ordinance, a terrible policy that will be abused by burglars and rogue federal drug agents to harm sick people. [continues 693 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- How qualified patients and caregivers can legally grow medical marijuana in their homes will be on Tuesday's agenda for the South Lake Tahoe City Council. Under the latest proposed cultivation ordinance, medical marijuana grows would be limited to 10 percent of a home's square footage and require inspections and permits from city officials. As-of-yet undecided application and renewal fees would also be used to pay for city costs associated with the ordinance. Violations would be considered a misdemeanor and would include a fine of up to $1,000, six months in jail or both. Also, medical marijuana grows would be expected to be in compliance with the ordinance by Dec. 20. [continues 108 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After more than a year of back and forth with the city, the owner of a medical marijuana collective in South Lake Tahoe is ready to let the courts decide who can legally provide cannabis at the South Shore. On Monday, Mountain Collective owner Chris Ziegler filed suit against South Lake Tahoe over a November 2009 emergency moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. The suit challenges the legality of the moratorium as well as how it was applied to Mountain Collective. [continues 499 words]
What Happens If 19 Passes? SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- In 1913, California became the first state in the U.S. to make marijuana illegal. And in less than a week, it could be the first to reverse course. On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to approve the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, known as Proposition 19. The possibility has attracted international attention, criticism from federal officials and debate around the country about the merits and drawbacks of legal marijuana. [continues 1330 words]
Bruce Grego's "Suffering slings and 'pot shots'" is a perfect illustration of hypocrisy. Regarding cannabis (marijuana), Grego doesn't like changing words, such as "drugs" to "medicine," "drug distribution center" to "dispensaries," or "drug users" to "patients." But it's OK to refer to the God-given plant cannabis, not as a plant but rather a "drug." Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Since expressing my objection to the marijuana "dispensaries" in our community, I have been receiving a number of "pot shots" from some members of the public. Yes, I am concerned about the development of the dispensaries and cultivation of marijuana in our community. To understand my position, we need to refine the terms used by those in-support. Following WWII, those governments that we viewed as undemocratic attempted to defeat those who demanded freedom for all peoples by renaming their countries "People's Republic of This" or the "Democratic Republic of That." Similarly, the proponents have sought to defeat the opposition by changing words, such as "drugs" to "medicine," "drug distribution center" to "dispensaries," "drug users" to "patients," and by exploiting those who have critical medical conditions as "poster children" for their movement. [continues 369 words]
Here's a fact that even drug policy reform advocates can acknowledge: California's 2010 ballot initiative to legalize marijuana does, indeed, pose a real threat, as conservative culture warriors insist. But not to public health, as those conservatives claim. According to most physicians, pot is less toxic - and has more medicinal applications - than a legal and more pervasive drug like alcohol. Whereas alcohol causes hundreds of annual overdose deaths, contributes to untold numbers of illnesses and is a major factor in violent crime, marijuana has never resulted in a fatal overdose and has not been systemically linked to major illness or violent crime. [continues 536 words]
Council Forms Committee to Look at Medical Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- Medical marijuana advocates scored a victory Thursday when the South Lake Tahoe City Council backed away from a proposed ordinance that would place a long list of restrictions on medical marijuana cultivation in the city. After more than four hours of sometimes heated public debate, the council unanimously approved the formation of a committee to look at how the cultivation of medical marijuana should be regulated. The group is scheduled to present the city council with a revised medical marijuana cultivation ordinance at the council's Oct. 5 meeting. [continues 782 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. ? While the South Lake Tahoe City Council continues to mull banning medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, one rental property owner expressed outrage at finding a grow operation in a house he rented to a couple who were medical marijuana patients. ?Marijuana grow operations are all over our town, and they are infesting our neighborhoods,? wrote Steve Crupi, owner of a rental property in Meyers, in a letter to the city council. Crupi discovered a marijuana grow operation in a family owned rental house in Meyers. While the operation had only been running for a few months, it caused over $10,000 in damange, according to Crupi. [continues 414 words]
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. -- Backers of California's Proposition 19 -- the push to legalize marijuana use for adults -- are out-raising their opposition without much help from Nevada County. Campaign finance reports posted earlier this week on Cal-Access, the Secretary of State's campaign finance information outlet, show Penn Valley's Gene West is the only Nevada County resident to donate to the struggle one way or the other. If passed, the initiative would allow anyone 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use. [continues 423 words]
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about medical marijuana. However, they are not entitled to their own facts. As someone who played a key role in the Proposition 215 campaign, I must correct several false and misleading statements issued by council members and the city attorney recently. To begin with, members of the council have engaged publicly in practicing medicine without a license, diagnosing patients based upon their appearance and age. Furthermore, council members have publicly criticized those who use medical cannabis for anything less serious than cancer or AIDS, telling the public, "This isn't what the voters voted for." [continues 839 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif -- The majority of the 45-minute public comment period at Tuesday's city council meeting was carried by people speaking against a proposed ban on medical marijuana dispensiaries. "This is the beginning of a group that will be here for every meeting for eternity if this ban goes through," said Shelly Arnold, a Tahoe Wellness Collective employee. "This movement is here to stay and we are not going away. You are dreaming if you think this is just going to blow off the map and we are not going to be here to address this." [continues 499 words]
Watching Steve Kubby maneuver around on the mountain makes it hard to believe he's been living with terminal cancer for 35 years. Kubby is determined to ski a million vertical feet before the end of the season. It's a challenge he set for himself to raise awareness of his disease and the treatment to which he feels he owes his life. He attributes his survival to regular use of medicinal marijuana. "I'm so inspired because I'm alive," he said. "I should have died or had a heart attack, but instead I'm skiing and what a wonderful gift, and without this herb, that gift wouldn't be a reality." [continues 871 words]
South Lake Tahoe Joins the Ranks of 64 Jurisdictions With Moratoriums on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Three's a crowd when it comes to medical marijuana dispensaries in South Lake Tahoe, the City Council decided this week. The Council voted 4-0 on Tuesday to enact a 45-day moratorium on the establishment of new dispensaries within city limits. Councilman Bruce Grego did not attend Tuesday's meeting. The moratorium will give the city time to develop permanent ordinances regulating the distribution of medical marijuana, said City Attorney Patrick Enright in a Nov. 17 staff report to the City Council. [continues 411 words]
South Lake Tahoe city attorneys Jacqueline Mittelstadt and Patrick Enright have signaled police will begin enforcement against three medical marijuana providers who have opened in South Lake Tahoe over the past year. Possession of amounts of marijuana in excess of the allowable state law amounts is a violation of both state and federal law," the attorneys wrote in a memorandum to the City Council dated July 7. "(South Lake Tahoe police) will soon commence pursuit of such illegal conduct." Whether the city will give marijuana providers advance notice of police enforcement is an item on the agenda for the City Council's meeting on Tuesday. [continues 210 words]
A South Lake Tahoe medical marijuana provider reopened this week after shutting its doors following a raid by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in January. Patient to Patient Collective reopened next door to its previous location at 2314 Lake Tahoe Blvd. on Monday, according to a spokesman for the collective, who said the group will soon offer a full line of marijuana products to eligible patients. In March, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder indicated the federal government would change how it handled medical marijuana dispensaries. [continues 69 words]
Federal agents raided a purported medical marijuana dispensary in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday. At about 11 a.m., five agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency - -- joined by members of the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the South Lake Tahoe-El Dorado County Narcotics Enforcement Team and the South Lake Tahoe Police -- served a federal search warrant on Patient to Patient Collective at 2314 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Agents seized between five and 10 pounds of processed marijuana and a "small amount" of U.S. currency from the collective, DEA Special Agent Gordon Taylor said. [continues 331 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- Although federal agents shut down a purported medical marijuana collective in South Lake Tahoe last week, a second collective opened its doors this month, and operators said they plan to dispense marijuana to qualified California residents. Tahoe Wellness Collective opened in the Bijou Shopping Center on Jan. 8 and plans to offer marijuana to adults with state-issued medical marijuana cards or a doctor's recommendation as soon as this week. Opening of the collective has been met with praise by South Shore residents, said Tahoe Wellness Collective spokesman Cody Bass. [continues 241 words]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- Federal agents raided a medical marijuana dispensary in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday. At about 11 a.m., five agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency - -- joined by members of the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the South Lake Tahoe-El Dorado County Narcotics Enforcement Team and the South Lake Tahoe Police -- served a federal search warrant on Patient to Patient Collective, located at 2314 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Agents seized between five and 10 pounds of processed marijuana and a "small amount" of U.S. currency from the collective, said DEA Special Agent Gordon Taylor. Police made no arrests on Thursday. Taylor declined to comment on additional details of the raid, saying Patient to Patient Collective is part of an ongoing investigation. [end]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- A purported medicinal marijuana provider has opened, and at least one city official and one resident are expressing concern about the new business. Patient to Patient Collective opened early this month at 2314 Lake Tahoe Blvd. A post on a message board at cannabis.com says the collective is distributing marijuana for medical use. A man who answered the phone at the collective and identified himself as a manager also said the collective is distributing marijuana to medical patients. [continues 871 words]
CARSON CITY -- The water, the lights, the seeds, the soil. The problem could be several things. Some patients will learn how to grow, said Claude Miller, a Nevada medical marijuana consultant, while some won't. "There's patients who can't grow a flower," he said, "much less medical marijuana." That's part of the reason he started his business. Many of the 900 patients in Nevada's program know little about the plant when they register. But those patients, despite a provision in state law, must grow their marijuana themselves or find a state-approved "caregiver" who will grow it for them. [continues 990 words]
Approval Follows Last Year's Similar Program Implemented in El Dorado County Without hesitation Tuesday, the Placer County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a medical marijuana identification card program. California State Senate Bill 420, which was passed in 2004 and built off of the 1996 Compassionate Use Act, requires that all counties handle the application process for the voluntary identification card, which will register patients prescribed marijuana in a statewide database and further validate their possession of the illegal drug in the eyes of law enforcement. [continues 488 words]
A Cameron Park medical marijuana dealer will be appealing El Dorado County's refusal to renew his business license. Matt Vaughn, CEO of the Medical Marijuana Caregivers Association of El Dorado County, has been in business since 2004. MMCA, a non-profit, provides marijuana to patients eligible under Prop. 215, the 1996 voter initiative that allows Californians with a doctor's recommendation to possess the drug. His first business license was approved in August 2004 under the business description "Public information and implementation of the California Health and Safety Code," said Cherie Raffety, El Dorado County treasurer and tax collector, and whose agency refused his request to renew his business license. [continues 458 words]
As of this week, adult pot smokers deemed to have "serious medical conditions" can apply for a county permit and pay an annual $114 fee to use the psychotropic drug legally with a doctor's prescription. The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors recently authorized the Public Health Department to locally implement the California Medical Marijuana Program. The MMP is voluntary and intended to provide patients with an identification card that could be used as evidence that they have a physician's recommendation to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In El Dorado County, the identification card program began Wednesday. [continues 480 words]
Those who smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes -- and are following a recommendation from a qualified doctor - will soon have another identification card to add to their wallet. Run through the county's public health department, the identification card program for medical marijuana users adheres to a California law legalizing the use of the drug with a doctor's recommendation. The program was unanimously approved by county supervisors at a meeting earlier this month. Supervisor Norma Santiago said it was a mandate from the state. [continues 448 words]
CARSON CITY - The head of the committee calling for legalization of marijuana in Nevada says the group does not support use of the drug but rather believes the current prohibition is bad policy and "a miserable failure." Neal Levine, of the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, said instead of banning pot, the proposed statute on Nevada's 2006 ballot would set up a system of manufacture and sales for small amounts of marijuana in Nevada. It would allow possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana by adults in their own homes but would double the penalties for selling to minors and prohibit use by those under 21. It would also provide for creation and licensing of retail stores to sell small amounts of pot and tax those sales. Half the revenue would go to the state treasury and the other half to drug and alcohol programs. [continues 523 words]
It's been a quiet but good year for medicinal marijuana proponents in El Dorado County. Last April county authorities granted cultivation and possession guidelines that continue to draw praise from supporters who now face a new hurdle. One South Lake Tahoe caregiver, Shelly Arnold, said she has felt unusual peace in the past year. A visit by authorities to inspect her garden ended in handshakes and good vibes for all. "I'm snug as a bug. I feel great," said the woman who also goes by the moniker of "The Green Goddess." [continues 635 words]
Marijuana Use Among Teens, Potency Escalate Youths are more dependent on marijuana than cigarettes or alcohol, provoking the White House drug czar to call for drug testing at middle and high schools. John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, made the statement during a keynote speech at a conference attended by members of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting at Embassy Suites on Tuesday night. Walters said school drug testing would not be used to punish children, but the results can be used for rehabilitation and education. Drug testing is used for Fortune 500 executives, pilots and law enforcement. It will work for teenagers, Walters told the dinner crowd of about 240. [continues 400 words]
Twenty-one tickets given to parked cars in the Sierra Tract on Friday for obstructing snowplows were dismissed by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Dave Cunningham, a 15-year resident, was one of those surprised when he found a ticket for $102 on the windshield of his truck. Cunningham ignored advice from his wife to move his car from the street, knowing the city typically gives warnings during the first storm and snow plows were not out. "It definitely ruined my weekend," Cunningham said. "I thought I was going to have to pay a $102 ticket for nothing. I think the guy got a little overzealous for sure." [continues 157 words]
A South Lake Tahoe doctor has been accused of prescribing highly addictive drugs to people who didn't need them and committing fraud against Medi-Cal. Joseph Simon, 72, was arraigned Monday in El Dorado County Superior Court on eight counts of drug diversion and one count of fraudulent medical claims. Both charges are felonies. Visiting Judge Thomas Smith released Simon on his own recognizance. A Nov. 10 court date will schedule his preliminary hearing. Simon is charged with overprescribing drugs such as OxyContin, a federally controlled narcotic. OxyContin, an opiate-based pain reliever that has been compared to heroin, made recent headlines when conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh admitted he was addicted to the drug. [continues 364 words]
Impacts of the California budget continue to ripple to El Dorado County as the sheriff's department announced it will drop the DARE program instead of cutting jobs to help cover a $647,000 hole. When Gov. Gray Davis finally signed a budget in August, the sheriff's department was caught off-guard after learning $647,000 would not be arriving. The department counted on that money to pay salaries and receive reimbursement for training jail deputies. "Until the last night of the legislative session, we were confident we would have all of this money," said Nancy Egbert, director of administrative services for EDSD. [continues 264 words]
Is isolating our children from society the answer? As a community we need to teach children and young adults morals, ethics and how handle their issues so they can integrate into society in order to become successful adults. Isolation from the outside world, including their parents and families is not going to resolve their inner reason for using drugs in the first place. Emotional problems need to be faced and dealt with, so they can move on. For children to find themselves striking a parent, sibling, or grandparent goes deeper than a drug abuse problem. To release their anger and hostility they need to communicate with their family, be realistic they are going to have to face their families again. Being locked in a jail cell at the age of 11 doesn't cause memories to wash away. No wonder they are repeat offenders, the juvenile system is failing! After being locked up the juveniles are sent out into the world with what new skills? Have they learned any new hobbies? Or how about how to socialize with their peers and adults? All I see is a bunch of anti-social kids with a severe problem with authority. Guidance is the answer, lets support our children, teach them how to vent their anger in non-destructive ways, and give them a place to go where they can talk to a counselor, not a police or probation officer! [continues 137 words]
Eight. That's the age of the youngest offender being held in Douglas County's juvenile detention facility at the lake. When members of Lake Tahoe Leadership descended upon the facility earlier this month there were six boys and four girls ranging in age from 8-17. The average age is 11, with domestic problems topping the list of offenses. Their stay can be a matter of hours or several months. Many are repeat offenders; some finding their way back to the juvi jail more than a dozen times. About 420 children circulate through the center annually. [continues 448 words]
El Dorado County leaders will hear a report Tuesday by Sheriff Jeff Neves on federal money received for the county's marijuana enforcement effort. The Drug Enforcement Agency has pledged to give El Dorado County $16,000 to defray costs relating to the eradication and suppression of illicit marijuana through 2003, according to the report. Supervisors will meet Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting room, 330 Fair Lane, Building A, in Placerville. In other action, the board will: * Consider spending $41,000 in a joint effort with the U.S. Forest Service to investigate activities involving illegal production and trafficking of controlled substances on Forest Service land in El Dorado County. [continues 76 words]
Tribune After reading Bruce Symington's response to the narrow-minded Calvina Fay I have to agree with him. America is nothing more than a police state where the only freedom you have is to obey the government. Mr. Symington might have to make room for me in Canada because I have had it with Bush and his sick drug war. I wonder how long it will be before speech and the Internet will be illegal in America. Clifton G. Barber San Antonio [end]
