Troxler warns against consuming Diamond Shruumz-brand products Chocolate bars, cones and gummies part of nationwide recall after 78 people became ill

 

PRESS RELEASE (08-01-2024)

NCDA&CS FOOD AND DRUG PROTECTION DIVISION

RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is warning residents against consuming Diamond Shruumz-brand products following a nationwide recall after 78 people in 28 states became ill after consuming products, including three in North Carolina. In addition, inspectors with the department’s Food and Drug Protection Division are canvassing retail stores across the state to see if any of these products are still on store shelves.  

           

This warning comes after Prophet Premium Blends, LLC of Santa Ana, Calif., in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, initiated a nationwide recall of all flavors of Diamond Shruumz-brand chocolate bars, cones and gummies.

           

“Food safety remains one of our top priorities at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and this recall underscores why we take it so seriously,” Troxler said. “Forty people have been hospitalized in association with these products. While our inspectors will continue to look for these products on store shelves, we know they were also sold online, and people could have these products in their homes. If you do have them, please throw them away and do not consume them.”

           

People who became ill after eating Diamond Shruumz-brand products reported a variety of severe symptoms including seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea and vomiting.

           

According to Prophet Premium Blends, these products contain muscimol, a chemical found in some mushrooms, that could be a potential cause of symptoms consistent with some of those observed in people who became ill after consuming Diamond Shruumz-brand products.

           

The FDA notice of recall indicated these products were sold online and at a variety of retail locations including smoke or vape shops and retailers that sell hemp-derived products such as CBD or Delta 8 THC.

           

“It is important to point out that these products may appeal to children and teenagers, so parents and caregivers should check their homes and discard any products found and talk to their kids about this recall and advise against consuming these products,” Troxler added.

           

Call your healthcare provider or the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 if a person becomes ill after consuming these products and tell them that the Diamond-Shruumz products were consumed.

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Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction to Place Nalaxone Box at Site of Overdose Death

PRESS RELEASE (05-06-2024)
SMOKY MOUNTAIN HARM REDUCTION

Advocates meet to share data on poll in support of reforming laws to better prevent overdose deaths in North Carolina

Raleigh, NC – The “Expand Good Sam NC” coalition is hosting three events across North Carolina to share the results of a new poll around voter attitudes on reforming the state’s Good Samaritan laws and call on the North Carolina General Assembly to modernize the law during this year’s short session. Coalition members include the Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP), Community Education Group (CEG), Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction, the North Carolina AIDS Action Network (NCAAN), and Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC).

“Good Samaritan laws extend legal protection to individuals who call for help on behalf of someone experiencing an overdose,” said Lee Storrow, CEG senior director of external affairs. “These are important laws, but currently, North Carolina’s Good Samaritan laws only extend protection to the individual calling for help.” The provision does not currently provide protection for any other individual who is administering critical aid, such as CPR, at the scene.

North Carolina’s Good Samaritan laws also only extend that protection if there is less than one gram of a drug at the overdose scene. Any more than that and individuals who call for help or administer critical aid could face prosecution. “For individuals who struggle with substance use, there’s a good chance they already have more than one gram of a drug on their person,” said Storrow. “This means that a bystander runs the risk of having to decide whether to call for help to prevent a fatal overdose, or not intervene at all in order to avoid possible prosecution.”

According to Randy Abbott, coalition coordinator and parent advocate, almost 40 percent of North Carolinians surveyed in this new poll reported knowing of someone who died from an overdose. This same poll found that of the individuals surveyed, 60 percent of those in rural communities know someone who is affected by substance use. “Substance use and overdose are issues that more North Carolinians deal with than we realize, and oftentimes we’re not good at talking about this issue,” said Abbot. “We can’t prevent overdose, but we can prevent overdose deaths–and it begins with us raising awareness and changing our Good Samaritan laws so we can help our friends and loved ones get the medical attention they need.”

The Expand Good Sam NC coalition’s events, which will be held on Monday, May 6 at 2 p.m. in Franklin, Greensboro, and Greenville, will dive deeper into the results of the poll. “What this poll found is that active voters in North Carolina believe that the health and safety of our community members matters, and that our Good Samaritan laws should be reformed to prioritize protecting bystanders who want to save the lives of their loved ones,” said Matt Martin of NC AIDS Action Network. “Reforming our Good Samaritan laws means that folks who use drugs–and those that love them–have hope for a healthier, safer future.” The poll was conducted by Strategic Partners Solutions, LLC and Paul Shumaker, founder and president of Capitol Communications, served as project manager.

Event in Franklin

The Expand Good Sam event in Franklin will be led by Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction and take place at 37 Phillips Street, Franklin, NC 28734. In addition to their event, Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction will be placing a free naloxone box at the site of a recent overdose death. “More than anything, we want our community to know that help, resources, and hope is out there and that they’re not alone,” said Diannee Carden-Glenn.

The event in Greensboro will be led by GCSTOP and take place at the Melvin Municipal Building at 300 W. Washington Street. The event in Greenville will be led by Community Education Group, NC AIDS Action Network, and ekiM for Change and take place downtown near the intersection of Evans Street and 5th Street.

“These poll results tell us that North Carolinians want these laws to change, and we hope that during this current legislative session that the General Assembly takes note and reforms our state’s Good Samaritan laws,” said Storrow. For full poll results and analysis, contact Lee Storrow at lstorrow@communityeducationgroup.org.

About The Community Education Group

Since 1993, the Community Education Group (CEG) has worked to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and under-served communities. CEG conducts research, trains community health workers, educates and tests people who are hard to reach or at risk, shares its expertise through national networks and local capacity-building efforts, and advocates for practical and effective health policies that lead to social change. @CEGInWV

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A Mother's Plea for Help for her Daughter

Macon Media was contacted last night by Terri Morrow who said her daughter's life was in danger and she felt that law enforcement wasn't doing anything to help her and she felt she had no other alternative left to her than making a sign and holding it up on the street so others would know what was happening. She spent about three hours at the corner of Main street and Iotla Street on Saturday holding a sign that read:

  Addict/Daughter Trafficked/Beaten By: The Cuban

Macon Media asked her why she was out on the sidewalk holding a sign and what she thought she could accomplish. 

 This is her answer. 

 Terri: "I'm out here because this man is going to kill my daughter, I'm out here because the police know that he is prostituting her. 

They have admitted that to me and they have done nothing. This man has been dealing here for years." 

 Macon Media: By police you mean the police department or sheriffs department? 

 Terri: "The sheriff's department."  She added that she has spoken to the Sheriff and to another officer at the sheriff's office. She said, "I have asked them to please help." 

 She added that she didn't believe they were going to help, so this is her only alternative. If this gets her killed, then she is willing to trade her life for her daughter's life. 

 As she was leaving to go meet someone, she added, "I'm not stopping until he gets me, or they (law enforcement) gets him." 

 She posted this message to her friends on Facebook last night: 

 *Edit:* If you hear of anything happening to me after I begin this, please know it will be by him, his buyers, or his people above him. When you see me walking around town holding a poster board, say a prayer. My daughter is an addict and is being trafficked and beaten regularly by "the Cuban". All the police and addicts know who he is. Hopefully questions will start being asked and people will start talking. I'm fed up. Im not sitting on my hands while she is beaten to death. 

 Macon Media has reached out to the Sheriff earlier this afternoon and other enforcement agencies for a response and those will be posted when they are received.

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Published at 5:16pm on Saturday, January 2, 2020

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PRESS RELEASE Angel Medical Center to host ‘Crush the Crisis’ opioid take back day

On Saturday, September 7, Angel Medical Center will host “Crush the Crisis,” an opioid take back event. Law enforcement officers from the Franklin Police Department will be on site to assist with the collection and disposal of unused medications from 9 a.m. until noon.

Local law enforcement located outside of the main hospital entrance will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Please note that needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.

Angel Medical Center is participating as part of HCA Healthcare’s first national “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day. More than 65 HCA Healthcare facilities across 14 states are uniting to collect unused or expired opioids for one day.

Opioid addiction is a growing crisis across the nation. The goal for ‘Crush the Crisis’ is to raise awareness of the dangers of opioid addiction and educate our community about the proper disposal of these medications. Opioid addiction can happen to anyone and we are providing this drop off opportunity confidentially and anonymously.

Angel Medical Center is at 120 Riverview Street, Franklin.


HCAhealthcare.com | missionhealth.org
Published at 10:05am on Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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Trump Admin’s Joint Opioid Reduction Task Force Leads To 75 Arrests In North Carolina Indian Country

The results of a major drug operation in Indian Country have been announced.



The above video is a partial recording of the press conference. It will be replaced with a more complete version when it has been posted online.

**3:43pm** The WYFF-TV Facebook Livestream has been replaced with a Youtube video from WSPA-TV that covers the full event.

75 people have been arrested and 248 pounds of drugs worth over $2 million have been seized. A press release provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been posted below.

Departments recognized for their assistance are: the Cherokee Police Department, the Swain County Sheriffs Office, The Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office, The McDowell County Sheriffs Office, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office, the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

PRESS RELEASE 
Bureau of Indian Affairs
September 27, 2018

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A major law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking in and around Indian Country in North Carolina has resulted in the arrest of more than 75 individuals on federal, state and tribal charges, announced U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Additionally, the months-long operation yielded more than 248 pounds of illegal substances including heroin, methamphetamine, and hundreds of opioid pills with an estimated street value of $2 million. Officers also seized 6 illegally-possessed firearms. This operation is the latest conducted by the Interior Department’s task force which Secretary Zinke formed in March 2018 to target the opioid crisis in Indian Country.

The undercover operation, led by the Department of Interior’s Opioid Reduction Task Force, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Police Department and multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, began in March 2018, and aimed at disrupting and dismantling drug distribution networks operating in and around the Qualla Boundary.

“First and foremost, bravo zulu to the dozens of law enforcement professionals who are on the front lines and putting their own lives at risk to take these deadly drugs off the streets. President Trump and I could not be prouder of their work,” said Secretary Zinke. “It’s heartbreaking to see the scale of the problem, and rather than further stigmatizing victims, we are cracking down on the dealers who are selling out our children, selling out our communities, and selling out our nation. The Trump Administration is serious about ending the opioid crisis and that means both treatment of those suffering as well as eradicating the drugs from our communities. This week’s law enforcement action gets us closer to that goal.”

“I am extremely grateful to the Secretary of the Interior, the BIA and the multiple state and local agencies who helped make this operation a success," said Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Richard Sneed. "The arrest of these drug dealers is a critical step towards ensuring that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are able to provide the healthy environment our people deserve.”

In addition to the 75 arrests announced today in connection with DOI’s Opioid Reduction Task Force operation, a concurrent two-year investigation spearheaded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Drug Enforcement and the DEA led to the previous arrest of 57 additional individuals responsible for trafficking opiates and methamphetamine in Indian Country, bringing the total number of those arrested as part of the Western District’s drug reduction initiative on the Cherokee Indian Reservation to 132.

To date, the joint investigations have also yielded a seizure of more than 5 pounds of heroin and Fentanyl; more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine; over 210 Fentanyl tablets and Oxycodone tablets; and more than 223 pounds of marijuana, with a combined street value of over $2 million. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement also seized six illegally possessed firearms.

Other partners involved in the operation include: the DEA; the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Police Department; the Swain County Sheriff’s Office; the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Asheville Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their coordinated efforts throughout this investigation.

Last year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a series of new actions by the Justice Department to support law enforcement and maintain public safety in Indian Country. Among the actions announced, was the deployment of the expanded Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), which is designed to provide the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and other federally-recognized tribes, access to national crime information databases for criminal and civil purposes. TAP allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their nations’ citizens by ensuring the exchange of critical data across the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems and other national crime information systems.

In addition, the Office of Tribal Justice created the Indian Country Federal Law Enforcement Coordination Group, an unprecedented partnership that brings together sworn federal agents and key stakeholders from 12 federal law enforcement components with responsibilities in Indian Country, with the goal of increasing collaboration and coordination among law enforcement and enhancing the response to violent crime in Indian Country.

###

**2:52 pm** Here is an additional press release by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina

Federal Opioid Reduction Task Force Initiative Leads To 76 Arrests In North Carolina Indian Country


ASHEVILLE, N.C.  – A major law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking in and around Indian Country in North Carolina has resulted in the arrest of more than 75 individuals on federal, state and tribal charges, announced Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

The undercover operation, led by the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Opioid Reduction Task Force, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cherokee Indian Police Department and multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, began in March 2018, and aimed at disrupting and dismantling drug distribution networks operating in and around the Qualla Boundary. 

In addition to the 76 arrests announced today in connection with DOI’s Opioid Reduction Task Force operation, a concurrent two-year investigation spearheaded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Drug Enforcement and the DEA led to the previous arrest of 56 additional individuals responsible for trafficking opiates and methamphetamine in Indian Country, bringing the total number of those arrested to 132.

To date, the joint investigations have yielded a seizure of more than 3.8 pounds of heroin and Fentanyl; more than 18 pounds of methamphetamine; over 270 Fentanyl and Oxycodone tablets; and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, with a combined street value of over $1.82 million. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement also seized five illegally possessed firearms.

“First and foremost, Bravo Zulu to the dozens of law enforcement professionals who are on the front lines and putting their own lives at risk to take these deadly drugs off the streets. President Trump and I could not be prouder of their work,” said Secretary Zinke. “It’s heartbreaking to see the scale of the problem, and rather than further stigmatizing victims, we are cracking down on the dealers who are selling out our children, selling out our communities, and selling out our nation. The Trump Administration is serious about ending the opioid crisis and that means both treatment of those suffering as well as eradicating the drugs from our communities. This week’s law enforcement action gets us closer to that goal.”

“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a community that has been hard hit by the opioid epidemic. Drug distribution, drug-fueled crimes, and drug abuse pose a grave threat to the safety, stability, cultural preservation, and well-being of the tribal community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “The Justice Department and my office are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stem the flow of drugs onto the Qualla Boundary, and to reduce the opioid abuse epidemic that has devastated Indian Country.”

“Dangerous and deadly drugs, both licit and illicit, see no boundaries,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division.  “If the drugs are destined for the inner city, rural suburbia or Indian Country, regardless, the outcome is the same: they destroy dreams, communities, families and lives. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians community, and adjoining areas elsewhere, have felt the sting of drug abuse and addiction. DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to making our communities safer by removing those who push these deadly substances. This investigation was a huge success because of the spirited efforts between DEA, its federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and state and tribal prosecutors.”

“I am extremely grateful to the Secretary of the Interior, the BIA and the multiple state and local agencies who helped make this operation a success.  The arrest of these drug dealers is a critical step towards ensuring that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is able to provide the healthy environment our people deserve.” Principal Chief Richard Sneed.   

Twelve individuals face federal drug offenses. They are:

Dontavius Juan Cox, 26, of Sylva, N.C.
Derek Wilson Driver, 26, of Cherokee, N.C.
David Charles Fisher, 56, of Bryson City, N.C.
Timothy Mark Grady, 43, Bryson City, N.C.
Kandace Rhean Griffin, 29, of Cherokee, N.C.
Kenneth Dean Griffin, 51, Cherokee, N.C.
Kevin Dewayne Huskey, 47, of Bryson City, N.C.
Saryna Michelle Miller, 22, of Bryson City, N.C.
Jeremy Dwayne Morton, 21, of Bryson City, N.C.
Javier Fernando Perez, 27, of Norcross, Georgia.
David William Smith, 30, of Sylva, N.C.
Dee Anna Wike, 45, of Cherokee, N.C.


Those arrested will have their initial hearings in federal court on Friday.  Federal arrests warrants have been issued for Cox and Perez.  Other offenses fall under tribal, state and local jurisdictions.

The charges contained in the indictments are allegations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the DEA; the Cherokee Indian Police Department; the Swain County Sheriff’s Office; the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Asheville Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their coordinated efforts throughout this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, are in charge of the federal prosecutions.

Last year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a series of new actions by the Justice Department to support law enforcement and maintain public safety in Indian Country.  Among the actions announced was the deployment of the expanded Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), which is designed to provide the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other federally-recognized tribes with access to national crime information databases for criminal and civil purposes.  TAP allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their nations’ citizens by ensuring the exchange of critical data across the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems and other national crime information systems.  

The Office of Tribal Justice also created the Indian Country Federal Law Enforcement Coordination Group, an unprecedented partnership that brings together sworn federal agents and key stakeholders from 12 federal law enforcement components with responsibilities in Indian Country, with the goal of increasing collaboration and coordination among law enforcement and enhancing the response to violent crime in Indian Country.

“As a member of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Council, addressing substance abuse and violent crime in Indian Country is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “My office is committed to supporting our tribal law enforcement partners and tribal leadership to identify and dismantle drug networks operating in and around Indian Country, and to provide greater access to technology, information, and funding, as we work jointly to increase public safety within the tribal community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. 

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Become a Patron!
If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

Published at 9:29 am on September 27, 2018
Additional information added at 2:52  pm.
Partial video replaced with full video at 3:43 pm.

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

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Full Circle Recovery Center to Hold Harm Reduction Tea Party on Friday

PRESS RELEASE



Come on down to Full Circle Recovery Center this Friday 2/24 between 12-2 for our first annual Harm Reduction Tea Party! We are honored to have been chosen by Families for Sensible Drug Policies (FSDP) and Family Drug Support to participate in this global inaugural event, International Family Drug Support Day!!

Help us assemble overdose reversal kits, enjoy a cup of tea/coffee with light refreshments and show your support for families living with drug issues or in recovery. All are welcome!

This year's theme is #SeeThePersonNotTheDrug

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Community Comes Together for "Prayers Against Drugs"

Members of the community came together tonight in downtown Franklin in response to drug abuse in Macon County. The group prayed for those using drugs, for their families, for law enforcement and for those who are working with drug abusers to help them stop abusing drugs.

Michelle Rogers organized the rally. Carol Anne Elliot and Mike Barres spoke at this first meeting.

The group has started a Facebook Page [LINK] as a point of contact so people can find help, can share what they're going through and find out when other events are taking place. the organizers plan to hold prayer rallies every first Friday of the month to continue praying and networking in person.

Video and photos from the prayer rally are posted below.


















MEDIA ROLL CALL

Macon Media (me)
WNCC-FM/WFSC-AM
The Franklin Press (reporter and photographer)
WLOS-TV (live shot at 5:30 pm)


CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email toeditor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online. 

You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >>https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia 

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"Prayers Against Drugs" Rally Scheduled for Friday Feb 3rd at the Courthouse Square in Franklin

Attention Prayer Warriors

There will be a "Prayers Against Drugs" rally on Friday at 6 pm at the Courthouse Square in downtown Franklin for those who are interested in participating in the spiritual warfare against the epidemic of drug abuse in our community. More information from the organizers has been added below.



- Place: Courthouse Square
- Date: Friday, February 3, 2017
- Time: 6pm

You are invited to attend the “Prayers Against Drugs" rally on 2/03/17 at the Courthouse square at 6pm. We ate asking for our community to come together in a spiritual welfare against Drug abuse. We look forward to seeing you there.

Psalms 103: 2-4 “Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits;
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;“

More information on the flyer posted below

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Macon Overdose Prevention Coalition holds Town Hall on Opioids

The Macon Overdose Prevention Coalition sponsored a panel discussion entitled: "‎The Opioid Epidemic: Silently Affecting Our Community" in the lower level of the Franklin town hall this past Thursday evening from 6 pm to 8 pm. The coalition is composed of Full Circle Recovery Center, LLC and Learn to Cope.

Macon Media recorded the discussion and the video is posted below.



The town hall included a slide show with facts and figures about the Opioid Epidemic and panelists discussed various aspects and problems associated with Opioid abuse, followed by a panel discussion composed of Ronnie Beale, Macon County Commissioner; NC Senator Jim Davis; Randall Williams, MD, Mayor Bob Scott, moderator; Julia Cavender, MSN, PMHNP, Master of Science in Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; Erica Williams, in recovery; and Stephanie Almeida, Substance Abuse Counselor.



For more information, please check out the following resources:

Full Circle Recovery Center, LLC
https://www.facebook.com/Full-Circle-Recovery-Center-LLC-289638667803880/

Learn to Cope
http://www.ncparentresourcecenter.org/event/learn-to-cope-support-group/

Learn to Cope Franklin Chapter Meetings
Tuesdays from 7pm to 8:30 pm
Full Circle Recovery Center
3261 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC

Mommie's and Methadone
fb.com/groups/355103437961003/

My Family and Methadone
fb.com/groups/parentsonmmt/


PHOTOS

MEDIA ROLL CALL 

(media organizations with reporters present at the meeting)

Macon Media
The Franklin Press
WFSC-AM/WNCC-FM


CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a
month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to
editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have
kept Macon Media online.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >>
https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

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No-Go Zones for Americans in Arizona Discussed Today on the Andrea Shea King Show

You know that ‘off limits’ area in Arizona called Buenos Aires Wildlife preserve? It has essentially been closed to Americans and surrendered to the Mexican drug cartels. That is the exact area where Chris Burgard filmed his movie BORDER, and watched columns of heavily armed men escorting people across the border. His movie predicted the increasing violence and conflict in that exact area several years back, but no one wanted to hear it. In fact, he was told that if he returned, he would be arrested. On this special edition, Chris joins us on the show to talk about that part of AZ that is a ‘no go’ zone for Americans? It’s outrageous, and Chris has the inside scoop.

Listen to internet radio with Andrea Shea King on Blog Talk Radio

You can listen live or recorded here, or at Blog Talk Radio or on Andrea Shea King's blog. The show will automatically archive and be available a few minutes after the show ends.


Here is a notice from the Arizona Fish and Wildlife:


BuenosAiresClosure


Source: Arizona Fish and Wildlife [PDF]

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The Obama-Chavez Love Fest

Photo Credit: Drudge Report

This is just not good at all...President Obama playing like Jimmy Carter and snuggling up to murderous thugs and tyrants. Nothing good will come of this, and we will pay the price of Obama giving aid and comfort to these people for decades.

Read Fausta's Blog for more on this story, and peruse the wealth of information and links on her blog. She is my go to source for all things Latin America.

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Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents

Ever the stubborn "Fill in-the-blank", President Bush waited until virtually the very last minute before acting to free the political prisoners, Ramos and Compeon. He commuted instead of pardoning them to ensure that they will never be able to work in the chosen line of work again:

On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the controversial sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005. 

The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively. 

Their sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year. 

Ramos and Compean were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts. 

Nearly the entire congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant them clemency. Conservatives hailed Bush's decision Monday. 

Source: Fox News

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Border Battle: Over 350 Killed in Tijuana

Mexico's attorney general says organized-crime slayings more than doubled this year. More than 350 people have been killed in Tijuana since the end of September. As drug cartels battle for control of the border city's key smuggling routes into the U.S. market. KPBS Border Reporter Amy Isackson and Vicente Calderón with the TijuanaPress.com have teamed up to determine what message these murders are sending, and what's being done to curb the problem.

Source: KPBS
Hat Tip: @krug

And as if that were bad enough...34 were killed in one weekend two weeks ago as Drug Lords fought for the right to deliver drugs to drug users in America. So...if your drugs come from the Tijuana area, here's your sign:

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Ducker Road Community Marches Against Drugs

“A crisis unattended will become a crisis out of control.”


These are the words of Cookie Mills, leader and founder of the DRCIC, as he addressed rally participants before the march. Four years ago, Mills called for a community meeting on Ducker Road to voice his concerns that the neighborhood where he had lived all his life was no longer safe.


“When I was a kid,” Mills said, “I used to roll tires down Ducker Road and play all day long. Then I looked up years later and there were no kids playing outside. It was because drug dealers had taken over. I was tired of complaining and decided to do something about it.”


After twenty six people surprised him by showing up for the first meeting, Mills knew he wasn’t alone; together they formed the DRCIC, with a mission to shut down the Ducker Road drug houses and make the neighborhood safe again for the children in the community. Four years later they have effectively shut down five houses operating in the open-air drug market, all within two-tenths of a mile from the house where Mills grew up.

Source: The Urban News

Commentary

These people are fighting against the scourge of drug dealing and the harm it causes to their community...destroying lives and taking the future potential achievements away from generations of people. I salute these people, and the courageous actions taken against an absolute evil in their community. I wish that all communities were as brave and resolute.

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U.S. Marines In Helmand

US marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in southern Afghanistan.
Photograph: David Guttenfelder/AP

For two years British troops staked out a presence in this small district center in southern Afghanistan and fended off attacks from the Taliban. The constant firefights left it a ghost town, its bazaar broken and empty but for one baker, its houses and orchards reduced to rubble and weeds.

But it took the U.S. Marines, specifically the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, about 96 hours to clear out the Taliban in a fierce battle in the past month and push them back 10 kilometers, or six miles …

The marines’ drive against the Taliban in this large farming region is certainly not finished, and the Taliban have often been pushed out of areas in Afghanistan only to return in force. But for the British forces and for Afghan residents, the result of the recent operation has been palpable …

Major Neil Den-McKay, the officer commanding a company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland based here, said of the U.S. Marine’s assault: “They have disrupted the Taliban’s freedom of movement and pushed them south, and that has created the grounds for us to develop the hospital and set the conditions for the government to come back.” People have started coming back to villages north of the town, he added, saying, “There has been huge optimism from the people.”

For the marines, it was a chance to hit the enemy with the full panoply of their firepower in places where they were confident there were few civilians. The Taliban put up a tenacious fight, rushing in reinforcements in cars and vans from the south and returning again and again to the attack. But they were beaten back in four days by three companies of marines, two of which were dropped in by helicopter to the south east …

Marines from Charlie Company said the reaction from the returning population, mostly farmers, has been favorable. “Everyone says they don’t like the Taliban,” said Captain John Moder, 34, commander of Charlie Company. People had complained that the Taliban stole food, clothes and vehicles from them, he said …

Source: The Captain's Journal, where the author also offers analysis and wonders is we will repeat the mistakes of others in Afghanistan.

Commentary

The article reveals a difference in approach to warfighting doctrines. The British were apparently satisfied to "hole up" in the district with a fort mentality that focused on holding ground, and falling back to the medieval idea of abandoning agricultural lands in the face of conflict, and retreating to a central strong point. Even after the US Marines cleared out the province, the British seemed to not have caught on.

The results of the current Presidential Election will be very important in determining whether or not we have the intestinal fortitude to continue with a long-term strategy of helping the Afghanis become strong enough to resist the Taliban on their own, and to help them establish an economic and agriculture system that can displace the poppy fields, much to the dismay or druggies, libertarians, and Ron Paul Supporters everywhere.

Who is more likely to continue our current policy in Afghanistan? McCain or Obama?

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(VIDEO) WSPA News Crew Attacked During Report

user deleted video, I re-uploaded
Four people were arrested after an attack on a News Channel 7 reporter and a photographer. Reporter Charmayne Brown and photographer Ti Barnes were covering the scene of a homicide investigation in Union South Carolina when the attack occurred.

The mother of the murder suspect, Trina Vinson, is one of those arrested in the attack on the reporter and the photographer. Two others are in custody. Vinson and Billie Taylor are both charged with one count of assault and battery. Tousha Smith is charged with two counts of assault and battery. Smith is the sister of the murder suspect. Union Public Safety is looking for a fourth person in the attack.

Charmayne and Ti were the only people targeted even though there was another news crew from WYFF News Channel 4 on the scene.

Source: Greenville Online

Commentary

There is no room in our society for these idiots, and after seeing the photos of three of them, I think the police might want to test for meth use.

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For Mark Johnson

This is Linda Cobaugh. She lost her brother, Mark Johnson to drugs. He was shot and killed over drug money.[Blogger refuses to let me post the photo...Click Here to see a full-size image on my photoBlog.--TP]

This is only one of the hundreds of people who have been harmed by drugs at the "Stop The Harm" Flashlight Vigil last night at City-County Plaza in Asheville, NC.

For me, this lady represents the hope that we can stop the harm. We can save people from drugs, we can save the families, the communities harmed by drugs.

The flag she holds represents all that is good about America, and hope that together we can do something about the problem.

I will keep you posted on further activities planned by the Asheville Buncombe Drug Commission, and hope to see you at next year's vigil!

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Asheville Police criticize Dr. Mumpower's efforts to Combat Drug Dealers

The article I am responding to is here.

In the article, two officers are listed as sending emails opposed to Dr. Mumpower's efforts. A Sgt Michael Yelton, and a Lt Chris Young.



Michael Yelton

Sgt. Mike Yelton, in an e-mail to his supervisor, said Mumpower distracted an officer watching for signs of trouble in a stop that involved a cocaine seizure.

“I immediately thought this was a strange occurrence, but assumed he was conducting another of his many forays into law enforcement,” Yelton wrote.

“I was left with the distinct impression that Dr. Mumpower desired an immediate and personal response to his presence and waiting was not an option,” he wrote.

Hogan and City Manager Gary Jackson were included in the exchange of messages.

Mumpower made them public Wednesday, saying he heard of the complaints only one hour before a City Council meeting Tuesday night during which he criticized police.

Hogan would not comment Wednesday and would not say whether Mumpower should have been criminally charged.

First things first...Sgt Yelton's attitude toward Mumpower per his statement "forays into law enforcement" reveals a "group think" attitude. He seems to think that law enforcement is the domain of a knighted few, instead of every citizen's duty. APD has always had a bad rep, and their response isn't helping. I still remember the way APD handled demonstrators against the war in 2003. While I strongly disagree with the anti-war movement, they have a right to peaceably assemble.

Sounds like a typical strategy of attacking the messenger when the message is too dangerous. I can't help but wonder what the Asheville Police Department would do with photographic and Video Evidence of Drug Activity. Would they go after the providers of such data? I think so.

As a resident of a far western county, I can report that Asheville has been perceived as the regional hub of drug activity.

Chief Hogan should capitalize on this effort by Dr. Mumpower, and work with him, instead of against him. I smell a bureacratic tendency to 'protect his turf' from competition. Bureaucrats are the petty little tyrants that will destroy the fabric of our once free Republic. This is so sad. It is too bad that we are headed down this path.

I think of all the minds going to waste, and I wonder if Chief Hogan should set up a parallel hotline to Crime Stoppers for the Drug Dealers, and objecting APD Officers (And Mayor Bellamy) to use to report Dr. Mumpower's activities and call it Crime Enablers.

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