It was a busy holiday for the Arkansas State Police of Troop D, but it was one without any fatalities.
"We worked four accidents and there were no fatals," said Lt. Tommy Wicker of the Troop D office. "And none were alcohol related."
For once, a major holiday did not coincide with a weekend. According to Wicker, the holiday period officially began at midnight Monday, and continued until midnight on July 4.
In all there were 397 contacts between officers and vehicle operators.
Arrests included 11 for DWI, 84 for speeding, 17 for safety belt violations, seven for child restraint violations, nine for other hazardous violations and 47 arrests for non-hazardous violations.
Troop D takes in the counties of Crittenden, Phillips, Lee, St. Francis, Cross, Woodruff, Monroe and Prairie.
While Troop D may have enjoyed a relatively safe Fourth, that was not the case in other parts of the state.
A sport-utility vehicle full of young girls who had attended
an 'N Sync concert at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium on the
Fourth of July crashed on Interstate 530 south of the city shortly
after midnight Thursday, killing an 11-year-old youngster from
Sheridan, the State Police said.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The dangers posed by the onslaught of crystal methamphetamine goes beyond simply the use of the highly addictive drug, according to detectives with both the Forrest City Police Department and the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office.
Over the past three months, one St. Francis County resident and a Forrest City teenager have been injured when meth labs in which the individuals were allegedly working exploded.
On April 16, James D. Ponder, of Colt, was injured when, according to police reports, he suffered burns that eventually led to his death three days later at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. In a similar incident a few weeks later, Brandon Farrell, 18, was injured in an accident in the Indian Hills Apartment complex. Farrell was airlifted to the Med and is listed in satisfactory condition. According to the reports from both agencies, several items used to manufacture methamphetamine were found at the scene of both fires.
FCPD Criminal Investigation Division Detective Sgt. John Riggins said the chemicals used to manufacture meth combined with the addictive nature of the drug make for a dangerous and potentially explosive setting.
"The need for this drug is out there because unlike anything else that we've dealt with, crystal is made through the use of nothing but chemicals. At one time, everyone said that crack was the most addictive drug and it was because numbers said that if you took 10 people and gave them crack, nine of them would become addicted. With crystal, the numbers say that 10 out of 10 stand a great risk of becoming addicted so the market is there for the dealers," said Riggins.
"When you put all of the chemicals used to make this stuff together you face doing harm to your lungs as well as the dangers of the stuff blowing up in your face. When you take the ammonia, which everyone knows will eat your lungs up, and you add the ether, which also enters the lungs, you are taking a great risk," Riggins said. "Most of the things that are used to cook this stuff can be found at Wal-Mart and is highly flammable. It only takes a small spark to get a fire going, and when you have the chemicals on your skin and in your lungs, then naturally the fire is going to make it to you."
St. Francis County Detective Gene Wingo echoed many of the sentiments of Riggins noting that the easy access to the materials and the inexperience of those working with the chemicals also pose a serious hazard.
"The people who are cooking this mess aren't chemists, and they don't know how flammable some of the stuff is. We know this because we've seen evidence of people smoking around the labs and uncovered pilot lights and things like that which are accidents waiting to happen. The smallest spark from a light switch is enough to cause an explosion if the settings are right," said Wingo.
Children also face grave dangers from the chemicals that they are inhaling even though the parents may think they are safe.
"We've gone into homes where the chemicals are just thick in the air and there will be small children and babies in the home. You can see the damage the chemicals are doing to the children. We had a case a few years ago when we went into a home where we picked up a baby and you could actually smell the ether coming out of its lungs when it breathed," said Wingo.
Village Creek State Park is offering two opportunities for children who are interested in learning about pioneers, Native Americans and the natural world.
These Adventure Day Camps will consist of educational programs, crafts, games, storytelling, horseback riding and other recreational activities.
The two camps will be offered July 11-13 for ages 7 to 9, and July 25-27 for ages 10 to 12. Parents shall bring the children to the park's Visitor Center at 8 a.m. and pick them up at 4:30 p.m. each day of the program.
The fee is $65 and includes all meals, snacks, instructors, materials and use of equipment. In order to attend, children must be pre-registered by the Friday before each camp's starting date. For more information, call the park at 870-238-9406.