Horry County Police To Confiscate Bath Salts, Synthetic Marijuana Following State Ban
Horry County police will begin confiscating "bath salts" and synthetic marijuana from local businesses now that the substances are illegal in the state, according to authorities.
The S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control voted Monday to ban the chemicals known as bath salts and those used to make synthetic marijuana following federal bans on the substances.
Now anyone who possess, manufacture or distribute the substances, known as Schedule I drugs, could be charged with a felony on first offense and face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000, according to state Department of Health and Environmental Control officials.
As a result of the state ban, which went into effect immediately, Horry County businesses that carry the products will have the opportunity to voluntarily surrender them to Horry County police to be destroyed, said Sgt. Robert Kegler, spokesman with the Horry County Police Department.
Anyone found in possession of them or who do not voluntarily surrender the products will be charged accordingly, Kegler said.
Individuals can call the Horry County Police Department at 248-1520 to arrange turning in the products.
There is no criminal penalty if an individual immediately contacts the Horry County Police Department to surrender the products, Kegler said. –The Sun News
Horry County police will begin confiscating "bath salts" and synthetic marijuana from local businesses now that the substances are illegal in the state, according to authorities.
The S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control voted Monday to ban the chemicals known as bath salts and those used to make synthetic marijuana following federal bans on the substances.
Now anyone who possess, manufacture or distribute the substances, known as Schedule I drugs, could be charged with a felony on first offense and face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000, according to state Department of Health and Environmental Control officials.
As a result of the state ban, which went into effect immediately, Horry County businesses that carry the products will have the opportunity to voluntarily surrender them to Horry County police to be destroyed, said Sgt. Robert Kegler, spokesman with the Horry County Police Department.
Anyone found in possession of them or who do not voluntarily surrender the products will be charged accordingly, Kegler said.
Individuals can call the Horry County Police Department at 248-1520 to arrange turning in the products.
There is no criminal penalty if an individual immediately contacts the Horry County Police Department to surrender the products, Kegler said. –The Sun News
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Republican Presidential Debate To Be Held In Myrtle Beach ... But Where?
There is debate over this debate.
FOX News announced Thursday it will host a Republican presidential debate in Myrtle Beach from 9 to 11 p.m. Jan. 16, 2012.
The question is where.
In its press release, FOX News listed the Myrtle Beach Convention Center as the venue.
But that news comes as a surprise to convention center general manager Paul Edwards, who said the convention center was booked a year ago for a different event.
“We cannot do the debate on the 16th, because we have a volleyball tournament,” said Edwards. He said Jan. 16 was not one of the available dates offered to FOX News.
Myrtle Beach Spokesman Mark Kruea seconded Edwards’ comments that the convention center’s exhibition hall had already been booked.
Kruea said in his conversations with the station’s representatives, they expressed interest in Myrtle Beach’s Palace Theatre for the debate.
“I can’t definitely say it’s the Palace Theatre, but I think that’s the direction they were going,” Kruea said. He added the event could theoretically be headquartered at the convention center and held at the Palace.
However, the confusion deepens.
FOX News spokeswoman Carly Shanahan said the details are still being worked out, but the debate will be held at the convention center. She referred further questions to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Messages left for Chamber President Brad Dean were not returned.
The 2008 presidential debates – both Democratic and Republican – were held in Myrtle Beach, one at The Palace and one at the convention center.
Chad Connelly, head of the S.C. GOP, said there could be another wrinkle in where and when the debate will be held – the “juggling” between Nevada and New Hampshire over their primary dates.
“Until this gets finalized with the early states, you could see some shifting around,” Connelly said.
Some Republicans are calling for presidential candidates to boycott Nevada after its GOP primary was moved up to Jan. 14, thereby threatening New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status, according to The Associated Press.
Members of the Nevada GOP are voting on the matter this weekend in Las Vegas. Some party members want the date moved to Jan. 17 to make New Hampshire happy, the AP reported.
The S.C. presidential primary is scheduled for Jan. 21.
No matter how the drama in those states plays out, Connelly said FOX News is definitely coming to Myrtle Beach and the debate will happen before the S.C. GOP primary.
“It’s going to be Myrtle Beach. That’s a done deal,” Connelly said. “There’s some drama and we’re working out the details and look to finalize that early next week.”
No matter the venue, Adam Cates is excited the GOP presidential debates are coming back to Myrtle Beach.
The Murrells Inlet resident and chairman of the S.C. Federation of Young Republicans remembers volunteering at the convention center for the 2008 Republican debate, which marked one of his first volunteer efforts in area politics.
“The interest in it was tremendous,” Cates said.
After the debate, Cates said he hit some of the celebrations and got to speak with former candidate Sen. Fred Thompson, as well as current presidential hopeful Gov. Mitt Romney.
Cates said he’s not terribly surprised Myrtle Beach was pegged to host a GOP debate again.
“It’s a good, strong conservative area,” he said. –The Sun News
There is debate over this debate.
FOX News announced Thursday it will host a Republican presidential debate in Myrtle Beach from 9 to 11 p.m. Jan. 16, 2012.
The question is where.
In its press release, FOX News listed the Myrtle Beach Convention Center as the venue.
But that news comes as a surprise to convention center general manager Paul Edwards, who said the convention center was booked a year ago for a different event.
“We cannot do the debate on the 16th, because we have a volleyball tournament,” said Edwards. He said Jan. 16 was not one of the available dates offered to FOX News.
Myrtle Beach Spokesman Mark Kruea seconded Edwards’ comments that the convention center’s exhibition hall had already been booked.
Kruea said in his conversations with the station’s representatives, they expressed interest in Myrtle Beach’s Palace Theatre for the debate.
“I can’t definitely say it’s the Palace Theatre, but I think that’s the direction they were going,” Kruea said. He added the event could theoretically be headquartered at the convention center and held at the Palace.
However, the confusion deepens.
FOX News spokeswoman Carly Shanahan said the details are still being worked out, but the debate will be held at the convention center. She referred further questions to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Messages left for Chamber President Brad Dean were not returned.
The 2008 presidential debates – both Democratic and Republican – were held in Myrtle Beach, one at The Palace and one at the convention center.
Chad Connelly, head of the S.C. GOP, said there could be another wrinkle in where and when the debate will be held – the “juggling” between Nevada and New Hampshire over their primary dates.
“Until this gets finalized with the early states, you could see some shifting around,” Connelly said.
Some Republicans are calling for presidential candidates to boycott Nevada after its GOP primary was moved up to Jan. 14, thereby threatening New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status, according to The Associated Press.
Members of the Nevada GOP are voting on the matter this weekend in Las Vegas. Some party members want the date moved to Jan. 17 to make New Hampshire happy, the AP reported.
The S.C. presidential primary is scheduled for Jan. 21.
No matter how the drama in those states plays out, Connelly said FOX News is definitely coming to Myrtle Beach and the debate will happen before the S.C. GOP primary.
“It’s going to be Myrtle Beach. That’s a done deal,” Connelly said. “There’s some drama and we’re working out the details and look to finalize that early next week.”
No matter the venue, Adam Cates is excited the GOP presidential debates are coming back to Myrtle Beach.
The Murrells Inlet resident and chairman of the S.C. Federation of Young Republicans remembers volunteering at the convention center for the 2008 Republican debate, which marked one of his first volunteer efforts in area politics.
“The interest in it was tremendous,” Cates said.
After the debate, Cates said he hit some of the celebrations and got to speak with former candidate Sen. Fred Thompson, as well as current presidential hopeful Gov. Mitt Romney.
Cates said he’s not terribly surprised Myrtle Beach was pegged to host a GOP debate again.
“It’s a good, strong conservative area,” he said. –The Sun News
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Area Police Departments Want Your Pills
Area police officers want your unused prescription pills or unwanted over the counter pills such as those strong headache medicines so they can stay out of the hands of abusers and from polluting the area’s drinking water.
Various departments in Horry and Georgetown counties will participate in an annual community medicine drop-off day this week as part of a federal initiative sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Deputies with the Georgetown County Sheriff’s office and officers with the Conway Police Department and North Myrtle Beach Police Department will host medicine drop-off day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, according to officials with those organizations.
Conway officers will be at Walgreens located at 1601 Church St., accepting unwanted, unused and expired medicines, said Catina Hipp, department spokeswoman.
In Georgetown, residents can take the pills to the Midway Fire Department located at 67 Saint Pauls Place in Pawleys Island, said Carrie Cuthbertson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
In North Myrtle Beach, residents can drop off their pills at Surfwood Plaza, which is home to Lowes, in North Myrtle Beach, said Pat Dowling, city spokesman.
But if you live in Horry County and have pills you want to get out of your home before then or afterwards, the county’s police department has set up a permanent drop box outside its headquarters inside M.L. Brown Building in Conway.
The box, a white metal container that looks similar to a mailbox, was obtained through a grant sponsored by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. It was installed Sept. 30 and through Sunday officers had collected 27 pounds of drugs that were incinerated.
“We’ve gotten a really good response. The word has gotten out and people are utilizing,” Horry County police Sgt. Robert Kegler said. “There’s a potential of your unused pills, your expired pills that still have potency to them, to get in the wrong hands. Then they’re out on the street, being sold, being used and abused.”
The box is emptied daily and the pills are inventoried as evidence then destroyed. Dropping pills in the box is anonymous since the box is located in the hallway at the entrance to the department’s headquarters.
Any controlled substance medications, over-the-counter medicines and non-controlled medication, vitamins and medication samples can be deposited into the box, Kegler said.
“We take it in and there are no questions asked about it and we destroy it in a safe environment,” Kegler said. “This keeps someone from flushing and keeps it out of our water and from impacting the environment and drinking water.”
Officials ask that resident not put any needles, syringes, mercury or cadmium products, biohazard items, personal care products or chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide in the box.
North Myrtle Beach officials are working to offer a more permanent drop-off location for unused or expired medications, Dowling said.
According to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, Dowling said. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, each day about 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time.
Area officers say they want the medications turned into law enforcement to prevent experimentation or abuse by teens and young adults, who may find the unused prescriptions in a family member’s medicine cabinet.
“The impetus behind the North Myrtle Beach Drug Drop-Off Days has been to provide a safe and secure way for residents and visitors to dispose of their old or unused prescription drugs,” Dowling said. “This helps to prevent young children from accidentally using the drugs, and it prevents some teens and others from purposefully using the drugs to get high.” -The Sun News
Area police officers want your unused prescription pills or unwanted over the counter pills such as those strong headache medicines so they can stay out of the hands of abusers and from polluting the area’s drinking water.
Various departments in Horry and Georgetown counties will participate in an annual community medicine drop-off day this week as part of a federal initiative sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Deputies with the Georgetown County Sheriff’s office and officers with the Conway Police Department and North Myrtle Beach Police Department will host medicine drop-off day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, according to officials with those organizations.
Conway officers will be at Walgreens located at 1601 Church St., accepting unwanted, unused and expired medicines, said Catina Hipp, department spokeswoman.
In Georgetown, residents can take the pills to the Midway Fire Department located at 67 Saint Pauls Place in Pawleys Island, said Carrie Cuthbertson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
In North Myrtle Beach, residents can drop off their pills at Surfwood Plaza, which is home to Lowes, in North Myrtle Beach, said Pat Dowling, city spokesman.
But if you live in Horry County and have pills you want to get out of your home before then or afterwards, the county’s police department has set up a permanent drop box outside its headquarters inside M.L. Brown Building in Conway.
The box, a white metal container that looks similar to a mailbox, was obtained through a grant sponsored by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. It was installed Sept. 30 and through Sunday officers had collected 27 pounds of drugs that were incinerated.
“We’ve gotten a really good response. The word has gotten out and people are utilizing,” Horry County police Sgt. Robert Kegler said. “There’s a potential of your unused pills, your expired pills that still have potency to them, to get in the wrong hands. Then they’re out on the street, being sold, being used and abused.”
The box is emptied daily and the pills are inventoried as evidence then destroyed. Dropping pills in the box is anonymous since the box is located in the hallway at the entrance to the department’s headquarters.
Any controlled substance medications, over-the-counter medicines and non-controlled medication, vitamins and medication samples can be deposited into the box, Kegler said.
“We take it in and there are no questions asked about it and we destroy it in a safe environment,” Kegler said. “This keeps someone from flushing and keeps it out of our water and from impacting the environment and drinking water.”
Officials ask that resident not put any needles, syringes, mercury or cadmium products, biohazard items, personal care products or chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide in the box.
North Myrtle Beach officials are working to offer a more permanent drop-off location for unused or expired medications, Dowling said.
According to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, Dowling said. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, each day about 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time.
Area officers say they want the medications turned into law enforcement to prevent experimentation or abuse by teens and young adults, who may find the unused prescriptions in a family member’s medicine cabinet.
“The impetus behind the North Myrtle Beach Drug Drop-Off Days has been to provide a safe and secure way for residents and visitors to dispose of their old or unused prescription drugs,” Dowling said. “This helps to prevent young children from accidentally using the drugs, and it prevents some teens and others from purposefully using the drugs to get high.” -The Sun News
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