Overcrowding at the County Jail Pharmacy While the Owner Was Still at Work Inside
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FRONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY TOOELETRANSCRIPT New THS head football coach announced See A8 BULLETIN June 10, 2008 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 115 NO. 007 50¢ Prescription drug abuse a growing issue by Tim Gillie STAFF WRITER There is a new killer in town that claims more lives than automobile crashes or illegal drugs. The killer is prescription drugs and while they may be legally prescribed, when misused or abused they become fatal. “Prescription drug-related deaths are on the rise in Utah, and Tooele County is not immune to that trend,” said Julie Spindler, intervention specialist for Valley Mental Health, the local substance abuse authority for Tooele County. The rate of emergency room encounters with prescription narcotics in Tooele County rose from 11.3 per 100,000 people in 2001 to 42.3 per 100,000 people in 2006, according to a study completed in 2007 by the state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Local pharmacies and law enforcement officials are becoming rapidly familiar with the prescription drug problem in the com- munity. Det. Dan Chamberlain of the Grantsville Police Department reported that in the two years Williams Family Drug in Grantsville has been open, they have experienced three incidents of either attempted burglary or photography / Troy Boman burglary. Tooele County Sheriff’s Deputy Ray Clinton inspects inmates in the county jail’s recreation yard Monday. Overcrowding is a problem for the facility, which is designed to keep 104 The first case involved several broken win- inmates but has housed up to 145 at times this spring. dows. In the second case in October 2007, a thief made off with $6,000 of narcotics includ- ing OxyContin, Percocet and Methadone. The third incident happened last month and involved a Grantsville High School student who tried to break through the roof of the Overcrowding at the county jail pharmacy while the owner was still at work inside. Tooele County Detention Center incorporates changes to help ease burden In May, a Stansbury Health Clinic employ- ee pled guilty to three accounts of attempted by Jamie Belnap facility is built. ment stating that the jail, which used Jail Commander Lt. Jerry Mora prescription fraud for exploiting her position STAFF WRITER “The jail population has been at to accept any and all offenders that said the jail is already seeking to at the clinic to obtain prescription painkillers its limits for a while,” said Sheriff law enforcement deemed worthy of send 12 federal inmates back to the for personal use. Overcrowding at the Tooele Frank Park. “We were hoping like being booked, will now only be able federal system to find other facili- In January, the Birch Family Pharmacy in County Detention Center during the crazy that a miracle would happen to keep those with felony charges or ties to house them, but added that Tooele was robbed by a masked gunman for past year has led the Tooele County and we wouldn’t have to take the misdemeanor charges of domestic even with these inmates leaving, not the prescription painkiller OxyContin, and Sheriff’s Office to make changes to measures that we’ve taken, but it violence, assault and DUI. much space will be freed up. Soma, a prescription muscle relaxant. what types of criminals will be ini- didn’t happen.” The jail is also closed to all out-of- “The facility is just too small. It tially held at the facility until the Last week, the Sheriff’s Office area warrants unless they are felony SEE ABUSE PAGE A6 ➤ numbers climb back down or a new issued a letter to local law enforce- warrants. SEE OVERCROWDING PAGE A5 ➤ photography / Troy Boman Farmers, ranchers not all being lifted by high food prices by Sarah Miley President Leland Hogan. STAFF WRITER According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, egg It’s no secret the cost of food prices this April were 30.5 per- is on the rise. But while some cent above last year’s level, and may think farmers and ranchers dairy prices were also up nearly are reaping the benefit of higher 12 percent from last year’s April retail food prices, that is not prices. generally the case, according to Sarah Brazier Teresa Lemmon Jo Orcutt Todd Turner Utah Farm Bureau Federation SEE FARMERS PAGE A7 ➤ “Because I’m already kind of tight with “I’m not just buying things at the spur “I’ve always budget-shopped and “I think food prices in general are my money, we haven’t really cut back of the moment as much, and I’m also bought generic items, but I’m doing likely to keep increasing for awhile, that much. However, I haven’t been seeing how much I can stretch our a lot more of it now. We’ve also been and right now it’s a notable strain on buying as much junk food as I had by budget while shopping for food.” cutting back and not shopping as my family’s budget.” the end of each month.” much as we used to.” Rising food prices force local shoppers to scrimp by Doug Radunich food purchases better when it comes to deciding trying to buy a lot less of everything once she’s STAFF WRITER what to make her family for dinner. at the grocery store. “I’ll do things like go through my cookbooks “Because we shop for seven kids, it’s hard With food prices currently on the rise nation- and menus more, to see what items I can get to go without, and you have to buy what you wide, local grocery shoppers say they are being multiples of and use in more recipes,” she said. have to buy sometimes,” she said. “I’ve always forced to become more frugal when it comes to “I’m not just buying things at the spur of the budget-shopped and bought generic items, but feeding their families. moment as much, and I’m also seeing how I’m doing a lot more of it now. We’ve also been Several local shoppers have been impacted much I can stretch our budget while shopping cutting back and not shopping as much as we by an increase in staples such as bread, milk, for food. I have three teenagers and an adult used to.” eggs, sugar, and meat products, and many are daughter who’s going to school, so to be able to Some shoppers say they’re not necessarily photography / Troy Boman steps to mitigate those rising prices. feed them all and keep them healthy and grow- changing what essentially they buy, but are cut Tooele resident Teresa Lemmon said because ing properly is a strain on our budget.” Erda dairy farmer Flint Richards holds a handful of feed inside his barn of the increase in food costs, she will budget her Jo Orcutt, also of Tooele, said she has been SEE SHOPPERS PAGE A2 ➤ Tuesday. High milk prices have not led to increased profits for Richards who pays a fuel surcharge when his feed is delivered. OPEN FORUM A4 HOMETOWN B1 INSIDE OBITUARIES A7 BULLETIN BOARD B2 TV LISTINGS B9 CLASSIFIEDS B5 Amidst mud and THS class of SPORTS A8 ANNOUNCEMENTS B3 rain Deseret Peak 1958 celebrates Stampede thrills See B1 WEATHER crowd Mostly cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms See A8 today and Wednesday. Highs in the upper 60s. Complete Forecast: A2 A2 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN TUESDAY June 10, 2008 Valley Weather Forecast Family donates horse, trailer to Healing Horses Local Weather by Natalie Tripp horse.” Rather than sell the horse, Specter, acting executive director, STAFF WRITER the Morgan family made a decision the donation couldn’t have come at Tue to donate the horse to the local a better time. 68/43 The recent passing of a beloved Healing Horses program. “We desperately needed the 6/10 Tooele native has provided the “As a family we ride in Ophir donation from the Morgan family,” Windy with isolated thunderstorms Healing Horses Therapeutic Riding quite a bit and the biggest reason Specter said. “Right now our pro- developing. High 68F. Center in Erda with a horse and we decided to donate the horse gram uses borrowed horses and our equipment needed to continue the is because of how much we love own personal horses. We were very program. to watch our children and grand- excited to get a trailer to transport Born into a family of teamsters children with the horses,” Morgan the horses, as well as a new horse.” Wed 57/43 in West Dip, Donald J. Morgan grew said. “It’s one thing to see your own According to the program, horse- 6/11 up in Ophir raising sheep and cows. grandkids love these horses and to back riding aids handicapped chil- He passed away May 23, leaving his know that these other kids will love dren in a physical sense by rhyth- Partly cloudy with a stray thunder- son Dennis with his horse. His last the horses and benefit from them mically moving the body in a gentle storm. ride was to the Tooele City Cemetery means a lot.” way while the heat from the horse’s back helps loosen tight muscles. “We see some children who walk when they’ve Horses are social animals and any bonding with the horses can also Thu 64/49 never walked before because of the new nerve help with emotional issues the chil- 6/12 pathways created during the experience.” dren might have. Partly cloudy with a stray thunder- The local program has seen chil- storm.