MUSIC FEST BRINGS DRUG ARRESTS

Six people were arrested last weekend for drug violations during the
Effit musical festival, Jackson County Sheriff Duane Waldera said Tuesday.

Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, money and vehicles were seized, Waldera said,
but he would not specify the amounts. A total of 31 traffic stops
resulted in 32 traffic citations, 28 equipment repair orders, 18
warnings, eight marijuana citations, six drug paraphernalia citations
and one citation each for underage drinking and possession of tobacco,
Waldera stated.

Authorities arrested the event goers on charges of possession and
manufacturing with intent to deliver marijuana, LSD and Ecstasy,
operating after revocation and possession of drug paraphernalia, but
names were not released. They were arrested and cited during traffic
stops in the towns of Garfield, Cleveland and Northfield and near Osseo, Wis.

Sheriff's K-9 Nash was used and made 11 sniffs with positive results,
Waldera said.

Effit Fest was held Thursday through Sunday at the Whispering Pines
Campground in the town of Garfield near Osseo. It was the first time
the music festival was held in Jackson County. Effit stands for
Entertainment for Free Independent Thinkers. The festival Web site
said more than 40 bands were scheduled to perform over the weekend.

The arrests were a joint cooperation between the Wisconsin State
Patrol, Jackson and Trempealeau sheriff's departments and Osseo and
Melrose police departments.

"This was a multijurisdictional effort to reduce drug trafficking and
the use of controlled substances in Jackson County," Waldera said in a
news release. "As these festivals continue, there is a need for law
enforcement presence to ensure the safety of our citizens and our
visitors to Jackson County. We will continue to work diligently to
protect the safety and security of Jackson County."