COMBATING DRUG PROBLEM TOP PRIORITY FOR WAYNE COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATES

Both candidates for Wayne County sheriff say combating the growing
drug problem in the county is among their top priorities.

Creating a Wayne County drug task force and continuing with projects
from the past four years are among goals of Democrat incumbent David
Pennington, who seeks his second four-year term in office.

Hank Blume, Lavalette resident and retired businessman, is challenging
Pennington in this year's sheriff's race. Blume has traveled
throughout the county talking to people and said he believes he can
make a difference.

"It's all about helping people in the county," he said. "If we don't
change things we're going to lose everything."

Blume's goals if elected include taking a look at full accountability
in the sheriff's department, taking everybody's problems seriously and
waging war on both drugs and property theft.

When Pennington ran in 2000, he said one of his major goals was to do
a D.A.R.E. program in all 12 elementary schools in Wayne County. Nine
of the 12 have the program, and he plans for the last three to pick up
the program.

"I know I'm not going to stop drugs through Wayne County, but if
they're going to stop, it's going to happen through education,"
Pennington said.

Blume discovered drugs and property theft were a problem in his county
before he even thought about running for sheriff.

"It started in Lavalette with the problem of breaking and entering,"
Blume said. "After I got out in the community and started talking to
people, I felt we had a major drug problem. They are stealing to pay
for the drugs."

To help Wayne County residents, Blume printed thousands of
informational brochures and began the WASP (Make Wayne a Safe Place)
initiative to educate people about protecting themselves, their homes
and their properties.

"I started looking into what we need to accomplish to make the
sheriff's department better," Blume said.

After hearing heartbreaking stories from people across the county
about families being torn apart because of young people on drugs, he
decided he would like to start a drug rehabilitation program in Wayne
County.

"The kids are my No. 1 priority," he said. "I felt I could make a
difference with leadership."

Besides fighting the drug problem, Pennington said another of his
goals over the past four years was to open sub-offices in the
northernmost and southernmost parts of the county to better
accommodate residents. He succeeded in opening offices in Ceredo and
Kenova and Stepptown.

Pennington also increased the number of deputy sheriffs from 14 to 23.
If re-elected, he plans to add two more to fulfill his goal of 25
deputy sheriffs. Pennington also increased pay for deputy sheriffs
from $17,000 to $22,000 to retain deputies in Wayne County.

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CANDIDATES FOR WAYNE COUNTY SHERIFF

Name: David Pennington (incumbent)

Party: Democrat

Office sought: Wayne County sheriff

Education: Wayne County Schools, taken classes at Marshall University.

Job: retired

Community service: Board member of Stepping Stones, Family Resource
Network.

Political experience: Pennington is running for his second term as
Wayne County Sheriff.

Name: Hank Blume

Party: Republican

Office sought: Wayne County sheriff

Education: graduate, Cabell County Schools

Job: retired

Community service: Blume started WASP (Making Wayne a Safe Place),
does volunteer work in retirement homes and participates in cancer
fundraising.

Political experience: None