LOCAL AUTHORITIES KEEP BUSY BUSTING METH LABS

The Jefferson County sheriff's office and the Central Arkansas Multi-Agency
Enforcement Organization Drug Task Force have been busy busting
methamphetamine labs recently, according to Arkansas State Police Sgt. L.A.
Franklin, a supervisor with the task force.

He said Thursday five to nine such labs have been taken down in the last
few months.

Wednesday a concerned citizen came to the sheriff's office and reported a
possible meth lab in operation at 1110 Richard Allen Road, where there was
an uncommon amount of traffic.

Jefferson County Investigator John McNeil, four sheriff's deputies and
other members of CAMEO went to the address, where, Franklin said, the
custodian of the property, smelling of alcohol, consented to a search of
the property.

There the investigators found precursor chemicals, those used in the
manufacture of meth, as well as some used syringes believed to contain meth
and some finished product.

Two suspects were arrested, Franklin said. The log book at the Jefferson
County Detention Center showed that Christie Collins, 24, of 3419 Highway
64 South, and Michael Johnson, 39, of 1110 Richard Allen Rd., were booked
Wednesday morning on probable cause of the manufacture of a controlled
substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug
paraphernalia.

The bust Wednesday followed one Saturday, Franklin said, in which Jefferson
County Sheriff's Deputies Harvey Spriggs and Lavon Rodgers, serving a Drew
County summons concerning meth charges to 7005 Stump Road, smelled an odor
that alerted them to the fact that the meth manufacturing process could be
going on at the location.

They left the scene, conducted an investigation and contacted Franklin and
Arkansas State Police Investigator L.A. Letson. A search of the property
was conducted and a meth lab was found in a building at the back of the
property, according to Franklin.

The investigators found a small amount of marijuana, a gram of finished
meth, $1,000 and a 20 gauge shotgun in the residence. Franklin said the lab
was certified as being such and two arrests were made.

The Jefferson County Detention Center log showed Mark Lackey, 36, and
Brenda Lackey, 44, both of 7005 Stump Rd. were booked Saturday on probable
cause of operating the meth lab.

Franklin encouraged anyone with information about a possible meth lab to
call the Jefferson County sheriff's office at 541-5351.