CHARGES AGAINST COUPLE ACCUSED OF RUNNING DRUG OPERATION DROPPED

PORTAGE, Wis. (AP) -- Charges accusing a couple of running a drug operation
out of a day care facility have been dropped.

" This case is over, " Columbia County District Attorney Tim Henney said
after charges were dropped against George Salzwedel, 48, and his wife, Kay,
42, of Columbus.

Henney said he acted as a result of a July 23 ruling by Circuit Court Judge
Richard L. Rehm that the warrant to search the couple' s Columbus home and
day care center was invalid.

Authorities said the warrant resulted in the seizure of 93 grams of marijuana.

George Salzwedel had been charged with possession of marijuana with intent
to deliver and maintaining a drug dwelling. Kay Salzwedel, who has since
forfeited her day-car license, was charged with being a party to possession
and maintaining a drug dwelling.

Rehm had said physical evidence in the case could not be used. He said the
affidavit for the warrant contained information that was incorrect and
omitted information that, had it been included, may have caused Judge
Daniel George to have second thoughts about granting the search warrant.

" Essentially, all of the evidence in the case, both the physical evidence
and the statements from the defendants and others, were derived as a result
of the execution of the search warrant, " Henney said during the court
hearing Monday.

The district attorney said he was saving the court time by not forcing it
to review and suppress each piece of evidence.

Columbia County Sheriff Steven Rowe defended his department and said the
information was not fabricated.

Rowe said he planned to contact the U.S. Attorney' s Office and pursue the
case further.

But Henney said he doubted federal prosecutors will take the case.

Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski