'NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, DRUGS ARE A PROBLEM'

Raid Gives Little New Cumberland A 'Scary' Wake-Up Call

Until Wednesday, the biggest problem plaguing New Cumberland was what
to do with skateboarders.

The tree-lined community of 7,300, just a stone's throw from
Harrisburg, has retained its small-town feel through the years. Its
residents still stroll Bridge Street's shops and restaurants.

Early Wednesday, the raid of what police called a methamphetamine
laboratory and the arrest of two men hurled this community of mostly
longtime residents and increasingly younger families into the center
of what law-enforcement officials nationwide consider to be their No.
1 drug battle. Methamphetamines, often used in the treatment of
obesity, are used illicitly as a stimulant.

"It proves one thing," said Kevin Ho. "No matter where you are, drugs
are a problem."

Ho owns Precious Nails Salon, a business on the first floor of the
building in the 200 block of Third Street where the alleged lab was located.

"I had no idea they were cooking meth here," said Michael C. Smith,
who owns and operates Carnahan's restaurant across the street from
the building, which also houses apartments.

"Drugs are a problem everywhere, but I was very surprised that there
was a lab in New Cumberland," he said.

That sentiment echoed throughout downtown, as residents realized
their community came close to a disaster.

"It's a very scary situation when you think of what could have
happened," New Cumberland Mayor D.J. Landis said of the possibility
of an explosion or fire. "We are truly blessed that it didn't happen."

Acting on a tip about a suspicious chemical odor, police arrested
Robert W. Hileman III, 20, of the 200 block of Third Street, and
Robert O. Bates, 18, of the 400 block of Fairmont Avenue, Fairview
Twp., shortly after 2 a.m. on charges of manufacturing and delivering
methamphetamine.

Hileman and Bates also were charged with causing or risking a catastrophe.

Police evacuated about 20 people from the apartment building, had the
gas company shut off service to the building, and closed Third Street.

New Cumberland Police Chief Oren "Bud" Kauffman said the
concentration of highly explosive vapors from ether and other
chemicals posed a serious threat to the neighborhood.

"It was a very hazardous and dangerous situation," Kauffman said.
"Ether is highly explosive, and if it had ignited, it could have
leveled the building."

The natural gas in the apartment building and adjacent buildings
could have combined with the highly combustible chemicals, resulting
in a disastrous fire, Kauffman said.

In a report issued in April, the federal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention said 20 percent to 30 percent of known meth labs are
discovered as a result of fires and explosions. The findings are
based on information reported to the CDC's Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry from 16 state health departments
during a four-year period.

During that time, law-enforcement and emergency personnel responded
to 1,791 fires or explosions at meth labs. In all, 947 people were
injured, the report stated.

In January 2003, The Peoria Journal Star in Peoria, Ill., reported
that a meth-lab explosion and fire in nearby Tazewell County injured
several people, destroyed an eight-unit apartment complex and left
about a dozen people homeless.

Oklahoma has experienced 133 meth-related fires since 2000. From 2000
to this past May, law-enforcement officials there found 2,304 meth
labs as a result of fires or explosions, according to the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

In New Cumberland, "there was potential for a very hazardous
situation on Third Street," Kauffman said. "These two young men
showed a total lack of concern for others."

A woman who lives about two blocks from the Third Street apartment
building said it is disturbing to think that a meth lab existed so
close to her home.

"You know drugs are around, but you never expect anything to happen
close to where you live," said the woman, who did not want to be
identified because her husband is a county emergency dispatcher.

"Drugs are everywhere, but it's disturbing to know that a drug lab
was this close to your home, especially when you have small
children," she said.

Gannett News Service contributed to this report.