DOGS DETECT MARIJUANA AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IN HIGH SCHOOL

SUNBURY -- Drug-sniffing dogs visited Shikellamy High School on
Tuesday morning.

The three dogs detected some marijuana and some drug paraphernalia,
Sunbury narcotics investigator Travis Bremigen said.

He said charges are pending after items were found in some students'
lockers and in several vehicles in the parking lot in front of the
school.

Suspected marijuana was field-tested and marijuana was found to be
present, he said. The items will be analyzed at a state police laboratory.

Police found two plastic bags containing some marijuana, two pipes, a
bottle that held marijuana and a sheath used to conceal a pipe, he
said.

"It's been a while since the dogs have searched the school because of
manpower reasons and since we don't have a drug dog," the officer said.

The search, conducted in cooperation with school officials, is part of
"Operation Drug-Free School."

Dogs were brought in from the Union County Sheriff's Department, the
Montour County Sheriff's Department and Bloomsburg Town Police. Ten to
15 officers from the Northumberland-Montour Drug Task Force were involved.

Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney Carl Rice said, "We
didn't find a whole lot, and we're kind of glad we didn't."

"The school has been making an effort to keep drugs out. The district
attorney's office is pleased with the outcome," said Mr. Rice, who
serves as adviser of the task force and who helped to coordinate the
school search.

Mr. Bremigen said 1,100 to 1,200 student lockers were searched with
dogs making "hits" on several lockers.

The dogs sniffed out the parking lot area, where about 400 vehicles
were parked. They detected drugs in several vehicles, police said.
Owners of the vehicles consented to further searches.

"We are continuing our efforts to keep schools drug-free. We want to
let the citizens of Sunbury and of Northumberland and Montour counties
know that we are making every effort to keep drugs off the street,"
Mr. Bremigen said.