FORCES UNITE TO FIGHT METH USE

Albertville High School's Aggie Stadium hosted "Operation Combat Meth"
Wednesday night. Approximately 200 chilled, but concerned members of
the community heard serious, but encouraging messages by word and song
dealing with the war on drugs.

The attentive audience heard from Albertville Police Chief Benny
Womack, Juvenile Judge Tim Riley, Doctor Mary Holley, Christian
speaker David Rhodes and the Christian band 7 Day Soldiers.

The uniting theme of the individual messages was "there is a drug war
going on in the community, but it can be won if everyone will work
together."

Womack spoke of the frontline efforts of his department in combating
the problem he said constitutes a full 80 percent of all calls his
officers respond to and sought the audience' assistance and prayers in
the battle."

Judge Riley described his experiences in the courtroom as he deals
with the effects of meth on the youth before him. Riley said those who
have successfully dealt with a drug problem have done so through a
spiritually based effort.

The spiritual base, he added, was not limited to Christianity, but
appeared to be true for anyone holding a strong spiritual belief
system of strength outside themselves.

Dr. Holley gave a "no holds barred" presentation of the disastrous
physical and emotional effects of meth on the individual. Holley also
emphasized the spiritual aspect of the problem, in part, as being the
cultures veering away from its spiritual roots.

Jeff Walker, guitarist for the band offered message of hope as he told
of his own personal war as a meth addict who bottomed out about 12
years ago and through a spiritual renewal was able to break the death
hold meth had on his life.

Rhodes referring to the Book of Job in the Old Testament said many in
our society were in a state of brokenness and looking for something to
replace it. Unfortunately many were filling it with meth.

The answer Rhodes said was for "the community to come together-find
the brokenness and create beauty from it."