49 POT PLANTS PULLED AFTER ANNUAL FLYOVER

Forty-nine marijuana plants were confiscated Monday in the annual
eradication effort in Patrick County, Sheriff David Hubbard reported.

Officers aboard a National Guard helicopter spotted the plants growing in
four separate plots in the northern part of the county and Patrick Springs,
Hubbard said.

The largest number of plants found was 19 in the Charity area, the sheriff
said.

The plants measured up to nine feet tall, which is not considered full
growth, Hubbard said, adding that marijuana can grow as high as 15 feet.
The street value of marijuana at full maturity is estimated at $1,000 per
plant.

Officers from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Virginia
State Police, and the Patrick County Sheriff's Office participated in the
surveillance and confiscation effort, along with Leon Handy, animal control
officer. Patrick officers involved in the case were Investigator Garry
Brown, Investigator Danny Martin, and Deputies Winfred Hill, Ricky Rorrer,
and Bob Pittis.

No arrests have been made but the investigation is continuing, Hubbard said.