DRUG TASK FORCE RECEIVES STATE GRANT

A grant for $102,000 has been awarded to the Etowah County Drug and Major
Crime Task Force to combat against illegal drug use and distribution in
Etowah County, according to a news release from Gov. Don Siegelman.

The grant has been approved to continue the operation of the task force and
$67,000 in local matching funds have been committed to the project.

The Etowah County Drug and Major Crime Task Force is a combined effort of
the sheriff's department, the Etowah County District Attorney's office and
municipal police departments in Altoona, Glencoe and Hokes Bluff. The
organizations join together to create a single multi-jurisdictional unit
dedicated to the enforcement of controlled substance laws and the
investigation of other drug-related crimes in Etowah County. One commander
and six agents compose the task force. This year the task force plans an
increased focus on stopping the flow of drugs from Mexico and Texas to the
east coast by way of Interstate 59.

The grant is from funds made available to the state through a program of
the U.S. Department of Justice. Siegelman has designated the Alabama
Department of Economic and Community Affairs to administer the grant.