Drugs & Suicide " Near Brownwood ": Too Klose for KXYL's Komfort Zone ?

Thomas Metthe / Reporter-News
2 charged in drug case
Authorities organize sweep of online trafficking suspects
By Raquel C. Garza / Reporter-News Staff Writer
April 21, 2005
Two men made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Abilene in connection with an international Internet drug trafficking case.
Matthew Melao and Christopher Geoff Laine were two of 20 people arrested within the past few days in eight U.S. cities and four foreign countries, according to a news release issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Melao, who was arrested in Abilene, and Laine, who was arrested near Brownwood, appeared in federal court for an initial hearing Wednesday to review charges including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; conspiracy to import a controlled substance; introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The two men were charged with seven of 44 counts issued by the grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
source: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_3716970,00.html
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Brownwood center defends no-suicide pacts
By Celinda Emison / Reporter-News Staff Writer
April 21, 2005
Officials at a Brownwood crisis counseling center defended their policy of having a man who was suicidal sign an agreement on Saturday that he would not harm himself before his appointment with counselors on Monday.
Kim Cruz, program manager of the Crisis Unit at the Center For Life Resources, said counselors sign agreements with clients on a regular basis.
''We do this if we think a person has thoughts of hurting themselves,'' she explained. ''During that time, if they have thoughts of doing harm to themselves, they can contact our crisis hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.''
According to the report at the Brown County Sheriff's Office, Marvin Webster Ratliff notified officers on Sunday via 911 that he intended to crash through a barrier and drive off a bridge.
The report said that 30 seconds later a witness notified deputies that a car had indeed gone off the bridge, on U.S. Highway 183 North, 1.5 miles from the Brownwood Regional Airport.
source: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_3716926,00.html