Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A woman accused of leading a drug-peddling gang that brought methamphetamine into Idaho by the pound will spend 20 years in a federal prison. Amanda Smith of Homedale was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Boise. Prosecutors say the 32-year-old Smith sold 100 percent-pure methamphetamine to Norteno gang members, stashed the proceeds in out-of-state accounts and directed people to cross into Nevada and return to Idaho with their illicit cargo. Prosecutors say Smith once helped kidnap a drug customer at gunpoint, to make sure a payment for a drug deal was made. U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson said there's been an alarming spike in high-potency methamphetamine coming from California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. Three others in Smith's drug ring previously received sentences of up to 16 years behind bars.

A man arrested after Spokane police found a suspected methamphetamine lab was said to be collecting his urine to use in the manufacturing of the drug.  Washington Department of Corrections probation officer Scott Wright tipped police to the suspected lab Wednesday at a home Michael Ward Baker, 54, shares with his elderly mother in the 4500 block of North Hawthorne Street, according to a search warrant. Wright said neighbors complained about dug activity in the home and another witness said Baker collects his urine “to be recycled for use in manufacturing methamphetamine,” according to the warrant/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.

Question: Do you need any other evidence that meth kills brain cells?

Six children were taken into protective custody in Bonner County today as detectives arrested three people for manufacturing methamphetamine.

Priest River residents Leuis Mark Blood, 44; Brandon N. Crump, 33; and Shauna L. Crump, 32, also face charges of injury to a child, according to the Bonner County Sheriff's Office. The suspects are pictured clockwise, left to right.

They were arrested today after investigators searched two homes at 352 and 358 Bandy Road in southern Bonner County, east of Hoodoo Lake and Spirit Lake Cutoff Road.

 The children are in the care of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Spokane police raided a suspected drug home in Hillyard for the fourth time in several months last week.

Suspect Thomas W. Grosstueck, 51, recently was released from jail because prosecutors didn't file charges within 72 hours as required.

Grosstueck already faces a felony meth distribution charge related to a SWAT team raid at his home at 3012 E. Olympic Ave. on July 6.

Spokane police Lt. Dave Richards said it was their third visit to the home in six months.

The police SWAT team raided the home again on July 29

Police saw 10 complaints about drug traffic at the home were filed between September 2009 and October 2010. That led police to employ a confidential informant, who once told them “there was a line of people waiting to purchase meth” at the home. “The CI sated that they were currently fourth in line,” according to a search warrant.

On July 26, police used confidential informant to buy meth at the home again. Grosstueck didn't have any of the drug for sale, but he smoked meth in front of the informant and had trace amounts of it on scales, which led to a judge authorizing the July 29 search.

Grosstueck to be arraigned on the drug charge from July 6 next week.

A longstanding methamphetamine was dismantled and its operator arrested recently in Blanchard, Idaho.

Wilifred J. Dechenne, 38, was “taken through a decontamination process” before being booked into the Bonner County Jail on charges of manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine.

A team from the Bonner County Sheriff's Office arrested Dechenne while executing a search warrant Thursday at noon in Blanchard.

A hazardous materials team and the Spirit Lake Fire Department assisted.

Detectives processed the scene for five hours “safely removing hazardous materials and taking evidence samples,” according to a news release.

Spokane, Washington. Ah, yes. There are so many reasons not to go there – the considerable excess of Wal-Marts, the tweaked-out, drug-addled zombie people, and for every Smartcar modestly obeying traffic in Seattle, there are two over sized, gas-guzzling pick-up trucks in Spokane running over flowers and babies. Yet here I am, making up a list of reasons why you should drive there on Friday. Well, it’s all about the love – G. Love, that is/Gwendolyn Elliott, Seattle Weekly. More here.

• Blogger Spovangelist reacts to dis by Seattle Weekly
• Daniel/Inlander tweet: “The Seattle Weekly making meth jokes about Spokane is a little like the Inlander writing the reason to drive to Seattle is the grunge scene.

Question: Can you list 3-4 good reasons to go to Spokane?

A Coeur d'Alene methamphetamine dealer arrested at gunpoint by the city's police chief was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison.

 Daniel W. Bisher, 36, was arrested in a sweeping methamphetamine investigation that has resulted in prison sentences for several North Idaho residents. He pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution of meth and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Bisher, who has previous felony convictions, will serve 168 months in prison, be on probation for five years, forfeit two firearms and perform 100 hours of community service, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ruled Monday.

Bisher was one of several people believed to have been supplied by Hector Palomera-Palomeras, who was sentenced last year. Bisher also was linked to the sale of methamphetamine in Montana.

He fled a stolen motorcycle Aug. 10 when Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo, backing up a patrol officer, chased him through the Appleway Avenue and Government Way area.

Bisher had a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun in his jacket and a knife in his pants pocket upon his arrest, as well as methamphetamine. Bisher told the FBI after his arrested that he'd bought about four pounds of methamphetamine from a source and Washington and from people involved with Palomera-Palomeras.

Other defendants sentenced in the case include Brenda Barron, Amber Larsen, Harold R. “Hank” Dillon, Daniel Napier, Charlotte Wilson, Randi Peil, Gregory Herron and N'Quala Bigman.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on meth charges after he raised the suspicions of feed store employees by purchasing two pounds of a substance commonly used to cut methamphetamine. 

Suspect Henry P. Bevans' dental health apparently didn't help: The complaint noted that Bevans was toothless when he purchased the methylsulfonylmethane at Aslin Finch feed store.

“The store manager advised that they carry MSM for horses but did not believe that Bevans was going to use it for horses,” according to search warrant. “The manager stated that Bevans did not have any teeth and stated he wanted to report the suspicious transaction believing that the transaction was methamphetamine related.”

Detectives used the warrant to search Bevan's room at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road, Feb. 2. They arrested him on a Department of Corrections escape warrant after a struggle and found meth in the room, as well as a scale and other drug paraphernalia.

Bevans, who has previous felony drug convictions, also had meth in his pocket, police said. He was booked into jail but released pending formal charges, which were filed Feb. 28.

He was arrested again March 9 and remains in custody after appearing in Superior Court on a drug charge. He's to be arraigned Thursday.

A new study concludes that a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to deter youths from trying methamphetamines has failed to speed up a long-standing decline in the drug’s use, the Associated Press reports. Economics researcher D. Mark Anderson of the University of Washington said Tuesday that abuse of the drug already was on the decline because of more aggressive law enforcement before the high-profile Montana Meth Project began in 2005. Identical programs have since been launched in seven other states: Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Wyoming, Colorado, Hawaii and Georgia; click below for a full report from AP reporter Matthew Brown.

Idaho has made much of a startling statistic - that teen meth use in the state dropped 52 percent from 2007 to 2009, the largest percentage drop of any state, just as the Idaho Meth Project was ramping up its graphic anti-meth TV ads and billboards. But that percentage was boosted by a small increase from 2005 to 2007; 11 states actually saw greater declines from 2005 to 2009, according to the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A separate, similar survey with a much larger sample size shows smaller, steadier drops in teen meth use in Idaho - similar to drops seen for the past decade nationwide.

That second survey, the Idaho School Climate Survey, has been conducted every other year since 1996, and it would have been administered to 15,000-plus Idaho teens again next month - except that state budget cuts have eliminated the funding. “It’s a huge blow,” said Matt McCarter, safe and drug-free schools coordinator for the Idaho State Department of Education. “We’ll lose the trend data. … It’s going to be a huge impact, because we’ll have less data to be able to inform programs, policy and funding.” He added, “It’s a blow to the program, but they’re impossible decisions. The money’s not there, and you’ve got to keep the lights on and the doors open and the janitors there.” You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.