WOMAN FACING DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH TWO POUNDS OF SUSPECTED METH

A Poplar Bluff woman is facing a drug trafficking charge after she was allegedly found in possession of two pounds of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

Investigator Randle Huddleston with the Butler County Sheriff’s Department tells us more about the arrest.

RANDLE HUDDLESTON:

On Monday afternoon, at around 5:30 pm I was contacted by Department of Revenue Criminal Investigative Division. One of their agents called and requested backup at South Main Street in front of Dollar General in reference to a license plate that had been altered. I arrived on scene, the department of revenue investigator made contact with the driver and sole operator of the vehicle who identified herself as Angela Hays. While speaking with her about the license plate, I began to pick up on some indicators that she was possibly involved in illegal narcotics activity. I confronted her with those assumptions and upon questioning her about that she indicated that she was on probation for possession of narcotics and that she had been to prison for that offense. She further stated that she had used recently, putting all of those indicators together, I asked consent to search the vehicle. She denied consent at that point in time. I contacted K-9 handler Duckett with the Poplar Bluff Police Department, he arrived with his K-9. A free air sniff of the vehicle was conducted. K-9 alerted on the vehicle as to the presence of the odor of narcotics and a search was then conducted on the vehicle at which time a large amount of suspected crystal methamphetamine was located along with scales and other items used for sales of illegal narcotics. Along with that was a small amount of marijuana, some other paraphernalia that is used for drug use, as well as approximately $5,000 in cash money, All of which was seized and put into evidence. With the amount of methamphetamine that was there in the vehicle, if you break it down into grams for sales, which is normally how methamphetamine is sold on the street level, approximately $70,000 worth of methamphetamine is what is suspected to be in the vehicle. At this point in time, Angela Hays is incarcerated in the Butler County Jail and is being charged with trafficking methamphetamine which is a Class A felony.

Hays remained in custody as of this morning and no bond has been set.

PLANE CRASHES IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Authorities were at the scene of a plane crash Tuesday in Northeast Arkansas.

Greene County Sheriff David Carter tells KWOC News that the plane clipped a highline wire and then crashed into a fish farm pond near Highway 135.

Carter says that the pilot walked away uninjured.

PIPE REPLACEMENT TO CAUSE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF WAYNE COUNTY ROAD

Route 49 in Wayne County will be closed both today and tomorrow as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway.

According to MoDot, the work zone will be located from Route A to Mill Spring.

Weather permitting, work will be performed today and tomorrow from 8 am to 3 pm daily.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI LOOKING AT POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT

Southeast Missouri is looking at the possibility of thunderstorms today and weather officials say that we could see some severe storms as well.

According to a hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service, numerous thunderstorms are forecast for today through Thursday morning. A few severe storms will also be possible this afternoon and tonight.

The primary concerns related to the storms will be damaging winds and large hail. There could also be flooding issues possible in locations that experience multiple rounds of storms.

11 ARRESTED, TWO AT LARGE IN CONNECTION TO METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING RING

11 people have been arrested and authorities are still looking for two others in connection to an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in Blytheville.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, the joint DEA-ATF investigation began in mid-2015, with a series of smaller controlled purchases of methamphetamine from targets in Missouri.

Eventually, as law enforcement informants increased the amounts of methamphetamine they purchased, these targets brought the informants to their main meth suppliers in Blytheville to buy larger amounts, up to quarter-pounds at a time.

All told, law enforcement directly purchased more than one kilogram of methamphetamine from the Arther James and Robert Brown drug-trafficking organization in 17 controlled purchases.

Six of the defendants were arrested in Blytheville, while defendants were also arrested in Malden, Steele, and Jonesboro. Two others were served arrest warrants while incarcerated in the Dunklin County jail.

Officials say that two of the indicted individuals, 34 year old Brad Vernon, of Gosnell, and 30 year old Joseph Riley, of Blytheville, are still at large. A full list of the subjects arrested is available online at KWOC.com.

STUDENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI TO PARTICIPATE IN GREAT CENTRAL US SHAKEOUT

Students across Southeast Missouri will be participating in the Great Central U.S. Shakeout drill on Thursday.

During the drill, students will practice what they need to do when an earthquake hits, including the "Drop, Cover and Hold On" protocol, which has students drop to the ground, take cover by getting under a desk or table, and hold on.

The drill will be held tomorrow at 10:20 am.

PAVEMENT REPAIR PROJECT TO BEGIN TODAY IN PEMISCOT COUNTY

Route A in Pemiscot County will be reduced to one lane with an 8-foot width restriction through the end of the month so contractor crews can perform pavement repairs.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, work will take place today through Sunday, October 30th from 6 am to 7 pm, each day.

The section of roadway to be affected is located between Route EE and the I-55 interchange.