WV: Public forum on drugs set for Thursday

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Public forum on drugs set for Thursday
The Herald-Dispatch | Herald-Dispatch.com | July 23, 2006

HUNTINGTON -- A public forum on drug abuse prevention, sponsored by The Herald-Dispatch, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, in the Rhododendron/Dogwood Room at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in downtown Huntington.

The public is encouraged to attend.

The program will include a panel discussion by local experts who bring a wide array of experiences dealing with substance abuse problems. There also will be an opportunity for questions from the audience and information about local programs.

Here is a look at the panelists:

Raymond Byrd is the father of Karen Stultz, 39, who was shot to death in April 2004 along Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington. Last year, a jury convicted Huntington teenager DeAaron Fields of killing Stultz. Prosecutors maintained during the trial that she was killed because of a $40 crack cocaine debt. Since then, Byrd has helped create a court-ordered drug treatment program in Lawrence County, Ky., called Stopping Addiction through Values and Education, or S.A.V.E. The program contains a mentor component and includes group sessions in which participants talk about drug education and faith.

Anne McGee is a project director with United Way of the River Cities. She is responsible for building and coordinating the newly formed Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership. The partnership was birthed from a 2003 survey that identified substance abuse issues as a major concern among local residents. To help address the problem, the United Way and other community partners applied for and received a yearlong prevention planning grant that will help develop a broad base of prevention programming.

Kim Miller is manager of Renaissance for Women through Prestera. The program helps women overcome drug addiction and allows their children to remain with them at the center.

Bill O'Dell is a community development specialist who works with the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center and the Marshall University Research Corporation. He is certified through the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals as a certified prevention specialist. He has a long history of working on topics such as youth development and leadership, alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention and community mobilization.

Carol Richard is a recovering drug addict. She began abusing marijuana and became addicted to methamphetamine several years ago. In 2005, Richard, a mother of two, completed a six-month stay at the Renaissance Program for women. The program helps women overcome addiction while allowing them to remain with their children.

Bennie Thomas has been a part of the Cabell County school system for 35 years. A retired teacher and later director of attendance, Thomas is now a member of the Cabell County Board of Education. Thomas said he enjoyed the time working with students who were often at risk of not graduating and "on the lower end of the totem pole."

Brent Walters has been an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cabell County for more than five years. His primary assignment is to handle all juvenile prosecutions. Walters also represents the prosecutor's office in the Juvenile Drug Court in Cabell County, which is the only juvenile drug court operating in West Virginia. He also has had special training in and spoken on gang violence and prosecution of gang members.