Drug task force busts two meth labs

Local News

Related Photos

June 1, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Mon Jun 01, 2009, 08:34 PM EDT

Somerset — The Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force, headquartered in Pulaski County, made two significant methamphetamine lab discoveries last weekend — but not before a toddler died as a result of exposure to chemicals at a Wayne County lab.

On Friday, LCADTF agents arrested Earl David Daulton, 41, of Burnside, charging him with first-degree trafficking in methamphetamine.

Agents had investigated a meth lab at Daulton’s home on Wildwood Drive earlier.

Daulton was arrested at the Burnside residence of Mikkle Hampton during an execution of a search warrant at Hampton’s home.

During the raid, agents seized an active meth lab, chemicals, lab equipment, and methamphetamine.

An investigation into the incident is continuing, and more suspects are expected to be brought before a Pulaski Circuit Court grand jury or a U.S. District Court federal grand jury.

Daulton was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $25,000 cash bond.

The Burnside Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, and the Burnside Fire Department assisted at the scene.

Early Sunday morning, LCADTF agents were called to the scene of another meth lab in Wayne County. A search warrant was executed at two Boston Hill Road homes after a 20-month-old child died at the Wayne County Hospital late Saturday from ingesting chemicals at one of the homes.

Kentucky State Police are still investigating the death of the child.

The male child apparently drank caustic chemicals related to the production of methamphetamine at the residence.

The child’s 14-year-old mother and 19-year-old father have been charged with murder and with manufacturing methamphetamine. Kentucky State Police did not release the mother’s name because she is a juvenile. The father has been identified as Bryan Daniels of Monticello, according to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Four other Monticello residents were charged in connection with the incident. Danny Anderson II, 26, James Hunt, 24, Alisha Dicken, 21, and Wesley Bell, 24, were all charged with manufacturing methamphetamine.

A total of 26 methamphetamine labs have been seized by the LCADTF so far during 2009.

Text Only

Local News

Visitors rave about beauty of Lake Cumberland in May
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Mopar Mania to highlight Cruise
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
‘Dry’ forces concerned about wet signs
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Pulaski’s Memorial Day weekend to be packed
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Locally-born Rotary leader Pigman dies at 78
May 24, 2012
Technology summit gets underway
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Local Democrats diss Obama
May 23, 2012
Floyd edges incumbent in city council run-off
May 23, 2012
Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
Pine Knot man leads law enforcement on chase
May 22, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Drug task force busts two meth labs

Site Map