Teens  (by: Edel  -   7/9/2009)

Lock 'em up and throw away the key. These are tomorrows pushers, pimps & prostitutes. Hats off to HCSO for the arrests. I loved the one about "they just smoked all day and popped pills, that's all". How the #!&%* are they gonna support themselves in the future idiot? Genetics my a**! It's a matter of choice. I've seen many brilliant children of worthless parents. These kids were like ships without sails. I'd arrest all the parents too!

i know them all personally   (by: trista  -   7/8/2009)

I know Kiefer and Ashley.These kids are not bad kids there regular kids just trying to find there own way in this world. They never hurt or killed anybody.Yes they did sit around and smoke weed all day and take pills but its not like they were out shooting people.This is rediculas I will stand behind and support these kids.

Neighbors  (by: FED-UP  -   7/8/2009)

It's a shame that young people are letting the quick and easy money that dealing drugs brings and don't seem to care about the consequences. I have three neighbors right now that would probably make these four youths look like saints. There's a guy, his girlfriend, and worst of all the girls fifty year old or so mother. The guy and the girl are probably the same age as the four that got arrested,and probably knew them all. These folks moved in the rental home the first few days of May this year,and it has been steady business ever since. The first couple of weeks I thought that they just had alot of friends stopping by for a short visit (A VERY SHORT VISIT) all day everyday.Then that slowed and the young guy living there started doing the the deliveries himself,up to four an hour.Any time his highdollar truck left it wouldn't be gone more than eight minutes at a time.Now that has pretty much slowed and they have three or four designated highdollar new vehicles stop by for a few minutes at a time.Some don't even bother getting out of their vehicles.At 11:20 lastnight the usual 2009 F-250 custom diesel truck did just that.This is probably a 50,000 dollar truck.I have worked my whole life and can't afford a truck like that.And the thing is that all of the vehicles that come there now are in this price range.Nobody "EVER" gets up to go to work.you won't even hear anybody stirring over there til 10:30 or so in the morning,maybe.They are always bringing home new toys such as $6000.00 ATV,S, a new horse,a new Toyota Highbrid,bags of new cloths and shoes,etc.,etc.This was just last week.We live out where it will be very hard to keep an eye on these folks without being spotted,on Williams Rd.in L.P.They are very sly and have a tight knit group.I contacted FDLE and they said they don't deal with things like that,and ask me to contact a dedective with the sheriff's dept.I was trying to avoid that at all cost,why do you think so many grow houses use this area,because they know what a bunch of slackers we have minding the store.They know they may get caught just like my neighbors,and just like the gang on Sparta but they will make a pile of money in the meantime,and that my friends is exactly why they risk it.If anyone has any suggestions how to eliminate this bunch of scum,please let me know.I beleive our local "Good Ol Boys"would just screw it up

Teens Arrested  (by: Amy  -   7/7/2009)

I graduated high school in May and went to school with all 4 of these kids. It is very disappointing to see my fellow classmates arrested. But if they were using the drugs, then them being arrested is a blessing in disguise that they don't have access to drugs right now.

SAME OLE  (by: concerned  -   7/7/2009)

was john cassel the one that got in an accident a month ago by the storage units and an occupant died. I remember everybody crying and saying drugs were not involved. explain this now

Dr. Nelson  (by: mbaker  -   7/6/2009)

Dr. Nelson, nice to hear from you again, but I have to make the same argument with you again as I did with you in the past. I agree with most of what you say, but are you suggesting that adiction is a "symptom of a more profound problem by a lack of life decisions guiding values" and not genetics?. From what I understand, addiction is brought about primarily from genetics and not from by any life decision or event. It is common as you are aware, for addicts to state that their problem is due to this some event or situation. I am sure you also are aware of this, but addicts can become addicted by their first drink or drug use. Many people try drugs and alcohol, but only a small percentage actuall become addicted. I know you said in the past you worked with convicts who as a population often have a bad start in life to begin with. If someone told me they became addicted because of some outside environmental factor, I would automatically question them their family history and also recognize their propensity to become addicted again because of genetics. Of course, knowing how to managing their disease is the only way to avold them from becoming addicted again. I feel that by allowing them to transfer blame on something else is only allowing them from facing their real problem. As you know, this is a life long disease that they must continually fight, and avoiding what they say caused it is not going to eliminate the disease. Neither one of these individuals arrested may have been addicted, let's hope not, but may have only been enjoying the affect of the drug and from the money derived from selling the drugs. l be looking forward in hearing from your reply, and have a good day

Dr. Nelson  (by: cje  -   7/6/2009)

Maybe more mandatory education in the schools would help. It is so sad to see such beautiful young people in this much trouble.

Drug Use  (by: Guest  -   7/5/2009)

Yeah, what he said....

Teen Drug Use  (by: Dr. Nelson  -   7/5/2009)

I am somewhat baffled by much of the response. 1. Drug Addiction is blind to color, race, class, sex, occupation, or any other distinctions we as a society may make. When these young people began taking drugs they began changing their brain chemistry in ways they could not forsee without education on the subject and intervention before they began. 2. Illegal drug possession is still illegal. We could end this cost by making drugs legal or at least decriminalized. Of course, we would simply be moving the cost from a legal framework to a mental health and social cost framework as addiction begins to take its toll on each addict. In the end much of the legal problem falls more under the context of theft and violence than actual drug charges. Missed work spawned by people whose personality and lifestyle is being changed with every use costs society from a grass roots level. Watch a teen making straight "A's" and involved in after school events change dramatically and negatively when they begin drug use. Take out law enforcement and the court system during this present cultural challenge and we simply move the cost from one arena to another, or worse, invite chaos. 3. The evidence from studies of the past 25 plus years is overwheming. Treatment is the only solution for addiction with short and long term positive outcomes - and addiction causes crime - whether the substance used is legal or illegal. The only solution is to attack drug abuse head-on with education, treatment, and taking advantage of every level of government and community action like support groups and volunteer peer and mentors trained by professionals. WWW.drugfreehighlands.org offers information about the difference these efforts are making right here in Highlands County, including links to most evidenced-based and faith-based outreaches in the county. 4. Much of the problem is not addiction based. Addiction is the symptom of a more profound problem of the lack of life decision guiding values. Overwhelming most addicts I have treated are filled with resentment and anger fueled by a lack of purpose and destiny. They are floating in a "whatever feels good" or "Oh Whatever" existence that leaves them vulnerable to the quick fix for pain offered by drugs. My greatest hope is more people from every background get more involved in solutions that are working where they are introduced.

Shame  (by: DixieE  -   7/4/2009)

Ashley has such a beautiful face and so innocent looking. What a shame this is and what a waste of all of the potential of these four "children." How sad!

  (by: LP Alumni   -   7/3/2009)

sad thing is, kiefer's dad is an 8th grade history teacher at LPMS!

Sebring teens jailed  (by: BoB  -   7/3/2009)

You sure figured that one out in a hurry. Saved the taxpayers a bundle. Are you going to take them to court and prosicute for us also ? Same price (free).

hahahahaha  (by: concerned citizen  -   7/3/2009)

bunch of droupouts trying to make some money...can you blame them? the economy is bad!!