# crime and drive bys getting closer



## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

a driveby shooting. Well they are saying it wasn't technically a drive by since they sorta stopped and then shot. 

is this something else that we need to prepare and prep for while living in small towns. Granted I live on the mountain but town has post office, grocery, library and schools. 

this happened Sunday, right near the elementary school. School went on as usual on Monday. Yes, there's a prescription drug problem in Appalachia, but now it seems we have the Ohio guy and the Detroit guy going at it in town. Victim is back home and not cooperating with police. Go figure.

so, how do prep for this? 15 miles from my home on the street I drive on to get to post office.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Keep a shotgun on the porch, and shoot back if need be...

I've got things like this happening only blocks from me... so yes, I usually have a loaded gun on me, or close by... .

My local 7-11 has been robbed a few times with a gun.. Our Denny's got shot up one late night... we've had beheadings and the bodies found within a few miles... 
Lots of MS-13 in our area.. along with a few other clicks and gangs..


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

this is small town west Virginia. I'm starting to think that I'm back in new York.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Well.. my small town WV.. one guy there went to jail for taking an ax to his niece's car.. with her in it... and his step daughter has been missing now for three years... 

Not to mention, his aunt and grandmonther have been missing for a few years too... They recently arrested a couple guys for it, but they got released... still watching that one.. 

Oh, ,and then there was the guy that was missing over a winter, and they end up finding him in the creek behind the Sheriff's house.. 

OH, and then there was another guy the sister killed off, and what was then the Deputy is somewhat implicated, but now he's the Sheriff... Still no one in jail over that.. 

There's a long list in that rural community.. 

Heck.. just two weekends ago, one of the first guy's nieces drove her car through my yard drunk.. .then last year that first guy put a friends truck in my creek while drunk.. 

It doesn't matter where you live..small town or big city... someone's up to no good.. Only you can protect yourself..


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

I just read your above post to my hubby. He said he would just prefer to worry about yogi.

our chief of the city police, was once a state trooper. He was fired for raping a prostitute if I remember correctly. He is also married to the mayors daughter. The sheriff has two daughters in jail for drugs. His granddaughter is in jail for drugs. The granddaughter and our daughter were both officially sentenced yesterday. The sheriff was the law officer in the courtroom. 

we had a body show up last year when the road crew came to clean the ditches. She had been missing for about 2 years, her mother did it.

friend across the mountain from us called about a month ago. Seems some jerk decided to try and outrun the cops by coming up the mountain. They hit a deer and took off running thru the woods headed to our place. Nothing like sleeping with the rifle at arms reach.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Oh yeah.. Rural places have their share of problems.. 

OH.. I forgot another recent one.. They had a gathering at the VFD near my house... (I'll be joining the department after we move there) anyway, drunk guy shows back up after an argument with a gun... he went to jail.. 

Lots of guys I know in that area all carry... They have concealed permits, but no one seems to do much to hide them... I've seen guns on guys that I wouldn't have expected them to carry... Many out there take care of their own problems.. they don't much trust the cops to be on the right side, or to get there very fast.. 

Speaking of your daughter.. my wife just found out Sunday they gave her son 3 more years... Sad, but it seems like every time they let him out, he just wants to do all he can to get right back in... Maybe some day he'll wake up.. I hope your daughter figures it out with one time..

Here's the girl that's been missing.. Since you're in WV, you may have heard about her.. It was on the national news for a good while.. 
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Search_Continues_for_Missing_3-year-old_WVa_Girl__130568983.html


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

considering where the shooting happened and the people involved my hubby and I were very happy that we knew where our daughter was. She could have been there.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Yeah.. that's the sad part of rural living too.. not much to do for kids, and it's real easy to end up in the wrong place with the wrong crowd..


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## Becka (Mar 15, 2008)

Semi, I had missed that the girl's body was found. I kind of figured the mom did it.

Lindamarie, I think a lot of the problems here in WV are from drugs getting brought in from other states. Still, it seems much of the crime is between people who know each other. I try to run my errands during the weekdays when most people are at work and kids are at school. Anymore, if it's the weekend, I stay home except for church. Too much traffic, too many people out shopping. So many people are getting their purses snatched or buggies of food stolen in broad daylight on the weekends.

Shop the mom-and-pop stores if you have any. If you have to go to the big box stores, early Monday morning is good because the dopeheads are sleeping it off from the weekend (we hope!) When you fill the gas tank, face your car so you can pull right out without being trapped behind another car in front of you. Actually, it's a good idea to do that anywhere. Have your keys in your hand as you walk to your car, and don't fumble around in your purse while you're walking to/from buildings. Be aware of your surroundings. I'm having to be more cautious of this as we have so many people coming up, even to the car, asking for money. The quicker you get in and out, the better.


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

its either the water or air over east , think I will stay right where I am


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

We're famous for having our own brand of law in this county, but it is nothing compared to what you all are dealing with.


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

wild and wonderful west Virginia!!!!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

lindamarie said:


> considering where the shooting happened and the people involved my hubby and I were very happy that we knew where our daughter was. She could have been there.


You found a Silver Lining!!!


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

The drug stories are never ending. The cops recently took a kid to the grandmother's because the mother had issues. The cops ended up busting grandma for cooking meth in the kitchen. The woman is in her 70's. 

One of the unincorporated towns has had cars with NY and NC plates show up in the middle of the night claiming to be lost. That place is so far out of the way, you can't get there by being lost. It has to be on purpose. The drug emporium is run out of the grocery store. The feds did bust one family for a grow operation. Local law enforcement does nothing. Not sure what happened to the local arson


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

Ohio dreamer said:


> You found a Silver Lining!!!


Jen.....im falling apart. Silver lining or not, I'm a mess.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

BTW linda... Darren is just adding to the stories of the area I'm talking about.. he lives there too... 

If you get down to it, Rural America has a lot worse drug problem than a lot of cities do if you look at things per capita..

You can't let things get to you.. You have to live your life, and realize those around you chose to live things their way, and nothing you can do to change their choices... I know it's easier to say than do... Things can always be worse.. we gotta look at the good side of things and realsie they weren't worse..


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

Simi....thanks, I think I'm still in shock.

here's something to consider our former mayor, its her daughter who Obama tapped to take over for sebilious(sp). She was also mayor at the time the our current chief of police was hired. You know the was the trooper that was fired, and is son in law of current mayor.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Huh.. interesting stuff.. I know it's not easy for you.. It's still not for my wife, and this is I think the 4th time? I know three sentences for sure.. but a lot of other time served in between there.... She has somewhat learned to let got and not let it eat at her.. that's all you can do.. 

Kind of like when my wife reminds me of one of my sayings when I get worked up over something... "Why worry about something you don't have the ability to change, or that usually never comes to pass. All it will do is make you sick... "


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

Darren....we are so far out of the way, and have several locked gates to get thru. We had to jokers show up on a 4-wheeler a few years ago. It was the middle of the night. My hubby had just had knee surgery and couldn't get down the stairs before me. I go running outside and ask what the heck they want. They told me they were lost and looking for their dog. They were lit up higher than a kite. I told them they were trespassing and get out. Come to find out the next day right before they showed up at our place they had tried to break in somewhere else. After they left here, they went and stole some guys horse. At least tried too, the guy caught them in the act and beat the beans out of them. One of the guys had just gotten out of jail and was wearing an ankle bracelet.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

It's always a family affair. The joke in this county is everyone is related to each other. I thought I was an exception being an immigrant from another county until my next door neighbor and I got talking. Turns out we're probably distant cousins.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

LOL.. home confinement.. The guy I've been talking about is on home confinement, and the joke around the area is, he's gone more than home.. Well.. it's not a joke.. it's pretty much true.. There for a while I saw him walking to his sisters every day... 

I'm hoping I never have a run in again with him... I really don't need the problems of the aftermath... at least it's not just me that has issues with the guy.. pretty much the whole area..


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

lindamarie said:


> Darren....we are so far out of the way, and have several locked gates to get thru. We had to jokers show up on a 4-wheeler a few years ago. It was the middle of the night. My hubby had just had knee surgery and couldn't get down the stairs before me. I go running outside and ask what the heck they want. They told me they were lost and looking for their dog. They were lit up higher than a kite. I told them they were trespassing and get out. Come to find out the next day right before they showed up at our place they had tried to break in somewhere else. After they left here, they went and stole some guys horse. At least tried too, the guy caught them in the act and beat the beans out of them. One of the guys had just gotten out of jail and was wearing an ankle bracelet.


Hopefully you have your list of the naughty ones. The local website always posts the mug shots from the regional jail of the recently arrested. Around here, you have to keep tabs on the Joneses and what they're up to..


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Linda.. when you feel overwhelmed, Just check out videos of Mamie White, Jesco, Sue Bob and the rest of the Whites of WV clan.. They'll make you feel pretty normal, even with your issue..


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## sand flea (Sep 1, 2013)

lindamarie:

I've got a daughter that went through something (that it sounds like) yours is. It got pretty ugly last year, this time. Sometimes, that's what it takes to get them to change direction. At least mine has - and yes, my fingers are STILL crossed - because once that level of trust is destroyed, it's really hard to rebuild it. My other daughter & I are still recovering. I figure it'll be another few years yet - if ever - before D#1 realizes how she hurt the people around her.

Just look for some little thing each day - the birds chirping, sun shining, giggly kids - to remind yourself that the best of life and worst of it, too - always co-exist. We can hold on to what we choose... and let go, until we have to deal with... the other.

<<<Hugs>>>


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Hey Darren.. I just read another interesting one.. Earlier this year a guy from Weston crashed his car and killed a guy on Murphy Creek Road while drunk... Now it appears he got drunk and ran his car off the road on the same road again...... I would say unbelievable, but nothing surprises me any more..


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

We had a dealer here who bragged he'd never be caught because he always got a call from the court house if someone was coming after him. He wrecked his truck a few years ago and killed himself. I always wondered if his wife knew what he was doing, She managed a convenince store and seemed OK. She's now up on drug charges.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

lindamarie said:


> Jen.....im falling apart. Silver lining or not, I'm a mess.


I'm sure you are, but if you keep finding little "good nuggets" here and there, eventually you will start feeling good again. You have to have a bunch of "good nuggets" in your basket before you will start feeling their effects. <<HUGS>>


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## Phil V. (May 31, 2013)

There was a drug raid in the next county south of where I live. They got 582 lbs. of marijuana out of one place.


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## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

I live in a rural area. Last year they found a dead body in a wooden box just down the road from us. She was from a town 30 minutes north of us and it was drugs. My grandkids are in a small school district, elementary, intermediate, and jr high/high school are in 3 different towns, all are about 6, 8 to 12 miles apart. In the town with the intermediate school they had a double homicide just across from the ball field. 2 sisters were killed, babies left unharmed and he dumped them in fields. Took a couple of days to find them. He was high on drugs. Pop. of these towns are around 400-500.

When my middle granddaughter had her little graduation ceremony from pre-school (same town as the intermediate school) we had a high speed chase thru town with some escaped convicts from KS. Police and choppers were everywhere as they were finally surrounded in a house they broke into, just a couple miles from where we were. They tried to kidnap the mayor as they came thru town. Several people had smart phones so we were able to keep up, on tv, with where they thought they were, in case we had to leave early, or stay in place.

I grew up in this area in a small village (pop. 140) and went to school in another town 6 miles away. A couple of years ago a guy killed a girl in the school town and then tried to kill another girl in the village I grew up in. I went to high school with a murderer. He was a couple of years behind me, but I had 74 in my graduating class so this was a small school. I had already graduated a couple of years before, was married and had a daughter. He was 17, a senior, and kidnapped a 14 years old freshman from her driveway after she got off the bus. She was best friends with my ex sis-in-law. They were suppose to meet at the football game that night. He only spent about 10 years in jail. My ex sis-in-law actually ran into him after he got out. He recognized her and she him. He started following her and she went straight to the mall security office and told them the situation and they escorted her to her car. He was in southern MO a couple of years ago and got into trouble again by pretending to be ex police and showing up at crimes scenes offering to help. His parents live just a couple miles from my dad.

They are many more stories. I don't think anyplace is immune anymore.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Around here, drugs are a serious problem. We are not far from the Philly to NY corridor. And meth labs getting busted regularly.
I don't think there are many safe havens any more.
Best to be on your guard.

Matt


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## palm farmer (Jan 3, 2014)

awwww shucks y'all only think you got issues. Our farm is six miles north of the river, the Rio Grande river. all that stuff is the norm and anything under 750 pounds is personal use, and that is broad spectrum, meth,weed,coke,heroin, or viagra. Our sheriff is going to jail on corruption charges, his sons already there for the same, county commissioners are all under fed investigation same thing with city council AND school board. The deputy who took the sheriffs place, he will end up next to the current one, and the one before him too. 
Don't let it get to you, the whole world over has problems and issues, focus on the good times and good things and strive to make it a better place in small simple ways. A good set of ceramic plates and strategically placed long arms won't hurt nothing either


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

just heard yesterday that someone on the inside ripped off the little league funds.


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

were is that guy from justified when you need him


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

what's a justified?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

planters . lots of planters 

big planters 

16 inches of dirt stops most all bullets , so if your house is low and the planters are positioned so that they will be in the path of fire so that if you were laying on the floor the planters would take all the fire , 55 gallon drums painted and filled with dirt and flowers or other plants at a convenient height for standing and gardening 

the first round is a hard one to beat if the first round finds you thats tough but by 2 or 3 you should be on the floor looking for your own gun to cover the door , chances are they have the wrong house and will empty mags and move on , cameras are a good idea so you can get the footage for the police to go pick them up . firing back? they are likely to be on the gas and fleeing before you can get a shot off , and that could lead to lack of justification in some places not saying I wouldn't necessarily try but not sure it is good advice , back to the cameras being a good idea it would let you see what is happening without putting your head up if you had the monitor so you could see it from the floor

so i think stay put keep low and cover the door 

gravel is also a good medium for stopping bullets if a person was trying to harden a house framing out 2x6x 4 foot tall boxes with plywood on both sides panels that could be stood up against walls and screwed to the studs and filled with gravel then the top 2x6 or for a nice book shelf 2x8 board screwed down this would also as tons of thermal mass to your house so when you got it warm it would stay warm longer and when it was cool it would stay longer 

these apparently work well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesco_bastion the army likes them , easy to set up but the same idea as the big planters 

also i remember seeing a video with armor percng 30-06 rounds , now back in WWII soldiers wer trained that these would go through 4 inch concrete walls they indeed do but 6 , 8 an 10 inch took more than 1 hit , so if your shooter has all day they can cut down a 10 inch thick concrete wall but that's a lot of AP ammo


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

it is a TV show about an appellation marshal who try's to make things right at least in his own mind. He gets into some bad scrapes and manages to shoot his way out. I believe it is on A&E I used to watch it but I got tired of all the killing.


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## davel745 (Feb 2, 2009)

lindamarie said:


> just heard yesterday that someone on the inside ripped off the little league funds.


I liked your post because I wanted to show support for you not because I liked some one stealing. they are doing a lot of natural gas drilling here in our area and it is noisy and dusty. in my neighbor hood drugs are rampart too.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

ripped of little league, that is so much more common than most realize , we have/had special rules in place for a number of years for the cub scout pack , had a bad treasuere embezzle the hole bank account , took years to make back that money in the account , now all checks require a double signature and are approved by committee first. It wasn't a lot of mony but when you make just barely more than you spend in a year with fund raisers and your looking to have a bit of a cushion for when you spend it in the spring and summer and don't get i back till fall fund raiser 

girl scouts had some protections in place also 

the girl scout council started making people pay for cookies up front and would buy back unsold cases , that seemed like a better solution to the many many people they were sending to collections 

at our former church , the secretary took the church for hundreds of thousands , funny thing is while we were there she looked like the biggest giver to every thing turns out she would pay her bills with the church check book then write a check half of that to the church and look great for sponsoring this that or the other.

they think oh i just need to make the house payment on the 30th and i am getting paid the 3rd it will be ok they may even pay it back the first time , then they don't get caught it happens again , one day they can't pay it back then they hide it best they can it becomes their own credit account till they get caught


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

in the 2 1/2 weeks my daughter has been in jail (drugs), we have had the shooting and 3 days ago a stabbing. Both drug related. I'm still adjusting to get being in jail and all the guilt feelings and other inadequacy I feel as a mom, but she's alive, not in a ditch, overdosing or getting shot at or stabbed. 

thanks for explaing justice. I have not had tv in years. Sounds kinda like the old walking tall movies. Boy, did I just age myself.


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## palm farmer (Jan 3, 2014)

one of our ex school board members who was already on federal probation just got indicted on ANOTHER case of accepting bribes for construction contracts this week, I am just arm chair quarter backing but I am guessing his indictment was issued first so he will sing on all the others....if they don't kill him first, and a secretary at the school that got built by contractor and architect who doled out the bribes quit today over missing candy money from kids fundraisers...i promise i am not making this up


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

I believe you. Only writers in Hollywood could make this stuff up. 

about two years ago we had a string of arsons. Then we had another yahoo set an entire block of attached townhomes on fire. It was over drugs. He first set the drug suppliers house on fire, then got mad and poured diesel fuel on the roof of one of the townhouses. It was the middle of the night, winter just starting.

a few months ago we had one of the employees at the local McDonalds threaten to shoot everyone, a few years back an 18 month old was killed by ger mom and the moms boyfriend.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

My wife is the treasurer for our cub scouts. Double signatures are optional, but she insists on a monthly account review with the committee, as there is also a debit card as well. Always to the penny. We have a dependable bunch here...for now. It could easily change, so we stay vigilant.
It is sad to see it so often...crimes that hurt children.

Matt


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

its sad when money goes missing from kids clubs, etc. A lot of times those clubs are the only thing those kids have. I personally think people are going to a whole new low lately


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

We had a sheriff's deputy (tax clerk) steal cash from property tax payments made at the court house. How dumb is that? People were understandably upset when they saw their names on the delinquent list after all they had receipts from paying! AFAIK, she lost her job but was never charged. The newly elected sheriff who was the chief deputy before, asked the county commission for an audit of the sheriff's department. They refused. 

Another community spirited volunteer helped herself to money from the snack sales at the high school sports events held in the gym.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Funny you mention that today Darren.. I just got done filling out a tax form last night that came from Clarksburg... Asking basically the same questions that were asked on the Gilmer County tax questionnaire.. 

The letter said it was the state making sure the counties were taxing things correctly.. I told my wife it was probably more to make sure the county wasn't ripping off the state... 

And now we know.....


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I'm not surprised. It's not a question of the counties ripping off the state. It's the state thinking the counties haven't squeezed enough blood out of the stones. The state has set standards for assessments trying to increase revenue. A lot of folks assessed out of Weston have been complaining about higher taxes. The assessor there just quit. Some were happy to see him leave. 

Assessors have some leeway. The one in Gilmer county tries to be fair.. FWIW, none of the assessors handle any money. There's been a drop in total assessed value here which has dropped the commissioner's salaries. They weren't happy about that. AFAIK, that was due to changes in things the state assesses and collects.

There are rumors of layoffs coming at the court house so there may be something to other rumors about finances. The county was supposed to have almost $200,000 left over at the end of the fiscal year. I'm not sure what happened to that. 

We just went through a back and forth discussion/argument with the commission about the use of our old fire station. We finally nailed them and got a lease signed that ultimately could force them to renovate or replace the ambulance authority building. That took about 6 months. 

It's business as usual. I've lost track of how many studies and volunteer groups have focused on the city or county to no avail.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

hhhhmmm.. Interesting stuff... I'm kinda afraid to see what my taxes are going to be this year.. Last year we were taxed at the previous owners over 65 rate... I figure maybe double or close to triple... but it's still gonna be cheap compared to this area.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

You'll lose the homestead exemption. If you can justify classification as a farm you can still get a break. 

Some info on the homestead exemption. I didn't know it was in the constitution.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201206260155


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

in my county, the sheriff seems pretty good, locked up his two daughters, granddaughter and grandson for drugs. Our former mayor is the mother of obamas pick to replace sebilious(sp), county commissioner is the bail bondsman. He made a fortune in the drug sweep. When he called to talk to me about my daughters bond, he reminded me to vote for him. Everytime I leave my little piece of heaven in the woods on this mountain to go to town, I make sure to bring aspirin, Rolaids and a thermos of coffee. Going to town is an adventure


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Tough love!


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

Darren....im learning. Every night that she's in jail I breathe a little easier. I know where she is. No matter how much I love her, she is the only one who can get herself clean. Tough love is always hardest on the parents.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Darren said:


> We had a sheriff's deputy (tax clerk) steal cash from property tax payments made at the court house. How dumb is that? People were understandably upset when they saw their names on the delinquent list after all they had receipts from paying! AFAIK, she lost her job but was never charged. The newly elected sheriff who was the chief deputy before, asked the county commission for an audit of the sheriff's department. They refused.
> 
> Another community spirited volunteer helped herself to money from the snack sales at the high school sports events held in the gym.


We had a sheriff arrested for selling a confiscated gun, My old high school superintendent moved back to his home town and was charged there with embezzlement. I'm sure at least on busy booster club leader wouldn't stand up to very much scrutiny here about how money is handled.

It goes on at every level of government .


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## palm farmer (Jan 3, 2014)

our economic development committee has been ransacked by city council members, one of their appointees is a guy who bankrupted the boys n girls club chapter and the chapter owes the IRS big money in back taxes, so his buddy the city manager has been making his payments to BNGC out of discretionary emergency fund.....this same group of EDC and city coundcil members also owns a small internet collection agency that charges you a dollar if you pay your city water bill online, thick as thieves and corruption that knows no limits


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## MrSmith (Jun 24, 2009)

I live in the capital of iowa. A small/medium sized city I believe. Like everywhere, there are bad parts of town, and theft and small crimes happen everywhere. We certainly don't leave anything unlocked for fear of theft. 
However, in the last couple years I took a night job on the weekends at a hotel, that allows me to listen to a police scanner. I am amazed at the number of shootings that happen on a nightly basis (at least on the weekends) that never make the news. I only listen for an hour or two total between interruptions (work) so I'm sure I miss more than I hear. This was a busy weekend for me, and I would estimate I only listened for an hour total each night. While I was listening two people were shot Friday night, and one person was shot Saturday, and I heard at least five other shots fired calls. If nobody is hit, or caught in the act, the police just collect what shell casings they can find and assign a case number. 
I would suggest that many of us living in even small cities don't have an inkling of the amount of major crime that goes on around us on a daily basis. It certainly opened my eyes.


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## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

Corruption in small towns (pop. 500 or less) is just as bad. We are 20 minutes from the town my daughter lives in. We lived there when we first moved back here from CO. My daughter is an EMT and the company has ambulances in 3 towns and services the northern portion of our county and the one just east of us. They were looking to build a new station in her town. Knowing this, one of the board members bought property right next to the interstate. He then colluded with others on the board and told them to say bidding was closed and then he "sold" the property to them for 3 to 4 times more than he paid for it. He made a big profit on the sale.

People started talking it was not right and local county paper started an in depth investigation using public records and the whole thing got exposed. He got prosecuted, a little jail time and had to give back the profit he made. Others on the board should have been prosecuted as well but they didn't have the paper trail he had.

A new fire station is being built in her town, courtesy of our MO lottery winners, who live there. Talking of putting the ambulance station there now, too, but they would have to defer to the fire station and abide by their rules. We shall see how it goes.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I just happened to have a coffee can full of sand today it had been used to hold something down and was no longer needed so I did what you do when your curios , I shot it with a 9mm pistol and found that 6 inches does stop a 9mm just fine , I wasn't able to recover the bullet by just running my fingers through it so I don't know how deep it went but it was definitely stopped and did not exit or dent the back of the can

I think I recall reading that gravel was even better than sand because it was harder and because it didn't run out the hole like sand did 

so framing a wall with 2x6 and ply wood then filling it with gravel would make a nice stop for most bullets and would be fairly low cost compared to many other options 

actually a 2x4 wall filled with gravel might well stop most rounds it would be worth testing 

another concern would be a round passing through the stud but much like they do for houses now with a 2x4 wall with another 2x4 wall with a sheet of fiber board between and the studs offset so that they do not match up and provide a path for heat loss through the wood that has much lower r-value than the insulation , you could do the same and fill both with gravel


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