Two baggies of pot found in SHS classroom

Published 10:57 pm Friday, October 14, 2011

COURTLAND—Two dime baggies of suspected marijuana were found inside the drawer of a classroom at Southampton High School during a random search with a drug-sniffing dog on Friday.

No one was linked to the bags, which would sell for about $10 each, said Sgt. Wanda Covington with the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office.

Also during the search, three bows, and arrows, used for archery hunting and hunting knives were found in three vehicles, said Dr. Wayne Smith, executive director of administration and personnel for the school district. Students could face disciplinary action for having what would be considered weapons on school property.

A drug dog from Southampton and Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s offices sniffed the lockers and alerted to possible drugs on a few of them.

“When they were searched by school staff, nothing was found in the lockers,” Covington said.

The dog responded to the possibility of drugs in a classroom. The students were taken from the room and the dog was taken in, where it hit on the drawer. When searched by staff, the baggies of pot were found, Covington said.

The dog also responded to a book bag, but nothing was found inside.

The dogs also ran the student parking lot and hit on several vehicles. Staff searched vehicles and found marijuana, alcohol and a knife in one of them. That student will be charged with possession of marijuana, alcohol and a weapon.

Covington didn’t know the amount of marijuana found in the vehicle.

Smith couldn’t say what might happen to the students who had their bows in their vehicles because he didn’t have an official report as of late Friday afternoon.

“I wanted you to have something (for the newspaper) and remind parents (to tell students) not to bring any hunting (equipment) to school, he said.

The school will do an investigation and action will depend on the situation.

“We handle this on a case-by-case basis,” Smith said.