KKCO - Under the Influence
11Cares: Deadly Crashes Inspire Special Report
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09 - After seeing death after death, we here at 11 News felt compelled to take a proactive approach to the underage drinking problem.
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Under the Influence Headlines
Under the Influence Airs Tonight on KKCO!
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
11Cares special "Under the Influence" airs tonight on KKCO.

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11News to Air Special on Dangers of Underage Drinking
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Underage drinking has claimed way too many lives in our area this year. Here at 11News we decided we can't sit back and watch it happen anymore with out doing something about it.

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11Cares: Anonymous Hotline
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Here's a way you can help with the problem.

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11Cares: Underage Drinking Health Risks
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
According to a Surgeon General's study, about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die each year as a result of drinking.

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11Cares: A Life Changed Forever
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
We've seen numerous deaths as a result of underage drinking but one local family lives with the effects that drunk driving had.

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VIDEO: Extended Interview of Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show"
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
The extended interview of Jon Stewart of the Daily Show on the show's influence on youth, politics.

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11Cares: Cops on Party Patrol
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
And it's not just the in the desert where police are also laying down the law when it comes to house parties with underage drinking.

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Coroner: Shooting Suspect Not Under Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
The man who went on a shooting spree in October, killing two people, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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11Cares: A Life Changed Forever
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
We've seen numerous deaths as a result of underage drinking but one local family lives with the effects that drunk driving had.

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11Cares: Tragedy on the Screen
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Organized teen groups and local high schoolers are working hard to get across the message that underage drinking can ruin lives.

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11Cares: Parents Lose Their Daughter to Underage Drinking
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
18–year–old Samantha Loy died after drinking, driving and dangerously texting.

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VIDEO: The Importance of The Daily Show on Politics
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Matt Lauer interviews Jon Stewart about "The Daily Show's" influence on the election and the youth vote.

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Alleged Drunk Driver in Custody
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
An Illinois man was not at fault for an accident he was involved in, but was charged with driving under the influence.

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11Cares: Teens Speak Out on Underage Drinking
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
It's scary, but alcohol abuse is starting earlier in young people's lives.

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Text Messages, YouTube, Facebook Influencing Young Voters in 08 Election
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
With less than three months to go before November 4th, the heat is on the presidential campaigns to win over as many voters as possible, including an ever growing population of young voters. Where they hope to win that battle -- the internet.
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11Cares: Cracking Down on Providers
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Officials are trying to make it harder for teens to get alcohol by cracking down on people who supply minors with liquor.

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Special Report: 11Cares - Under The Influence
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Underage drinking is taking a toll on our community. Lives have been lost and families destroyed. The 11 News staff was compelled to take an in–depth look at the problem.

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11Cares: Cops Say Teens Can't Hide
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
Law enforcement agencies are sending a message to teens that you can't hide.

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11Cares: Facing the Consequences of Underage Drinking
Last Updated: 5:15 PM 07/07/09
No matter whose responsibility it is to educate kids about underage drinking some kids just didn't get the message and they are already facing the consequences for choosing to drink.

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Positive Alternatives to Underage Drinking
Sober Grad Party
Fun activities, prizes, entertainment and food make up a safe and fun sober graduation celebration for local high school students. Click here for event details, a photo gallery, a list of prizes, and more.
Grand Junction City Youth Council
The CYC advises the City Council on issues relative to youth activities and community involvement. They also organize positive, fun teen-only events.
Mesa County Teen Leadership Committee
This organization's effort is to make the youth of Mesa County aware of the large number of events, classes, recreational activities, and volunteer opportunities available in the area. The Commission put together a Youth Activity Guide, hoping that teens will use this knowledge to get involved, be productive, and have fun.
The Tree House
The Tree House organization is a resource coordinator for youth in the Grand Valley providing opportunities that nurture their health, social, emotional, and educational well-being. The website has a full calendar of events, information on The Bistro and more.
Positive Influences in Your Community
Girl Scouts of America
Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls-all girls-where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. Our curricula address all aspects of girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being.
The FACT Foundation
The mission of the F.A.C.T. Foundation (Foundation Advice Concerning Teens) is to education and support youth and their parents in building a positive sense of future through character-building, relational wellness education. The goal of relational wellness is to help young people build their psychological, emotional, and physical well-being by empowering them to make healthy choices. FACT's programs offer skills and support to make critical life choices regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, relationships, and sexual involvement.
The Century Council - Drunk Driving & Underage Drinking in the News
  • Independence man pleads guilty in drunken car chase
    General- DD
    Nolan
    Rosenkrans
    Education Reporter
    MINNESOTA
    (507) 453-3500
    (507) 453-3517

    An Independence, Wis., man admitted Wednesday he led Winona police on a drunken car chase.

    Taylor Allen Suchla, 18, pleaded guilty to fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, fourth-degree drunken driving and misdemeanor theft in an unrelated Goodview gas drive off. Suchla will likely be placed on three years probation at his May 5 sentencing.

    Suchla admitted that early on Dec. 16, he fled police in a stolen car. He also said he was drunk at the time; his blood-alcohol content measured 0.10 when he was tested at the Winona County jail.

    Police say an officer was writing a parking ticket for a sport utility vehicle about 3 a.m. when he learned it was stolen. The officer was about to disable the SUV's battery cable to prevent it from being moved when four people, including Suchla, got in and drove away.

  • Prairie Village Mom Faces Judge On 5th DUI Charge

    A mother who was caught by police while driving drunk with her kids in the car is in trouble with the law again.

    Shannon Wilkinson, 42, of Prairie Village, faced a Johnson County judge again Thursday after she was arrested on Christmas Day in Leawood for what court records state is her fifth driving under the influence infraction.Neighbors such as Stephanie Million are concerned about having a repeat-DUI offender living in the neighborhood.

  • Anaheim cop gets 3 DUIs in 1 year
    General- DD
    Kimberly
    Edds
    Reporter
    CALIFORNIA
    (877) 469-7344
    (714) 796-3681

    An Anaheim cop who hasn’t been to work since late 2008, and is still on the department’s payroll, notched his third DUI arrest in less than a year March 2.



    Officer Kevin Noel Schlueter, 37, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing a 2010 Jeep Liberty into four parked cars – on his very own street in Costa Mesa, in the middle of the afternoon.


    The crashes ripped the right wheel off the axle of Schlueter’s Liberty, according to Costa Mesa police Lt. Rob Sharpnack. The Liberty also suffered rear bumper damage, Sharpnack said.

  • Cazenovia village leaders approve area's first social host law to combat underage drinking
    General- UAD
    Alaina
    Potrikus
    Local News Reporter
    NEW YORK
    (315) 470-3252
    (315) 687-5176

    Adults who knowingly allow underage drinking on their property in the village of Cazenovia could now face fines of $250 to $1,000 under Central New York’s first social host ordinance.

    Similar laws aimed at curbing the consumption of alcohol by minors have been passed in about 30 municipalities across New York State. Caz Action, a coalition of parents, teachers and students working to address the underage drinking problem through increased community involvement, hopes to bring the social host law to neighboring communities for approval as a statement of solidarity.

    “We’re going to try to make a difference in the village of Cazenovia,” said Mayor Tom Dougherty after the village board passed the legislation Monday night.

  • Repeat DUI offender pleads guilty
    General- DD
    George
    Plaven
    Reporter
    MONTANA

    A Butte man admitted Wednesday in Anaconda district court he drove drunk for the seventh time last year.

    Jack Leon Sawyer, 60, of 2530 Elm St., pleaded guilty to the felony DUI as part of a plea agreement with the state. Judge Ray Dayton ordered a pre-sentence investigation before setting a date for sentencing.

    The state is recommending Sawyer receive 13 months to the Montana Department of Corrections for likely placement in the WATCh program in Warm Springs. A five-year suspended DOC sentence would follow, along with a $1,000 fine.

  • Kingsport motorist who was driving 20 mph on I-26 tells police, 'I'm drunk. Do what you gotta do.'
    General- DD
    Rain
    Smith
    Reporter
    TENNESSEE
    (423) 246-8121
    (423) 392-1385

    A Kingsport man was arrested on his tenth offense of DUI on Tuesday after allegedly driving 20 mph on I-26, weaving from lane to lane.

    When asked how much he had to drink, the man reportedly told police, "Too much. I'm drunk. Do what you gotta do."

    An incident report from Kingsport police says central dispatch received a call from a motorist at 9:35 p.m. The caller, who was near the Rock Springs exit of I-26, reported a possible westbound drunk driver who was "running off the roadway."

  • Drunk Driver 5 Times Over Legal Limit
    General- DD
    Lauren
    Amstutz
    Reporter
    MICHIGAN

    Troopers from the Cadillac Post of the Michigan State Police arrested a drunk driver that was 5 times over the legal limit.

    It happened at 3:30 Tuesday afternoon. Troopers caught up with 45 year old Anne Burkett of Mesick at the Mobil Station on M-115 after she struck a guard rail near the Wexford County Road Commission.

    Troopers say the driver refused to cooperate with the investigating officer and was ultimately put under arrest. Burkett was taken to the Wexford County Jail where she gave a breath sample. It indicated a blood-alcohol level of .40. Due to the excessive BAC level, the subject was taken to the Cadillac Mercy Hospital where she was treated by medical professionals for several hours before being lodged in the Wexford County Jail.

  • School bus driver charged with DUI while driving children
    General- DD
    Lisa
    Black
    Reporter
    ILLINOIS
    (847) 918-2810
    (847) 918-9561

    A Mount Prospect school bus driver who smelled of alcohol to a co-worker managed to drop off 50 children before she was arrested Tuesday for being nearly three times over the legal limit for alcohol, police said.

    When he learned of the co-worker's suspicions, a transportation supervisor in Mount Prospect School District 57 tracked down the driver and called police, but allowed her to continue on her route until authorities arrived, school officials said Wednesday.

    Betty Burden, 54 of the 1400 block of Park Drive, was arrested after police received a call around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday from the supervisor, Vincente Ramirez.

  • Habitual Offender Injures Passenger in Saturday Accident
    General- DD
    Tracy
    Ayers

    A Pulaski woman is facing numerous charges stemming from an accident that occurred Saturday.

    According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Harvey Briggs, Nadean Marie Swarthout, 43, of Pulaski was allegedly committing her third DUI offense when she committed vehicular assault.

    The Trooper’s report states Swarthout and a passenger was traveling southbound on Highway 31 North near the Highway 129 intersection in the early morning hours of Saturday when she crossed the center line.

    “The driver over-corrected and lost control of her Honda Civic as it yawed into a utility pole,” Briggs said.

  • Lengthy Prison Term Issued for 13-Time DUI Offender

    A Santa Rosa man with 13 previous DUI convictions, seven of them felonies, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court for his latest offense.

    Robert James Feenan, 50, was arrested Nov. 20 after his vehicle collided with another vehicle on state Highway 12 and Stony Point Road, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said.

    The California Highway Patrol responded to the crash and Feenan had a blood-alcohol level of 0.44 percent, more than five times the intoxication level, the district attorney's office said.

    Feenan pleaded no contest on Dec. 17 to DUI and driving on a license that was suspended for DUI.

Local Power for Parents
Mesa County Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force
Statistics, links to community resources, and information on underage drinking prevention efforts in Mesa County.
Resources for Parents
A full list of resources available to parents.
Strong Families, Safe Kids
A parent resource section with parenting and discipline tips.
Mesa County Health Department
The Mesa County Health Department Health Promotion division offers health and wellness education services for individuals and groups to improve health and safety in a variety of areas.
National Power for Parents
Alive at 25
Sections for teens and parents on underage drinking and driving, safe driving and more.
The Partnership for a Drug Free America
An online resource center featuring interactive tools that translate the latest science and research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand tips and tools for parents.
Connect with Kids
Videos with information for parents about how and when to talk to your kids about a variety of subjects, including underage drinking.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Statistics on underage drinking, the dangers of underage drinking, and links to additional research into underage drinking.
Time to Talk
Easy-to-use guides and tips to help you have ongoing conversations with your kids to keep them healthy and drug-free.
Save A Life Tour
Uses multi-million dollar drinking and driving simulators and high-intensity videos to send its message. Find information on how to book the tour as well as a virtual tour.
Al-Anon and Alateen
Resources, meeting information and more for people with alcohol problems and their families.
Parents. The anti-drug.
A conversation about the risks of alcohol use has to occur between you and your teen. With a little practice and a little preparation, you will find that it's a conversation that gets easier over time and can save lives.
Join Together
Support community-based efforts to advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention, and treatment. Find free Internet services supporting their efforts.