Meth suspects await hearings

Three people arrested on methamphetamine charges Jan. 2 at an Evans house were still awaiting a bond hearing Tuesday.

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Wayne Scott Fernandez, 43, of the 3100 block of Scenic Drive in Augusta; Cheree Renee Granade, 29, of the 100 block of Kaschwina Court in Grovetown; and Jamie Cloud Brosious, 37, of the 100 block of Pond View in Evans, were arrested after two methamphetamine labs were found at the house where Brosious lives in Riverwood Plantation subdivision. One of the labs was found in a vehicle as it left the house, authorities said.

A bond hearing tentatively has been set for Brosious next Monday before Superior Court Judge Duncan Wheale, according to court records. Bond hearings for Fernandez and Granade had not yet been set as of Tuesday.

Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said Friday that the 4,181-square-foot residence - whose value us shown on county tax records at $562,498 - won't be seized because it is not owned by Brosious.

Morris said the arrests are a prime example of what police face as methamphetamine is typically a white-collar drug of choice. He said it also isn't uncommon for methamphetamine labs to be placed in vehicles, "which is a literal moving target for law enforcement. ... It makes it increasingly difficult when it is mobile.''

The public can help, Morris said, by noticing the activities of neighbors or family members, including: strong chemical odors around a house or building similar to ammonia or nail polish remover; windows blacked out or covered; chemical containers around a house's exterior; discarded over-the-counter cold medicine packages; or a buildup of cigarette butts outside, suggesting people must go outside to smoke because of explosive fumes inside.

Morris said there were 22 methamphetamine arrests in Columbia County in 2006, compared with 191 marijuana arrests and 55 cocaine arrests. In 2005, there were 39 methamphetamine arrests. There were 124 marijuana arrests in 2005 and 46 cocaine arrests for that year in Columbia County. Morris said that although most of the methamphetamine in Columbia County is produced in Mexico, Asia and Central America, some of it comes from inside the county.

Anyone wanting to report a possible case of methamphetamine production in Columbia County can call the sheriff's office hot line at (706) 541-3910.