MISSION DAM
Woman faces drug charges
A wellness check turned into the arrest of a Murphy woman for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
About 4:16 a.m. Jan. 8, Clay County sheriff’s Deputy Aly Daniel was in the area of Mission Dam Road when she met Brenda Anne Baldwin, 52, of Murphy, walking down the roadway, according to a releaser from the sheriff’s office.
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Daniel stopped and asked Baldwin if she was OK. Baldwin said she had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend and asked Daniel if she could give her a courtesy ride.
During this interaction, Clay County Deputy Cory Scroggs arrived at this location. After research through Clay County Dispatch, Baldwin was found to have an active warrant for her arrest in Cherokee County as well as two active warrants for her arrest in Georgia.
Baldwin was patted down for dangerous weapons, handcuffed and placed in Daniel’s patrol car. Baldwin was asked but denied having any drugs in her possession.
However, during transport to the Clay County Detention Center, Daniel noted Baldwin “fidgeting and moving around” while in the back seat. Daniel again asked Baldwin if she had any drugs on her person.
Baldwin said she in fact had drugs hidden in her sock. Once at the detention center, Officer Daniel found a small round container that contained a baggy with a white crystal-like substance in Baldwin’s left sock.
When asked, Baldwin also said she had hidden a pipe in the back seat of Daniel’s patrol car. Baldwin sat back in the rear patrol car seat and retrieved the glass smoking pipe she had hidden.
The white crystal-like substance was field tested and found to be 1.7 grams of methamphetamine. Baldwin was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was placed on a 72-hour hold due to being on probation at the time of this incident.
MURPHY
Sex predator is seen here
A registered sexual predator from Indiana has been reported missing due to a possible mental health crisis. Police say he was last seen in the Murphy area on Jan. 15.
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Brad Vandivier lives in Evansville, Ind., but has ties to Parke County, according to the Rockville Police Department in Indiana. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is urging the public that if seen, do not approach him.
Vandivier was seen on camera using his credit card to make two purchases. He was last seen driving a silver crew cab Dodge Dakota with silver aluminum rims, chrome door handles and chrome gas door displaying Indiana registration plate TK637NVK.
He is a registered sexual predator in Indiana and could be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Details: Call Cherokee County Dispatch at 828-835-3144.
MURPHY
Calling out Code Purple
Temperatures will be dipping into the single digits this week. Deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties to have emergency Code Purple bags ready to distribute to local persons struggling with housing.
These kits have blankets, coats, hand warmers and other items to assist in extreme cold weather. On severe cold weather nights, it is extremely dangerous to be sleeping out in the cold.
On these nights, the Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House homeless shelter in downtown Murphy issues a Code Purple. This indicates that they are opening the common area of the shelter to allow people to take cover without the usual screenings.
They will provide a clean environment and breakfast the following morning. They ask those needing Code Purple to arrive from 4:30-
9 p.m. After that time, please check with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office or Murphy Police Department, as they may accompany you to the shelter.
Details: Visit murphyshelter.org or call 828-837-2654.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.