by SONALI KOLHATKAROtherWords The recent, record-breaking outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to lettuce consumption has left Americans wondering what food is safe to eat. What brands of lettuce are safe and which aren’t are important questions. But even more important might be why such outbreaks happen in the first place — and how our government has made them increasingly likely. Nobody wants explosive diarrhea — and yet the way our federal government has left us unprotected is enough to make one sick. The chief culprit in the cyclosporiasis debacle is our centralized, monopoly-based food system. The outbreak has been linked to Taylor Fresh Foods, which […]

The post OPINION: Don’t want explosive diarrhea? Shop local and regulate Big Food appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. — A Letcher County woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to distribute meth in southwestern Virginia. Britia Noel Johnson, 40, of McRoberts, pleaded guilty back in March to conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 500 grams of meth. Prosecutors say she would sell one- and two-pound quantities of meth for others to distribute in southwestern Virginia and that she introduced another person to a source for even larger quantities of drugs. Complicating matters for Johnson was an arrest for meth trafficking in Pike County in April, after she […]

The post Letcher woman sentenced for SW Va. drug conspiracy appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Two West Virginia men are facing drug trafficking charges, after they were pulled over in Pike County for speeding during Wednesday’s severe weather. A state trooper was patrolling U.S. 119 Wednesday morning, when he spotted a vehicle traveling 62 mph in a 55 mph zone. While that isn’t normally considered excessive speed, the trooper noted in his report that it was during a severe storm with an active tornado warning, so he pulled the car over near the junction with U.S. 23. The police report notes the driver, Don Mahon, 44, of Williamson, showed signs of impairment, […]

The post W.Va. men arrested for meth trafficking after being pulled over for speeding during storm appeared first on Mountain Top Media.