Latest news with #JohnBurch
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Massive drug bust in Paulding County: Meth, fentanyl, and firearms seized
The Brief Authorities seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, and 14 firearms during a drug bust in Paulding County, leading to the arrest of John Burch. The investigation began after neighbors reported suspicious activity, and officials emphasize the importance of removing fentanyl and firearms from the streets for public safety. Additional arrests may follow as the investigation continues, with Burch facing numerous charges related to drug distribution. HIRAM, Ga. - Authorities in Paulding County seized methamphetamine, fentanyl and more than a dozen firearms during a drug bust at a home in the Lake Swan neighborhood, leading to one arrest and the possibility of more. What we know John Burch, 45, was taken into custody after investigators with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office and the Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the residence. Officials say the investigation began after neighbors reported suspicious activity at the home, which sits on a street where children are often seen playing. Inside, deputies found bags of meth and fentanyl, as well as 14 firearms. "That fentanyl alone could have killed literally thousands of people," said Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson. "So getting these types of drugs, especially fentanyl, off the streets is vital to public safety." Henson added the firearms seized will no longer be available for potential criminal use. "Those are guns that are not going to go out and be able to be used in the commission of any types of crimes," he said. Burch faces numerous charges. Investigators believe he was selling drugs from the home, and the sheriff's office said additional arrests could follow as the investigation continues. What they're saying Jason Coutu, who lives one street over, said the bust did not come as a shock given the area's growth in recent years. "It's crazy. I mean, it is crazy. But it's everywhere," said Coutu. "I'm just glad Paulding County is doing a good job and taking care of it." Sheriff Henson said his office remains focused on reducing crime and drug distribution in the community. "I don't care if it's a gram or pounds—anytime you get drugs off our streets, you get guns off our streets that are in the hands of criminals, then we've done something good," Henson said. "So I chalk this one up as a win for the good guys." What we don't know Burch's next court date was not immediately known. The Source FOX 5's Denise Dillon spoke with Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson and residents of the Lake Swan neighborhood in Hiram for this article.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
U.S. Supreme Court to debate if states can strip Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood
April 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments on if states can ultimately remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid funding. The justices will ultimately decide if Medicaid beneficiaries will be able to freely choose healthcare providers including Planned Parenthood physicians with a ruling potentially arriving as early as June. "Taxpayers don't want their Medicaid dollars going to an organization that is taking unborn lives," said John Burch, a lawyer representing South Carolina. Planned Parenthood provides a wide array of health services beyond abortion, cancer screenings, contraception, physical exams, STI treatment and testing. Nearly $700 million, or about 34% of its total revenue, comes from funding streams like government grants, contracts and Medicaid. The technical legal dispute will center on if Medicaid patients have a right to file suit to enforce the requirements included in Congressional spending bills. South Carolina's Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, in 2018 issued an executive order that disqualified Planned Parenthood from getting federal Medicaid reimbursement funding for non-abortion services. "I have called doctors in the past who have told me they are accepting new patients, only to have them reverse themselves when they find out I have Medicaid," 37-year-old Julie Edwards, a legal challenger, said in 2018 when litigation began. "I feel judged for being poor and disabled, and after a while, that can wear a person down," Another lawyer said medical decisions are a personal choice and the state cannot dictate where a person gets medical care. "South Carolina has conceded throughout this litigation that Planned Parenthood is a medically qualified provider," said Nicole Saharsky, representing Planned Parenthood. The state's real objection, she added, is that "they just don't like Planned Parenthood." Data shows nearly half of Planned Parenthood's U.S. patients get their health care through Medicaid, but in South Carolina it's more restrictive like in other Republican-lead states like Texas and Arkansas. "It's not about abortion," Catherine Humphreville, senior staff attorney at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told CNN. "It's about peoples' ability to access basic services like birth control, like well-person exams, like cancer screenings. Many patients just don't have access to these services." Meanwhile, former top officials in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in March filed a brief arguing against the Trump administration's reversal of "the long-time position of HHS."
