Posted: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 11:09 pm

It was a shot heard ‘round the state — then-Police Chief Gary Smith’s assertion that as many as 250 young people in the area were abusing prescription painkillers and heroin.

Some said they were affluent with money to spare. Others assumed that with few arrests and almost no one willing to step forward to confess their addiction, Smith’s calculation was overblown or the musings of a cop with an agenda.

All which left residents — and us — with more questions than answers.

The Northfield News has taken a hard look at the controversy and at what Smith had to say.

We found that not only are heroin, OxyContin, and its generic form, oxycodone, available in this city, a picturesque burg on the banks of the Cannon, but it’s killing our kids.

TODAY'S STORIES • Ken and Judi Malecha discover their son Jake is using heroin. • After living through the worst, Ellen and her daughter, Alexis, move forward — together. • Staying clean is a struggle for Rick, but this time, he believes it’s different.

In the last year, four local men have died from using those drugs, a rate that exceeds other counties the same size. In April, sheriff’s deputies arrested a Northfield man, charging him with possession of 200 hits of OxyContin. This spring, two other Northfielders have been convicted of heroin possession.

Members of the Rice County Drug Task Force, with members from every county law enforcement agency, have asked to spend more of their time combating heroin and oxycodone in Northfield, believing it is needed.

One couple, Ken and Judi Malecha, who lost their son to a heroin overdose in April, have stepped forward. Enough, they’ve said: this town can’t afford to look away, the stakes are too high, and no one else should suffer as they have.



By publicly telling their story, they believe they can make a real and lasting difference.

In the next four issues, we’ll examine opiate use in Northfield. But we won’t just look at statistics, we’ll look at people. We’ll follow the Malechas as they relive a parent’s worst nightmare and bring you the real stories of drug users and their loved ones.

And we’ll tell about the real progress that has been made.


In Saturday’s edition

• Jake Malecha’s back in school, his grades are good and he’s happy. Did one mistake cost him his life?

• Brian can’t see a future that doesn’t include drugs.

• Drugs were Branden’s escape from a life of abuse and unhappiness.

• Lori, a Northfield mom, lives in constant fear that her son will relapse.

Wednesday, July 9

• The Malechas turn tragedy into a crusade, vowing to ensure their son’s death isn’t in vain.

• How the support of a community turned Gjeni’s life around.

• Neil says a friend’s death will keep him sober.

• The city’s medical community reacts with support, specialized care.

Saturday, July 12

• The arrests, and what law enforcement is doing to curb heroin and OxyContin abuse.

• Drug education, canine searches: what the schools can and should do.