Four arrests were made Thursday, May 23, when local officials discovered a meth lab at a residence on Hardwood Drive.

Monticello Police Detective Derek Lester and UNITE Detective Chris Lyon were investigating a discarded meth lab, which was found on Shearer Lane, on Thursday.

In the course of the investigation, they went to the Hardwood Drive residence, where a group of people were standing outside the home.

Inside the home, Lester stated there had been recent meth activity, and the residence still had a strong odor from the lab. He indicated that it was not active when officials arrived.

Arrests made at the scene included: Jamie Southwood Baker, 35, on an indictment for manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance; Michael Shane Bell, 41, manufacturing methamphetamine; Adam Baker, 36, on a bench warrant for failure to appear; and Homer E. Daniels, Jr., 31, on a bench warrant for failure to appear.

Lester indicated that the investigation is continuing and other charges could be filed, pending lab results.

Lester, Lyon and Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Cody Neal were all checked out by medical personnel because of exposure to the meth lab, but there were no injuries.

Assisting at the scene were the Monticello Fire Department, Wayne County EMS, UNITE, the Monticello Fire Department and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

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School may be out, but it will be a busy summer for Wayne County Schools, as they prepare for the additional students that come with the merge with Monticello School. During a meeting held on Monday, May 20, Superintendent John Dalton provided Wayne County school board members with some of the moving plans scheduled over the next several weeks.

Moving plans have been scheduled, and the first step will be moving Bell Elementary to Monticello Elementary Schools. After that is completed, moves will begin on the main Wayne County campus, Dalton noted.

“It will be an active summer,” he told board members.

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The Monticello Police Department has received questions recently regarding telephone solicitations from people claiming to be from Microsoft Windows and requesting access to personal computer accounts.

The police department has attempted to contact the number the solicitor called from and has received the message “not in service.”

The police department strongly recommends that no personal data be given out over the telephone or to any person not personally known to you and who has your complete confidence.

Such telephone solicitations are not the way legitimate companies or corporations conduct business and are nearly always some type of fraud.

Anyone who needs more information should contact the Monticello Police Department at (606) 348-9313.