A traffic stop in Siskiyou County led to the seizure of Half a Ton of Cannabis. Last Friday night a deputy saw a van speeding through a construction zone on Interstate 5 in the Mount Shasta City area, so he pulled it over. While talking to the driver, 65-year-old Mary Ballenta of Redway, the deputy noticed a strong odor of Marijuana and he asked Ballenta if she was carrying any. She said she had about 500 Pounds and also said she did not have the necessary state permits for transporting it. When asked where she was taking the cargo, she only said “the city” and refused to comment further. A search reportedly revealed 52 large trash bags containing 1,030 Pounds of processed Marijuana bud. Ballenta was booked into jail.
– Steve Gibson