WAVERLY — Pike County Sheriff’s deputies were kept busy over the last several days shutting down methamphetamine labs and making arrests.

Pike County Sheriff Richard Henderson said Mark D. Doll, 49, of Wells Jones Road, Waverly, was arrested Wednesday evening when Sgt. Timothy A. Dickerson responded to a report of meth being manufactured at a residence on Turkey Run Road in Western Pike County. Doll is charged with illegal assembly or possession of chemicals to manufacture drugs and illegal manufacture of methamphetamine.

Jeremy L. Ross, 31, of Athens Street, Jackson, was arrested when Deputy Corey Hicks responded to a report of a breaking and entering and theft from an outbuilding on Salem Cave Road in eastern Pike County. Upon arrival at the scene Thursday morning, Hicks said he found a van in a nearby field. When he approached the vehicle he observed Ross in the driver’s seat. He also said he observed items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine along with all of the stolen property from the outbuilding inside the vehicle. Ross is being charged with receiving stolen property, possession of criminal tools and illegal assembly or possession of chemicals to manufacture drugs. All allegedly stolen property was returned to the owner.

Max Lewis, 56, of Ohio 220 in Waverly was arrested when investigators Major Jeremy Masters and Major Nakoa L. Spradlin responded to a repot of meth being manufactured at 6983 Ohio 220. Upon arrival at the scene Wednesday afternoon, Spradlin and Masters said they found numerous items used in the manufacture of meth. Lewis is being charged with illegal assembly or possession of chemicals to manufacture drugs and illegal manufacture of methamphetamine.

Henderson said Dickerson and Spradlin are both trained in dealing with hazardous chemicals involved in manufacturing methamthetamine. He said Bio-Safe Southern Ohio LLC owned by Greg Holdren of Bainbridge, was contacted to remove the hazardous chemicals. Henderson said the costs relating to the cleanup have recently been placed on the local law enforcement agencies instead of being covered as they formerly were by federal funds. Henderson said that in seeking a solution for what he says is the extremely expensive costs for the cleanup of meth labs, he got with Holdren, who is certified to appropriately remove and dispose of the labs.

“The cost associated with the response is not only cheaper,” Henderson said. “The overtime spent waiting for a response has been eliminated.”

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.