Logan Police Chief E.K. Harper had good news for the city of Logan recently. Harper said the town, which has been financially strapped for some time, got over $12,000 dollars from a recent drug seizure courtesy of patrolman Mark Dickerson.

Chief Harper told members of the Logan City Council that the city's part of the recent seizure came out to around $12,000 with the rest being shared by the Logan Prosecuting Attorney's office.

"Ten percent of that went to the prosecutor's office and the rest, which was over $12,000 was ours, and it is already in the city's coffers," Harper said.

The news came with some rejoicing for the council, which has been facing financial hardship for some time.

The arrest came on New Years weekend when Dickerson received a complaint about Scott John Hardin, 51, of Allen Park, Mich., using drugs. Dickerson got a description of Hardin's vehicle and pulled him over, finding a variety of drugs and over $14,000 in cash in small denominations on Friday, Jan. 2. Hardin stayed in jail for several days and entered a guilty plea following a preliminary hearing. He was released with the instructions to never come back to Logan County. Hours later, he died in a car wreck in Ohio. At the time of his arrest, Hardin had six Oxycontin and Vicodin pills and $14,417.00 in cash. In a travel bag he had 18 and one half 2 mg xanax bars of one make and 17 xanax bars of another make and a xanax pill along with six hydrocodone tablets.

The money was in very small denominations. Hardin had 55 $100 bills and 88 $50 bills and four thousand dollars in $20 bills. Police also found a ledger in his hotel room.

Last month, Harper said the city had its first Municipal Court recently and that the city brought in $3,000 in fines. Harper said parking problems had lightened up recently when word got out that unpaid parking tickets could get the offenders' vehicle locked down with an iron clamp device known as "the boot."

Harper said that since Artie Willis and Robert Thompson have been transferred to police patrol all officers on his department will now be writing parking tickets.

"That was one of my goals in hiring Bob and Artie as patrolmen," Harper explained.

Harper's department has continued to be busy this winter.

In February the Logan Police Department handled 17 complaints leading to 28 arrests. It also dealt with six traffic accident investigations and issued 32 traffic citations bringing in over $1,000 in ticket and citation money.