Traffic stop produces meth lab

An Oconee deputy’s traffic stop on a car during the early morning hours yesterday produced what authorities refer to as a shake-and-bake meth lab inside a small car and resulted in the arrests of a man and a woman. A right turn onto W. Halfway Branch Road by a 1994 Toyota Camry after going left of center caught the deputy’s attention, and he reported the car occupants moving around inside the car when he employed his blue lights. The traffic stop occurred at 1:15 yesterday morning, and was announced by Lt. Jeremy Chapman later yesterday during the Walhalla Rotary Club meeting as a way to draw attention to the scourge of methamphetamine—which the Sheriff’s Office regards the county’s number one drug problem. The Sheriff’s Office announced charges of manufacturing a quantity of crank (methampehetamine) against Brook Argo Gibson, 39-year old resident of the Dave Nix Road, Seneca, and Regina Leigh Mote (Bramlett) 41-year old resident of Park Circle, Walhalla. A K-9 walk around the car alerted officers to what the Sheriff’s Office said were drugs. Officers say a search produced what they consider a shake-and-bake style meth lab inside a backpack. Clean up crews were called to the scene.