Perhaps it was a case of improper diet and getting too big for one’s britches.
    Whatever it was, a 41-year-old White Hall woman was arrested Saturday, July 11, on a variety of charges, including a traffic violation, a drug-related offense and obstruction of governmental operations.
    Valerie Bell was charged by White Hall Police Officer Robert Rogers with the obstruction offense as well as possession of an instrument of crime and driving left of center after a 2:45 a.m. incident on Sheridan Road.
    Rogers was parked in front of a business when he saw Bell drive pass at a high rate of speed.
    Rogers followed Bell for a short distance with Bell driving between 60 and 70 miles an hour in a 45-miles an hour speed zone. While he followed, Rogers reported, Bell drove past the centerline several times while devoting attention to the front passenger seat of her car.
    Rogers said he activated his blue lights and spotlighted Bell’s car, a Nissan Maxima, but Bell initially failed to stop. She applied her brakes and slowed about six times, but would then accelerate and continue onward. She finally stopped at the intersection of Sheridan Road and Oxford Street.
    Bell was asked why she had not stopped previously and she told Rogers that she had been looking for a place to “pull over.”
    Rogers then requested that she exit her car and she complied. Rogers observed her “tugging at her blue jeans” and noted that the zipper on her pants was open. Rogers said he also noticed that Bell was trembling.
    Bell granted Rogers permission to search her car, Rogers reported. He discovered numerous plastic baggies, some of which contained what he believed to be marijuana residue. Meanwhile, he observed Bell continuing to tug at her pants and “move around” while in front of his patrol car.
    Suspecting Bell might be concealing drugs or a weapon, Rogers told her he was going to request that a female officer come to the scene to search her. Rogers said Bell immediately admitted she was hiding marijuana in her pants and pulled out a small metallic canister from the front of her jeans. She then removed a checkbook cover that contained a spoon and two used hypodermic needles.
    Rogers then arrested and handcuffed her, placing her in the back seat of his patrol car.
    While waiting for a wrecker to remove Bell’s car to storage, Rogers noticed that Bell continued “moving around,” which raised his suspicions that might be attempting to discard more narcotics or related items.
    Sgt. Phil Peckham arrived to provide support. As Peckham began to search the back seat, he saw Bell drop a baggie, which he found to have been chewed. Bell admitted the baggie had contained methamphetamine. Concerned for her health, Rogers radioed for an ambulance to be dispatched and transport Bell to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.
    Bell’s court date here will be Aug. 19.