Four Arrested In $247 Million Drug Ring — And the Rest of Your State and Local News and Sports

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Four Arrested in $247 Million Drug Operation

Attorney general Eric Schiederman has announced the arrest of 4 accused ringleaders in a $247 million blackmarket HIV prescription drug operation.

Members of Scheiderman’s Medicaid fraud control unit shut down an illegal operation that was distributing HIV prescription drugs obtained on the black market through “moms” pharmacy a high volume pharmacy in Brooklyn and Suffolk County.

The pharmacy dispensed the illegally obtained drugs to Medicaid patients and billed the Medicaid program. The scheme endangered patients by exposing them to drugs of unknown origin and potency, and in some cases mislabeled or outdated. The attorney general is seeking $155 million in civil penalties in addition to the criminal charges.

Four Receive Chancellor’s Award

Four students from the State University at Oneonta have been chosen to receive the 2012 Chancellor’s Award for student excellence.

Michelle Linder is a chemistry major from Sauquoit. She’s already won a fellowship from the American Chemical Society and is the Editor in Chief of the Oneontan Yearbook.

Alyson Marmet is from Laurens and is also a chemistry major. She’s a teaching assistant, relay for life team captain.

Jared Reynolds is a sociology major from Coeyman’s Hollow. He’s also won first place in the 2011 SUNY Oneonta research long essay competitions, serves in a number of leadership positions and is the Supreme Court justice for the student association.

Curtis Walker is a meteorology major from Corona. He’s a SUNY Oneonta academic team member, presented various papers at national and international events, and has earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

The chancellor’s award is the highest honor given to SUNY students.

Police, Students, Staff Practice Emergency Situation

Students, staff, and law enforcement participated in a drill Wednesday designed to prepare for the possibility of an active shooter on campus at SUNY Delhi.

Emergency crews, police agencies, and students created a simulation where they learned how to deal with someone threatening and harming people at the college.

Some students played victims and the community practiced their emergency response plans yesterday morning.

Those law enforcement officers who participated received training credit for the exercise.

Officials put out an alert on the radio announcing the drill so that people would not be alarmed if they saw or heard the activity.

Controversial Law To Stay In County

Members of the Otsego County Board of Representatives have decided a controversial law will stay for another month while representative research their options.

Laws similar to the Otsego County child safety zone law have been declared unconstitutional elsewhere in New York State, and law enforcement officials here have decided the law is unenforceable.

The rules prohibit sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of places where children gather like schools, day care centers and parks.

The legislature has decided to table a proposal to rescind the law at yesterday’s meeting and bring it up again next month.

Poll States Voters Approve of Cuomo

A Quinnipiac poll released yesterday finds New York State voters like the job that governor Andrew Cuomo is doing, but they don’t like how this year’s budget process went.

According to the survey, the governor has a 68 percent job approval record, just down one point from February.

Voters, however, say they don’t like the continued closed door, three-men-in-a-room method of negotiating a budget by a margin of 55 to 30 percent.

Seventy-six percent of voters say the lack of transparency surrounding major policy deals in Albany is a very serious or somewhat serious problem.

While lawmakers pulled an all-night legislative session last month, approving new legislative district lines and other bills, they did pass an on-time budget for the second year in a row, and this time during the daytime.

State Sales Tax Exemption Reinstated

As of April 1st the state sales tax exemption on clothing was reinstated.

The state had the $110 tax exemption on clothing from 2000-10, but the tax was reinstated due to budget problems. Some cities and municipalities, like the city of Norwich, are also dropping their local sales tax giving shoppers another 4 percent on their clothing purchases

Sports

High School Softball

Oneonta ousted Chenango Forks in their season opener 6-2

Unadilla Valley upended Edmeston 11-6

Herkimer handed Cooperstown a loss 7-2

Oxford pounded on Unatego 20-1

Sidney stumped Walton 27-19

High School Baseball

Unatego dropped Oxford 12-2

Jefferson jumped ahead of Roxbury 14-5

Sidney stopped Walton 5-3

Herkimer doubled Cooperstown 4-2

Unadilla Valley out-played Edmeston 11-3

High School Track

In a Tri Valley League meet at Milford, The Cherry Valley Springfield Boys came in first with Milford second and Laurens third. It was the same on the girls side with Cherry Valley Springfield, Milford, then Laurens.

In Walton in another meet, Downsville boys came out on top over Stamford and then Andes rounding up third place. For the girls, Stamford was first followed by Andes and then Downsville.

At Gilbertsville Mt. Upton, GMU/Morris girls and boys teams topped Schenevus/Wocester

At Unatego, Bainbridge Guilford/Afton boys and girls teams were the meet winners with Sidney in second and Harpursville third.

At Greene, Greene boys placed first with Oxford second and Unadilla Valley third. Greene girls placed first, then Unadilla Valley, with Oxford in third.

And finally in Delhi, The Delhi girls won the meet followed by Walton and Deposit. For the boys, Walton ran to first placed followed by Delhi and then Deposit.

High School Tennis

Greene shut out Walton 5-0

Sidney blanked Bainbridge Guilford 5-0

College Lacrosse

Host Utica built up a lead of 8-1 and visiting Hartwick did not have an answer as the Pioneers won 15-5 on Wednesday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Hartwick’s record is now 4-5 and 0-2 in the Empire 8.

The Oneonta State men’s lacrosse team fell hard Wednesday to visiting Hamilton College 14-3 at home.

College Baseball

The Ithaca College baseball team (12-4-1), ranked 23rd nationally, pounded out 17 hits to remain unbeaten at home this season, beating visiting Oneonta (11-10) 13-9 Wednesday.

College Tennis

Hartwick men’s tennis got into the win column on Wednesday with a 7-2 rout of visiting Utica College in the Empire 8 opener for both programs. The Hawks swept all three doubles matches and took four of six in singles to earn the victory. Hartwick is now 1-3 overall.