Sex trafficking, and other regional news

A multi-county sex trafficking ring was busted today, according to a press release from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. Three are arrested for allegedly intimidating young women into prostitution in Syracuse, Watertown, Ithaca, and elsewhere in New York State. Ryan Delany will have more details before morning.

And here’s a follow up on the mysterious forces working against New York’s education commissioner John King. (To bring you up to speed: King cancelled upcoming forums about the controversial Common Core curriculum because, as he said in a statement, last week’s meeting was “co-opted by special interests whose stated goal is to ‘dominate’ the questions and manipulate the forum.”) King wouldn’t identify those special interests, but Capitol Confidential did: it appears he was referring to teachers and parents.

The hosts of various ATV events have told participants that their entry fees will benefit the Lewis County trail fund. But those who oversee the fund haven’t seen any of the money. Some events, such as the ATV Poker Run and the Tug Hill Experience Trade Show, are accused of scamming.

Here are some of the items coming tomorrow on the Eight O’clock Hour:

Roger Doiron says growing fruit and vegetables in your garden is “a subversive act”. The founder of Kitchen Gardens International, the group that got a garden planted at the White House, comes to Potsdam Wednesday.

Betsy Kepes reviews “Above All Things” – Canadian writer Tanis Rideout’s first novel. Rideout writes about George Mallory and his fateful climb up Mt. Everest in 1924, while his wife waited at home in England.

Also, we’ll preview the Our Town Theatre Group’s weekend production of “Postmortem” – a Sherlock Holmes inspired mystery thriller.  The play opens at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek on Friday night.

An update on the former North Country Children’s Clinic (now renamed the North Country Family Health Center): the organization has secured funding to remain functional for at least 180 days.