Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, December 20, 2019
Vol. 68, No. 51
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GUIDE TO WINTER
CURRAN SIGNS RICE, SUOZZI BACK FLAVORED E-CIGS BAN IMPEACHMENT
PAGES 27-46
PAGE 12
PAGE 6
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Record drug bust in Nassau County: police
H O W L I D AY C H E E R
15 arrested, $1.2M in heroin seized by joint law enforcement task force BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Members of a joint law enforcement group have arrested 15 people and seized $1.2 million worth of heroin in connection with what is said to have been the largest heroin trafficking operation in the history of Nassau County, officials announced Tuesday. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, and the Long Island Heroin Taskforce. According to officials, 15 people have been indicted, including three major traffickers for their role in a drug operation that spanned across Long Island and into Kings and Queens Counties. Joseph Melito of Albertson, who was also identified as an alleged ringleader by law enforcement, was among those arrested. “We are in the midst of a serious nationwide addiction crisis,
and every single bust makes a difference,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said. “I applaud our dedicated law enforcement officials and the Long Island Heroin Taskforce for their collaborative efforts and success in taking down these major drug traffickers, dismembering the largest known heroin trafficking operation in Nassau County.” According to a press release sent out by the district attorney’s office on Tuesday, a total of 88,000 individual doses of heroin, 1,024 grams of cocaine, and an additional $1,214,093 were seized during the four-month-long investigation. Additionally, three bank accounts with $262,900 were subsequently frozen. “This organization was making millions of dollars from heroin sales, encouraging opioid abuse throughout Long Island and New York City,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. Continued on Page 58
PHOTO BY ROSE WELDON
Peppa of Albertson came with her owners to Santa Paws at the Clark Botanical Gardens in Albertson on Sunday. See more photos page 12.
Herricks schools irked by lack of new tech sue was evident at the Herricks Board of Education meeting last Thursday. District Chief Information Frustration with the delays Offi cer Chris Connors and Disin receiving funds for technology upgrades from the state’s trict Technology Integration 2014 Smart Schools Bond is- Specialist David Pickman said
BY S A M U E L GLASSER
in their presentation on the district’s technology initiatives that “two years have passed since our initial application was submitted,” but no plans have been approved. This means that work Continued on Page 59
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