• Jim Boeheim Case Will Be In Syracuse
• RoAnn Destito To Host Local Presentation Of Governor Cuomo’s Budget
• Senator Charles Schumer Wants Ban On Synthetic Drugs
• Combat Troops More Likely To Use Smokeless Tobacco

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Syracuse, NY (WIBX): The defamation case involving Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim will be moved to Syracuse.

According to the Huffington Post, a judge ruled today to move the case from New York County to Onondaga County.

The two plantiffs in the case, Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, were denied motion to retain the case in New York County after filing the defamation lawsuit in New York City.

Davis and Lang filed the lawsuit claiming Boeheim slandered them saying they were out for money after allegations of abuse surfaced surrounding former assistant head coach Bernie Fine.

Lawyers for both plantiffs argued moving the venue would give Boeheim the upper hand and allow him to have a fair trial due to the fact he is a local celebrity in the city of Syracuse.

Lawyers for both Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim requested the change of venue due to the fact Boeheim, Davis, and Lang all live in Syracuse.

(Written by Jennifer Rickard, WIBX)

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Federal health officials are warning that deaths from the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus are on the rise, and that baby boomers are especially at risk.

It is estimated that two-thirds of those with hepatitis C were born between 1945 and 1965. So some experts are recommending boomers get a one-time blood test to check for the virus — one that can otherwise go undetected and cause damage for decades.

Needle-sharing during illegal drug use is the biggest risk factor for becoming infected with the blood-borne hepatitis C virus, but before 1992, when widespread testing of the blood supply began, it was often spread through blood transfusions.

“One of every 33 baby boomers are living with hepatitis C infection,” Dr. John Ward, hepatitis chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Associated Press. “Most people will be surprised, because it’s a silent epidemic.”

Officials are urging testing in light of two new drugs that have the potential to provide a cure. Research published Monday by the CDC indicates the cost of testing millions of middle-aged people would be worth it, since thousands of lives could be saved in the process.

The CDC study analyzed a decade of death records and found the 15,000 deaths related to hepatitis C in 2007 were higher than previous estimates. What’s more, they even surpassed the nearly 13,000 deaths caused by HIV/AIDS virus.

“Mortality will continue to grow for the next 10 to 15 years at least unless we do something different” to find and treat the silent sufferers, Dr. Ward said.

Source: TheCheckup.com

Afternoon Headlines From WIBX:

• World Wheelchair Curling Championships, Day 4
• Oneida County Releases New Travel Guide
• IRS Sues Anti-War Activist Cindy Sheehan
• Broncos’ Quinn Apologizes For Tebow Remarks

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Utica, NY (WIBX) – According to the local chapter of the NAACP, RoAnn Destito, Commissioner of the Office of General Services, will give a power point presentation of Governor Cuomo’s Budget and Reform Message tomorrow afternoon.  The presentation will take place at 1:00 p.m. in Conference Room A, located on the first floor of the State Office Building on Genesee Street in Utica.

The event is open to the public.

UPD Suspect, George Lester (66)

Utica, NY (WIBX) - A Utica man is facing a grand larceny charge for allegedly renting out an apartment without the knowledge or consent of the landlord. The suspect, 66-year-old George Lester of Taylor Avenue was arrested and charged with fourth degree grand larceny–a felony, following an investigations by UPD’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Officials say Lester collected over $4,000 when he unlawfully rented out the vacant apartment in a two-family house on Boyce Avenue.

Photo by Utica Police.

Utica, NY (WIBX) - A Utica woman is facing a petit larceny charge after trying to steal from the Genesee Street Price Chopper.

Deanna Zayas, 27, of Seymour Avenue, was arrested by Utica Police after a loss prevention employee alleged she had stolen items from the store by concealing them in her purse, then left without paying.

This is the second time this month Zayas has been charged with petit larceny. She was arrested on February 10th, after allegedly shoplifting from the Hannaford’s Market on Mohawk Street.

Councilman Joe Marino addresses concerns regarding Utica's financial stability. Photo by Gino Geruntino, WIBX.

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The Utica City School District and the city’s employees will be paid on time.

City Councilman, Joe Marino, addressed concerns regarding the city’s proposed 5-million dollar loan, later increased to 10-million because of the city’s inability to pay the Utica School District’s tax obligation on time.

“This is why there is legislation that will be proposed and I will sponsor it, along with other council members, at the next Common Council Meeting, that separates the money we receive for school taxes and for Oneida County taxes, from the city’s general fund,” Marino said. “This money cannot, and will not, be used again.”

Marino also said he has been working closely with Utica Schools Superintendent Bruce Karam to rectify the situation.

“The School District employees will get paid on time because why should these teachers and administrators suffer for mistakes that this building has created,” Marino said. “They shouldn’t and they won’t.”

Councilman Frank Vescera was also on hand to support the action.

“My legislation, which is co-sponsored by Councilman Zecca and supported by others, provides some necessary boundaries, which would immediately prevent the Comptroller’s office from spending and co-mingling School Tax collected money with the City’s General Fund,” Vescera said.

The Council votes tonight on the approval of the loan and the creation of the separate school tax account.

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Weight gain may not always be due to what you eat. Researchers in Texas find your medication can cause serious weight gain.

Ryan Roux, PharmD, the chief pharmacy officer at Harris County Hospital District’s Drug Information Center, found certain medicines can cause significant weight changes, which can be challenging for anyone wanting to shed pounds or maintain weight.

Weight side-effects are common in medicines used for diabetes, high-blood pressure and mental health conditions. Big gainers are likely for users of steroids for cancer treatment.

“Because of the stigma of weight gain, patients may tend to stop taking their medicines or decrease their  dosage without talking to their physician,” explained Roux. “Doing this is a bad thing. It can affect your health in a number of negative ways.”

Roux said patients should report weight gain due to medication usage to their physician immediately.

“Your healthcare provider should advise you of any potential side effects associated with your medication,” said Andrea Henry, PharmD, formulary manager, Harris County Hospital District. “However, patients also should be actively involved in their treatment and become informed about their long-term medication use.”

Source: TheCheckup.com

Getty Images, Kevic C Cox

Chuncheon, South Korea (WIBX) – Team USA is in a five-way tie for first-place at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships in South Korea.

The USA beat Norway(7-3) and lost to Russia (3-2) today.

Team USA, made up entirely of Sitrin STARS athletes, is now 6-and-2 in the competition.

They’ll take on Canada in the final round robin session tomorrow.

The top four teams will advance to the medal rounds on Friday and Saturday.

To follow Team USA, log onto http://www.wwhcc2012.curlingevents.com/.

Sean Gallup, Getty Images

(WIBX) – The wireless world is not limitless…that’s according to a report released by Cisco Systems that says America is running out of space on the wireless spectrum.

According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index we will be out of space on the wireless network by 2016. Known as the “spectrum crunch,” the problem will result in more dropped calls and higher prices for wireless consumers as soon as next year.

Companies that have bought blocks of reserves on the spectrum but are not currently using them may choose to sell them in the future.

Agencies like NASA and the Department of Defense still hold the best of the spectrum and that is not likely to change.

To read the report on the “Visual Networking Index,” or the “VNI,” visit Cisco Systems at: www.cisco.com.

• Griffo And Brindisi Meet With State Leaders
• Local Sales Tax Collections Up Across The State In 2011
• Romney Leads Santorum In Arizona
• Protests In Afghanistan Turn Deadly

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Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

Jeri Ryan
Age: 44
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Playing the liberated (“de-assimilated”) Borg, Seven of Nine, on ‘Star Trek: Voyager,’ roles on other shows like ‘Leverage,’ ‘Boston Public,’ ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘Shark,’ and her current role as Dr. Kate Murphy on the ABC drama ‘Body of Proof’

Drew Barrymore
Age: 37
Occupation: Actress, Producer and Director
Known For: Her star-making childhood role in ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,’ two stays in rehab by the time she was 14, rebounding nicely with adult roles in ‘Boys on the Side,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ ’50 First Dates’ and the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ film franchise, co-founding the prolific Flower Films production company, her recent engagement to art consultant Will Kopelman, and just being all-around adorable

Kyle MacLachlan
Age: 53
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His roles in the cult films ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Showgirls,’ ‘Dune’ and ‘The Doors,’ work on the TV shows ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Desperate Housewives,’ and a lengthy relationship in the 1990s with supermodel Linda Evangelista

Rachel Dratch
Age: 46
Occupation: Actress and Comedienne
Known For: Being a cast member of ‘Saturday Night Live’ from 1999 to 2006, appearing in movies including ‘Down with Love,’ ‘Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star’ and ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,’ and her enviably close friendship with Tina Fey

James Blunt
Age: 38
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: Singles including ‘You’re Beautiful’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover,’ being nominated for five Grammys, selling 18 million albums, and having a long string of model girlfriends

Steve Powell, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1819 – By the Adams-Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for $5 million (More info)

1879 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores (More info)

1924 – President Calvin Coolidge becomes the first commander-in-chief to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House (More info)

1980 – In what would come to be called the Miracle on Ice, the US men’s hockey team beats the heavily-favored Soviet Union team 4-3 at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York (More info)

2006 – At least six men stage Britain’s largest robbery in history, stealing $92.5 million from a Securitas depot in Kent (More info)

Oneida County Tourism

Utica, NY (WIBX) – A new full-color, 50-page guide is helping promote Oneida County.

The Official 2012 Oneida County Travel Guide highlights the people and places that attract visitors. But it’s useful for locals too. Events which take place county-wide are listed along with lots of other useful information.

New to the publication this year are sections about shopping and factory tours, college life, and spas.

Oneida County ranks fifth in New York State for visitor spending, and now generates about a billion dollars in tourism sales annually.

Businesses that would like to have copies of the Travel Guide on hand should contact Karen Hodge-Ehlinger at (315) 724.7221 or e-mail: info@oneidacountytourism.com.  An electronic version of the guide can be found on Oneida County Tourism’s website: www.OneidaCountyTourism.com.

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A new study shows the popular smoking-cessation drug Chantix may not just curb the urge to light up — many people who’ve taken it report they’re drinking less, too.

Researchers have been trying to figure out exactly why Chantix, which helps people quit smoking by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain, may also curb alcohol cravings, and whether it could be a new treatment for alcohol addiction.

Currently, there are only three medications approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcohol-use disorders, but Sherry McKee, PhD, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at Yale University, says that because they don’t always work for everyone, identifying “novel targets” is a priority.

What’s more, since smoking and drinking often go hand-in-hand, researchers say a drug that would curtail the cravings for both could be especially useful.

“It’s very hard to treat both [addictions] at the same time,” says researcher Emma Childs, PhD, a research associate at the University of Chicago. “This drug could be brilliant because it could treat both of them, really.”

In the new study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, participants given Chantix reported increased feelings of nausea and generally feeling unwell after drinking, compared to a placebo.

“It did actually increase the negative effects of alcohol, which would counteract the pleasurable effects,” Childs told WebMD. She explains it might have happened because alcohol and nicotine may both exert their influence through the same receptor on brain cells.

But Chantix does have risks. Last year, the FDA warned doctors to closely watch patients taking the drug for any behavioral changes, including depressed mood, hostility, agitation, and suicidal thoughts. In addition, another FDA study found Chantix may also slightly increase certain heart disease and stroke risks.

Source: TheCheckup.com

DavidMartynHunt, Flickr

Freelancing allows you to make money on your own terms without permanent employment, but it also means you don’t have access to certain perks like group insurance, administrative support and job growth assistance. Though, since a reported 30 percent of the US workforce is now freelance, that has changed.

A group called Freelancers Union is just one of many organizations whose mission is to help freelancers have access to the same perks that full-time employees receive. For example, a member of the Freelancers Union can pay a standard employee premium and receive the same kind of insurance coverage he would have in a full-time position. The union also has a job board members can use to connect with possible employers.

Other sites like Elance.com, freelancer.com and odesk.com also give freelancers a place to post profiles, find opportunities for work and even download paperwork and contracts to use. Now, even local chambers of commerce and job assistance programs can help freelancers access opportunities, benefits and administrative support.

No longer does freelancing mean you are navigating the business world on your own. Small businesses are what will keep our economy growing, and supporting the smallest of small businesses benefits everyone.

[via Wall Street Journal]

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• Utica Teen Arrested For The Third Time This Month For The Same Crime
• Tuskegee Airman Laid To Rest
• Fat Tuesday Margi Gras Fun

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A new study shows that when men with prostate cancer were diagnosed after developing symptoms rather than after screening tests, they had a higher risk of dying from heart problems or other cancers rather than the prostate cancer itself.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Urology International, are based on a subgroup of men aged 55 to 74 who participated in a European clinical trial on prostate cancer screening. The men were randomly assigned to either undergo periodic prostate cancer screening or be part of a control group that had standard health care.

The researchers followed death rates among 372 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer through screening, comparing them with 1,488 men who were screened but found to be cancer-free. In addition, they tracked 221 men in the standard-care group who’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer after developing symptoms, and 884 men from the control group who had not been diagnosed with the cancer.

In the latter group, the researchers found that men with prostate cancer were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease or other types of cancer over the next six years, while the men whose prostate cancer had been diagnosed after screening showed no increased risk of death compared with men free of prostate cancer.

Dr. Anthony D’Amico of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the research, isn’t quite sure what to make of the findings, but says they raise questions for future studies.

“This is not something that would change clinical practice,” he told Reuters Health. “[It's] a study of associations, and does not prove cause-and-effect.”

Source: TheCheckup.com

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Utica, NY (WIBX) - The local chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, in partnership with the Occupy Utica Movement, is holding a “Know Your Rights” training session tomorrow evening at the DeSales Center in Utica.  Organizers say the aim is to advise area residents about the need for effective law enforcement, while understanding their own rights and responsibilities when dealing with police.

“So people are educated about their rights, about their civil rights about their civil liberties, because a lot of people unfortuntely are not educated on those issues,” said Brendan Dunn with the Occupy Utica Movement. He says guest speaker will be Barrie Gewanter, Executive Director for the Central NY Chapter of the NYCLU.

The event titled, “What To Do If You’re Stopped By Police” starts at 7:00 p.m. and is free for all to attend. Dunn explains that people will get the training and tools needed when dealing with law enforcement officials. He says, “Gewanter will explain and demonstrate what to do if you are stopped, questioned, arrested, or injured in your encounter with the police.” Dunn says the aim is to ensure that residents and police are accountable for their actions. For information about the workshop visit, www.occupyutica.org. The group can also be found on Facebook.