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U.S. NEWS Friday 6 april 2018

Police: Missing CDC worker

drowned; no sign of foul play

By BEN NADLER cal Examiner Jan Gorniak Cunningham, 35, was an
ATLANTA (AP) — An em- determined the cause of epidemiologist at the At-
ployee for the Centers for death. "Since the investiga- lanta-based federal agen-
Disease Control and Pre- tion is ongoing, we do not cy. He disappeared Feb.
vention who was reported have ... whether it was an 12. His family reported him
missing more than seven accident, a suicide, or any- missing on Feb. 16 after go-
weeks ago was found thing other than that" Cun- ing to his home and finding
drowned in a river not far ningham drowned, Gor- his belongings and vehicle
from his house, with no sign niak said. there. Police previously had
of foul play, authorities said Gorniak said the decom- said they had no evidence
Thursday. posing body was positively of foul play but couldn't
Timothy Cunningham's identified using dental re- rule it out. The civilian group
body was found Tuesday cords. Crime Stoppers offered a
partially submerged in wa- A fisherman first discovered reward of up to $15,000 for
ter and mud on the west Cunningham's body and information pointing to any
bank of the Chattahooch- called authorities, said Staf- criminal activity.
ee River in northwest Atlan- ford, who noted the body CDC officials said previous-
ta, fire-rescue department was found in an area that ly that reports Cunningham
spokesman Sgt. Cortez Staf- authorities had already had been passed over for a
ford said at a news confer- searched in February with- promotion were incorrect.
ence. Stafford said that res- out finding anything. The In a statement, the CDC
cue crews had to use boats site where the body was said Cunningham received
and special equipment to found was not far from an "exceptional proficien-
reach Cunningham's body Cunningham's house, said cy promotion" July 1 to the Fulton County chief medical examiner Dr. Jan Gorniak, tells re-
because it was located in Major Michael O'Connor of position of commander, porters that a body found in Chattahoochee River, Tuesday has
difficult terrain in a "remote the Atlanta Police Dept.'s an early promotion reflect- been identified as missing CDC employee Timothy Cunningham
area not easily accessible." Major Crimes Section. He ing his excellence as an during a news conference Thursday, April 5, 2018, in Atlanta.
Fulton County Chief Medi- did not elaborate. employee.q Associated Press

Second Oklahoma tribe files opioid lawsuit

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A sec- opioids. It alleges that the eral officials are looking for 100,000 people in metro- including complying with
ond Oklahoma tribe is suing companies' misconduct solutions. politan areas and nearly 20 all federal and state laws
manufacturers and distrib- "has led to an epidemic of Dr. Michael Toedt previ- for every 100,000 people in governing the dispensing
utors of opioids, and large prescription drug abuse." ously told U.S. Senate Com- non-metropolitan areas. of controlled substance
pharmacies for their al- "American Indians, includ- mittee on Indian Affairs Some of the defendants prescriptions, and are dedi-
leged part in an overdose ing the Nation, have been that Native Americans and named in the lawsuit are cated to helping reduce
epidemic. significantly impacted by Alaska Natives saw a five- the manufacturer Purdue prescription drug abuse
The Muscogee (Creek) this epidemic," the lawsuit fold increase in overdose Pharma, the distributor and diversion," the compa-
Nation filed their lawsuit in states. "American Indians deaths between 1999 and Cardinal Health and large ny said in a statement.
U.S. District Court for Okla- suffer the highest per cap- 2015. pharmacies, including CVS The Creek Nation's lawsuit
homa's northern district on ita rate of opioid overdos- Centers for Disease Control and Walgreens. comes nearly a year after
Tuesday, The Oklahoman es." and Prevention figures in- A CVS spokesman said that the Cherokee Nation filed
reported. The lawsuit al- Overdose deaths in Na- dicate the increase in that the company believes the a similar suit.
leges the companies en- tive American communities period was higher for Na- allegations "have no merit." The Cherokee Nation's law-
gage in marketing cam- have skyrocketed in the tive Americans than any "We are committed to the suit began in tribal court
paigns that aren't truthful time the opioid epidemic other group, jumping to highest standards of eth- but has since been moved
about the risks of using has swept the U.S. and fed- roughly 22 deaths for every ics and business practices, to federal court.q