Overcast conditions didn’t put a damper on the second leg of the RE School Tour which took place recently at Clan Carthy High School on Deanery Road in the Kingston 3 area.
Prodigal Son, Timberlee, Goddy Goddy, Alaine, Tifa, G-Whizz, I-Octane, Chino, Jah Vinci, Etana and Konshens all performed well for the appreciative audience comprising teachers and students. All the artistes impressed on the students, the importance of abstinence and staying in school – while maintaining good grades and staying positive.
Sponsors Coca Cola, Claro, Mothers Patties and the National Family Planning Board were also on hand with giveaways and goodies for the students.
The RE School Tour is a presentation of RETV and 360 Marketing. It is coming soon to other schools across the island. The RE School Tour recap airs on Saturdays on RETV at 2:30 p.m., with a repeat at 7 p.m.
Hundreds gathered on the lawns of King’s House in Kingston earlier today, for the annual presentation of National Honours and Awards. 140 awardees received honours ranging from the Order of Merit and Order of Jamaica, to the Badge of Honour for Gallantry.
The two most notable awardees were probably track superstar Usain Bolt, who received the Order of Jamaica for outstanding performance in the field of athletics at the international level, and young eighth grader Colin Anthony Foster, who received the Badge of Honour For Gallantry, for his courage in saving the life of his bed-ridden Great-Grandmother, when their house was completely destroyed by fire on December 6, 2006.
Cornel Bell, a 37 year old car sales clerk of West Midland in England, appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. Bell is accused of attempting to export four pounds of cocaine to England. He was arrested and charged at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on October 8, after the cocaine was reportedly found in a Festival Dough Mix and a Betty Crocker Cake Mix that was in his luggage.
However, Bell’s lawyer told the court that his client claims he had bought the items at a supermarket in St. Elizabeth, and was not aware that they contained drugs. His lawyer also contested the amount of cocaine that was found, saying it was four ounces, not four pounds.
Bell pleaded not guilty to possession of, dealing in and taking steps to export cocaine. A bail application was made, however the Resident Magistrate said he could not be offered bail until the court received the forensic certificate indicating the amount of drug. Bell was remanded in custody and is to return to court on October 22.
Effective yesterday, October 15, Supreme Ventures Ltd has closed the Villagio Gaming Lounge (located at the Hilton Hotel in New Kingston), citing that the decision is part of a restructuring exercise that’s aimed at “improving efficiency in (its) operations”.
In the process, twenty workers were laid off, and the company has now reportedly rid itself of what is said to be an expensive lease at the Hilton Hotel.
In a statement released yesterday, Supreme Ventures said “SVL has announced the restructuring of its Gaming Lounge business operations, with its decision not to renew a lease agreement with the Hilton Kingston Hotel, for the space occupied by the Villagio Gaming Lounge on that property. The restructuring exercise is aimed at improving efficiency in operations, thereby contributing more to the Group’s profitability.”
They have not disclosed whether all three remaining gaming lounge operations – Coral Cliff in Montego Bay, Acropolis in May Pen and Acropolis in Barbican – would suffer the same fate.
Carol McLeod was hauled before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, for reportedly destroying her neighbor’s fowl coop in an ongoing dispute between them over a zinc fence that divides their properties.
McLeod, who is charged with malicious destruction of property, told the court that for several years now the complainant has been destroying the fence whenever she puts it up. She said that on the night in question, she was in her bed when she heard a noise as if someone was trying to break into her house.
She said she got up and looked outside and saw the complainant pulling down the fence again, and she got upset, went outside and took up a piece of board and started to hit the fence. McLeod said the complainant later told her that she had destroyed his fowl coop.
In the end, the judge advised McLeod that he should take the matter to the Sutton Street Court (Civil Court), and sue him for trespass. He dismissed the case, suggesting finally that they both go and sue each other.
Just last week, we reported on a man who had killed his grandmother over a cellphone. It was ‘jungle justice’ for the man yesterday however, as he was set upon and hacked to death by irate residents in the farming community of Brampton in Trelawny.
According to police reports, the man, Jerome Campbell, had been on the run since he murdered his grandmother, and had attacked and inflicted machete wounds on a resident in the community over the weekend. Campbell’s run came to a violent end yesterday morning, as residents captured and hacked him to death.
Former People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Hampstead division in St. Mary, Norman Doray, has been admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Doray reportedly fell down a flight of stairs at his house and suffered major head injuries. He reportedly underwent emergency surgery yesterday.
90 year old Edith Morrison, of Jackson Hill district in Trelawny, was reportedly stabbed to death yesterday by her 24 year old grandson – Jerome Campbell – who is now on the run.
According to police reports, at about 4 a.m. yesterday morning, Morrison and her grandson were at home when an argument developed over a cellular phone. Morrison reportedly went next door to her granddaughter’s house, but Campbell followed her, and is alleged to have stabbed her several times. She was taken to the Falmouth hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The Clarkes Town police are no seeking Campbell, who is said to be of an Ambrook Lane, Kingston 11 address.
This message is issued by the U.S. Embassy to alert American citizens concerning ongoing violence in the Grants Pen/Shortwood area of Kingston.
Police have advised that a gang war is in progress in the Grants Pen Road and Shortwood Lane of Upper St. Andrew. At last report, at least five (5) persons have been killed in the area, and heavily armed men remain.
The police advise avoiding this area due to this ongoing gang war.
Americans should monitor local radio and television reports and stay away from the Grants Pen and Shortwood Lane areas of Kingston until the news media confirms that the area is safe.
Militant residents of Cornwall Courts and Green Pond mounted massive roadblocks yesterday, as they protested against the stench that emanates from the flow of raw sewage in the area. The residents complained that the flow of untreated effluent – accompanied by a strong offensive odor – is making life unbearable and unhealthy.
The protests come even as the National Water Commission (NWC) is scheduled to commence next week to construct a sewer main that will be used to discharge sewage from the housing scheme to the central sewage system in Bogue. The project is to be carried out by Tank Weld Ltd., and will see over 2.4 kilometres of sewer lines being run from King Street to Bogue.
