52 year old Carlington Parkinson, was electrocuted yesterday afternoon, after he became entangled in Jamaica Public Service Co. (JPSCo) high tension wires at his home in Belmont District, Westmoreland.
According to reports, at about 3 p.m. yesterday, Parkinson climbed a breadfruit tree in his yard, and was in the process of picking the fruit, when he became entangled with the wires. He sustained severe burns, and was taken to the Sav-la-mar Hospital where he died.
Residents of the Tivoli Gardens community in Kingston were literally under siege last week, as the security forces stormed the community in an effort to execute a warrant to arrest area leader Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. For several days, some citizens were not able to leave their homes, as the security forces and criminal elements exchanged bullets in numerous bloody firefights. When the smoke finally cleared, one organization which sought to assist the residents by donating food, drink and water, was Political Ombudsman Herro Blair’s church – the Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre.
Blair said that members of the church distributed over 2000 food packages to the residents of Tivoli and other areas in West Kingston, however some residents reportedly rebuffed the charity efforts, claiming that ‘chicken back’ was included in the food packages. Whilst chicken back is a popular food item for most Jamaicans (particularly poorer Jamaicans), it is a source of shame, and many persons refuse to publicly acknowledge that they consume this part of the chicken.
Blair has however dismissed the claims, stating that chicken back was not included in any of the food packages that were distributed by his church members.
The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) issued a warning yesterday, warning members of the public – particularly retailers and hoteliers – to be on the alert when purchasing ackees in brine (canned ackee).
The advisory was issued in wake of the disappearance earlier this week, of 40 cases of processed ackee that are not fit for consumption. The missing canned ackees were packaged by Santa Cruz Processors in Braes River, St. Elizabeth, which failed a recent inspection by the BSJ. The company was found to be operating in violation of the Processed Foods Act. According to the BSJ, they confiscated all the ackee that was found at the factory during an inspection, and all were stickered with a notice of detention. The canned ackees were however gone by the time BSJ officers returned to take them away.
According to the BSJ warning, “These products are not coded or tested, and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica cannot guarantee their wholesomeness …. The company is, therefore, not authorised to process canned ackees in brine for distribution or sale, and its products are unsafe for consumption and should not be traded.”
Santa Cruz Processors has reportedly been operating illegally for several months, and its principals are said to be in hiding at this time.
The Clarendon police are reportedly warning the public to be cautious, and on the look out for donkey meat, that is likely being sold as cow or goat meat for human consumption. The warning was issued after the recent discovery of the carcasses of six donkeys in the Cockpit area of Clarendon.
According to reports, the donkeys went missing from a farmer’s property, and after an intensive search, the carcasses were found in a ditch.
There’s a new sexual enhancement that has been making the rounds here in Jamaica. It’s actually a chewing gum called Sexlets; it promises to freshen the mouth AND boosy a man’s sexual prowess.
Sexlets reportedly make sex more prolonged, and its promoters also claim that it helps to make the male organ thicker, harder, firmer and producing a more powerful erection. The gum hit the market a few months ago, and is said to be in high demand by men who simply have to chew one piece of gum three times daily, in order to enjoy the benefits later (within 20 minutes to two hours after chewing).
They are not cheap however, as a pack of 15 Sexlet gums currently retails for approximately $5,000.
Health officials confirmed yesterday that there has been a sixth death from the Influenza A (H1N1) Swine flu virus. To date, there have been 177 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus.
The name, gender or additional details about the sixth person to die were not immediately forthcoming, but the Ministry of Health has said that the individual “was within the high risk group”.
Persons who wish to get more H1N1/Swine Flu virus information, can call the Ministry of Health’s toll free line – 1-888-663-5683 – or contact the health department in their parish.
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.
Another swine flu case has been identified and confirmed here in Jamaica, bringing the current total number of confirmed swine flu cases in the island to 81. The most recent case was detected on Friday (August 28).
The Ministry of health is advising individuals to be vigilant and continue to follow the recommended precautions to protect against the spread of the swine flu virus (Influenza A – H1N1). The World Health Organization recently cautioned that individuals should continue to take the necessary care, as there is likely to be a second wave of the virus – with the upcoming traditional flu season in this hemisphere.
Two more Swine Flu (Influenza A – H1N1) cases were confirmed last night here in Jamaica, bringing the total number of confirmed Swine Flu cases in the island to 44. So far, there have been two confirmed deaths as a result of the virus.
Jamaica’s capacity to conduct tests for the virus will improve by next week, as the defective Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine which is at the National Influenza Center at the University of the West Indies, will be replaced courtesy of the Pan American Health Organization.
A second Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu death has been recorded here in Jamaica.
The Ministry of Health released a statement last night saying “The person, who falls within the high-risk group, died at the University Hospital of the West Indies on Thursday and had underlying medical conditions which caused complications.”
The ministry did not release any specific information about the swine flu victim nor did it say what were the patient’s underlying medical conditions were. The Ministry however warned that persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and asthma, as wells as pregnant women and children under five years old, were among the high-risk group that could develop complications from swine flu.
Jamaica recorded its first Swine Flu death just last week, when a 22 year old male patient died at the University Hospital of the West Indies, after being transferred from the Spanish Town Hospital.
