Samsung committed to build sporting ties in Jamaica

Sport

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter myerss@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, December 31, 2013

THE inaugural Samsung Cup youth football tournament is done and dusted, but the technology firm is committed to extending sporting ties with Jamaica.Karen Gardener, the sales manager of Samsung Electronics Latin America, said the tournament, held across 48 schools island wide, is just a peek into what the company has planned.“Samsung is excited to inaugurate its first Samsung Cup in Jamaica this year,” she said recently in response to e-mailed questions from the Jamaica Observer.“The Samsung Cup is part of an overall initiative by Samsung to support the development of sports in children. For the short term, we really hope to have a major impact on the lives of the children and the schools that participate.“This is just the beginning of a long-term relationship and we hope we have proven our interest and commitment to positioning the brand as a leader in Jamaica, both in technology and in youth sports initiatives. We look forward to continuing to expand in Jamaica and creating additional initiatives in the region,” Gardener said.“The beauty of the Samsung Cup is that we have been able to get the support of the Ministry of Sport and the Jamaica Football Federation, as well as the collaboration of JISA [Jamaica Independent Schools" Association] and INSPORTS [Institute of Sports], to help approve all the schools participating in the tournament,” she added.Gardener said the initiative began in 2012 with five countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. It was extended this year to a further five nations, including Jamaica, in 2013.In the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the youth initiative has taken the form of a baseball competition.Earlier in December, the St James-based Irwin Primary School won the rural area title, while Holy Family Primary, located in Central Kingston, took the urban area title. Holy Family went on to beat Irwin 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the teams were locked 0-0 at full time, for the all-island trophy.Gardener said Samsung “received much positive feedback” about the tournament from the schools, parents and spectators. She said the “collaboration of many partners” made it “a remarkable experience for the players participating”.

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Samsung committed to build sporting ties in Jamaica

This Day in History — December 31

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

1997: Hong Kong authorities finish up the slaughter of 1.3 million chickens and other fowls to prevent an outbreak of a deadly strain of bird flu in humans.OTHER EVENTS1494: Forces of France’s King Charles VIII enter Rome.1799: The Dutch East India Company’s territories in Indonesia are taken over by the Dutch Administration in Batavia, now Jakarta.1810: Russia’s Czar Alexander introduces new tariffs aimed at French goods.1851: Austrian Constitution is abolished.1857: Britain’s Queen Victoria decides to make Ottawa the capital of Canada.1879: US inventor Thomas A Edison gives first demonstration of his electric incandescent light at Menlo Park, New Jersey.1919: Britain, Japan and United States sign an agreement on East Siberia.1956: President Sukarno proclaims a state of siege in Sumatra, Indonesia.1961: Lebanon’s army prevents coup attempt in Beirut by Syrian Popular Party; the US Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.1963: Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.1964: Indonesia’s President Sukarno threatens to quit the United Nations if Malaysia is given a seat on the UN Security Council.1978: Taiwanese diplomats strike their colours for the final time from the embassy flagpole in Washington, marking the end of diplomatic relations with the US.1986: A fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, kills 97 and injures 140 people.1987: Violent protests erupt in Jerusalem’s West Bank as Palestinians prepare to observe the January 1 anniversary of the PLO’s main guerrilla group.1988: India and Pakistan agree not to attack each others’ nuclear facilities.1991: Representatives of North Korea and South Korea agree not to use nuclear weapons.1993: The teenage granddaughter of Cuban leader Fidel Castro arrives in the United States for a reunion with her mother, who defected from Cuba the previous week.1994: A New Year’s Eve assault by Russian forces on Grozny, Chechnya, produces one of the bloodiest days of the war. Both sides claim success.1996: For the first time in Peru’s two-week hostage crisis, Tupac Amaru guerrillas allow journalists inside the Japanese ambassador’s residence.1998: Eleven European nations usher in the New Year and the euro.1999: Russian President Boris Yeltsin announces his resignation.2003: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that an outbreak of influenza reached epidemic levels in 45 states and has already killed at least 42 children.2004: Locked doors at a nightclub in Buenos Aires, Brazil, block or slow the exit of many concert-goers fighting to escape a fire that kills 186 people and injures hundreds.2005: British subway workers walk out in a 24-hour strike, disrupting the London Underground as tens of thousands of revelers throng in the capital to celebrate the new year.2007: Parliamentary elections in Pakistan are set to be postponed by several weeks a day after Benazir Bhutto’s 19-year-old son, Bilawal Zardari, is chosen to succeed her as chairman of her opposition party and despite opposition demands elections go ahead as planned on January 8.2008: The alleged ringleaders of a Chinese counterfeiting gang that sold at least $2 billion worth of bogus Microsoft Corp software are sentenced to prison terms of up to 6 1/2 years, in what is believed to be the harshest penalties yet under China’s tightened piracy laws.2010: A top ally of Ivory Coast’s internationally recognised leader says that the country is already in a “civil war situation”, while the incumbent leader who refuses to step down after the disputed election accuses world leaders of launching a coup to oust him.2012: Pakistan releases eight members of the Afghan Taliban from prison, including the former justice minister under the Taliban, in a bid to boost the peace process in neighboring Afghanistan.British Actor Sir Ben Kingsley, whose career has included films such as Gandhi (1982) and Schindler’s List (1993), celebrates his 70th birthday today.

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This Day in History — December 31

Argument Done racing career over

Sport

BY OBSERVER RACING WRITER Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The racing career of the four-year-old imported brown colt Argument Done has come to a premature end.Trained by Anthony Nunes, Argument Done ran a fighting second to Commanding Chief in the Catherine’s Peak Gold Cup on December 7, but was retired from the track after it was found out that he had developed a hairline fracture.“Unfortunately that is how it is. He came back to stables after his good run in the Gold Cup and it was immediately noticed that he was not the same. Further checks revealed the hairline fracture,” trainer Nunes told the Complete Racing Guide.Argument Done last won on November 27 going a mile with Shane Ellis aboard. He ran a good second in the Talawah Imported Mile race on November 27.“He was definitely on the improve and I was really looking forward to his development as a five-year-old,” Nunes saidArgument Done, who ran in the colours of Elias Haloute, Percival Henry and Courtney Walsh, will be used as a teaser on the Ian Parsard-owned and managed Paradise Farm in Old Harbour.

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The unique nature of Boxing Day

Sport

From The Horse’s MouthTuesday, December 31, 2013

As usual, Boxing Day was another bumper day at the racetrack. Racing fans turned out in their numbers to watch proceedings on the day which was highlighted by the scintillating performance of Princess Popstar.All the ingredients were present: Dane Nelson and Omar Walker were still battling for the jockeys’ championship, and W B Racing and Carlton Watson were vying for the title of champion owner.Not for the first time in racing history, Boxing Day was also the best betting day for the promoting company. The 12 races offered on Boxing Day churned a total of just over $49.5 million. That amount would have gone over the $50 million mark had it not been for the late scratch at the gates of Insane Bolt in the eleventh race.CARDENAS’ FOUR-TIMER OVERLOOKEDAmidst the drama and intrigue which surrounded the tussles for the jockeys’ and owners’ championships, almost going unnoticed was the magnificent four-timer landed by jockey Dick Cardenas.The Panamanian rode a superb race on Sweet Trail to the 12-furlong Harry Jackson Memorial Cup and then followed up with wins on Sparkle Haven, Jack De Charmer and Palace Gold. After a slow start at the beginning of the season, Cardenas finished strongly to eventually place third in the jockeys’ race with 84 winners. He also had the distinction of being the top Classic rider for the year, piloting Selectabook to victory in the 1,000 Guineas and Perfect Neighbour in the St Leger.PATRICK ‘BLIP’ CHANG DELIVERS SPANKING TRIPLETrainer Patrick ‘Blip’ Chang had his best day for a long time when he landed a ‘sweet’ triple on Boxing Day. It started for Chang in the day’s second race when Miracle Star ran out an easy winner. Then probably his most acclaimed victory came in the third race when Sweet Trail led from start to finish to win the Harry Jackson. The icing on the cake was applied in the seventh event when Sparkle Haven duly obliged. Truly a good holiday season for trainer Chang.MINISTER DELIVERS JUSTICEMinister of Justice is the track record holder for five furlongs straight, which he established when he was a three-year-old. He continues to love the straight as his last three wins have been over the five straight. So it was no surprise when, with Richard Mitchell in the saddle, Minister of Justice delivered coming down the straight on Boxing Day. The eight-year-old chestnut horse by Royal Minister – Sub Zero notched his 15th career win from 84 lifetime starts.DACOSTA ENDS IN STYLEChampion trainer for the 13th time, Wayne DaCosta enjoyed a productive Boxing Day by saddling three winners on the 12-race card. DaCosta, who has enjoyed another bumper year, glowed with pride as he watched his charges Miss Juanita, Jack De Charmer and New Kingston.Racing fans filled the stands at Caymanas Park on Boxing Day.A very happy Dick Cardenas after his win on Jack De Charmer.Minister of Justice (Richard Mitchell) going into familiar territory, the winners’ enclosure.New Kingston (Dane Nelson), one of three Boxing Day winners for Wayne DaCosta.

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The unique nature of Boxing Day

Brazil tribe returns home after riot

30 December 2013 Last updated at 18:54 ET Some 150 indigenous people in Brazil’s Amazon region have returned to their reserve, several days after seeking refuge in a nearby military base.

Members of the Tenharim tribe fled their lands on Christmas Day, after riots in the nearby town of Humaita.

Local groups accused the tribe of abducting three government workers two weeks ago.

The three men were last seen near the indigenous lands, in Amazonas state, but the tribe denies any involvement.

Local groups say the contractors were abducted and taken to the reserve in retaliation for the death of an indigenous leader.

The police say the man, Ivan Tenharim, was run over by a vehicle on a road that crosses the reserve, but tribe members believe he was murdered.

On Saturday, more than 200 policemen were deployed in the reserve – some 600km (370 miles) south-west of the state capital, Manaus – to begin a search for the missing men.

The police presence may have reassured the indigenous people that it was safe to return.

Clashes between indigenous groups and non-indigenous locals are not uncommon in Brazil as they are often in conflict over land, logging and mining rights.

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Caricom secretary general optimistic about region"s future

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General Irwin La Rocque says 2014 promises new directions for the 15-member regional integration movement as it seeks to deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to the people of the Caribbean.

In his end-of-year message, the Dominican-born LaRocque said 2013, which marked the 40th anniversary of Caricom, underscored the determination and commitment of the region to forge a common destiny as small unified states in this unique corner of the world called the Caribbean.He said the anniversary theme of “Celebration and Renewal” remained relevant “as we bask in our Caribbean-ness, rekindle the spirit of community and continue our integration quest with an outlook that is shaped by new thinking and different approaches”.He said that outlook would be influenced by the necessity for appropriate responses to the current global environment which has placed member states in dire straits, stymieing growth and development and denying the Caribbean the wherewithal to create a better standard of living for the people of the region.“Indeed, the vulnerability of our member states and their capacity for resilience came into stark relief last week in St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica, when severe weather visited death and destruction and caused a setback to development efforts there,” said the secretary general.The weather system has also been blamed for the deaths of 15 people so far and governments of these three Caribbean countries say they would require hundreds of millions of dollars in the rehabilitation exercise.La Rocque said that the new outlook would also be shaped by the review and reform of the integration movement being undertaken at the request of regional governments, adding “we are on schedule to achieve early in the new year one of our key milestones — the completion of the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan”.The plan was crafted following consultations with stakeholders across the region and sets out a common vision, identities priority areas of focus over the period and also addresses issues of implementability including the roles and responsibilities of all participants in the community’s architecture.“Unsurprisingly, sustainable economic growth and development emerged as one of the primary areas of concern for stakeholders across the spectrum with whom the Change Team interacted over the past year, and it is our intention, through the efforts of the recently established Caricom Commission on the Economy, to explore possible avenues to put us on a sustainable path,” La Rocque said.He said the commission would provide advice on implementable solutions based particularly on the priority areas set out in the Caricom growth agenda.“For the Caribbean Community, therefore, 2014 dawns with the promise of new directions, prioritisation on the critical areas that will deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to our peoples, more strategic approaches and the continued emphasis on our youth and empowerment of our citizens,” he added.

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Bigman In Town loses win record in Trinidad

Sport

BY OBSERVER RACING WRITERTuesday, December 31, 2013

It had to happen and when it did, Bigman In Town lost his 100 per cent win record in Trinidad and Tobago to his stablemate Headline News in the T & T version of the Gold Cup.Now trained by John O’Brien, Bigman In Town raced behind the leaders in fourth, then fifth position, in the 10-furlong event, before being ask to make his winning move by jockey Wilmer Gaviz, with four furlongs left in the race.The ‘Bigman’ responded by taking the lead and entered the straight with an advantage over Headline News (B Boodramsing) who had moved quite well through the pack.In a stirring stretch duel, both riders, Gaviz and Boodramsing, spared no quarter as they rallied their respective mounts. In the end Bigman In Town faded under the sustained pressure, eventually giving way to Headline News who galloped strongly to win by almost two lengths.This defeat in Trinidad for Bigman In Town who had won the Trinidad Day in September and went on to win another race in fine style. This loss underscored the much held view that Bigman In Town is at his best running over the middle distances.

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South Africa beats India, takes series 1-0

DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa won retiring allrounder Jacques Kallis’ last Test yesterday to take the series against India with a 10-wicket victory on the final day at Kingsmead.

South African openers Alviro Petersen and Graeme Smith comfortably chased down the victory target of 58 and the home team finished 59 without loss in its second innings soon after tea to claim the short two-game contest 1-0.Smith ended the game with a six and then a four and raised his arms to the dressing room where Kallis was sitting. Kallis was then carried across the field on the shoulders of teammates holding a South African flag for a lap of honour around the same ground where he made his debut as a 20-year-old prodigy in 1995.He surprised many by announcing on Christmas Day that he would retire following one last Test.After Kallis made an emotional farewell century on Sunday — the 45th of his career — as top-ranked South Africa powered toward its victory over number two India early on the final day when fast bowler Dale Steyn struck off the first ball of the day and the Proteas’ bowlers took eight Indian second-innings wickets for 155 in a session-and-a-half.Steyn and fellow fast bowler Vernon Philander finished with three wickets each and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson had 4-74 as South Africa romped to the win to mark the 38-year-old Kallis’ 166th and last Test.Kallis made more than 13,000 Test runs and also took 292 wickets in his 18-year career on South Africa’s Test team to go down as one of cricket’s greatest allrounders.Only Ajinkya Rahane resisted among India’s batsmen on the last day to make 96 before falling four short of a maiden Test century.SCOREBOARDIndia 1st Innings: 334South Africa 1st Innings: 500India 2nd Innings(Overnight: 68-2)Shikhar Dhawan c Du Plessis b Peterson 19Murali Vijay c Smith b Philander 6Cheteshwar Pujara b Steyn 32Virat Kohli c De Villiers b Steyn 11Rohit Sharma lbw b Philander 25Ajinkya Rahane b Philander 96Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Petersen b Peterson 15Ravindra Jadeja c Morkel b Peterson 8Zaheer Khan lbw b Peterson 3Ishant Sharma c De Villiers b Steyn 1Mohammed Shami not out 1Extras: (4b, 2w) 6TOTAL: (all out) 223Overs: 86.Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-53, 3-68, 4-71, 5-104, 6-146, 7-154, 8-189, 9-206.Bowling: Dale Steyn 21-8-47-3 (1w), Vernon Philander 16-4-43-3, Morne Morkel 16-6-34-0, Robin Peterson 24-3-74-4 (1w), JP Duminy 8-2-20-0, Faf du Plessis 1-0-1-0.South Africa 2nd Innings (Target: 58)Alviro Petersen not out 31Graeme Smith not out 27Extras: (1w) 1TOTAL: (for 0 wickets) 59Overs: 11.4Did not bat: Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel.Bowling: Mohammed Shami 2-1-4-0, Ishant Sharma 5-1-29-0 (1w), Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-16-0, Rohit Sharma 0.4-0-10-0.Umpires: Steve Davis, Australia, and Rod Tucker, Australia.TV Umpire: Adrian Holdstock, South Africa. Match Referee: Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe.PHOTO: CRICKET THREECAPTION – India’s Rohit Sharma avoids a bouncer during the fifth day of the second and final cricket Test match between South Africa and India at the Sahara stadium Kingsmead, South Africa.PHOTO: CRICKET SIXCAPTION – South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is carried by teammates after the completion yesterday of the Test match against India at the Kingsmeade ground in South Africa in which Kallis played his last Test match. (PHOTOS: AP)

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South Africa beats India, takes series 1-0

Ohio man admits raping children, killing 2 women

CLEVELAND (AP) — A sex offender accused of killing two women more than 15 years ago and raping children pleaded guilty on Monday to hundreds of charges, crying when some of his surviving victims addressed him.

“I’m not a monster. I feel a lot of remorse,” Elias Acevedo said in the hushed courtroom as some of his child-rape victims, now adults, and relatives of the women watched, some wiping away tears. “I love you all, and God bless you.”Acevedo sobbed into a tissue as three rape victims clutched each other and addressed him in front of the judge: “You robbed me of my childhood,” one victim said. “You hurt so many people.”Acevedo, 49, agreed to plead guilty to 297 counts, including murdering the women and kidnapping and raping children. He accepted a life prison term under the plea deal.The two 20-years-to-life sentences for aggravated murder and sentences for other crimes total 445 years, the judge said.The murder charges involve a Cleveland neighbour, Pamela Pemberton, who was killed in 1994, and 18-year-old Christina Adkins, who was pregnant when she disappeared in 1995.Acevedo also was charged with rape and sexual assault involving attacks on minors, some dating back more than 25 years. He folded his cuffed handed together as Judge Michael Donnelly read the terms of the plea deal and explained it.Acevedo’s case is the latest among a group of high-profile cases involving violence against women in and around Cleveland.Authorities re-examined the disappearances of women in the city following the escape of three women held captive for a decade in the run-down home of Ariel Castro.The prosecutor’s office said Acevedo most recently lived about a block away from Castro, who kidnapped the three women when they were in their teens or early 20s, imprisoned them in his home and raped them repeatedly, fathering a child with one of them.The women escaped on May 6 while Castro was away from the home. Castro killed himself in prison on September 3, just weeks into a life prison sentence.At Monday’s sentencing, FBI agent Andrew Burke said investigators reopening missing-person cases in the area began to focus on Acevedo during the summer based on discrepancies in earlier law enforcement interviews, his sex crime conviction and tips.Acevedo, faced with the mounting evidence, admitted killing the women after authorities agreed to skip the death penalty if he detailed the crimes, Burke said. Acevedo described the killings and pinpointed the locations, all information consistent with details developed by investigators, Burke said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserverAcevedo pleaded guilty Monday, December 30, in Cleveland to killing two women more than 15 years ago. (Photo:AP)

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Whither Carlton Baugh Jnr?

NATIONAL wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh’s Jnr absence from the recent training sessions conducted by the Jamaica senior cricket team has sparked concern whether he will make the 14-man squad for the upcoming Regional Super50 tournament.

The Jamaica Observer understands that his absence from training is as a result of a stand-off between the player and the national selection panel, headed by chairman Wavell Hinds.The final Super50 squad is expected to be named by January 10.The selection panel named a 45-member training unit recently, however, it is said that problems arose after Baugh requested a day off from practice when he realised there was a clash with personal business he had to undertake on December 20.The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) secretariat, it is alleged declined the request, however, the 31-year-old Baugh missed that training session.The sidelined West Indies glove man was subsequently told that he will not be allowed to take part in team practice until a disciplinary hearing was held.When called on his mobile phone, the association’s secretary Fritz Harris said he had to peruse documents pertaining to the matter before making a statement. Newly-elected JCA president Wilford ‘Billy’ Heaven said yesterday that a hearing will be held “one day this week”.Heaven said: “He [Baugh] is not a part of the training squad now, but it doesn’t mean he is no longer a part of the team. That matter is to be dealt with and there is a process to be followed.”Baugh declined to comment when he was contacted by the Observer. But a source said he has shown up for each session since, going through his paces away from the core of the squad.The JCA boss said that a strict approach is being taken towards discipline within the national cricket set-up.“Let me just tell you that the fundamental thing is that this or any other sport can’t go forward with any form of indiscipline, especially when senior players are involved, so you can either lead by example or be an example,” Heaven said.Baugh, Jamaica’s most prominent wicketkeeper/batsman in recent times, made his first-class debut in 2000-01. In 102 first-class matches he has scored 12 centuries and 22 half-centuries at an average of 32.87. He has taken 205 catches and executed 24 stumpings.In domestic 50-overs cricket he averages 22.01 from 99 outings. He has 101 catches and 27 stumpings to his name in that format.He has played 21 Test matches and 47 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies. His last assignment came in the home Test series against Australia in April 2012.Baugh was a part of the Jamaica Tallawahs team that won the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 tournament earlier this year.The Jamaica cricket team is preparing for the Super50 competition to be staged in Trinidad & Tobago, starting in late January.— Sherdon Cowan and Sanjay MyersBAUGH… was told that he will not be allowed to take part in team practice until a disciplinary hearing was held.HINDS…chairman of the national selection panel

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Whither Carlton Baugh Jnr?

VIDEO: Shaggy appeals to diaspora to help Jamaica

News

BY RICHARD JOHNSON Senior staff reporter johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, December 31, 2013

SHAGGY is calling on Jamaicans in the diaspora to contribute to causes here at home, such as his Make A Difference Foundation, which supports the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.The reggae/dancehall artiste explained that there are more Jamaicans living overseas than there are here at home, and added that for the most part, the Jamaicans overseas are in better financial positions than their local counterparts, and are therefore in a better position to offer assistance to the less fortunate.“The majority of our population is poor; whole heap a dem over deh so have money. Dem inna better job, better situation. They can engage, but part of the problem is half of them are scared. Dem don’t want to come down here for a cause because they are terrified… it’s as simple as that.To mobilise the diaspora is hard,” he told yesterday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. He bemoaned the fact that the majority of the Jamaicans living overseas do not have a connection with the island as many have not visited in a while, therefore getting the message to them regarding causes similar to the Bustamante Hospital for Children is hard unless they visit.“Much like how we have leaders in Jamaica who take a stand on certain issues and push things, you don’t have community organisers in the Jamaican diaspora that are active… who are just at it.You just kinda find a man who will say ‘mi a yaadie’, wear the colours and a it dat and big up themself when Bolt a run. For us to have a strong Jamaican or Caribbean voice we need organisation, we need people to be actively supporting causes in Jamaica,” said Shaggy, whose concert in aid of the Bustamante Hospital for Children is scheduled for this Saturday in Kingston.He is calling on Jamaican companies operating overseas to come forward and support causes here at home to help offset the strain brought to bear on the local private sector, which is already operating in a difficult economic climate and has to bear the brunt of the requests for assistance from local charities.“There are Jamaican companies overseas that make millions of dollars. I am encouraging them to set up a fund and allocate certain monies to certain Jamaican charities,” said Shaggy.Shaggy gesticulates as he addresses yesterday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. Also photographed are artistes Assassin (left) and Matthew Schuler. (PHOTOS: NAPHTALI JUNIOR)Reggae artiste Shaggy (second left) and fellow artistes Assassin (left), Matthew Schuler (fourth left), Wayne Marshall (second right) and Don Schuler (right), as well as Dr Lambert Ennis, head of anaesthesia and intensive care at the Bustamante Hospital for Children give the thumbs up to this wekened’s Shaggy and Friends concert during yesterday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. (PHOTO: NAPHTALI JUNIOR)

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VIDEO: Shaggy appeals to diaspora to help Jamaica

Shaggy laments negative image of Ja

THE negative image of Jamaica, in particular Kingston, is affecting Shaggy’s ability to promote his charity concert to an international clientele.

‘Mr Boombastic’ told journalists at the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange yesterday that just the mention of Kingston as the venue for the major event drives fear into many.“There are some people that I linked overseas, because we travel the world and buck up rich people all the while. Some of them I have invited down to Jamaica for the experience. The biggest problem for these people once they hear Kingston, they start [to] fret, as sad as that is,” he said.Shaggy said he tries to convince these persons that it is safe for them to attend, by explaining that he lives in Kingston and raises his three daughters in the city, but this does precious little to reverse the mindset.“I have a very wealthy person coming for the event who is sending an advance party. This person is worth millions and is sending an advance party to come down and set up everything first, including security. They don’t want any of our security, they want their own, just because they are scared of coming here. I have convinced him to come, but he’s taking every precaution — coming in on his boat, he’s not even staying in a hotel. He’s coming just for the show, but I’m gonna convince him to stay longer…,” Shaggy related.He accused Jamaicans of airing their ‘dirty laundry’ in public and, as a result, earning a bad reputation.He added that he feels more at risk in Trinidad than he feels here at home.“Mi a go deh fi years, and once I hit there, mi can’t walk there, can’t do dis, can’t do that. You always hear that Trinidad is the place where you come to carnival and party, while Jamaica is the place where everybody a kill everybody. I have been to many other places where the crime is heavier but, yet still, because we are the flagship of the Caribbean, and we are Brand Jamaica, and we are the ‘boasiest’ set a people in the world, wear the brightest colours and gwaan de baddest, so that sometimes puts us in a negative light,” he noted.The diamond-selling artiste further said that, for his part, he tries to put a positive spin on this negative outlook on Jamaica by launching his albums here, and even named his 2011 album Summer in Kingston.Shaggy autographs yesterday’s Observer Page 3 for Marsha Wright (left) which reported him being voted the sexiest Jamaican man by the newspaper’s women. Looking on is Michelle Daley. He was at the Observer for the weekly Monday Exchange.

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Shaggy laments negative image of Ja

West Indies Cricket Board offers sympathies

Sport

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC — The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has sent condolences to persons in the Windward Islands affected by recent heavy rains which caused flooding, landslides and claimed lives.A statement from the WICB said President Dave Cameron has offered sympathies to the affected islands of the sub-region on behalf of all members and stakeholders of the West Indies Cricket Family.The rains and strong winds are being blamed for deaths and damage to roads, bridges and houses, especially in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where at least 15 were confirmed dead.“We have heard about the deaths and we…have seen the magnitude of the devastation which has affected our brothers and sisters in St Vincent & the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica and also in Grenada,” Cameron said.“This is the time of year when everyone is full of joy, but that is not the case with some members of our Windies Cricket family who have been dealt a hard blow”.St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says his country suffered estimated damage in the region of EC$150 million as a result of the December 24 storm.“I want to offer our deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones and also reach out to those who are in need at this very difficult time,” said Cameron.“We want them to know that the WICB and the West Indies Cricket family are by their side and we want to bring some cheer as we close out 2013 and prepare for the New Year.”CAMERON…we want to bring some cheer

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The Voice"s Matthew Schuler has a "very bright future", says Shaggy

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Matthew Schuler, a top-six finalist on the fifth season of NBC’s The Voice who is in Jamaica to perform on the Shaggy & Friends charity show, got high praises from international artiste Shaggy on Monday.

Speaking to journalists at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters, Shaggy, who is known for international hits like ‘Boombastic’ and ‘It Wasn’t Me’, said Schuler has a “very bright future”.Schuler was among guests at the forum, which included recording artistes Wayne Marshall and Assassin aka Agent Sasco.“He (Schuler) was the very first person that came up to me and said hi when I went to The Voice to support Tessanne… in fact, it was when it was his very good time and her very bad time (on The Voice),” Shaggy told journalists. ” I looked at iTunes and she was nowhere on it and he was at number one.”Shaggy said at that point, Matthew was “so polite”.“The thing with this guy is you never see him and he does not have a smile (on his face),” Shaggy shared. “He is probably one of the nicest persons I have ever met.“He came (to Jamaica) last night and did a performance at our home,” Shaggy continued. “It just shows me the type of artiste he is, he missed his flight and took two other flights to come in.”Schuler, who said this is his second visit to the island having come to Jamaica years ago for a wedding, feels privileged to be part of the charity initiative.“I am blessed and honoured,” said Schuler, who added that seeing how Shaggy has used his own achievements to help others has inspired him.“That’s what I want to do,” Schuler said. “I want to help others, especially the children, [because] the children are the future.“So I am blessed to be a part of this.”Wayne Marshall echoed Shaggy’s sentiments, describing Schuler as a male version of Tessanne with his “likeable personality”.The charity show set for January 4 will be Tessanne’s first major appearance since she was named The Voice winner, and Schuler will join her along with several other artistes including Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Konshens, Elephant Man, Chronixx, Wayne Marshall, and Assassin to help raise funds to purchase equipment for the Bustamante Children’s Hospital.

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The Voice"s Matthew Schuler has a "very bright future", says Shaggy

Remembering Charlie Fuller

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The annual Puma Track and Field Development Meet which has helped to nurture some of Jamaica’s leading athletes including mega star Usain Bolt will take place on Saturday January 11 at the Kirkvine Sports Club grounds.

Organisers say they expect the event to attract competitors from scores of the country’s top high schools as well as tertiary institutions and professional clubs.It will also serve as a special tribute to late track and field statistician and administrator Charlie Fuller who died in July.He was one of the founders of the Puma Track Meet, according to Chairman of the organising committee Pat Anderson.Anderson said that there are plans for a name change to the Charlie Fuller/Puma Development Meet.He said that there will be a citation for Fuller to be collected by his wife Olive.“…She is all excited about coming to this track meet… she was never here before. This lady, we call her a heroine, because she was there all along supporting Charlie here and there. In supporting Charlie it made (him) the kind of man that he was.According to Anderson, Fuller spearheaded the ‘rebirth’ of track and field at the Manchester High School and managed the team for several years.Technical leader for the development meet Maurice Wilson said that the success of athletes from Manchester High including Tulah Robinson, Beverly Langley, Lorraine Fenton, Sherone Simpson, Nesta Carter can be credited to Fuller’s contribution.“We cannot speak enough about Charlie Fuller,” he said.Track coach Danny Hawthorne, track starter Linford Myers and General Secretary at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Garth Gayle will also be honoured at the event.Anderson’s son Richard, in his capacity as public relations officer, said the twenty-three year old meet started with four schools and now has in excess of a hundred schools participating.“We expect most of the top schools to be here … Holmwood, Manchester High, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Munro, STETHS,” said Richard Anderson.Competition at the January 11 meet will focus on the 3000m, 5000m, 800m, 400m and 200m. There will also be an open 4x800m relay.Bolt apart, the annual meet has also been credited for helping to develop top performers such as Jermaine Gonzales, Rosemarie White, Aneisha McLaughlin, Anastasia Le-Roy and Schillonie Calvert.German multinational company Puma, one of the world’s largest sports wear suppliers, which has a multi-million US dollar endorsement contract with Bolt, has been sponsoring the development meet since 2003.Usain Bolt and Aneisha McLaughlin were among those nurtured by the annual Puma-sponsored development meet.Public relations officer for the meet Richard Anderson (left), chairman of the organising committee Pat Anderson (centre) and technical leader Maurice Wilson discuss plans for the event. (PHOTO: GREGORY BENNETT)Organisers of the 23-year-old Puma Development Track and Field Meet, held annually at Kirkvine in Manchester, plan to adjust the name of the event in honour of one of its founders, the late Charlie Fuller.

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Remembering Charlie Fuller

Egypt arrests Al-Jazeera journalists

CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian secret police have arrested an award-winning Australian journalist and an Egyptian reporter for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera channel suspected of illegally broadcasting news harming “domestic security,” the interior ministry said.

The arrests come amid a widening crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, which the military-installed government declared a “terrorist organisation” last week.Al-Jazeera confirmed the arrests, and said police also detained a producer and a cameraman.Officers of the National Security service raided the broadcaster’s makeshift bureau at a Cairo hotel on Sunday, arresting two of the journalists and confiscating their equipment, said a ministry statement.It did not identify the journalists, only saying one was a “Muslim Brotherhood member” and the other an Australian.Al-Jazeera English identified them as Cairo bureau chief Mohamed Adel Fahmy, a dual Egyptian-Canadian citizen, and Australian reporter Peter Greste.It said producer Baher Mohamed and cameraman Mohamed Fawzi were also arrested on Sunday evening.The raid came after authorities listed the Brotherhood as a terror outfit, making membership in the Islamist group or even possession of its literature a crime.The journalists “broadcast live news harming domestic security,” the ministry said, adding they were also found in possession of Brotherhood “publications”.Greste, a former BBC journalist, won the prestigious Peabody award in 2011 for a documentary on Somalia. Fahmy, who formerly worked with CNN, is a well-known journalist in Cairo.“We condemn the arbitrary arrest of Al-Jazeera English journalists working in Cairo and demand their immediate and unconditional release,” the network said.“Al-Jazeera Media Network has been subject to harassment by Egyptian security forces which has arrested our colleagues, confiscated our equipment and raided our offices despite that we are not officially banned from working there.”Egypt’s military-installed government cracked down on Al-Jazeera’s affiliates following the overthrow of Morsi in July, accusing the broadcaster of pro-Brotherhood coverage.Gas-rich Qatar had been a strong supporter of Morsi, and stood out among other Gulf nations in condemning Egypt’s deadly crackdown on pro-Morsi demonstrations.Several Al-Jazeera reporters remain in detention, including Abdullah Elshamy, a journalist for the Arabic language station arrested on August 14 when police dispersed an Islamist protest camp in Cairo, killing hundreds in clashes.The Al-Jazeera office in Cairo. (PHOTO: AFP)

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School Board chairmen to investigate noncompliance of principals in training programme

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 9:58 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Board chairmen of public primary and secondary schools Monday (December 30) gave an undertaking to ascertain why principals of their schools have not been responding favourably to capacity building interventions being led by the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL).The interventions form part of NCEL’s Effective Principals’ Training Programme and are aimed at improving outcomes at schools, several of which are deemed to be underperforming.At a meeting at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester Monday, school board chairmen from more than 30 schools across the country expressed disappointment with the actions of their principals and gave a commitment to conduct their own investigations to determine what may have contributed to their non-compliance. They also indicated that they would be providing feedback to NCEL in the coming days as it is expected that their principals will become compliant by the end of January 2014.The board chairs were summoned to the meeting following Education Minister Ronald Thwaites’ recent declaration to Parliament that the ministry would take steps to ensure that principals were compliant with required NCEL training programmes.Addressing the school leaders, Principal Director of NCEL, Dr Maurice Smith asserted that the Board Chairmen had a crucial role to play in improving student achievement and emphasized that they must insist on accountability at all levels. “The voice of the Board Chairs is critical to the process. We must make sure all of us are accountable. We cannot go back to our schools and classrooms doing the same thing,” said Dr Smith.Since the middle of 2012, NCEL has been offering its Effective Principals’ Training Programme to leaders of primary and secondary schools, the ministry said. However, a significant number of principals have not been completing the programme of work.According to Dr Smith, 107 of 196 principals as at September this year had not satisfied the requirements with respect to either the Leadership Development Action Plan or the Portfolio. Despite several attempts, including letters from the Chief Education Officer only 30 of the 107 principals had complied. Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Going for a higher grade

LAURENT ‘Tippy’ Alfred was only six years old when reggae superstar Bob Marley died in May 1981. Despite his youth, he grasped the occasion’s magnitude and developed an enduring passion for reggae music.

Tippy is founder and principal of I Grade Records, located in St Croix, one of the territories that comprise the United States Virgin Islands. The company is one of the leading sources for reggae in that region.The 39-year-old producer started the company in 2001 and has worked with a number of acts from St Croix, including the Midnite band, and singer Danny I.I Grade has also produced songs and albums by artistes from neighbouring St Thomas, the best known being singers Pressure Buss Pipe and Niyorah.While soca and hip hop are popular on his island, Tippy says “roots-reggae has always been a big part of our culture”. The sound that Marley made universally appealing during the 1970s is also the focus of I Grade’s 47-album catalogue.Midnite, a quintet led by Antiguan brothers Vaughn and Ron Benjamin, is the label’s flagship act with nine albums. Their latest production, Beauty For Ashes, is scheduled to be released in February.Tippy speaks highly of Vaughn Benjamin, the younger of the brothers.“He’s probably the most prolific songwriter in reggae. He’s got so much to say.”Though not many Jamaican acts performed in St Croix when he was a boy, Tippy says that never stopped him from discovering militant bands like Steel Pulse and cutting-edge productions of Jamaican roots luminaries, including Augustus Pablo, Yabby You and King Tubby.The St Croix reggae scene has grown considerably in the last 10 years, thanks to the emergence of domestic acts like Midnite and WSTX FM 100, a 24-hour reggae radio station.For all that progress, Tippy hopes I Grade will spread its wings beyond the US Virgin Islands.“We are never satisfied. One of the things we are looking for is stronger links to the Jamaican market,” he said.I Grade has attempted to do just that. Tippy visited the Jamaican capital Kingston this year and recorded at the Marley family’s Tuff Gong studio with neo roots-reggae singer Jah9 and drummer Style Scott of the famed Roots Radics band.There is no let-up for Lauren ‘Tippy’ Alfred and I Grade Records in 2014. In addition to Beauty For Ashes, albums by Pressure Buss Pipe and Jamaican singer Lutan Fyah are expected to be released in the first quarter of the year.

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Going for a higher grade

Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:02 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has called an emergency stakeholders meeting for 3:00pm today (Monday, December 30) to discuss security arrangements at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). Dr Ferguson will meet with representatives of the Nurses Association (NAJ), the Medical Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association along with representatives of the South East Regional Health Authority, the ministry said in a ststement. This meeting follows recent reports of robberies and concerns about a lack of security at the Caribbean’s largest hospital. Dr Ferguson says he has already commenced discussions with Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and so far the response regarding improved security at the hospital has been favourableAccording to reports the KPH and its environs have seen an alarming rise in incidents of robbery of staff members, particularly nurses. The NAJ has condemned the attacks while urging all “well-thinking Jamaicans to join in the repudiation of that type of behaviour”.        

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Traffic crashes claim 303 this year... so far

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 4:58 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — With one day left in the year the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is reporting that 303 people have so far died in traffic crashes.The figure has again surpassed the under-300 target set by the NRSC after road traffic deaths dipped to 259 in 2012.307 people died traffic crashes in 2011.According to NRSC data pedestrians form the bulk of the casualties this year at 89 with motorcyclists at 55 second.Private motor vehicle passengers at 49 deaths, private motor vehicle drivers at 47 and pedal cyclists 26, round out the top five categories.Thirty-three children have been killed in traffic crashes so far this year.

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Ford says retail sales up 15% through November

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:48 PM

DEARBORN, Michigan (AP) — Ford says retail sales have risen 15 per cent through November of this year.The automaker says it expects to sell at least 2.4 million Ford-brand vehicles this year, enough to make it North America’s top-selling brand. It says it expects December sales to “grow substantially” compared to last December.The automaker says the strongest growth this year was in the US west and southeast. It says it will sell more than 600,000 passenger cars this year, the most since 2000.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Traffic crashes claim 303 this year... so far

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 4:58 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — With one day left in the year the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is reporting that 303 people have so far died in traffic crashes.The figure has again surpassed the under-300 target set by the NRSC after road traffic deaths dipped to 259 in 2012.307 people died traffic crashes in 2011.According to NRSC data pedestrians form the bulk of the casualties this year at 89 with motorcyclists at 55 second.Private motor vehicle passengers at 49 deaths, private motor vehicle drivers at 47 and pedal cyclists 26, round out the top five categories.Thirty-three children have been killed in traffic crashes so far this year.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Shaggy appeals to corporate entities to assist children"s hospital

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 4:48 PM

ST ANDREW, Jamaica — International artiste Shaggy on Monday issued an appeal for corporate entities in Jamaica and the Diaspora to help in assisting the Bustamante Children’s Hospital and other such facilities in Jamaica.The Shaggy and Friends Make a Difference Charity concert, is geared towards raising funds to assist the Bustamante Hospital, and the artiste has been behind the venture for the past five years.Shaggy said that he had been making donations to the hospital before he created the Shaggy and Friends Foundation, but eventually went public because he needed help.He was speaking to journalists at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange forum held at the newspaper’s headquarters on Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew.More in tomorrow’s Jamaica Observer.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Shaggy appeals to corporate entities to assist children"s hospital

Mechanic crushed to death by vehicle

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:36 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A mechanic was crushed to death Sunday after a vehicle he was repairing fell on him at Whitehall Avenue in St Andrew.The dead man has been identified as 44-year-old Clive Lewis of Mannings Hill Road.Police report that minutes after 10:00 am Lewis had propped up a Subaru Justy and was in the process of effecting repairs under the vehicle when two blocks that he used as support crumbled under the weight of the car which fell on top of him.He died before residents could use their muscle power to remove the vehicle off him.— Karyl WalkerLike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Shaggy appeals to corporate entities to assist children"s hospital

Entertainment

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 4:48 PM

ST ANDREW, Jamaica — International artiste Shaggy on Monday issued an appeal for corporate entities in Jamaica and the Diaspora to help in assisting the Bustamante Children’s Hospital and other such facilities in Jamaica.The Shaggy and Friends Make a Difference Charity concert, is geared towards raising funds to assist the Bustamante Hospital, and the artiste has been behind the venture for the past five years.Shaggy said that he had been making donations to the hospital before he created the Shaggy and Friends Foundation, but eventually went public because he needed help.He was speaking to journalists at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange forum held at the newspaper’s headquarters on Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew.More in tomorrow’s Jamaica Observer.

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Shaggy appeals to corporate entities to assist children"s hospital

Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:02 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has called an emergency stakeholders meeting for 3:00pm today (Monday, December 30) to discuss security arrangements at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). Dr Ferguson will meet with representatives of the Nurses Association (NAJ), the Medical Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association along with representatives of the South East Regional Health Authority, the ministry said in a ststement. This meeting follows recent reports of robberies and concerns about a lack of security at the Caribbean’s largest hospital. Dr Ferguson says he has already commenced discussions with Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and so far the response regarding improved security at the hospital has been favourableAccording to reports the KPH and its environs have seen an alarming rise in incidents of robbery of staff members, particularly nurses. The NAJ has condemned the attacks while urging all “well-thinking Jamaicans to join in the repudiation of that type of behaviour”.        Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

Water lock off in sections of St Andrew Friday

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:58 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Water Commission (NWC) says that customers served by the Constant Spring Treatment Plant in St Andrew will experience water supply disruption on Friday, January 3, 2014 from 12:00 midnight to 4:00am Saturday, January 4.Areas to be affected include: Constant Spring, Norbrook, Cherry Gardens, Havendale, Half Way Tree, Lady Musgrave, Liguanea, Manor Park, Shortwood, Graham Heights, Aylsham, Allerdyce, Acadia, White Hall Gardens, Belgrade, Kingswood, Riva Ridge, Eastwood Park Gardens, Hughenden, and Stillwell Road.The disruption is to facilitate scheduled mechanical repairs at the water treatment facility, the NWC said.

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Water lock off in sections of St Andrew Friday

Mechanic crushed to death by vehicle

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:36 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A mechanic was crushed to death Sunday after a vehicle he was repairing fell on him at Whitehall Avenue in St Andrew.The dead man has been identified as 44-year-old Clive Lewis of Mannings Hill Road.Police report that minutes after 10:00 am Lewis had propped up a Subaru Justy and was in the process of effecting repairs under the vehicle when two blocks that he used as support crumbled under the weight of the car which fell on top of him.He died before residents could use their muscle power to remove the vehicle off him.— Karyl Walker

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Mechanic crushed to death by vehicle

St Catherine police seek witness in court case

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 6:09 PM

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Detectives from the Spanish Town Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Marva McNeish, a key witness in a matter that is before the court.McNeish, otherwise called ‘Michelle’, whose last known address is Park Avenue, Horizon Park, Spanish Town in St Catherine, is scheduled to appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, January 13, 2014.McNeish, or anyone knowing her whereabouts, is being asked to contact the Spanish Town Police at 984-2305 or 984-2874, 119 emergency numbers or the nearest police station.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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St Catherine police seek witness in court case

Water lock off in sections of St Andrew Friday

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:58 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Water Commission (NWC) says that customers served by the Constant Spring Treatment Plant in St Andrew will experience water supply disruption on Friday, January 3, 2014 from 12:00 midnight to 4:00am Saturday, January 4.Areas to be affected include: Constant Spring, Norbrook, Cherry Gardens, Havendale, Half Way Tree, Lady Musgrave, Liguanea, Manor Park, Shortwood, Graham Heights, Aylsham, Allerdyce, Acadia, White Hall Gardens, Belgrade, Kingswood, Riva Ridge, Eastwood Park Gardens, Hughenden, and Stillwell Road.The disruption is to facilitate scheduled mechanical repairs at the water treatment facility, the NWC said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Water lock off in sections of St Andrew Friday

St Catherine police seek witness in court case

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 6:09 PM

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Detectives from the Spanish Town Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Marva McNeish, a key witness in a matter that is before the court.McNeish, otherwise called ‘Michelle’, whose last known address is Park Avenue, Horizon Park, Spanish Town in St Catherine, is scheduled to appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, January 13, 2014.McNeish, or anyone knowing her whereabouts, is being asked to contact the Spanish Town Police at 984-2305 or 984-2874, 119 emergency numbers or the nearest police station.

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St Catherine police seek witness in court case

Newport, Manchester Post Office damaged by fire

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 12:16 PM

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The Manchester Fire Department has confirmed that fire damaged the Newport Post Office in South Manchester early Monday morningThe building which is said to be an older type structure is reportedly out of use and is being refurbished for reopening.Reports are that at about 5:29am the fire department was alerted and one unit from Mandeville responded.The blaze which was reportedly confined to the inside of the building was extinguished before extensive damage was done to the exterior of the structure. Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire could be as a result of an electrical defect.-Alicia SutherlandLike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Newport, Manchester Post Office damaged by fire

20-y-o man shot dead in Bayfarm Villa

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 11:47 AM

ST ANDREW, Jamaica — Twenty-year-old Dyran Dyer of a Mahogany Road address in Kingston 11, was shot dead by an armed man while in the company of a woman in the Bayfarm Villa community Sunday.Reports reaching OBSERVER ONLINE are that about 7:10 pm, Dyer was having a conversation with a woman in the community when his attacker walked up to him and opened gunfire.The police were alerted and Dyer taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.There are no reports of the woman being injured in the incident.

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20-y-o man shot dead in Bayfarm Villa

Newport, Manchester Post Office damaged by fire

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 12:16 PM

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The Manchester Fire Department has confirmed that fire damaged the Newport Post Office in South Manchester early Monday morningThe building which is said to be an older type structure is reportedly out of use and is being refurbished for reopening.Reports are that at about 5:29am the fire department was alerted and one unit from Mandeville responded.The blaze which was reportedly confined to the inside of the building was extinguished before extensive damage was done to the exterior of the structure. Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire could be as a result of an electrical defect.-Alicia Sutherland

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Newport, Manchester Post Office damaged by fire