Windies in crucial battle to avoid series defeat to South Africa

EAST LONDON, South Africa (CMC) — West Indies, facing a series defeat against South Africa, will attempt to strike back to keep their chances alive when both teams meet in the third of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Buffalo Park in East London today.

The West Indies will have to raise their game if they are to stop the South Africans from sealing the series with a win and two games in hand after they won the first couple of ODIs comfortably.

The Windies bowling attack is expected to particularly target the top three South Africa batsmen who have garnered most of their runs protecting a vulnerable middle order from exposure.

South Africa lost five wickets for 34 runs between the 40th and 48th over in the first ODI and still look shaky at number six and seven.

The pressure will be on senior middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels, who has been criticised for throwing his wicket away, to bat with more responsibility as the Caribbean side faces a series defeat.

The spotlight will also be on maverick opener Chris Gayle, who plundered the bowling in the T20 series, but whose flagging form will be a concern.

Gayle has not scored an ODI century in 14 matches, dating back to June 2013, and has only managed one fifty in that time.

Lendl Simmons, who is part of the World Cup squad, is nursing a finger injury but could be slotted into the team in place of Leon Johnson to bolster the batting.

The only other change that could be made is in the seam department where Jerome Taylor may be given a rest, while Sheldon Cotterell is given a chance.

Taylor has been expensive, giving away 145 runs in the last two matches and claiming just three wickets.

Some commentators believe conditions are ideal for West Indies to bounce back.

East London’s pitch is much slower than Johannesburg and the ball is expected to be slow in coming on to the bat with very little assistance for the pacers.

Late evening rain is also forecast which may hamper the second innings.

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Windies in crucial battle to avoid series defeat to South Africa

To limit Chik-V spread, infected are asked to avoid mosquito bite‏

Saturday, October 04, 2014 | 5:28 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse is urging people infected with the chikungunya virus to protect themselves from mosquito bites while the virus is still active in their bodies.

“Persons remain infectious for seven days after the onset of fever. This means if a mosquito bites these persons they will be able to spread the virus to others,” Bullock DuCasse said in a release today.

“We therefore appeal to them to reduce the chances of being bitten to assist in stemming the spread of the virus,” she added.

Infected persons are being encouraged to limit their movements from place to place and avoid mosquito bites wherever they go during the seven day period.?

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To limit Chik-V spread, infected are asked to avoid mosquito bite‏

Investigator says no sign truck driver tried to avoid collision with softball team bus

September 27, 2014: In this photo provided by The National Transportation Safety Board, officials examine part of the wreckage involved in a fatal highway accident in Davis, Okla. (AP Photo/National Transportation Safety Board)

A tractor-trailer that collided with a bus and killed four members of a Texas community college women’s softball team drove straight through an interstate median without any signs of braking or trying to avoid the collision, federal investigators said Sunday.

The truck was traveling northbound on Interstate 35 near Davis, Oklahoma, on Friday night. As the roadway gently curved to the right, the truck continued straight. It traveled about 820 feet through the median and struck the southbound bus carrying 15 members of the North Central Texas College team and driven by their coach, said Robert Sumwalt, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Even after smashing into the driver side of the bus, the truck continued straight for another 300 feet, crossing the southbound lanes and barreling through and uprooting trees, Sumwalt said.

Asked if that suggested the driver was sleeping or otherwise indisposed, Sumwalt said: “That’s going to be the million dollar question.”

“Was it something with the vehicle or was it something with the operator of the vehicle?” he said.

Sumwalt said investigators found no problems with the truck’s brakes, but were still trying to download the truck’s data recorder, which could show if the brakes were applied.

Investigators were interviewing the softball players Sunday.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which is conducting the criminal investigation, said Sunday that the truck driver, Russell Staley, 53, of Saginaw, Texas, told investigators he was distracted.

“He (Staley) said he was distracted by something in the cabin,” said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Ronnie Hampton, who declined to say what the distraction was. He said investigators don’t necessarily agree with Staley’s explanation.

No charges are pending against Staley.

Hampton said investigators have obtained search warrants to collect evidence from the truck and the bus.

The team was returning from a scrimmage against Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol identified the four players killed as Meagan Richardson, 19; Brooke Deckard, 20; Katelynn Woodlee, 18; and Jaiden Pelton 20. All were from North Texas.

A dozen others were injured although all but two have been treated and released. Oklahoma University Medical Center said Bailey Buchanan, 18, was upgraded Sunday from critical to stable condition. Rachel Hitt, 19, remained in fair condition at Norman Regional Hospital, a spokeswoman said.

Community members attended a prayer vigil Sunday night at the college’s Gainesville campus, just south of the Oklahoma/Texas border.

Staley was driving for Quickway Transportation of Nashville, Tennessee.

“Trusting in God’s grace, we hope to one day join the college in properly memorializing these ladies lives and their legacy,” CEO William Prevost said in a statement posted to the company’s website Sunday.

The statement didn’t refer to the truck driver.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show Quickway had not been involved in a fatal accident in at least the past two years through Aug. 22. The company hadn’t faced federal safety-related penalties in at least six years, based on available records. Quickway has 327 registered trucks and 436 drivers.

The company’s out-of-service rate for safety violations — those that would lead a driver to be pulled off the road — was 7.5 percent, better than the national average of 20.7 percent, according to FMCSA.

Of 51 violations recorded in the past 24-month period, there were two instances of using a hand-held mobile device while driving. During that same period, there were no drug or alcohol violations.

Nationally, crashes involving a large truck or bus killed 4,281 people in 2013, little changed from the number of deaths in each of the previous three years.

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Investigator says no sign truck driver tried to avoid collision with softball team bus

Man commits suicide to avoid arrest

Chad Bryan, Staff Reporter

Gramoxone, an agent used to kill weeds, was believed to have been ingested by a man who tried to avoid being arrested by the police.

Dead is 51-year-old John Williams of Shrewsbury district, St Elizabeth, who is reportedly charged with failing to file his tax returns.

Reports from the Black River Police are that at about 5a.m., while issuing a warrant for Williams, he attempted to elude capture by downing the herbicide.

He reportedly lost consciousness and was taken to hospital where he later died. Investigations are said to be continuing into the case.

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Man commits suicide to avoid arrest

Three Caribbean hotels listed on The Top Ten Places To Avoid At All Costs

Dominican Republic’s Don Juan Beach Resort (Credit: hotels.com)

NEW YORK, United States, Tuesday September 9, 2014 – The importance of adequate research when choosing a hotel recently came under a white hot spotlight with a stinging critique of 10 hotels described as “just plain disasters” by Oyster.com.

Published in the Daily Beast, the list of “Hotels From Hell” was dominated by properties in the United States, with five mainland US hotels and one in Hawaii making the grade – or downgrade.

Hot on the heels of the US were three Caribbean properties led by the Dominican Republic’s Don Juan Beach Resort, which claimed second place on the list, narrowly being booted out of the top (or bottom) spot by La Semana Hotel in New York City.

Here’s what the team at Oyster.com had to say about the Don Juan Beach Resort:
The hotel investigators at Oyster.com typically have pretty strong stomachs, and it’s rare for them to encounter a property where they’ll refuse to sleep. The Don Juan was one such special spot. Located in the Dominican Republic’s sex-tourism capital, guests should expect to be accosted by prostitutes, local hecklers, and merchants on the resort’s trash-strewn beach (with a view of a gas processing plant in the distance). Small pools, dark rooms.

Jamaica had the distinction, or lack thereof, of capturing sixth and tenth place on the list, with Sandals Carlyle Inn and Club Ambiance, respectively. Oyster.com’s take on both properties follows:

This hotel isn’t bad, per se, but it’s certainly deceptive. The marketing images show the hotel as located right on a beautiful beach. In fact, it’s across a busy road from a tiny, crowded public beach. A lot of guests are extremely disappointed by this when they arrive, and it ruins the stay for many. At least the hotel offers a shuttle to a better beach at a sister property.

You get what you pay for at this adults-only all-inclusive, which advertises a sensual, lively atmosphere. This translates to a free adult entertainment channel on the TV, clothing optional and nude areas at a neglected man-made beach, and a club with a, erm, dancing pole. Despite some renovations in 2013, rooms are dated and worn, with cheap bedspreads.

Other hotels singled out for a slamming by Oyster.com are as follows:

This rough-hewn crash pad has worn rooms with plenty of cleanliness issues, including stained towels and, during our visit, hairballs in the sink (other guests have reported hairs on the sheets as well). Pretty much the only redeeming quality is the excellent Ocean Drive location, across the street from the beach.

This upper-middle-range beach resort looks fine upon first glance—until you realize that it’s located across the road from a chemical factory. There’s a large incinerator right behind the hotel, and the pier on the hotel’s beach is used to transport chemicals. While the hotel assures guests that the pollution is within safe limits, we personally wouldn’t want to risk it—and wouldn’t be thrilled to discover the plant upon arrival.

The Quad Resort on the Las Vegas Strip is inexpensive, but for good reason. Rooms and hallways are dated and worn (carpets are particularly dirty). There is a pool, but it’s closed for renovations through 2014. The hotel is getting a new name in October—the LINQ Hotel and Casino—and renovations throughout the property are due to finish in spring 2015. The hotel will stay open for business throughout the process, but we advise steering clear for now.

This budget property is one of the most affordable options on International Drive, but there’s a reason—features are few and rooms are worn. Bathrooms are dirty and expect maintenance issues such as water leaks. Aside from the low rates, the location—at the entrance of Universal Orlando—is the selling point, and the hotel provides a free shuttle to several attractions, as well as a free breakfast.

The budget, no-frills, 359-room Pagoda Hotel is favoured by islanders seeking an affordable stay and visitors who want to avoid the higher prices of Waikiki Beach. But guests report issues with bugs (including cockroaches), and lots of street noise in the basic rooms. One of the two tiny pools is surrounded by Astroturf. There are extra fees for Wi-Fi and parking, which hurts the value for those coming for the price alone.

This by-the-hour sex motel is about what you’d expect from this type of establishment, with a clichéd romantic vibe, variety of themed rooms (including Love Nest, Egyptian, and Waterfall), lots of plastic flowers, and decades of stale cigarette smoke soaked into the walls and carpets. The bathroom was disgusting, and the black light we brought revealed some very telling stains in the bedroom.

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Three Caribbean hotels listed on The Top Ten Places To Avoid At All Costs

Li, Radwanska win early to avoid rain at US Open

NEW YORK, USA (AP) — Li Na got her work done quickly yesterday at the US Open, so when the rain started falling, she had little to worry about.

The fifth-seeded Li defeated Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2 in the day’s first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to the third round. Shortly afterward, heavy rain came and Li’s only concern was finding an umbrella.“It’s tough for them,” she said, referring to the 58 players who still had singles matches to complete yesterday. “For me, just relax all day and do whatever I want.”Five matches were wrapped up before the rain, including 18th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over American CoCo Vandeweghe and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska’s 6-0, 7-5 victory over Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain.Radwanska dropped only seven points during a 21-minute first set, but the second lasted 66 minutes. Long, but not too long.“Sometimes it’s good to play first, even when I have to wake up really early,” Radwanska said, referring to the rain.Other early winners were 32nd-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and, on the men’s side, one-time top-10 player Marcos Baghdatis.Serena Williams’ match was scrubbed from yesterday’s schedule.After a rain delay ate up most of the afternoon, tournament officials postponed eight women’s singles matches but kept others on the slate, including the night session involving defending men’s champion Andy Murray and American Sloane Stephens.With the storm bearing down, video monitors around the Billie Jean King Tennis Center warned fans to seek shelter and avoid trees because of potential lightning, though thousands of ticketholders were milling about without much concern for severe weather.Many are used to this scene.The season’s last Grand Slam tournament has finished a day late for five straight years because of rain delays.This year, the US Tennis Association announced plans to build a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of a renovation project that will cost $550 million. The roof could be ready by 2016, or 2017 at the latest.Even that wouldn’t have alleviated a first-week logjam the likes of which the tournament faced yesterday, with a full slate of matches in singles along with men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.During a brief halt to the storm, 2009 men’s champion Juan Martin del Potro made it onto the court, earned an early break against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, then had to go back to the locker room when the rain returned. Next door, at Armstrong Stadium, Venus Williams played two points against Zheng Jie, then went inside again.Li was among the few who could plan on watching those matches from her hotel room.NEW YORK, USA — Venus Williams of the US throws a towel over her shoulders as rain begins to fall during her match against Jie Zheng of China during their US Open 2013 women’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Center here, yesterday. (PHOTO: AFP)

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Li, Radwanska win early to avoid rain at US Open

Li, Radwanska win early to avoid rain at US Open

NEW YORK, USA (AP) — Li Na got her work done quickly yesterday at the US Open, so when the rain started falling, she had little to worry about.

The fifth-seeded Li defeated Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2 in the day’s first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to the third round. Shortly afterward, heavy rain came and Li’s only concern was finding an umbrella.“It’s tough for them,” she said, referring to the 58 players who still had singles matches to complete yesterday. “For me, just relax all day and do whatever I want.”Five matches were wrapped up before the rain, including 18th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over American CoCo Vandeweghe and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska’s 6-0, 7-5 victory over Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain.Radwanska dropped only seven points during a 21-minute first set, but the second lasted 66 minutes. Long, but not too long.“Sometimes it’s good to play first, even when I have to wake up really early,” Radwanska said, referring to the rain.Other early winners were 32nd-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and, on the men’s side, one-time top-10 player Marcos Baghdatis.Serena Williams’ match was scrubbed from yesterday’s schedule.After a rain delay ate up most of the afternoon, tournament officials postponed eight women’s singles matches but kept others on the slate, including the night session involving defending men’s champion Andy Murray and American Sloane Stephens.With the storm bearing down, video monitors around the Billie Jean King Tennis Center warned fans to seek shelter and avoid trees because of potential lightning, though thousands of ticketholders were milling about without much concern for severe weather.Many are used to this scene.The season’s last Grand Slam tournament has finished a day late for five straight years because of rain delays.This year, the US Tennis Association announced plans to build a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of a renovation project that will cost $550 million. The roof could be ready by 2016, or 2017 at the latest.Even that wouldn’t have alleviated a first-week logjam the likes of which the tournament faced yesterday, with a full slate of matches in singles along with men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.During a brief halt to the storm, 2009 men’s champion Juan Martin del Potro made it onto the court, earned an early break against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, then had to go back to the locker room when the rain returned. Next door, at Armstrong Stadium, Venus Williams played two points against Zheng Jie, then went inside again.Li was among the few who could plan on watching those matches from her hotel room.NEW YORK, USA — Venus Williams of the US throws a towel over her shoulders as rain begins to fall during her match against Jie Zheng of China during their US Open 2013 women’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Center here, yesterday. (PHOTO: AFP)

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Li, Radwanska win early to avoid rain at US Open