PATIENT STEALS AMBULANCE - Held by cops after going for joyride

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU: The Lucea police were kept busy at mid-afternoon on Sunday, after a male patient at the Noel Holmes Hospital jumped into one of the health facility’s ambulances and drove the vehicle away.

A source at the hospital told THE STAR that the drama unfolded when an alarm was raised by a nurse, shortly after 2:30 p.m., after she spotted the patient driving off in the ambulance. The man had somehow gained access to the key to the vehicle, following which he drove off in the direction of Lucea (town centre), with employees of the hospital in hot pursuit.

Reports from the Lucea Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) are that while on his driving spree, the patient crashed into the rear of a Toyata Picnic motor car, which was parked in the vicinity of the West Palm Hotel on Fort Charlotte Drive, resulting in extensive damage.

extensive damage

The police further said that the patient reversed the ambulance and then continued on his way on Church Street towards the Lucea town centre. However, due to the collision with the vehicle, there was extensive damage to the left front fender of the ambulance, so it couldn’t be steered properly.

The patient was intercepted at the intersection of Lorenton Avenue and Church Street by police officers, who were on their way to play a football match at a nearby venue. The officers had heard the radio transmission about the incident and were on the lookout for the vehicle.

The hospital source said when the patient was questioned as to why he drove away the vehicle, he replied: “So a wha if me drive di ambulance?”

The patient was taken back to the hospital and is expected to be charged this week.

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PATIENT STEALS AMBULANCE - Held by cops after going for joyride

Goodwill Tour gets going

Tyrone Davis scored twice for Santos Masters who secured a narrow 3 – 2 victory over Travellers F.C. as the 2014 Goodwill Tour by Lions of New York kicked off at Winchester Park.

In the second game, Constant Spring Masters had a 2 – 1 win over  the visiting lions of New York whose line up  included former reggae boy defender Tyrone Marshall.

The goals came from the boots of Raymond Smith and Courtney McKenzie for constant spring, with Dwight Oakley replying for the lions of New York team.

After the matches a number of persons were honoured for their outstanding service in the field of football. They included Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell, coach of St Georges College’s Manning Cup team, Constant Spring’s Maurice ‘Danny’ Lyn,  Carlton ‘Spanner’ Dennis and Ronald Smith of Santos, as well as Andre Pryce and Locksley Comrie, both of Boys’ Town. Leacroft Barnaby, Donovan Senior and Delano Palmer were the other honourees.

The Goodwill Tour will continue with a match against Hanover Masters on Wednesday in Hanover.

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Goodwill Tour gets going

WICB/JCA Grassroots programme gets going in Portmore

ST Catherine, Jamaica — Over 20 youngsters from various communities in the sunshine city of Portmore turned out at the Bridgeport Sports Club for the first day of the WICB/JCA Grassroots cricket clinic.

The boys and girls were put through a number of fielding and catching drills under the guidance of coach Hugh Hinds and assistant coach Kirk McKenzie.

The youngsters were drawn from the neighbouring Bridgeport Primary School, Naggo Head Primary, as well as high schools Kingston College, Campion College and St Catherine High.

With Saturday, February 1 being the first of the eight-week programme, Hinds focused on skim catches and casual ground field to get the programme off and running.

“We have some of the youngsters coming back, as well as we have a number of newcomers. We decided that we would start the programme with some catching and fielding fundamentals to improve their hand-eye co-ordination and the children have definitely enjoyed that aspect of the training.”

Hinds added that as the programme progresses he will be implementing other aspects of training.

“Because we are dealing with children ages seven to 13 you have to keep them occupied and engaged at all times, so we will let them have a little knockabout cricket game in the last half-hour of the training just to let them have some fun.”

With half the participants being new to the programme, next week the coaching staff will be teaching the young boys and girls proper bat grip technique as well as proper stance.

“Some of the kids here have never played cricket before, so we will have to teach them everything from scratch. My assistant Kirk McKenzie has been doing a great job with the little ones and we are of the view that if we can get just one of these kids carrying on playing the game we would have succeeded.”

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WICB/JCA Grassroots programme gets going in Portmore

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

"How are we going to cope?"

EXPRESSIONS of disappointment and uncertainty for the future coursed through the Corporate Area yesterday following Government’s announcement that public transportation fares will be increased by 25 per cent as of next Sunday, August 25.

This means a move from $80 to $100 for the Government-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), as well as for route taxis.“I am really disappointed,” said Trevor Ratchery as he walked along Old Hope Road. “How are we going to cope?” he asked rhetorically.Keith Blackwood and Otis Smith also referenced the difficult economic times in which the increase comes.“I heard about the plan (to increase fares) and see it there, I already start to practise walking [because] it will not be easy, especially with what is happening now,” said Blackwood.“Pressure dem a pressure poor people,” said Smith, who was in downtown Kingston when he spoke with the Jamaica Observer. “Tings already hard. You know how dat going be difficult to cope with?”There were persons like Samantha Erskine who also voiced disappointment over the move, but did not wish to comment further.The increase was announced by Dr Omar Davies at a press conference at the Maxfield Avenue offices of the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing. Under the new structure, children under the age of 12, students in uniforms, disabled persons and pensioners will be required to pay half of the increased amount if travelling in vehicles other than those operated by the JUTC. Concessionary fares will, however, remain at $20 for the JUTC, but only under the condition that passengers use SMART cards.In contrast to the views of disappointment, there were those who said they did not object to the increase and, in fact, were at least mentally prepared for it.“Right now everything on the rise. Cost a living increasing so it is no surprise that the cost for fares would also change,” said Ronald Whyte, a resident of Portmore who works in Kingston.Carol Smikle, who works in Cross Roads, had similar views.“This is something that we were all bracing ourselves for. It has been a while since there was an increase, so this is understandable,” she said.In August Town, Joel Barnes felt that if the increase did not come now it was bound to happen at a later date.“A just how tings a run now. Tings a go up so a the same ting with fare,” he said.Meanwhile in Spanish Town, Dean Foster said the move did not come as a shock to him.“Me did a prepare miself to hear something like this from a longer time,” he told the Observer. And for Jack Ini, anything more than a $20 increase would have been too much.The last fare increase granted to operators of route taxi operators and rural stage carriages was in January 2010, when a 20 per cent increase was approved. For the JUTC, a 60 per cent increase in the fare for adult passengers and a 33 per cent increase in the fare for concessionary passengers was granted four months later, in April 2010.As of Sunday, August 25 transportation fares will move from $80 to $100 for the government-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) as well as for route taxis,

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"How are we going to cope?"

Going solar? Electricians issue warning

News

BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, August 13, 2013

THE Jamaica Licensed Electricians Association (JLEA) is warning Jamaicans who plan to install solar panels on their premises that approval must first be granted by regulatory bodies.“Firstly, you must get approval from the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation). The OUR will give you the necessary approval and it must be done by a certified engineer before you can actually start the work. Then it must be inspected and the necessary certification given by the Government Electrical Inspectorate,” Ewart Foster, a representative of the JLEA, told reporters and editors during yesterday’s weekly Observer Monday Exchange.Thomas was peeved that most persons are taking a willy nilly approach to installing solar systems and other equipment and are compromising their safety and that of others.“What is happening now, people are doing the thing the opposite way. They don’t use the right material and don’t do the work to the correct standard and might not be inspected and you find persons spending billions of dollars and it might go up in smoke,” he said.He called on the OUR to actively educate the public about the dangers of installing solar systems without adhering to the proper procedure.One of the main functions of the Electricity Division of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining is to inspect and certify all new industrial, commercial, and domestic installations before they are connected to the power grid.Omar Palarchie, a licensed electrician and prominent member of the JLEA, pointed out that any electrical equipment that is being connected to the national grid must first be inspected.“You can’t just go ahead and connect something to the Jamaica Public Service grid,” he told the Monday Exchange. “JPS is not going to allow that, because the system is already running to a certain efficiency and adding anything to it can upset that integrity.”He also pointed out that for safety reasons all solar systems connected to the power grid must be retrofitted with a ‘on and off’ switch.“There are some little grey areas that will require all of us (electricians and electrical engineers) to come together to ensure compliance,” Palarchie said.The JLEA was formed in February this year and currently has some 200 members.According to Thomas, the association was formed out off the need to regulate the industry and maintain professional standards among licensed electricians and electrical engineers.

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Going solar? Electricians issue warning

Bahamas issues travel advisory for citizens going to Miami

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Thursday, August 01, 2013 | 11:14 AM

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas government has warned nationals travelling to the United States to be careful about their possession as they embark upon shopping expeditions in the North American country.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this “is the traditional season for Bahamians to shop before back-to-school and while shopping may not be paying particular attention to their documents and possessions. “We are asking them to take particular care because of reports of opportunistic theft of Bahamian passports and travel documents through break-ins in cars in the parking lots of shopping malls. We are advising all Bahamians travelling in the Miami area to be aware of their surroundings. Be sure that you are not followed.”Most importantly, nationals are being urged “not come out of cars if you are bumped at traffic lights” and that placing passports and other important documents in glove compartments and the trunks of your cars are strongly discouraged.”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged all citizens to contact the Bahamas consulate in Miami if their documents are stolen.The government also warns that Bahamians could be charged with grand auto theft, if they are unable to return their rented vehicles within the stipulated time on the contract.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Bahamas issues travel advisory for citizens going to Miami

Westwood leads Woods going to final round of Open

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) — Lee Westwood is positioned to win the first major title of his career.

Boy, does that sound familiar.Long considered one of the best players without a signature win on his resume, the Englishman curled in a 60-foot eagle putt on the way to a 1-under 70 that put him two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods and Hunter Mahan in the British Open yesterday.The 40-year-old Westwood has been a perennial contender in majors, finishing second or third a staggering seven times.But he’s never been able to finish the job.He’ll try to do it today at baked-out Muirfield, playing in the final group with Mahan.Woods will be in the next-to-last pairing after shooting 72, a stumble at the end leaving him two shots behind Westwood’s 54-hole total of 3-under 210.They are the only three players under par for the championship.Adam Scott is again a contender for the claret jug, though this time he’ll have to come from behind. Last year, he seemed to have it wrapped up at Lytham until he bogeyed the final four holes, a stunning collapse that left him one stroke behind Ernie Els.Scott matched Westwood’s 70 and was at 213.Miguel Angel Jimenez, the popular 36-hole leader, faded from contention on a miserable day. The Mechanic bogeyed four of the first eight holes, unable to scramble for pars as he did the first two days when his drives and iron shots got away from him. He limited the damage with birdies at the ninth and 13th, but things can turn quickly at Muirfield.Jimenez bogeyed the 14th, took a double-bogey at the 16th when he needed two swings to escape a towering pot bunker alongside the green, and a lipped-out putt on 17 gave him another bogey. The 49-year-old staggered to the finish with a 77 and 216 total, his one-shot lead after Friday now a six-shot deficit going to today.Those closing holes were crucial.One shot ahead of Woods, Westwood faced the possible three-shot swing at the 16th when he yanked his tee shot into the tall grass, far left of the green, and Woods plopped his ball about 20 feet away from the flag on the right.Westwood whacked at his ball but couldn’t make it onto the green, watching it roll back to the edge of the second cut. Then he putted it up the hill, the ball stopping about 15 feet short of the cup. As Woods lined up a possible birdie, Westwood knew he could do no better than bogey — or worse.Woods’ putt stopped right alongside the hole, a tap-in par. Westwood calmly rolled his ball right in the centre of the cup, having surrendered only one stroke to his playing partner.As it turned out, the big swing came at the next hole. Westwood made another clutch putt on the par-5 17th, sinking a 12-footer for birdie. Woods made a sloppy bogey after a baffling mistake, shanking his second shot in a fairway bunker.They both made par at the final hole, denying Woods at least a share of the 54-hole lead in a major for the first time since the 2009 US PGA Championship.Woods has never won any of his 14 major titles when trailing after three rounds. He had never lost one from that position, either, until YE Yang pulled off a stunning upset at Hazeltine nearly four years ago.Woods still has a shot at moving closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.Westwood briefly put himself three shots clear of the field on the front side, the most memorable shot a long, curling putt off the front of the fifth green for eagle. Woods fought back into a tie as they made the turn, Westwood grabbed the lead again with a birdie at the 14th, before Woods pulled even at 16.

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Westwood leads Woods going to final round of Open