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Night of Horror

By
Shaqueal Benti
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0
Calvin Forrest

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

Sunday, August 25, was a night of horror that has left 64-year-old Morene Forrest traumatized and heartbroken, as gunmen snuffed out the life of her 68-year-old husband, Calvin Forrest, shattering the couple’s dream of living out the December of their years in the tranquil climes of Bastard Cedar Valley, Petersfield, Westmoreland.

“He was everything to me. We just returned here from England in June of 2018. So, it is just over a year since we have been back. We were living a simple life. He usually takes me out when he was not taking care of his animals. But we usually stay in otherwise. I am very sad, very sad, yes, but God has given me peace,” said a distraught Morene Forrest.

Reports indicate that about 8:15p.m on Sunday, Mr. Forrest went to the back of the yard to feed his pigs, and when he was returning, he was pounced upon by two men armed with guns, who held him at gunpoint and demanded money.

Forrest refused and the men put him to sit on the step and knocked on the back door.

Mrs. Forrest, who was inside, came and opened the door and was immediately confronted by the two men, one of whom pointed a gun at her and demanded money, which she refused. She managed to shut the door and called out for help. Not long after, explosions were heard outside.

The police were summoned and they came to the house where they saw Mr. Forrest lying on his back in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the forehead.

Mrs. Forrest recounted that when she opened the door the man who stuck the gun at her tried to force the door open to gain entry to the house. “I don’t know where I got the strength but I pushed it and closed it. I ran to the front and closed the grill and shouted ‘Help, thief!’, but nobody came. It was then I heard the explosion,” she recalled. “He had just gone out to feed the animals and then would come to bed,” she lamented.

The couple got married in 1992, and Mrs. Forrest said her husband of 27 years saved her life by staying outside with the men.

“He really saved my life. They kept on asking him to open the door but he said ‘No’. He knew I was inside. So right now, I don’t know what I am going to do. I know though that I need to give him a good send off.”

She said it was just two weeks ago that the house was broken into and her husband was slapped hard in the face.

Gordon takes his talents to Jersey

By
admin
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1093
David Gordon

Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts – Staff Reporter

Hillside, New Jersey in the United States, has been the home of talented young basketballer David Gordon for the past two weeks, and will be for at least the next 12-months.

The lanky 18-year-old, who experienced a rapid growth spurt while in the 10th grade, left the island in mid-August to take up a scholarship at Patrick High School – once home to NBA Champion and superstar, Kyrie Irving, who now plays for the Brooklyn Nets.

Supremely talented and expected to go the distance in the sport, Gordon, who started out his sporting career as a well-reliable goalkeeper, told the Western Mirror before departing that he will be doing a 1-year stint at the school before seeking College offers.

“I am really grateful for the opportunity and will be putting in the work, both on and off the court, as I look to impress while hoping to get some D-1 offers at the end of my time with Pat School,” said the towering 6’ 8” Gordon, who can handle the ball and can be lethal from behind the three point line.

Winner of the All-Island crown with the Herbert Morrison Technical High School (HMTHS) where they went through the season 18-0, Gordon says his love for the game started when he was in Grade 8 at the Bogue-based institution, following an introduction by motivator and coach, Dave Black.

Gordon powers his way through the middle as three defenders desperately try – but fail, to stop him.
Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts photos

Gordon, who, earlier in his career represented Jamaica at the Under-15 level – a time which still holds precious memories for him, is hoping to eventually pursue a career in Physiotherapy and Kinesiology in college.

He says his main goal right now is to play D1 basketball at a top university and one day make it to the NBA.

Ill-tempered in his early years, Gordon revealed that prior to being introduced to Basketball by Black in the schoolyard, he had no interest and was not a fan of the game.

COPING WELL

Since being at Patrick High School, Gordon revealed to the Western Mirror, skills level and endurance have been the main targets of his training sessions, and that he has been coping well and has been received well by his new teammates.

He also revealed that, “The sessions are not much different from those here, just much more intense.”

A beast on the court, but soft-spoken off it, Gordon dedicates his early success to Coach Black, a few close friends and his number one supporter, his mother, who he says he will find it hard to adjust living away from, as she has been his strongest support system.

In paying tribute, Gordon says Black has given him a great head start in life and is encouraging youngsters aspiring to play the sport to remain focus and hungry, work hard and always have a positive mindset.

Dying to breathe

By
admin
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550
Anna Kay Campbell
  • Lung disease patient desperate for help

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

For the past three years, life for 29-year-old former sales clerk, Anna Kay Campbell, has been a series of tragedies, one behind the other. From being immediately struck with Interstitial Lung Disease following the sudden death of her mother to thereafter developing diabetes as a side effect of some medications, Campbell’s life has been tough, and she now desperately needs help.

A resident of Ramble, Hanover, Anna Kay explained to the Western Mirror that after her mother died three years ago, she fell ill, and realized that she started having difficulties breathing. She was subsequently taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital for diagnosis and treatment, where she first learnt of what had been affecting her.

“The doctors did a CT scan on my chest and told me that my lungs were failing because I had developed lung disease. I now have Interstitial Lung Disease and I have to receive my oxygen daily. I take Prednisone and Zantac, and water tablets to reduce fluid around my lungs,” Campbell explained.

Campbell, diligently taking her medications to ease the discomforts associated with her disease, developed diabetes as a result of one of her medications – Prednisone. The drug essentially primes the body for times of challenge by, among other things, increasing blood glucose levels. Extended use of the drug, however, can cause diabetes, which is what happened in Campbell’s case. As a result, she now has to get treatment for both her disease and diabetes – making things especially difficult for her.

Campbell now has to constantly wear a mask. “It is very difficult for me; I cannot take off the mask. I have to wear it all the time, except for a brief moment when I go to the bathroom. I put it back on right after. I have cold in my chest, but the medication does not seem to be working and I have to be careful with my diet too because of the diabetes. The mask is attached to an oxygen tank, which I have to travel with for any emergency,” she explained.

After spending a year at the Savanna-la-Mar General Hospital for treatment, she was discharged in June of this year. Now, Campbell is a ‘residential’ patient at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, after previously living with her sister, and her mother, before she died.

“I went back to live with my sister but her husband said I could not stay there with my condition, and since I had nowhere else to go, I ended up at the Cornwall Regional Hospital. I have other relatives, some in Western Jamaica, some in Mandeville, but they all say they cannot accommodate me; they do not have any space”, she lamented. That’s why, Campbell said, she’s been described as a ‘residential patient’, having no other option but stay at the problem-riddled hospital.

The former sales clerk, who worked at a wholesale, shared, however, that a relative in Haughton Grove, Hanover, recently offered her a living space, but she needs all the help she can get to build a room for herself.

JOBS UNDER WATER

By
Shaqueal Benti
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81
Sharren Robinson on one of his many under water experiences

Youths encouraged to become professional scuba divers

written by: Rosalee D. Wood

Sharren Robinson – Master Diving Instructor

Scuba Diving is one of the more adventurous tour experiences offered in Jamaica, which has some of the best diving sites for all skill levels. Some of the underwater attractions available in our waters include sting rays, sharks, sea turtles, colorful fish, corals, as well as old plane and ship wrecks that lay on the ocean floor. Several challenges, however, are affecting Jamaica’s water spaces and the local diving industry on a whole. They are Poor fishing practices by our fisherfolk, pollution, lack of general public awareness, accessibility to new and evolving technologies, and, perhaps most importantly, the scarcity in trained professionals who follow industry standards without compromise.


Seeing locals as young as 10 years old jumping from cliffs into the ocean or from the top of water falls into blue holes, makes one wonder why we do not have enough Dive Instructors.


Sharren Robinson, who hails from the community of Llandilo, Westmoreland, is now an Entertainment Supervisor at Sunscape Resorts. However, he wears many hats, one of which is Dive Instructor, which he has been doing for 13 years now, 6 of those years being at the professional level. What started off as a fun time was turned into a profession. He has been in the hospitality industry since 2003, where he started as an Entertainment Trainee. While working as an Entertainment Coordinator, he was required to read a lot of resort fact sheets so that he could provide accurate information to guests about each tour. His detailed responses on scuba diving were overheard by the resort’s Dive Instructor, who, after finding out that Robinson had never been diving before, invited him to have his first dive experience. “From then, I was hooked!” Robinson said.


He was never one to settle, and so as each opportunity presented itself to allow him to elevate in the industry, he took the offers. He reflects that his most memorable experience in diving was going through his second internship and Instructor Development Course (IDC) for Master SCUBA Diver Trainer rating (MSDT) in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, with ProDive International. He has “been trained in a total of 9 specialty diving disciplines as an instructor.”


GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT


Despite having several other awards under his belt, including winning monthly, quarterly and yearly staff awards in various categories, Robinson expressed that his “greatest achievement is becoming a Diving Instructor,” which allowed him to train and certify student divers to PADI standard, two of whom he has mentored up to Dive Master Rating. Diving has also allowed him to travel and gain experiences he never imagined he would.


Although his current title is Entertainment Supervisor, and he is unable to dive and train as often as he would like, Robinson continues his diving prowess by volunteering at local Marine Parks, where he currently works on several projects including the Coral Restoration Project, Invasive Specie Control and Transec Monitoring in the Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and South Coast regions.


Robinson hopes to help revolutionize diving in Jamaica. He believes that this can further boost the country’s tourism revenue, as divers can visit all year round. In addition, more jobs can be created as there is a shortage of professional divers on the island. He urges youths to look beyond the familiar and turn their play into a profession.

Western Two Open Account

By
Shaqueal Benti
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54
Some Real MoBay players celebrate a goal against GC Foster College during a Women’s football game played at Green Pond last time out in the league.

written by: Noelita Lawrence-Ricketts

Two western teams Real MoBay and Trelawny are among the 12-teams down to participate in this year’s 2019/2010 unsponsored Female Football League set to kick off this Saturday with a full slate of matches.


Three new clubs are down to participate in the League, which will also see the return of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Northern Queens, Royal Lakes and Real Mona are the debuting teams and will make up the three from St. Catherine which also includes Fraizer’s Whip.

Waterhouse is the defending champion.

Beaten finalists Cavalier, Rangers and Olympic Gardens are the other teams.

Many times winners Barbican and Los Perfectos will once again be absent.

The League is scheduled to run until November.

Western two Real MoBay and Trelawny, have been paired in Zone ‘A’ along with Olympic, the champions Waterhouse, Royal Lakes and Real Mona while Cavaliers’ Arnett Gardens, Northern Queens, UWI, Fraizer’s Whip and Rangers make up Zone ‘B’.

The first round of games will see Real MoBay, last year’s beaten knockout finalists travelling to engage one of the new comers Real Mona at the Buttercup Park field while Trelawny Women will also be in the road whenthey line up against Royal Lakes.

Waterhouse marks the defense of their crown at home to Olympic Gardens at the Drewsland Mini Stadium in the other game listed for Group ‘A’.

Cavalier at home to Fraizers Whip; UWI hosting Northern Queens and Rangers against Arnett Gardens are the games on in Group ‘B’. The Real MoBay team which has flattered to deceive in recent years is full of confidence this time around going into the League following the inclusion of several of the Parishes young players who have joined up.

Coach Marvin Peterkin, at the helm of the unit for the last three seasons says the tean has been significantly bolstered by the addition of the school players who he describes as talented and eager to go, they have certainly added depth he said.

Some Real MoBay players celebrate a goal against GC Foster College during a Women’s football game played at Green Pond last time out in the league.

Half-A-Dog is a Full-On Guitarist

By
Shaqueal Benti
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108
Head Top: Guitarist Michael Spence plays the guitar atop his head while people pass him by along Gravel Lane in Montego Bay.

written by: Michael Nattoo/Alan Lewin

“I need my recognition now! I can use my teeth to play the guitar. I can also play it atop my head. I am in a class by myself where the guitar is concerned and I am now ready for the big leagues to back local and international artistes,” said the man known by many as Sam, or more popularly, Half-A-Dog, whose real name is Michael Spence.


Originally from Grange Hill, Westmoreland, Half-A-Dog, for the past 10 years, has called St. James his home. It is for that reason why almost everyone in the Western City is familiar with the self-taught guitarist, who, by his own admissions, is a prodigious talent.


Half-A-Dog explains that ever since he was growing up, playing the guitar has always come naturally to him. He admits to using sardine cans and fish lines to create makeshift versions of the instrument that would go on to thrust him into the entertainment spotlight. Those makeshift guitars were as realistic as he could make them, with even keys being added to them, which would serve as tuners to get a desired sound from each pluck of the strings. That early obsession with his now mastered instrument would even see the young Spence using plates, and damaging them, which would often earn him the ire of his mother.


Fast forward years later, and Half-A-Dog has shared the stage with iconic names such as King Yellow Man, John Holt, ET, Webster, President Brown, and Jack Raddix. He has also made a reputation in the hotel circuits as a gifted bass player, and has flaunted his talents in hotels such as RIU, Half Moon, Holiday Inn, Hedonism II, and Iberostar, among others. On Sundays, you can find the veteran musician doing gigs at Margaritaville.


The musical genes have seemingly been passed on to Spence’s children, who have all dabbled on some level in music. With a son who likes to rap and daughters showing an interest in gospel music, Spence is keeping an eye on how each will develop.

Guitarist: A man strikes a pose next to guitarist Half-A-Dog as he plays some sweet music.

More Assistance for Flagaman Fire Victims

By
Shaqueal Benti
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167
Member of Parliament for SW St. Elizabeth, Floyd Green (left) and J. C. Hutchinson, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, look on as a RADA representative explains the soil damage during a tour of the damaged farmlands in Flagaman, St. Elizabeth on Tuesday, August 20.

MP Green pledges $1M

Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, Floyd Green has pledged $1 million from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the victims of the devastating fire in Flagaman, St. Elizabeth. Approximately 200 acres of farmlands were destroyed on Friday, August 16, affecting 47 farmers at an estimated loss of 45 million dollars.


MP Green has been in the area since Friday assessing the damages and coordinating with the various agencies for a speedy response to issues of downed power lines, cell service lines and other integral aspects to get the farmers back to normalcy.


Minister Green and a team from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries did a tour of the area on Tuesday. They were accompanied by members of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). They assembled the farmers following for direct feedback, queries, questions and an identification of the areas of need from the farmers.


In his address to the farmers on Tuesday, MP Green said there is a plan underway to supply water to the Flagaman area.


“We have identified the Black River as the water source and have outsourced a company who has an ongoing feasibility study to determine best fit methods for the arable land and provide a cost for using the Black River to bring irrigation here,” Green stated.


He also announced that back-to-school assistance is being provided to farmers, in collaboration with his office and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. Minister Green said a stimulus package too, is currently being crafted to focus on the implements needed to get the farmers restarted as soon as possible.


Flagaman has over 500 registered farmers and is one of the biggest farming communities in Jamaica.

‘Top Up’ Cut Down

By
Shaqueal Benti
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0
Ishan Rosewell, otherwise called ‘Top Up’

A feud and subsequent fight between a female bar operator and a 19-year-old man ended with the gruesome death of the man along North Lane in Montego Bay on Wednesday.


The victim is 19 year-old Ishan Rosewell, otherwise called ‘Top Up’ of Second Avenue, Flanker, in Montego Bay.


Unconfirmed reports indicate that Rosewell had visited a bar located at lower Union Street on August 5, when he allegedly became engaged in a verbal confrontation with the bartender, who is the daughter of the bar operator.


He reportedly grabbed a bottle which he used to hit her in the head and ran from the bar.


Rosewell is reported to have returned to the bar on Wednesday night where the sister of the injured bartender, who replaced her, confronted him on how he could have hit her sister, yet still had the nerve to return to the bar.


It is further alleged that he kicked her in the neck, forcing the girl’s mother, who is the bar operator, to come to her defense. At that moment, Rosewell reportedly pulled a knife, which he used to stab the woman in her head.


A tussle reportedly ensued between them and the woman wrested the knife from him and inflicted several stab wounds to his body.
Rosewell ran from the bar onto to North Lane where he fell.


The police were called and both Rosewell and the bar operator were taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The bar operator was treated and released.

Electrician shot dead

By
admin
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404
Keniel Anderson

• Decomposing body found

Gunmen shot and killed a man in the community of Glendevon on Saturday, as gun crimes continue to dominate the crime profile of the parish, which has seen 82 murders since the start of the year, 24 more than the 58 recorded for the corresponding period last year.

The deceased has been identified as 24-year-old Keniel Anderson, electrician of Tangle River, St. James, who it is said had been reporting to the Spring Mount Police on condition of bail for murder.

Reports from the Montego Bay Police are that about 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, Anderson, who reportedly went to the Salt Spring main road to visit his father, was walking in the vicinity of Rough Road when residents heard explosions and alerted the lawmen. On their arrival, Anderson was seen lying face down on the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds.

 He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, the police are investigating the circumstances which could have led to the gruesome discovery of a decomposing body of an unidentified male along Fort Street in the Western City on Tuesday morning.

The body is said to be in  its late 20’s, dark complexion, medium build 1.78 centimetres long and clad in a pair of multi-coloured shorts.

It is reported that passers-by found the partially decomposed body about 10:15 a.m. behind a restroom and summoned the police.

The scene was processed and the remains removed to the morgue.

Adrian Rhoden’s Journey to Nine Ones

By
Shaqueal Benti
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0
Adrian Rhoden

written by: Rashaun Stewart

The 2019 iteration of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) has brought much elation to seventeen-year-old Adrian Rhoden. A student of Cornwall College, he has secured nine grade ones and one grade two in the external examinations. He earned grade ones in Additional Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, English A, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Principles of Accounts and Spanish, with the grade two earned in English B.


He earned seven straight-A profiles in as many subjects, and also boasts grade ones in Human and Social Biology, Principles of Business and Social Studies from the 2018 sitting of CSEC. In total, he has earned thirteen subjects, with grade ones in twelve of them. Rhoden also obtained a spot on the national merit list for the 2018 sitting of Human and Social Biology, placing sixth nationally and graduated earlier this year as the salutatorian. He was somewhat subdued in expressing his elation at the results that he has attained.


“I’m quite pleased that the hard work and contributions that I and others have invested have brought forward such rewards,” Rhoden told the Western Mirror. “In preparation for the examinations, I studied in groups with my friends, went over questions outside of class and prepared a study timetable. In addition to those, I used my free sessions to complete additional questions and furthered my understanding of the more challenging topics through studying online.”


Rhoden was avidly engaged in co-curricular activities while at Cornwall College. He was involved in the Chess Club, Geography Club, Key Club and Spanish Club. He was a member of the Students’ Council, served as a Sub-Prefect and was vice-president of the Mathematics Club, PRO of the Interact Club and secretary of the Debating Society. He represented the school in the annual Mathematics Olympiad hosted by the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, placing highly among his grade level on each occasion.


While the young man has an impeccable track record, he encountered some challenges in preparing for his examinations. “One challenge I experienced while preparing for my examinations despite having a study timetable was proper distribution of my time,” Rhoden added. “Of course, I found some subjects much more challenging than others and so I often found myself neglecting the less difficult ones. Another challenge I experienced was balancing the work I put into preparing for external exams and the work I put into school assignments. Thankfully, everything worked out for the best in the end.”


TRAGEDY


A resident of Flower Hill in St. James, Rhoden experienced tragedy two years ago when his father, Oscar Rhoden, passed away from natural causes in May 2017. Since then, his mother, Claudia Jarrett, has been the primary source of motivation for the pursuit of his aspirations. In addition, there were several other stakeholders that the scholar expressed gratitude to for their contributions.


“I credit several persons with helping me to obtain these results: my mother, Claudia Jarrett, for her support and encouragement, my close friends and study mates, Guy Scott, Antoine Thelwell and Uchenna Njoku for their assistance and my favourite teacher, Mrs. Brown-Hill, for her guidance and her wisdom.”


Rhoden aims to become an obstetric gynaecologist and will continue his educational journey with an enrolment in the Cornwall College Sixth Form programme. Thereafter, he wishes to enroll at the UWI to obtain a degree in medicine. He affirmed that maintaining this standard of excellence is feasible if he remains focused on his goal and had words of advice for other students.


“I would advise other students to keep their heads up towards the future; remember the reward awaiting you at the finish line and please know that there is almost always someone yearning to assist you; someone who would love to see you succeed.”

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