The Security Forces have launched a massive island-wide security operation aimed at reducing the crime and murder rates in a number of police divisions. The targeted areas are sections of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Clarendon, St Catherine, and Kingston and St Andrew. These areas will see a large deployment of soldiers and police over the coming days and weeks, conducting targeted raids, vehicle check points, aerial operations, patrols, cordon and searches, snap raids and curfews, in the pursuit of wanted men and high violence producers.
Major Basil Jarrett, Civil Military Cooperation and Media Affairs Officer for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), says that the operations are aimed at reducing the level of murder and violent crimes heading into the festive season and breaking and dismantling the gangs and gang activity that have persisted in these communities. “The JDF has committed all available resources and personnel to the fight as we put our support behind the police who are leading the operations,” says Maj. Jarrett, “and we are calling on law-abiding citizens to play their part by calling the various dedicated Tip Lines to give information on known criminal activity.”
The JDF is urging persons to call the JDF Tip Line number at 876-837-8888 to give information on known criminal activity.
Two families in Perth Town Trelawny are struggling to come to grips with the tragic deaths of loved ones over the past weekend.
The deceased are 11-year-old Malik Lawman and 35-year-old Sheldon Smith of Reserve district in the Perth Town.
According to information gleaned by the Western Mirror, about 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, Malik, who was reportedly autistic, was at home in a bedroom when an explosion was heard.
His father rushed to investigate and found him in his room (the father’s room) lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
It was further reported that Malik used a chair on which he climbed to retrieve the gun from the holding area.
A grand-uncle of Malik related that while the family has been shaken by the incident, the boy’s father is devastated, having been in the hospital for treatment since the incident.
“The dad was in the hospital right after the tragedy and he came out but returned on Monday for further checkups, as he is finding it difficult to cope with the situation,” he explained.
The boy’s mother is also said to be reeling from the tragedy, but has been receiving support from church and community members.
MAN KILLED IN RESERVE
Meanwhile, just two miles away from that tragedy, and in less than 24 hours, a man was shot killed while at his home in Reserve district, Perth Town.
The police reports are that Smith was home at about 8:20 p.m., when explosions were heard.
Family members went to investigate and discovered Smith lying on the floor in a pool of blood suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Smith’s death has further pushed the murder tally in Trelawny to more than thirty since the start of the year, when compared with 21 murders committed in the parish for 2017.
A December 14 sentencing date has been set for two men who were last week convicted in the Hanover Circuit Court for the October 2015 murder of six members of a family in Logwood Hanover.
Convicted are Mikhail Campbell and Errol Clarke. They have been convicted for:
Six counts of murder;
Four counts of Assault Occasioning Grievous Bodily Harm; and
One count of Arson
The victims were 63-year-old Linnette Bloomfield, her 40-year-old son Mark Bloomfield, her daughter 36-year-old Kerry-Ann Bloomfield, a nephew, 30-year-old Brian Mangaroo, Kerry Ann’s 18-year-old daughter Alia Mahabee and her 15-year-old son, Davian Mahabee.
On Thursday, October 8, 2015 about 11:30 p.m., residents reportedly heard explosions and shortly after saw fire coming from a nine-bedroom board dwelling house. The Police were alerted and the Lucea and Negril Fire Departments were summoned. After the cooling down operations, the charred remains of all six persons were seen among the rubble. Four other occupants of the house received injuries and were treated at hospital.
Despite a major road safety campaign and strident advocacy by the National Road Safety Council, the carnage on the roads continue, claiming the lives of two persons in St. James, one man and an unidentified woman, in separate incidents between Friday and Monday, with several other persons left nursing injuries.
The accident victims have been identified as 31-year-old Ryan Ricardo Bowen, of Barrett Hall, who was killed in a five-vehicle collision along the Rose Hall main road, and an unidentified woman who succumbed to injuries she received after being hit by a truck along the Howard Cooke Boulevard.
In the latest incident which occurred on Monday, the police report that about 4:55 a.m., a Toyota motor truck was travelling along the Howard Cooke Boulevard when it allegedly hit the woman.
The police were alerted and she was subsequently transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
However, unconfirmed reports seem to contradict the police’s report, indicating that the nude body of the woman was discovered by passers-by along the major thoroughfare at minutes after 5 a.m. The body is said to have been lying along the roadway up to 9 a.m., before it was taken to the morgue.
Meanwhile, reports from the Barrett Town police are that about 10:25 p.m. on Friday, the driver of a white Toyota Premio motorcar with one passenger aboard was travelling in a westerly direction when it crashed into the rear of a Honda CRV motorcar.
The driver of the Honda CRV lost control of the vehicle, which then collided with three vehicles that were on the opposite side of the road—a Toyota Voxy, a Toyota Caldina and a Toyota Camry.
Nine persons received injuries and were taken to hospital, where Bowen, who was a passenger in the Toyota Caldina motor car, died while undergoing treatment.
Two females were seriously injured and are admitted in hospital, while the others received minor injuries and were treated and released.
Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) through its Intelligence, Investigation and Enforcement Unit (IIEU) prosecuted St. James businessman/operator Kwun Nung Siu, trading as Siu’ Supermarket under Section 17IA of the amended Revenue Administration Act (RAA) for failure to produce books, records and documents as requested.
The tax authority led evidence that during the months February to June 2017 it had made several requests for books, records and documents pursuant to Section 17IA of the RAA, which the taxpayer failed to comply with and as a consequence was prosecuted. The taxpayer, Kwun Nung Siu, trading as Siu’ Supermarket pleads guilty to the offence in the St James Parish Court on November 12, 2018 and was fined $300,000.00.
TAJ is reminding business persons that it is an offence not to keep proper books and records relating to their business activities. Additionally, failure to produce such books, records and documents within the time specified when requested by the Commissioner General of Tax Administration Jamaica for an audit/investigation is also a criminal offence. This will result in prosecution under Section 17IA of the amended RAA which carries a penalty of up to $2,000,000.00 or imprisonment or both.
This action forms part of the sustained efforts by Tax Administration Jamaica to enforce the laws it administers, in order to improve trust and fairness within the system. Additionally, delinquent taxpayers are strongly advised, that failure to report income, profits or gains as defined within the Income Tax Act, will result in enforcement action by the tax authority utilizing the applicable provisions under the law.
Medical expenses can be the worst to deal with sometimes and often than not, individuals and families are faced with medical dilemmas from the lack of finances to fund surgical operations to buying expensive medical aids to improve their physical conditions. And even though many people have health insurance, persons still struggle to pay for healthcare and surgeries. It is on this basis that the Regeve Cares Foundation (RCF), whose motto is “Sympathy is what you feel, Compassion is what we do”, was founded to help locals to better be able to cope with their situations by providing them with the necessary assistance, either in cash or kind.
Established on June 2 this year with seven (7) directors and four (4) advisors, RCF provides patients requiring X-ray, wheelchairs, foot braces and other personal medical equipment with the finances to assist in purchasing same or the equipment itself.
The main source of funding for the foundation comes from fundraisers, the first of which will be held on Friday December 7, 2018 at the Day O’ Plantation. The event, set to be headlined by Ernie Smith, will start off a cocktail session at 7 pm and show time at 8 pm.
However, to land other funding, Chairman of RCF, Ingrid Spence, plans on reaching out to corporate Jamaica, individuals and groups to assist in any way they can. Projects will be undertaken to obtain grants as well as written requests seeking funds from both local and international organizations.
The concept of the foundation is cemented in a path personally travelled by Spence who has sickle cell. Due to the nature of sickle cell, Spence was often in and out of the hospital where she observed the many difficulties being experienced by others, despite the severity of her situation. She saw it limiting to help one person by herself and figured it would be beneficial to assist wider Jamaica through joined efforts, and RCF allows her to do that.Individuals are being invited to become ‘Friends of Regeve’ to offer their talents, skills and abilities through volunteerism.
Also, part of the mandate is to evangelize. “At Regeve Cares, we’re not only concerned with person’s physical health, but their spiritual wellbeing as well,” said Spence. With spiritual wellness a huge pillar of the foundation, it is no wonder that the Directors are all Christians from churches including Fresh Bread Ministries, Church on the Rock, St. Michael’s Anglican Church, other Anglican churches, and churches in and around Western Jamaica, as well as island-wide.
The launch of the Regeve Cares Foundation took place on Sunday October 7, 2018, where they donated a wheelchair to a needy individual. Spence plans to create linkages among persons, institutions and missionaries in the medical field so that RCF can be a liaison, which is a part of the direction of her overall expectation of the foundation.
‘WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS’: The Montego Bay Sports Complex came alive with a colourful array of confetti as jubilant members of the victorious Cornwall College football team jumped and danced while holding aloft the ISSA/SBF Champions Cup. Cornwall is the first da’Costa Cup team to win the trophy, ending the reign of Corporate Area schools.
Noelita Lawrence photo
Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter
Western Jamaica has had many things to be proud about this year, but perhaps none more so impressive than the historic, undefeated and fairytale-like run of the Orange Street-based Cornwall College. The air in the West is different now – euphoric, tense, prideful, and anticipating another monumental victory, all inspired by the play of a team that, through grit and determination, ended the dominance of Corporate Area schools, dismantling Jamaica College and signaling the undisputed reign of the West in schoolboy football.
And, come this Saturday, the boys in red and gold will look to add another jewel to their crown, for glory, for honour, and for Western Jamaica.
It must not be mistaken, however – what the Cornwall College team did this season was nothing short of miraculous, and though many would admit that such feats are hardly foreign to the Men of Might, it is that much more striking when one considers that to date, in terms of experience, this team stands as one of the youngest they have ever assembled.
Yet, against all odds, they have managed to forge a legacy that for years to come, will be pinpointed as the moment in history when Cornwall College, shouldering the ambitions of the West, stepped up to the pitch, aimed their intentions and rifled home the fact that no more would Urban Area schools stand on the throne of schoolboy football.
In 2014, in the then Super Cup, and in 2016 in the Olivier Shield, Cornwall College, despite the incredibly talented pieces then at their disposal, fell to Jamaica College. Though their struggles slowed them down, the Pleasant Hill boys never lost sight of the process, and even after losing some of their key talents, Dr. Dean Weatherly ensured that the mission remained the same: dominate at the slightest possibility of doing so. It’s been a long time coming, but the boys finally did. They not only exacted revenge, but in their pursuit of greatness, the 2018 Cornwall College da’Costa Cup team managed to make their campaign a lot more than football.
Don’t look now, but at every Cornwall College match, at some point among the hundreds of patrons, you are sure to see even rivals cheering for them. This is the power of the chemistry and camaraderie Dr. Weatherly spoke so highly of.
There is something unique about every Cornwall College football squad, but this one has managed to turn its most basic strength – unity, into perhaps their most potent weapon. “They cover for each other,” is what Dr. Dean Weatherly would tell you, and that spirit of brotherhood extends far beyond the pitch, making their chemistry on it that much more genuine. People who have watched the Cornwall College players, inside and outside of practice, inside and outside of games, will tell you that they truly are close individuals – family even, and they protect that dynamic fiercely. Whenever a player messes up on the pitch, he is not chastised by his teammate, but is rather encouraged. For the close-knit Cornwall College squad, it is always on to the next play. And for the mission before them this Saturday, that remains the same. It is for that reason why Dr. Weatherly, who has been at the helm of Cornwall College’s football since 1991, found it so easy to preach to them his philosophy of championship-winning defense, which they have seamlessly adopted.
‘Champions Cup title holders’ certainly has a nice ring to it for the Cornwall College boys, but they are in no way content with just that. For the squad, they know what’s at stake, and with the West behind them, there is no question as to whether or not they are ready. Wolmers, Camperdown, St. George’s and Jamaica College were casualties to Cornwall College’s laser-like focus, and come Saturday, though the ball is round, there should be none in the West to believe that their opponents won’t suffer the same fate.
Victory or not, this is the year of Cornwall College. And by the sweat of their brow, they have earned it.
Plans to improve rural St. James are in the pipes as Mayor of Montego Bay, Homer Davis, is calling for the advancement of select areas that have a long commute to the nearest emergency response centres.
The Mayor and his Municipal Corporation accept that while there is an influx in urbanization, progress needs to be made in addressing the state of several rural areas in need of emergency centres. “In order for the parish to grow and grow effectively there needs to be a fundamental shift in addressing the needs of the current state of urban drift impacting the city, which has resulted in brain drain in our rural areas,” said the mayor.
He continued: “It is my belief that we need to create three (3) satellite emergency response centres in the rural areas of the parish,” the three areas of focus being Cambridge, Roehampton and Adelphi.
As efforts to accommodate such are being further developed, the plan is to ensure that these communities are adequately outfitted with the necessary equipment such as a fire truck and an ambulance to provide first response in the event of any emergency with necessary first response equipment suitably based at the police station making it a multifunctional base.
Councillor Davis was addressing members of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry during a regular meeting held at Pier One (1) in Montego Bay courtesy of NCB Capital Markets.
Time, which is a deciding factor in emergency first response is seriously impeded by the location of these communities outside of Montego Bay, a disadvantage the Mayor is calling for to be addressed. “These communities are located at an average of 15 miles outside of the city of Montego Bay with an average population of close to 10,000 citizens,” he said, adding that, it is almost impossible for example “for a fire truck to leave Montego Bay and reach Cambridge in less than 27 minutes and that is if all is clear.”
We have to enable the environment so that when emergency happens there can be first response at better pace. Our rural folks need to have these facilities and if we can create not only emergency first response, if we can create the necessary network infrastructure we would be minimizing the rural drift into the urban centre of Montego Bay.” The city, he says, has a population of 120,000 people, which is 60 percent of the population of St. James, which has close to 200,000 people.
The Mayor has pledged to make himself accessible to persons who can assist in charting the way forward for the city as he believes there is immense benefit to be derived if “we are to pool our resources in a structured way towards this endeavour.”
In addition to that, he lauded the efforts of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) as reports show that there were 200 murders less this year than last year at this time.
“We are going to get you Killy Killy” – words of a passionate Prime Minister Andrew Holness, as he declared war against criminal elements, when he addressed a Town Hall meeting at the Closed Harbour Beach (Dump-Up Beach) in Montego Bay, Thursday evening.
Prime Minister Holness said while Montego Bay experienced runaway levels of murder over the last five years, and even amidst decisive action taken by the government to reduce said murders, criminal elements with the capacity, the propensity and the motive, continue to kill, rob and maim across many communities.
“Last year, there were over three hundred murders and this year, we have 199 fewer. So far this year, I believe it is about 90, which is still too many and I want the criminals to know, some of them name ‘Killy, Killy’ and ‘Sick Head’ – whatever fearful name you call yourself, we are going to get you wherever you are,” he warned.
The Prime Minister explained that the criminal is not a single entity existing in a community, but has a varied and powerful network supporting and helping to fuel his activities.
“The criminal only exists because a network supports the criminal, whether it is the girlfriend, wife, the brother and outside of family, it could be a businessman – it could be attachment to the political figure, that is how criminality exists, so it is not broken in one cycle,” he said.
A section of the vast audience addressed by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the Closed Harbour Beach (Dump Up) in Montego Bay, recently.
SNAP OF A FINGER
He said for this reason, he would like the citizens of Montego Bay to appreciate the complexity of the crime problem that exists in the city, arguing that it won’t be solved with the snap of a finger as in many cases, it is deeply entrenched and pulls in people from varying strata of the society.
“We are well aware that the criminal element is not merely the street level criminal.There are those who are masterminds, those that make it their point of view to corrupt institutions, to put some of our law enforcement people on their payroll;to work with some of our businessmen to corrupt them and they in turn have their tentacles in the political elite, and that has to be broken.Some of you benefit from it, but it must be broken,” he asserted.
He says while many persons benefit from it, there is no benefit that ought to justify the wanton killing of innocent hardworking, law-abiding citizens.
The Prime Minister shared that in Montego Bay’s development from a town into a city, much of the security provisions were eroded. As a result, the Prime Minister pointed out, the provision of additional police stations or personnel must be supplemented by strategies aimed at breaking the fortresses of crime and to ferret out and apprehend those who prevail in their reign of chaos and violence.
THANK YOU COTC: Children of the Caribbean Foundation (COTC) Executive Director, Rosie Hodge-Adams (left), is presented with a token of appreciation from Grade Three Teacher of the Salt Spring Primary and Infant School, Danna Allen, on behalf of the institution.
Sashane Shakes/Giovanniesha Scale
The combined efforts of the United Nations and one of its charitable arms, the Children of the Caribbean Foundation (COTC), have resulted in the donation of numerous school supplies for two (2) of Montego Bay’s primary schools, which took place at each institution on Wednesday last week.
Beneficiaries included the infant and primary departments of the Farm Primary and Junior High School and the Salt Spring Primary and Infant School. Over 200 students from both institutions received brand new knapsacks, pencils and scientific calculators to aid their educational endeavours. The outreach was part of an initiative to offer relief and assistance to deserving children across the Caribbean, as well as to gain an understanding of which areas needed development and support.
LOVE AND HUGS: These two cuties of the Salt Spring Infant Department were all too eager to share a hug with COTC Executive Director, Rosie Hodge-Adams, who gifted them with backpacks and pencils.
An update of the agro-based achievements of the Farm Primary and Junior High School was revisited. Over the years, the school has participated in several agricultural events, having won the JAS competitions and the LASCO Reap Rewards Programme, where they were placed in the top 20 in the island in 2015 and made the top 3 in 2016.
While the Farm Primary has performed outstandingly well in the past seven (7) years, irrigation issues have caused the school’s agricultural gains to be seriously affected. Grade Six teacher at the institution, Judith Wallace, admitted, “We want to start up again but irrigation is a major problem. There are certain times when there are really dry periods so we want help to irrigate the land and we really need the funding to help with that.”
Another issue related to the depleted farm, the chicken coop, wherein an excess of 100 chickens were raised every six (6) weeks and was heavily relied on to feed the entire student body, has deteriorated due to lack of funding and maintenance. Having depended on both avenues for sustenance, the school has resorted to outsourcing food, which has been costly over the years.
ENCOURAGEMENT: Grade Six students of the Farm Primary School huddle around COTC Executive Director, Rosie Hodge-Adams, as she offered them words of encouragement. Here, they inch closer to hear what she has to tell Devoughn Bent (centre, seated).
“We really hope that Children of the Caribbean can fund us so we may go forward for bigger and better things,” said Wallace.
“The children are really enthused about it, especially the boys. They are always asking ‘Miss, are we going on the farm today?’” she continued.
A native of the island of St. Kitts, Hodge-Adams underscored the commitment of COTC and their focus on education. “It’s always a pleasure to help out in any way we can. At Children of the Caribbean, we have a commitment and wherever there are children in need, we do our very best to assist,” she said.
Hodge-Adams and COTC have pledged to continue to support Farm Primary and Junior High in order to help them to get back on their feet.
Children of the Caribbean Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on the development of key areas in education, healthcare, social development and more recently, climate change in Caribbean countries.
