Port Maria, ST. MARYTRUCKLOADS OF gifts made their way to schools in St. Mary on February 15. This venture which is sponsored by an organisation called Samaritan's Purse, was intended to assist schools such as Bromley Primary, Clonmel Primary and Junior High and others.
At Bromley Primary in Lewis, the students bubbled with excitement at the arrival of the visiting 'Santas'. Each of the 287 students received a trunk of goodies containing clothes, books, stationary and, yes, toys.
This is not the first time the Samaritan's Purse team, a United States-based organisation, has made visits like this to schools. It is a yearly event, bringing joy to students across the island, especially in poorer regions.
"We are truly grateful for the kind contributions made to our children, as I am sure it will be remembered by them long from now, and may even encourage them to grow into the habit of giving," said a smiling teacher.
Spn Town, ST. CATHERINE. THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) has secured a loan of US$12 million, to be repaid over 20 years at an interest rate of two per cent from the Chinese Government. This announcement was made by Minister of Water and Housing Donald Buchanan on March 15 at a function in Sligoville, St. Catherine.
The Water Minister, who was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sligoville Complex, had high praises for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for the area, K.D. Knight. He said that it was through Mr. Knight's instrumentality that the loan had been made available to the National Water Commission.
The loan will be used, among other things, to ship water pipes from China to Jamaica.
Black River, ST. ELIZABETH
PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) councillor for the Myersville division, Winston Sinclair, has blasted the Mayor of Black River Franklyn Witter for what he described as interference in his division.
He was speaking at the monthly general meeting of the
St. Elizabeth Parish Council
at its meeting chamber in Black River on Thursday, March 9.
Councillor Sinclair told the meeting that the mayor was out of order when he sent a backhoe to clear a section of the road which leads from Russell to Warminster in his division.
He said that the section of the roadway was blocked with stones and dirt for the purpose of channelling water off
the road.
But councillor for the Santa Cruz division, Stallin Brown, challenged Councillor Sinclair, noting that the blocking of the roadway in question by him was illegal and it had to
be removed.
Morant Bay, ST. THOMAS
COUNCILLORS AND administrative staff of the St. Thomas Parish Council recently turned up for their monthly council meeting only to find the entrance partially blocked by placard- bearing protesters.
The protesters, all from Albion, were demanding the assistance of the council in efforts to secure recreational space for the over 2,000 residents living in the subdivision.
According to a spokesman for the protesters, Junior Goldson, the issue is a long-standing one. He said that he and several other residents had been brought before the court for trespassing on the premises of a private owner. That property, he said, had long been used as a community centre.
Ocho Rios, ST. ANN
THE TWO security guards charged in connection with the robbery of $6 million in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, last August had their case set for trial on June 12 when they appeared in the St. Ann's Bay Resident Magistrate's Court Thursday.
The trial had to be postponed because of the absence of defence attorney Michael Thomas and the investigating officer.
The two guards who were attached to Atlas Protection Limited in Ocho Rios are facing charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and aiding and abetting the commission of
robbery.
The allegations are that, on August 9 last year, the men were in the process of dropping off cash at financial institutions in Ocho Rios. On their arrival at the RBTT Bank in the town they left the car with the engine running and went inside the bank. On their return, the car, with $6 million in cash, was discovered missing. Following an intensive search by the police the vehicle was found in the Mansfield Heights community in Ocho Rios. The cash was, however, missing.
The two security guards were taken into custody for questioning and later charged. They are 40-year-old Gerald Latchman of Mansfield Heights, Ocho Rios, and 38-year-old security supervisor Fray Calame of a Cedar Valley Road address in Kingston.
Calame is on $1 million bail while Latchman had his $1 million bail bond reduced to $750,000, both with sureties. Latchman is represented by attorney-at-law Michael Thomas, while attorney-at-law Bill Salmon is representing Calame.
