IN JAMAICA: 48 days into the year and the nation has already recorded more than 119 murders.

Forty-eight days into the year and the nation has already recorded more than 100 murders.
According to the latest crime statistics compiled by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), there were 119 reported murders between January 1 and February 15.
A breakdown of the data shows that there were 74 reported murders in January and 45 this month up to last Saturday, with Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine, St James and Clarendon accounting for 87 of the total.
Despite this, the JCF statistics show that murders were down 10 per cent over the six-week period when compared with the 132 recorded for the corresponding period last year.
It also showed that except for shootings, which inched up nine per cent, all other categories of serious crimes are on the decline when compared with last year. more

WAYNE "SLENG TENG" SMITH HAS DIED FROM HEART FAILURE. More news to follow.....

Wayne Smith
Sleng Teng is the name given to the first fully computerized riddim in Jamaican music. The riddim, which was created by the collaboration between King Jammy and Wayne Smith, was titled "Under Mi Sleng Teng". However, in this case Wayne Smith was the one who had found the computerized sound in Noel Davey's keyboard. Together they were the ones who arranged the riddim, slowed it down, matched it to his key, and rehearsed on it before taking it to Jammys studio. The riddim itself is apparently an attempt to recreate Eddie Cochran's "Somethin' Else." It is a pattern found in the Casio MT-40 home keyboard.[1]
After the riddim was brought to the studio and Jammy heard it, he then placed a clap on it. Jammy recorded a number of other artists on the original backing track including Tenor Saw (with "Pumpkin Belly"), and Johnny Osbourne (with "Buddy Bye")..... 

A Salute to Black History....BARACK OBAMA: Understanding Wisdom And FOREVER Appreciating The Past Dr. Alice Tyler Milton

A Salute to Black History

Since  December 2003:


Visits to this page
ObamatearBelow, right, and left are links that will enrich your knowledge of the past and present selfless contributions made by just a FEW of our MANY great African Americans. As you read the wealth of information on the pages, think about how our world would be today without the selfless contributions and what we have learned from the good and the bad. Also, recognize the unbending focus and intensity of their efforts despite repeated rejections and unfulfilled expectations.
 We must continue to remember and respect our heritage (even though one might 
not agree with the actions of some--it is still history) by never saying good-bye to 
yesterday, for we are still standing on their shoulders—yesterday made our present
 possible.  Appreciate OUR Past . . .more

IN JAMAICA: Enough Is Enough! East Kingston Residents, MP, Mayor, Bunting Walk For Peace After 17-month-old Infant's Murder......"We are tired of being tired! Enough is enough!" ...."What we need is change to the hearts of men."

Gleaner Published: Monday | February 17, 2014
Traumatised by raging acts of violence in Eastern Kingston which snatched the life of a 17-month-old baby, among others, a throng of residents yesterday spilled into the troubled communities on and around Oliver Road to pour out their anguish to political leaders.
A rallying call for peace by National Security Minister Peter Bunting resonated with the people who walked him and others through the beleaguered communities.
Residents of the Rockfort Development Council take part in a march through the troubled East Kingston community, the first step in an intervention and outreach programme that focuses support on those in the community who are in need of help. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer
Residents of the Rockfort Development Council
take part in a march through the troubled
East Kingston community, the first step in an
 intervention and outreach programme that focuses
 support on those in the community who
 are in need of help. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer
"We are tired of being tired! Enough is enough!" declared David Goodlitt, pastor of Johnson Town Seventh-day Adventist Church. "We don't need a change to any system. What we need is change to the hearts of men."
For many, including Bunting, Member of Parliament for Eastern Kingston Phillip Paulwell, as well as Kingston Mayor Angela Brown Burke, the councillor for the division, the murder of 17-month-old Trejaun 'Treasure' Harvey and the attempted reprisal against a two-month-old baby were just too much to bear.
"Before we came here, the member of parliament, the commissioner of police (Owen Ellington) and I visited the communities where the infant was murdered, and if that wasn't bad enough, to imagine that there would be an attempted reprisal on a two-month-old shows that something is seriously wrong with us as a people," Bunting lamented.
The national security minister spoke religiously in an atmosphere that had already taken on a rich gospel flavour as the church led other community groups in songs which called for the intervention of the Almighty.
"If I am to paraphrase the Bible, I have to ask, do we wrestle against flesh and blood or against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places?" Bunting declared. more

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Mother Of Six Beheaded - Mountain View Community Mourns; Father Of Four On The Run

Jamaica Observer/Published: Monday | February 17, 2014
Karen Rainford
Karen Rainford
The callous beheading of a mother of six, who was also chopped over her body, yesterday transformed the hardened community of Back Bush, Mountain View, into a mourning ground, with residents lamenting that this brand of brutishness was alien to them.
There was no stopping the tears and open condemnation after Karen Rainford, 34, was viciously attacked, allegedly by the father of four of her children, about 2:30 a.m. as the community slept.
The police say they are hunting for the father of the youngest four of Rainford's six children - ages 11, eight, five and three - known as Hopeton, who they believe can assist them in their probe.
It was Rainford's piercing screams that alerted residents. The attacker, suspected to have been lurking in the yard, after disconnecting a lit bulb, waited as he was reported to have been doing for months. Then he made his deadly move.
Residents claimed they had always thought the man was insane, as he sat in ominous silence on a mound for long periods, with a piece of rope near Rainford's home and vowed that he would eventually get at her.
Female residents told The Gleaner that he had been forced to leave the community after stabbing Rainford sometime ago and that Rainford, who was deathly afraid of him, kept her distance since the break-up.
The end came early yesterday morning without warning and much later than his 'vigils' in the community.
After inflicting multiple chop wounds to Rainford's body, he allegedly severed her head in the yard of the house in which she lived. more

MANDEVILLE, Manchester: 36 y-o Mother, Cherine Allen-Powell of two struggles to raise $1 million funds for life-saving heart surgery........ Thieves stole tins with donations for surgery

BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, February 17, 2014  

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A 36-year-old mother of two is now racing against time to secure the near $1 million needed for a life-saving open heart surgery.
However, as the three-month window for raising the money draws to a close, Cherine Allen-Powell says she has no other option but to appeal to others to give her that chance at life.
Last November, Allen-Powell said that she was told by a doctor at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) that if half of the funds is found within three months or less a date could be set for her surgery.
A document from the University Hospital of
 the West Indies outlining the cost for Cherine Allen-Powell’s
heart surgery (then) Thirty-six year-old heart
 patient Cherine Allen-Powell said thieves made
 off with tins persons were putting money
 in for her surgery.
However, she is still unable to make the first payment and can only hold out hope that she will be able to source the funds by month end. Documentation from UHWI indicated that it will cost approximately US$3,250 for items relating to the surgery and an additional $522,200 for hospital fees.
Allen-Powell said pastor of the Holiness Born Again Church in Greenvale, where she worships, contributed towards her medical cost but she is still nowhere close to the $1 million needed. The struggle to find money coupled with some setbacks along the way often makes her feel like giving up, however, the strong desire to remain alive for her children keeps her going.
And if her situation was not bad enough, she has had to suffer further setbacks as thieves made off, on two separate occasions, with tins she had at the gas station where she works in Mandeville, to solicit donations. more

IN JAMAICA: Police deny mass burial site claim in East Kingston, but......The ex-gangster had told the Sunday Observer that gunmen, assisted by rogue policemen, have been killing people and burying their bodies in the vicinity of a sand mine in Eastern Kingston.

THE police on Saturday denied the existence of a mass burial site in East Kingston, saying that its "intensive investigations" and "days of thorough searches" yielded no human remains.
However, the Jamaica Observer can report that the police went to the area only one day and they were not equipped to dig deep to determine the veracity of the claims made by a former gangster.
A police dog sniffs for bodies in this
 hole dug by members of the security
 forces during a search of a sand mine
in East Kingston last Friday.
 (PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)
According to the police force's Corporate Communications Unit, the police high command ordered the investigation in response to the January 26 Sunday Observer lead story that reported the claims of the former gang member.
The ex-gangster had told the Sunday Observer that gunmen, assisted by rogue policemen, have been killing people and burying their bodies in the vicinity of a sand mine in Eastern Kingston.
The gunmen, he said, are based between the East Kingston community of Rockfort, and the adjoining Harbour View in East Rural St Andrew. The former gangster took the Sunday Observer to the area, called 'Crusher', and pointed to the general area where, he said, bodies were buried.
However, on Saturday, the police said they were "refuting the existence of any such site".
"After the article was published, the Police High Command instructed senior detectives of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) to carry out an intensive investigation into the allegations, employing assets from the Forensic Scenes of Crime and the Canine Divisions," the Corporate Communications Unit said. more

Dad Watches his Wife and 4 Young Children Die In California Car Crash (VIDEO)........ Car burst into flames, trapping inside the 29-year-old mother and her children, boys ages 1 and 3 and girls ages 6 and 11.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A central California man helplessly watched his wife and four young children perish in a fiery crash after trying unsuccessfully to rescue his family from the burning vehicle, authorities said Sunday.
FresnoThe man was driving behind his family Saturday night when the driver of a minivan ran a stop sign at a Fresno County intersection and struck his wife and children in their Ford Expedition, California Highway Patrol Officer Axel Reyes said. The SUV was thrown to the front lawn of a home and burst into flames, trapping inside the 29-year-old mother and her children, boys ages 1 and 3 and girls ages 6 and 11.
The father told officers he was driving about a quarter-mile behind his family and saw a flash of flames. The SUV was already on fire when he reached them. He tried to free his family from the vehicle, including breaking the windows, and suffered minor burns to his hands in the process, Reyes said. CHP Capt. Dave Paris told KSEE-TV that the mother also tried to escape but didn't make it. more

19 y-o Woman Miranda Barbour, Accused Craigslist Killer, Admits To Slaying 22 People As Part Of Satanic Cult: Report

Miranda Barbour, 19, told the Daily Item that she has killed at least 22 other people from Alaska to North Carolina. (WBRE)
SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman charged along with her newlywed husband in the murder of a man they met through Craigslist admitted to the slaying in a jailhouse interview with a newspaper and said she has killed more than 20 others across the country, claims police said they are investigating.
In an interview with the Daily Item in Sunbury, Pa., 19-year-old Miranda Barbour said she wants to plead guilty to killing Troy LeFerrara in November. She also said in the interview that she has killed at least 22 other people from Alaska to North Carolina in the last six years as part of her involvement in a satanic cult. more

IN JAMAICA: Son jeered because of unwell mother...... 29-year-old, Rosemarie Abrahams tries to fight life’s struggles despite challenges....kyphosis are the appearance of poor posture with a hump appearance of the back or "hunchback, back pain, muscle fatigue, and stiffness in the back.

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com

SEVEN years ago, Rosemarie Abrahams was a happy, working class young woman who would play football with her son, take him on walks and enjoying the moments skipping and jumping with him.
But all that has changed after she fell and hit her back, resulting in what was diagnosed as kyphosis.
Rosemarie Abrahams (right) is being supported
by her niece Christine Allison as she walks
in Old Harbour town on Thursday
Kyphosis, also called roundback, is a condition of over-curvature of the upper back. It can be either the result of degenerative diseases, developmental problems, osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebrae, or trauma, as in Abrahams's case.
The most common symptoms for people with kyphosis are the appearance of poor posture with a hump appearance of the back or "hunchback, back pain, muscle fatigue, and stiffness in the back. Most often, these symptoms remain fairly constant. In more severe situations, the patient may notice their symptoms worsening with time. The kyphosis can progress, causing a more exaggerated hunchback. In rare cases, this can lead to compression of the spinal cord with neurologic symptoms including weakness, loss of sensation, or loss of bowel and bladder control. In severe cases it can limit the amount of space in the chest and cause cardiac and pulmonary problems, leading to chest pain or shortness of breath with eventual pulmonary and/or heart failure.
Abrahams, 29, explained how her condition started.
"One day my mother was outside sitting on a bucket but she couldn't get up. She has arthritis," she explained to the Jamaica Observer. "She called me and when I went around there she asked me to help her up. Normally I would hold her hand by the wrist or her palm to raise her up. But this time I had to go behind her and put my hands underneath her arms and hug her around the chest. So when I raised her up, her knees gave way and she fell on me and I fell and hit my back on a rock that was there."
She said that she immediately felt her spine slip and knew something was drastically wrong. After complaining to her mom, she was told that she was okay and that she complained too much. more

IN JAMAICA: 15 y-o BOY MIND BOGGLING STORY....Tired of being raped many many times....CDA fears for boy’s safety; lad insists he won’t go back....Born in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, the young man is one of 16 children for his parents

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, February 16, 2014 
A boy aged 15 has given a mind-boggling version of his experiences while living at places of safety from where he absconded more than 50 times in the last six years.
His decision to be consistently on the move is due to the many times that he said he was raped by other boys at the institutions, beaten by them, and being verbally abused also by boys and workers.
The boy shows a scar on his back
 which he said resulted from being cut
 by another boy in a place of safety.
 (then) Another scar on the young
boy’s left hand.
The boy, whose name we will not reveal, as he is a minor, spoke with the Jamaica Observer last week while he went on one of his regular treks in the downtown Kingston area, in search of food and other items. He has been out of the last place of safety that housed him for over a month.
“Me start run weh from me a eight because them rape me off. Is nine homes me run from. Me no wait too long fi run way,” he told the Sunday Observer.
Born in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, the young man is one of 16 children for his parents, including nine by his mother. He became a ward of the State from age two, as his mother, with whom he lived at the time, was unable to care for him. His father lived elsewhere. “Mi run weh from the nine homes over 50 times since 2008.
 “Sometimes when mi report abuse, the police seh a dat mi fi get. Police no care ’bout me,” he said. He told the Sunday Observer that he has lived at places of safety in the parishes of Kingston & St Andrew, Manchester, St Catherine, Portland, and Clarendon.
The Child Development Agency (CDA), in a response, issued a statement to the Sunday Observer saying that it feared for the child and his safety. “The agency has been deeply concerned for the welfare of the ward in question who has repeatedly absconded from a number of child care facilities as well as while in the care of his family,” the CDA said.
“His frequent absconding continues to expose him to abuse and the risk of serious injury. Each time the ward is picked up by the police after running away from the child care facility and his family, he has reported to the social workers and caregivers that he has been abused by adult males while on the streets,” the CDA went on. more

UWI students hunt glory at Harvard University forum......10 students, and UWI lecturer in the Department of Government, Dr Omar Hawthorne attending in Boston, Mass.

THE University of the West Indies' Department of Government, Mona, is expecting major returns on its investment in 10 students and a lecturer representing the institution at this year's Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) in Boston, Massachussets.
The 10 students, and UWI lecturer in the Department of Government, Dr Omar Hawthorne, left the island last week for the US to participate in the 2014 Model UN forum, which started on Thursday and ends today.
"I am very confident that they will not just represent the UWI, Mona, but Jamaica on a whole, very well," said Head of the Department of Government at Mona, Dr Lloyd Waller.
"The department is seriously focused on broadening the scope of our students' engagements, locally and internationally. The more practical exposure, the better. This is absolutely critical to ensuring that our students are well rounded and ready for the world, no matter where they go," Dr Waller added. more

JAMAICA'S 2-man BOBSLED TEAM DID 58.42 secs in their first round. They have 3 more rounds to go. They are currently in 30th @ 2.17 secs behind the leader Russia......VIEW LIVE at this link http://stream.nbcolympics.com/bobsled/winter/14318/.....JA BOBSLED COMPETES TODAY: Jamaican Bobsled Team's Theme Is Amazing (VIDEO)......first heat of the bobsled tournament starts Sunday at 11:15 a.m. EST

That'll be stuck in our heads for awhile.
The Jamaican Olympic bobsled team's theme song is super adorable and really catchy. Also, according to their website, the rhythm pairs well with the twists and turns of the sled track.
The first heat of the bobsled tournament starts Sunday at 11:15 a.m. EST. Until then, you can watch the video above. We're sure you'll have it memorized by the time the competition starts. more

Jury: Michael Dunn guilty of attempted murder, can't decide on murder........FACES UP TO 75 Years imprisonment. Jury hung on murder charge.


'Loud-music' murder trial jurors told to keep trying

Judge Russell Healey told jurors to keep deliberating after they said they had reached verdicts on only four of five counts against Michael Dunn, accused of firing on an SUV full of black teens. FULL STORY more

UPDATE: VERDICT WATCH IN FLORIDA FOR MICHAEL DUNN. GUILTY or NOT GUILTY?.....Dunn, 47, who is white, is accused of firing 10 shots and killing Jordan Davis, 17, who was black..... JURY WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH A VERDICT IN 4 OUT 5 CHARGES. JUDGE WILL RE-INSTRUCT..........WE MAY HAVE A MISTRIAL......More deliberation will take place..... THIS DOES NOT SOUND GOOD AT ALL. VERDICT WATCH IN FLORIDA FOR MICHAEL DUNN. Jury Unable to reach verdict on count 1

Deliberations resumed in Florida on Saturday morning in the murder trial of Michael Dunn amid speculation that the jury was having difficulty reaching a decision on the fate of the white software engineer accused of killing an unarmed black teenager during a dispute over loud music.
Shortly after 9 a.m., Judge Russell L. Healey told a Jacksonville courtroom that the jurors had returned to the Duval County Courthouse and were resuming their work. 
“We'll be in recess until we hear something more from the jury,” Healey said in remarks televised from the courtroom.
Jurors asked for large evidence boxes to be removed from the jury room, the judge said. The boxes will be moved to a locker.
The sequestered jurors received the case Wednesday afternoon. On Friday, they told the judge that they had reached a wall in their deliberations and asked to break for the night. more


 

PALAS goal is to award 100 scholarships and computers in 2014. First 13 students in JAMAICA that were award PALAS scholarships in July 2011. In 2013, PALAS awarded 60 new scholarships. Thus far, 115 awarded in 3 years totaling JA$5.0 Million. Please donate at www.PALAS1.org.

PALAS students in 2011

US HOCKEY STUNS RUSSIA AT SOCHI OLYMPICS.......T.J. Oshie Lifts U.S. Hockey Team Over Russia With Four Goals In Thrilling Shootout


SOCHI, Russia (AP) — T.J. Oshie scored four times in the shootout and got the winner in the eighth round, leading the United States past Russia 3-2 Saturday in the thrilling revival of an Olympic hockey rivalry. Cam Fowler and Joe Pavelski scored in regulation for the Americans in the marquee game of the preliminary round. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves and stopped five attempts in the shootout.
International rules allow the same player to take multiple shots after the first three rounds of a shootout, and U.S. coach Dan Bylsma leaned on Oshie. The St. Louis forward went 4 for 6 against Sergei Bobrovsky. Captain Pavel Datsyuk scored two goals in regulation and another in the shootout. The fast-paced game was played in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an energized crowd. more