KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Teacher killed by gunmen remembered as an outstanding educator

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Janice Atkinson Reid, the Dunrobin Primary School teacher who was gunned down by criminals at her home in Portmore, St Catherine was Wednesday night remembered as an outstanding educator.

Reid, affectionately called ‘Mrs AR’ was shot dead in January; the brutal act sparking outrage across the society.

"She was a person who would always strive for excellence," said Dunrobin Primary School principal Noel Watt.

He was among the hundreds of mourners who flooded the grounds of the Dunrobin Avenue school in St Andrew, to reflect on the life of the slain teacher.

Wednesday during the memorial emotions ran high as relatives, friends and close associates wept openly.

"She was a committed and devoted teacher who has left a tremendous impression on those who came to know her," said Nadesha Johnson vice principal of the neighbouring Dunrobin Preparatory School.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has condemned the attack against the teacher. ...

BIG WARNING FOR THE CARIBBEAN: Seismologist warns powerful earthquake a warning for the Caribbean

Seismologist warns powerful earthquake a warning for the Caribbean

  

Dr. Joan Latchman (File Photo)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Wednesday February 19, 2014, CMC – The Director of the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies, Dr. Joan Latchman says Tuesday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake is the “biggest” to occur in the Barbados zone since 1980 and warned regional countries to be prepared for a massive quake in the future.

“This would be an earthquake we don’t expect to see for tens of years….In my analysis this would be the first earthquake in this magnitude range since we have been recording about 1980,’ she said of the quake that was felt in Barbados, Martinique, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The seismologist said that the strong quake was also a reminder that the Caribbean should not to be complacent. more:

COFFEE Roasters of Jamaica compliant with US food laws......Coffee Roasters expects export boost.......exports bring in an estimated $30 million annually

Compliant with US food laws, Coffee Roasters expects export boost

BY SHAMILLE SCOTT Business reporter scotts@jamaicaobserver.com | Wednesday, February 19, 2014    

COFFEE Roasters of Jamaica should see a boost in sales to North America now that it is fully compliant with US Food laws. What's more, the certification will enable it to increase exports to Europe. Presently, the company, which roasts and packages ground coffee and whole beans, exports bring in an estimated $30 million annually from about 20 per cent of its total production, according to Mark Fletcher, managing director of the company. "If we didn't do it (get certification), chances are we ...More

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL: Prosecution rips into defence's argument of conspiracy to convict Kartel

LEAD prosecutor Jeremy Taylor ripped into arguments put forth by defence attorney Tom Tavares-Finson that the police had hatched a conspiracy to convict his client Vybz Kartel, during his closing remarks in the murder trial at the Supreme Court yesterday.

Kartel

Using quotes from the Bible, a former British parliamentarian and comparisons to a series of movies, Taylor painted a picture of an alleged plot by Vybz Kartel to kill Clive 'Lizard' Williams over two missing guns.

"There is no moral or ethical dilemma or crisis in this case. What you are required to do is weigh the evidence. Look at credibility and reliability. Do aspects of the case add up or is it a scattershot?" he told the 11-member panel of jurors.

Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, Shawn 'Storm' Campbell, Kahira Jones, Andre St John, and Shane Williams are jointly charged with 'Lizard's' alleged murder. In telling the jurors that all the accused do not have to 'sink' with Vybz Kartel, Taylor poured cold water on the unsworn statement given by Vybz Kartel and his four co-accused even though he told the jurors they must consider it.

"It is not evidence. It is a lesser species than evidence but you must consider it. It is a right that they have. Evidence must be taken under oath," he said. Taylor continued where he left off on Tuesday in asking for justice for Williams. more

Buju again appeals drug conviction..... Banton was sentenced to 10 years in a Tampa, Florida, court for drug-related offences.

INCARCERATED reggae star Buju Banton has filed yet another appeal in the United States to reverse his conviction on drug charges.

Buju

The appeal by attorneys Professor Charles Ogletree, Jack Cushman and Max Stern was filed with the 11th US Circuit Court on February 4.

Ogletree, who is the head of the law department at Harvard University, said he accepted the offer to represent Banton -- whose real name is Mark Myrie -- because it was clear that he did not receive a fair trial.

"There is no way in the world he received a fair trial," Ogletree told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

After two trials, Banton was sentenced to 10 years in a Tampa, Florida, court for drug-related offences. However, information later emerged that jury foreman Teri Wright had defied an order from Judge Tim Moody and had studied aspects of the Pinkerton Law and Banton's music. The Pinkerton Law was used by the prosecution to convict Banton for using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking offence.

The information came to light after Wright admitted her misconduct to a reporter. Wright was then ordered by the court to hand over a computer she had used to study the law, but instead handed over another computer. A computer forensics expert hired by Banton later proved that the hard drive on the computer had not been used for a number of years. more

Zimmerman chased by mob in Miami

KINGSTON, Jamaica — George Zimmerman has reportedly left Miami after being chased by a mob and told there is a US$10,000 bounty on his head.

DailyMail news reported that Zimmerman, 30, appeared on CNN Monday to accuse President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder of making him a “scapegoat”.

Zimmerman

It has emerged his words came hours after infuriated protesters ambushed him, his girlfriend and her son at a beach.

"Speaking on national television to Chris Cuomo, he revealed he still receives death threats seven months after he was acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin. He said he suffered a 'miscarriage of justice' in his trial for the killing of the Florida teen, and maintains that he acted in self-defense within the law," the report said. 

When asked what he was being made a scapegoat for, he responded: “The government, the president, the attorney general.

I don’t know what they're thinking or why they're thinking it, all I know is that they're doing it. I don't know what agenda they have." more

Forex: J$107.99 to one US dollar......the Canadian dollar traded for J$98.13 and the British pound ended trading at J$180.80

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 | 4:54 PM

 KINGSTON, Jamaica — The US dollar traded at an average J$107.99 on Wednesday, February 19, 2014, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily foreign exchange trading summary.

Trading closed at an average J$107.89 to one $US on Tuesday, February 18.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar traded for J$98.13 and the British pound ended trading at J$180.80 on Wednesday....

Kartel Trial: Police cordon Supreme Court; defence lawyer protests..... Relatives of the four accused barred from entering courtroom

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Defence attorney in the Vybz Kartel murder trial Christian Tavares-Finson Wednesday morning lodged a complaint against the heavy security in place at the Supreme Court and environs downtown Kingston.

Tavares-Finson complained that family members of the accused men were barred from entering the court while relatives of the victim Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams were allowed inside.

However Justice Lennox Campbell told Tavares-Finson that he was directing his concerns to the wrong forum.

Wednesday morning the police established a cordon from South Parade, King Street and Church Street and Harbour and King Street intersections barring traffic from approaching the courthouse. Anyone seeking to enter the courthouse, including members of the media, was searched by the cops. 

On Tuesday evening the police announced a road closure and traffic changes downtown Kingston until Friday, but did not give a reason. 

Kartel (Adijah Palmer), Shawn Campbell, Andre St John, Kahira Jones and Shane Williams are being tried for the August, 2011 murder of Williams. more

JAMAICA NEWS (VIDEO): Woman beheaded leaving 6 children, 16 y-o boy buried alive in cave but survived, Mahem in East Kingston, SAGICOR run for charity, Tessanne Chin sings National Anthem & more.....CVMTV - News(February 16, 2014)

Jimmy Fallon & Will Smith Give Us The Evolution Of Hip-Hop Dancing

Just like Michelle Obama and Justin Timberlake before him, Will Smith joined Jimmy Fallon in a dance-off to give the kids a lesson of in the history of dance. This time, on the very first "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the duo, both clad in denim overalls, performed the Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing. What else could we expect from the Fresh Prince?

Watch as Fallon and Smith remember the early '90s with the dance moves we all remember, like those popularized by MC Hammer, that move everyone does when they're about to breakdance, and of course, whatever we were doing in a fisheye lens. more

KIEV BLEEDS: Dozens Dead, Hundreds Injured… Fires Continue To Burn In Kiev… EU Sanctions Possible... Ukrainian President Blames Violence On Opposition Leaders… Olympic Great Urges Both Sides To Lay Down Weapons

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The ministry of health says that 25 people have died and over 240 were injured during the clashes between police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

The Ukrainian president is blaming opposition leaders for the deadly violence that has erupted in central Kiev.

In a statement published online early Wednesday, President Viktor Yanukovych said that he had already made several attempts to compromise, but that opposition leaders "crossed a line when they called people to arms."

Yanukovych said opposition leaders had to "draw a boundary between themselves and radical forces," or else "acknowledge that they are supporting radicals. Then the conversation ... will already be of a different kind." more

WATCH: This 12-Year-Old Figure Skater Will Blow Your Mind (VIDEO)

MORE:

Cute KidsFigure SkatingVideoWhip My Hair Figure SkaterAdorable KidsHuffPost LiveTell Me Why12 Year Old Figure SkaterAmazing KidsParents News

This amazing child athlete might be the next Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi or Johnny Weir.

At just 12 years old, Starr Andrews has mastered the art of figure skating. She started skating at 3, after taking cues from her figure-skating mother, she told HuffPost Live's Mike Sacks. "I used to sit on the sideline and watch her skate, and I used to scream because I wanted to get on the ice with her," Starr said.

Starr's talent has already given her an audience bigger than any other 12-year-old would expect. A video of her performing a routine to Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair"went viral and has racked up more than 15 million views on YouTube. The youngster said the performance was a way for her to let loose from the more rigid routines she usually learns. more

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL IS COMING TO AN END: Is Williams chopped up fine, fine? prosecutor asks jurors in final statement

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Senior prosecutor in the Adijah ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer murder trial. Jeremy Taylor Tuesday evening addressed the jurors on behalf of the Crown.

Taylor said that after all is said and done Palmer's family knows where to find him.

He then asked: "Where is Clive Williams? Where is he? Is he chopped up fine, fine like mince meat?

Taylor told the jurors that the first issue they have to deal with is whether Williams is alive, "If you find that Williams is alive then the case done."

At another point Taylor told the jurors that the accused men are free to make their case but noted that in "another trial Williams wasn't given that opportunity by Mr Palmer who we believe was judge, jury and executioner".

Earlier defence attorney Tavares-Finson said asked the jurors to reject the corruption and conspiracy that took place in the matter by returning a verdict of not guilty.

Vybz Kartel and his co-accused Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Andre St John, Kahira Jones and Shane Williams are being tried for the August, 2011 murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams. more

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Dedicated to the Jamaican woman......Women to take focus at poetry fest....Organiser Yasus Afari

Women to take focus at poetry fest

Una Marson | Tuesday, February 18, 2014    

Organiser Yasus Afari

THIS year’s Poetry in Motion Festival, which takes place Sunday at the Mandeville Golf Club in Manchester, is dedicated to the Jamaican woman. Organiser Yasus Afari told the Jamaica Observer that the work of Jamaican literary pioneer, journalist and activist Una Marson will be recognised. Born in St Elizabeth in 1905, Marson produced Caribbean Voices on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) during the 1940s. Many of the Caribbean’s great literary figures appeared on the show ...More

IN JAMAICA: UWI Research Days focus on economic growth projects

Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer, UWI,
 Mona Campus Co-ordinator for Graduate Studies
 and Research addressing yesterday’s
Observer Monday Exchange.
(PHOTO: KENYON HEMANS)

BY ALICIA DUNKLEY-WILLIS Senior staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com

Tuesday, February 18, 2014  THE University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona will be using the three-day platform of Research Days 2014 to signal what it says is a shift in the focus of the annual event to now target projects which will impact Jamaica’s economic growth.

 The 14-year-old event, which has moved from being a single day to a three-day affair, will run from February 19 to 21 and showcase the university’s research work across disciplines, under the theme ‘Fostering Growth and Development in Small Island Developing States Through Research’.

 Speaking at the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange yesterday, UWI Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Archibald McDonald said even as the university continues to build on the strong foundation left by his predecessor Professor Gordon Shirley, there are significant changes taking place with one very significant shift being in the area of research. more 

IN JAMAICA: Sigma Corporate Run delivers!.....Your Health Your Wealth

AFTER a six-year hiatus, 25-year-old Lancine Saunders decided to hit Sunday’s Sigma Corporate Run — a 5.5-kilometre road race — again. She told the Jamaica Observer that she had always been interested in participating, but just didn’t get around to it.

So, when her employers, Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), decided to register participants for the charity event, she jumped at the opportunity. Motivated, too, by her recent drive to be more health conscious, Saunders was surprised at how well organised the road race turned out.

“I have been taking my health and fitness seriously and have been trying to make healthier choices for about a month now,” she shared.

“Today (Sunday) was really good and I was pleasantly surprised at how well planned it was. I didn’t expect to get my results so quickly.”

But how did she prepare for the big day? According to Saunders, TPDCo started a fitness class two weeks prior to the road race, but due to time constraints she was unable to participate. more

Today in Black History for February 18th : 1) 1973 - Palmer Hayden, Harlem Renaissance artist, dies 2) 1931 - Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford) was born on this day.

more

VYBZ KARTEL TRIAL: Handwriting expert reiterates witness letter not forged.....“Any man on a galloping horse would come to the conclusion I have come to,”

THE defence handwriting expert in the Vybz Kartel murder trial said yesterday that he didn’t consider the element of forgery regarding a letter allegedly sent to the public defender by the key prosecution witness recanting a statement to the police.

 He reiterated under cross examination by senior prosecutor Jeremy Taylor that he had had sufficient reason to conclude that the letter, which he later read during the trial, was written by the witness..

 “Any man on a galloping horse would come to the conclusion I have come to,” said expert Karl Major, a retired senior superintendent of police, to much laughter inside the number two courtroom at the Home Circuit Court.

 In the letter sent to the Office of the Public Defender on November 18, 2013, the writer outlined that the police had forced him to give a statement implicating Kartel and the other men in the August 16, 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

 “I am [name withheld]. I’m the witness in the Vybz Kartel cause [case],” Major read from the letter. “The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the statement taken by the police [...] wasn’t willing because I didn’t go freely to the police station. more

UPDATE: Wayne ‘Sleng Teng’ Smith is dead at 48 y-o......Died at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).....is survived by his mother, May Coley, five children, three grandchildren, and five brothers and sisters

by Howard Campbell of Jamaica Observer 

Feb 18, 2014

Singer Wayne Smith, whose computerised song Under Mi Sleng Teng revolutionised reggae, has died. Smith’s son, Tidel Smith, told the Jamaica Observer that his father died yesterday at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

Wayne Smith, complained of
stomach pains

He was 48 years old. He said Smith was admitted to KPH Friday after complaining of stomach pains. His health improved on Sunday but yesterday it deteriorated and he died shortly after noon.

 An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death. Originally from Waterhouse, Smith started his career in 1980 with producer Lloyd ‘King Jammys’ James who produced Under Mi Sleng Teng four years later.

 Under Mi Sleng Teng was orchestrated by Smith and musician Noel Daley on an inexpensive Casio keyboard. It was first played at dances on James’ sound system and got such strong response that James released the song in late 1984.

 The ‘riddim’ of the same name produced numerous hit songs, including Pumpkin Belly by singer Tenor Saw.

 Under Mi Sleng Teng was a trailblazer, triggering dancehall’s digital age.

 It was Smith’s biggest hit, though he enjoyed more chart success with songs like Ain’t No Meaning In Saying Goodbye and Come Along. Smith, who operated the Sleng Teng label, is survived by his mother, May Coley, five children, three grandchildren, and five brothers and sisters. more

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

Understanding Wisdom And FOREVER Appreciating The Past

Dr. Alice Tyler Milton

Since  December 2003: Visits to this page

Below, 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

"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

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.

The 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

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