FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique: Jamaica on top at CARIFTA Games, Bahamas, Barbados also shine....Jamaica flexed their muscles yet again but fell just short of a clean sweep of the sprint relays....The Jamaicans won all but the boys Under-18 4x100 metres final....Defending champs enter last day of Carifta games with 47 medals

Monday, April 21, 2014 | 1:06 PM 

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (CMC) – Jamaica flexed their muscles yet again but fell just short of a clean sweep of the sprint relays while Barbados and the Bahamas also grabbed headlines at the 43rd CARIFTA Games Monday night.

The Jamaicans won all but the boys Under-18 4x100 metres final, which they seemed to have in the bag until 100m champion Raheem Chambers pulled up metres from the line.

This allowed the Bahamas to snatch gold in 40.76 seconds ahead of Jamaica who clocked 40.78 and Trinidad & Tobago, who finished with bronze in 42.41.

The Under-20 boys, anchored by Jevaughn Minzie topped the field in 39.38 seconds ahead of the Bahamas (40.35) and Trinidad & Tobago who were once again forced to settle for bronze in 40.71.

On the girls side, the Under-20 quartet of Chanice Bonner Kedisha Dallas, Saqukine Cameron and 100m champion Jonielle Smith, topped the three-team field, coming home in 44.16 seconds.

Trinidad & Tobago’s fortunes improved with silver in 45.32 seconds while the Bahamas were third in 45.47.

Kimone Shaw, the 100 metres champion, then combined with Shellece Clark, Shanice Reid and Natalliah Whyte to lift the Under-17 title in a time of 44.80 seconds, ahead of the second placed Bahamas (45.91) and the British Virgin Islands (46.30).

Minzie, Jamaica’s team captain, expressed disappointment at not winning all the relays.

“The aim was to sweep the relays. We spoke about it, so we must be a little disappointed not to take all four gold medals. We just hope the injury to our teammate Raheem is not a serious one,” he said.

Meanwhile, Barbadian Shamar Rock got Barbados on the podium when he measured 7.56 metres to win the Under-20 boys long jump.

Kevin Philbert of Curacao took silver with a leap of 7.36m while Jebaughn Fowler of Jamaica had to settle for bronze with a mark of 7.19. more

Good News: Canadian lottery winner, 64 y-o TOM CHRIST donates $40 million jackpot to charity....Crist donated the entirety of his winnings to cancer research in honor of his late wife....Still, it took Crist more than six months to tell anybody — including family members — he’d won.

Linda Carroll TODAY contributor 

Photo Courtesy of Western Canada

"You're not getting a smile, nothing," Tom Crist

 told the cameraman for the required Western

 Canada Lottery Corp. picture. Crist donated the

 entirety of his winnings to cancer research in 

honor of his late wife.

Unlike most big lottery winners who spend days, or even months, trying to figure out how they’ll spend their newfound riches, Tom Crist needed only a moment to decide where his $40 million in winnings would go: all to charity. Top on the list would be the medical center that cared for his late wife when she developed cancer.

Still, it took Crist more than six months to tell anybody — including family members — he’d won. The retired Calgary executive had been lunching between rounds of golf in Palm Springs when his cell phone rang and he was told the news.

“I was speechless,” Crist, 64, said in a recorded interview with Canadian public radio station CBC. “I really didn’t know what to say.”

Crist hung up the phone, finished lunch and went back to golf.

“I knew where the money was going to go as soon as I got that call,” he told the CBC. “I just didn’t want the media, the press, all that kind of stuff. So I just kept putting it off and putting it off, and putting it off.”

Finally at the behest of the Western Canada Lottery Corp., he agreed to go public and have his photo taken. The fine print on the lottery subscription he’d bought had demanded as much.

The shy and retiring senior showed up for his win photo in dark glasses and a baseball cap.

“They asked, ‘Is that your natural look?’” Crist told the CBC. “I said, yep. That’s all you’re getting. You’re not getting a smile, nothing.”

The former CEO of EECOL Electric said he didn’t need the money for himself or his family.

"I guess I've been fortunate enough through my career, you know, that I had, with the company that I was with, to be fortunate enough to have a good living and be able to remain to have a good living and look after my kids,” he told Reuters. “So, I don't really need the money."

His plan was to donate his winnings in honor of his wife Jan, who died in February of 2012 after a long battle with lung cancer.

“It’s very, very, very important,” he told the CBC, his voice starting to crack. “Because, you know, we lost a wife, a mom and a grandma. She beat it for a while, six years, and it finally caught up with her.”All of which made it supremely important for Crist to donate to cancer treatment and research. “Cancer is dear to my heart because of what happened to her,” he told the CBC. “This just gives me the opportunity to give back.”

Crist delivered his first big check — $1.2 million — on Tuesday to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, which collects donations for Calgary’s Tom Baker Cancer Centre, where Jan had been treated.

IN JAMAICA: What led a 21-y-o police constable Virdon-Ron Taylor to commit suicide? Commissioner appeals to spouses, colleagues, relatives and neighbours to report any signs of emotional unease affecting officers

Monday, April 21, 2014   

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The Mandeville police say they have launched a detailed investigation into the suspected suicide of 21-year-old police constable Virdon-Ron Taylor at New Hall in Central Manchester, late Saturday.

The police reported that the young constable, who was assigned to the Anti-Corruption Branch in Kingston, was visiting his girlfriend when an argument developed over text messages on his cellphone.

The body of Constable Davian Thompson is placed in the
 undertakers’ vehicle last week. (PHOTOS: LIONEL ROOKWOOD)

He left the bedroom and shortly after, an explosion was heard. Taylor's body was then found slumped in a passageway with his service firearm beside him. Police placed the time of the incident at about 11:15 pm. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Police say the scene was processed by detectives from the Scene of Crime team from Area 3.

Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington yesterday expressed shock at yet another police suicide stemming from domestic disputes.

Only last week another police constable, Davian Thompson of the St Catherine North Police Division, allegedly killed his wife, and then himself.

Ellington reminded those under his command that "the police force is not short of counselling".

Said Ellington: "We have established a fully staffed chaplaincy unit, which is offering counselling and pastoral services to every geographical division and every police formation in Jamaica. The chaplaincy unit has gone even further by establishing station pastors to further attend to the spiritual needs of police officers and also offer counseling where needed. Incidents like these are appalling." more

If You Support Legal Marijuana, Memorize These 13 Stats....US$10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report...7,500-10,000: The estimated number of marijuana industry jobs that currently exist in Colorado & more.....

Regardless of your feelings about legalizing marijuana, it's hard to deny that legal weed would be a bonanza for cash-strapped states, just as tobacco and alcohol already are.

With Colorado and Washington starting to tax and regulate recreational weed sales, and medical marijuana legal in 18 other states, we can finally start to put some hard numbers on the industry's value.

Numbers like:

$1.53 billion: The amount the national legal marijuana market is worth, according to a Nov. 2013 report from ArcView Market Research, a San Francisco-based investor group focused on the marijuana industry.

$10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report.

$6.17 million: The amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado on legal marijuana sales in just the first two months of 2014.

$98 million: The total tax revenue that Colorado could reap in the fiscal year that begins in July, according to a recent budget proposal from Gov. John Hickenlooper. 

$40 million: The amount of marijuana tax revenue Colorado is devoting to public school construction.

7,500-10,000: The estimated number of marijuana industry jobs that currently exist in Colorado, according to Michael Elliott, the Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade association that advocates for responsible marijuana regulation.

$190 million: The amount in taxes and fees legal marijuana is projected to raise for the state of Washington over four years starting in mid-2015, according to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, an independent agency that advises the state government on the budget and tax revenue. more

Home T back with album....Their latest project, a 16-track set entitled Send Come Call We....It is co-produced and arranged by veteran musician Mikey 'Mao' Chung and Rudolph 'Ruddy' Manning.

by Cecelia Campbell-Livingston  Monday, April 21, 2014   

HOME T, one of the most successful groups of the 1990s, is back with a new album and look.

HOME T: (from left) Leroy Palmer, Rudolph ‘Ruddy’ Manning
and Orville ‘Bagga’ Case.

Their latest project, a 16-track set entitled Send Come Call We, was recently released by Reggaeology Music. It is co-produced and arranged by veteran musician Mikey 'Mao' Chung and Rudolph 'Ruddy' Manning.

"There is a song on this CD to quench every musical thirst. Every song has its own strength and its own sound," Manning, who is also a member of Home T, told the Jamaica Observer.

A cover of Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me; Funky Reggae Party, Full A Shape, I Hear Music, Give Me Your Love and the title track are some of the songs on Send Come Call We, Home T's first album in eight years.

Orville 'Bagga' Case and Leroy Palmer, long-time Home T members, complete the current line-up.

Case, Palmer, Mikey Bennett and Winston 'Diego' Tucker were members of what was known as Home T-4 in the late-1970s. The group was formed in 1972.

Renamed Home T in the late-1980s, the quartet had several hits during that period and the early 1990s working with producers Gussie Clarke and Lloyd 'King Jammys' James.

Pirate's Anthem, Don't Throw it All Away, Who She Love and Holding On were some of their big hits.

Bennett produced Stronger Now, the previous Home T album. more

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados : TAMAR LAMBERT strokes century (121 runs) as Jamaica reach 302 vs Barbados at the close on the second day of the Headley/Weekes Trophy semi-final at Kensington Oval on Sunday....Hosts 18 for one at close on second day

Sunday, April 20, 2014 | 6:29 PM    

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Barbados, trailing Jamaica by 57 runs on first innings, reached 18 for one in their second innings at the close on the second day of the Headley/Weekes Trophy semi-final at Kensington Oval on Sunday.

Tamar Lambert stroked 121 in Jamaica’s 302 reply to Barbados 245 in the first innings.

Lambert scored 121 for Jamaica

Scores:

BARBADOS -- 245 (Shane Dowrich 69 not out, Ashley Nurse 45, Omar Phillips 33, Shai Hope 28, Ashley Nurse 25 not out; Sheldon Cottrell 3-28, Damion Jacobs 3-58, Dave Bernard 2-32) and 18 for one.

JAMAICA -- 302 (Tamar Lambert 121, David Bernard Jr 42, Jermaine Blackwood 37, John Campbell 31, Nkrumah Bonner 23; Sulieman Benn 5-102, Ashley Nurse 2-47, Fidel Edwards 2-58). more

Church leader laments increasing hardships facing Jamaicans..... Civil Service Association slams ATM tax....“I have never seen so many needy people in all my life, and they are coming to the church,” said Rev Anglin....“Basically people are fearful, people are suffering financially and the cost of living is just too high."

BY NADINE WILSON Observer staff reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, April 21, 2014  

 EASTER is regarded as a time of hope and joy, but spokesman for the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (JUGC), Reverend Lenworth Anglin, said the church has been challenged to preach this message in the past year, given the increasing hardships Jamaicans have been facing.

“I have never seen so many needy people in all my life, and they are coming to the church,” said Rev Anglin, who is also the immediate past executive chairman of the Church of God in Jamaica.

“The minister of security says that the crime rate is trending down, but I think there is a higher level of fear now than we have had before. People need to be reassured.

The high unemployment rate is definitely causing some jitters, although the minister of finance is talking right now and trying to appease our minds, but we face it on the ground,” he said.

“Basically people are fearful, people are suffering financially and the cost of living is just too high. People are not earning and then there is the loss of jobs, the unemployment rate is just too high, and so there is a general suffering around, which is evident,” he noted.

Rev Anglin, who was in the middle of preparing his Easter Sunday sermon when he spoke to the Jamaica Observer, said that despite all the struggles, the church has a responsibility to inspire hope and not doom.

This message is even more symbolic now as people around the world take time to remember and commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who endured extreme hardship prior to His death.

Anglin believes this message needs to be preached, regardless of the present struggles, although he is aware that not everyone will be receptive. more

IN JAMAICA: Rastas rally for legalisation of ganja..."The debate is happening here in Jamaica and the Rastafarian community is the leading community in regard to the rights of ganja here. So we want to make sure that our community and our culture is protected as it is developed into a full-blown industry here in Jamaica," .....BUNNY WAILER said,"I have been a lover of high-grade from I was as small as four years of age".

BY NADINE WILSON Observer staff reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, April 21, 2014    

A truck travels in Trench Town, Kingston, during
 yesterday’s march, mainly by Rastafarians, calling for the
 legalisation of marijuana.

MEMBERS of the Rastarian community yesterday braved the scorching sun as they marched from Half-Way-Tree to Trench Town in Kingston, as they joined the growing call for the legalisation of marijuana.

The group, which had gathered early at Mandela Park for what was dubbed a "Ganja Legalise It Day March and Motorcade", left Half-Way-Tree just after 10:00 am as they made their way to St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston, and then to the Trench Town Culture Park for a rally. The event, which was organised by Solomonic Productions and the Rastafarian Millennium Council, was well supported by the Rastarians who were adorned in their green, yellow and red while chanting "Jah Rastafari" and "Free up the ganja", some carrying the Ethiopian flag.

One of the organisers, Maxine Stowe, said the Rastarians hope to be at the forefront of the discussion on ganja going forward, given the significance of the plant in their culture. Earlier this month, there was the official launch of the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association which comprises political officials, medical entrepreneurs and academia who are currently lobbying for the lifting of the restrictions surrounding the use of cannabis.

"The debate is happening here in Jamaica and the Rastafarian community is the leading community in regard to the rights of ganja here. So we want to make sure that our community and our culture is protected as it is developed into a full-blown industry here in Jamaica," Stowe said.

She said the Rastarians also wanted to ensure that the plant is not misused by those looking to gain from it financially.

This poster mounted in Kingston during
 yesterday’s ‘Legalise ganja march’ tells
 what marijuana lobbyists are asking for.
 (PHOTOS: COLLIN REID)

"We don't want no products to be developed like cigarettes that eventually came out of tobacco and made the thing cancerous. So we are also vigilant of all of this dissecting of the herb to make sure when you isolate the compounds, that you are not creating something that God didn't ordain for the herb," Stowe said.

She said the group has been in consultation with those who have been leading the talks on the legalisation of ganja, but they have not been in complete agreement with some of their principles. more

PALAS recipient & Medical Student, 21 y-o NICOLE NATION talks about Maia Chung Autism Foundation on CVM-TV in JAMAICA.....Nicole has received numerous awards in JA for her volunteer work. She is also one of PALAS's standout scholarship recipient and a model Jamaican. (8 mins VIDEO)

SUGAR MINOTT who died in 2010, Tribute Struggles For Sponsorship - Daughter, PASHON MINOTT Asks For Event To Honour Deserving Legend....

Pashon Minott, daughter of the
 late Sugar Minott

Published Sunday April 20, Gleaner 

Reggae artiste Pashon Minott is calling for sponsors to come on board for the fourth staging of the annual Sugar Minott's Day Tribute, which is hosted at his studio, Youth Man Promotions in Kingston.

According to Pashon, her father, who died in 2010, is a legend and is deserving of a properly produced event in his honour.

The singer says she has sent several proposals to entities with the hope that at least one would find it in their heart to be the event's title sponsor.

However, there have been no takers.

"Sugar Minott is the Godfather of Dancehall, therefore, this shouldn't be so. This is the fourth staging since Dad died and I always produced it out of my pocket, but I want the event to grow and I need assistance. Dad is a legend and has done a lot to put our music where it is today. Daddy was one of the first artistes to deejay on a computerised rhythm," she said.

Pashon does not believe her father, even while alive, got the respect he deserved and she is urging the music industry and potential sponsors to do the honourable thing and salute the Herb Man singer by contributing to this year's staging of Sugar Minott's Day Tribute. more

Entertainment : Jamaica’s OWN TAMEIKA DORMAN .....AFTER 10 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), Jamaican Tameika Dorman decided last year it was time to move on. Her current job is at Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) as an associate producer on its highly touted series, Love In The City.

BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON Observer staff reporter livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, April 20, 2014    

AFTER 10 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), Jamaican Tameika Dorman decided last year it was time to move on.

Her current job is at Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) as an associate producer on its highly touted series, Love In The City.

The show, which surrounds four best friends who share "life, loss, friendship and sex" premiered April 12.

Dorman (left), associate producer at Oprah Winfrey Network,
and her boss Oprah Winfrey.

Dorman, who grew up in Portmore, says Love In The City is not another 'hot girls' show in the mould of Sex In The City and Desperate Housewives.

"It deals with issues on divorce, cancer, infertility -- issues that so many other women are dealing with on a daily basis," she told the Sunday Observer.

Dorman assists the supervising producer and crew as well as help create storylines and schedules for cast members. Putting the show together, she stressed, was "exciting and exhausting".

"Reality television consists of 12 to 14-hour work days six days a week. The hours were gruelling but working with the crew and cast was also fun," she said.

Working for the queen of American media, Dorman added, makes the job even more fulfilling.

"The thing that surprises me about Oprah is her humility and kindness. You would think she would be glamorous on a daily basis, but no, she is simple in her everyday appearance," she said.

Dorman was born in Kingston "as a healthy triplet" (one of whom died at age four) and raised in Garveymeade, Portmore. She left Jamaica at age 11. Her career in television production began 13 years ago at Bronx Net, a public access station in New York City. more 

Careers & Education in JAMAICA (A GREAT STORY): Wayward teen offered scholarship to change her ways....."Any time somebody speaks to her she has an answer but not in a positive way, and she fights a lot with her little sisters and cousins and loves company. She's a part of the gang and all the members are older than her."

BY NADINE WILSON Career & Education reporter  Sunday, April 20, 2014    

ODETTE Stables has often cried because of the destructive path her teenage daughter has taken, but it was these tears that recently moved one philanthropist to promise the Norman Manley High School student a scholarship to attend university if she changed her ways.

Overcome by tears, mother Odette Stables
 shares the struggle she has been
 having with raising her teenaged daughter
 during a Rebirth Project workshop
at Caenwood Complex.

Stables broke down in tears while venting her frustrations to attendees at the Rebirth Project workshop held at the Caenwood Complex two weeks ago. The project is a nine-week intervention programme aimed at influencing positive attitudes and reforming the behaviour of 25 at-risk teenagers from Norman Manley and Tivoli Gardens High schools.

"Any time somebody speaks to her she has an answer but not in a positive way, and she fights a lot with her little sisters and cousins and loves company. She's a part of the gang and all the members are older than her.

"I was trying to keep her in the house and most times I am not there because of the type of work I do. I get others to talk to her and she doesn't listen. She say yes, but is the same thing over again," she said.

The mother decided to share her story after a motivational presentation was made by Poye Robinson, who, at 27 years old, is the founder and chief executive officer of International Travel and Cultural Exchange which he started in 2010. Despite losing his sight due to glaucoma in 2012, Robinson went on to complete his degree in logistics and supply chain management from the Caribbean Maritime Institute, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 2013.

After hearing of Stables' struggles, the benefactor, who has asked that his name be withheld, called the teenager to the front of the room and after asking her a few questions, determined that she was a natural leader with a lot of potential. He then pledged to pay her university tuition to any local university, if she matriculates and demonstrates a commitment to changing her current destructive path by leaving the gang, improving her behaviour at home and school and respecting authority, especially her mother. more

Adlyn Thompson, 104, hopes God will intervene and save Jamaica...."The condition that we are into right now in Jamaica, is only God can change it,"

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, April 20, 2014    

NOT only does she possess a sharp memory, but at 104, Adlyn Imogene Barnes Thompson's quick wit was evident as she recalled how she met her child's father, getting 'saved' 80 years ago, even while giving her account of what she believes is the only thing that can take Jamaica out of the situation it is now in.

Adlyn Thompson speaks about her
 relationship with the Lord and
 what Jamaica needs today.

"The condition that we are into right now in Jamaica, is only God can change it," a pensive Thompson said as she sat on her verandah in her Mt Oliphant district home in South Manchester on Friday.

"I see no other way. The prime minister is saying she is trying her best. But she can't do it. It take the spirit and the power of God to change the condition," she said.

She recalled that as a youngster growing up in Mt Oliphant with both parents, three brothers and three sisters, how strangers would pass through the district from St Elizabeth and Old Harbour selling tobacco, cloth and hats and when they were tired they would enter anyone's home and spend the rest of the night, as no one was concerned about being murdered or robbed by these strangers.

"They stayed until they were ready to leave and householders did not concern themselves that they would be harmed or robbed. Those higglers would be on the road for days until their goods were sold off before going back home, and every night they stayed at a different home in another district and nobody would trouble them," the centenarian said.

Thompson, who celebrated her 104th birthday on April 10, said that men now take pleasure in committing murders and do so for no apparent reason. more

New York legislators want probe into police shooting of unarmed Jamaican youth, 18 y-o Ramarley Graham who was killed in his bathroom.....the legislature written to United States Attorney General Eric Holder calling for an "extensive and exhaustive" investigation

Saturday, April 19, 2014    

NEW YORK, USA (CMC) — Minority caucuses of New York State Legislature and the City Council have written to United States Attorney General Eric Holder calling for an "extensive and exhaustive" investigation into the 2012 police shooting death of an unarmed Jamaican youth.

GRAHAM... was killed in his bathroom

"In the interest of seeking truth and justice, we are asking for an extensive and exhaustive investigation into the killing of Ramarley Graham," said legislators in a letter to Eric Holder.

Graham was shot by Police Officer Richard Haste on February 2, 2012, after cops stormed into the teen's Bronx house and confronted him in a bathroom, according to the New York Daily News. He was 18.

Haste said he had heard over his police radio that the teenager had a gun, but no weapon was found -- only a small bag of marijuana.

"We believe the investigation will uncover that the actions of Officer Haste violated the civil rights of Ramarley, his family and the other residents in the home," the letter states.

"It is imperative that the Department of Justice send a clear signal that the lives of black and brown minority men matter," the caucus adds.

In August, Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said his office would review the case for civil rights violations after a Bronx grand jury declined to indict Haste. On Wednesday, Bharara said the review is ongoing. more

Basil Paterson, father of former Gov. David Paterson, dead at 87....The patriarch served in the state Senate in the '60s, as deputy mayor under Mayor Ed Koch in the '70s and as secretary of state under Gov. Hugh Carey — paving the way for his son.

Basil Paterson, a lion of Harlem politics who helped to pave the way for a new generation of black leaders — including a son who became governor — has died, his family said Thursday. He was 87.

Basil Patterson

Paterson passed away at a Manhattan hospital Wednesday after falling ill with heart problems .

Paterson was a state senator, a deputy mayor, New York’s first black secretary of state and a labor negotiator and mediator.

And Along with David Dinkins, Charles Rangel and Percy Sutton, Paterson was a member of Harlem’s legendary "Gang of Four," which was the center of African-American political power in the city for 40 years and played an influential role in state and national politics as well.

The other members of the foursome also earned places in the history books: Dinkins became New York's first black mayor. Rangel is seeking his 23rd term in Congress. And Sutton, who died in 2009, was a civil rights lawyer, Manhattan borough president and the owner of WLIB-AM.

Manhattan power brokers David Dinkins,
 Basil Patterson, Percy Sutton and Charles Rangel

 

"It's a painful experience when you lose someone that you've known for over 60 years, but he had the most integrity, honesty, and clear thinking of any person that I've ever met," Rangel said.

"Those of us that knew him are pained today... All we have left now are the memories."

Paterson’s son, former Gov. David Paterson, said his father was “a selfless leader“ who “dedicated his life to making sure others' lives were better. Throughout his life, he was known as a pillar of strength by so many throughout New York. For that, we know he was grateful.” more 

MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA: 69 y-o Senior citizen Fay Swaby dies in Manchester car accident; 2 other people injured Fatal crash!

The crashed Honda seen resting
on its side yesterday.
(PHOTOS: GREGORY BENNETT)

Saturday, April 19, 2014    

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Sixty-nine year old Fay Swaby, a housewife of Chudleigh Housing Scheme in Manchester, died as a result of injuries she received in a motor vehicle accident in Mount Olivet in the parish late Thursday.

Two other people, including the driver of the vehicle, were injured in the crash.

A small crowd gather at the accident site.

According to the Christiana police, the vehicle — a grey Honda Odyssey — was being reversed when the driver allegedly lost control of it, resulting in a collision with a wall.

Swaby was flung from the out-of-control vehicle which then fell on top of her. Swaby, the driver, and the other passenger were taken to hospital where the doctors declared her dead.

The other two victims remained in hospital up until late yesterday. more 

Marijuana March in JAMAICA: The march, organised by veteran reggae artiste Bunny Wailer's Solomonic Productions....Denroy Morgan will lend his support to the cause... A NUMBER of local artistes are set to show their support for the legalisation of marijuana (ganja) during a march and mass rally set for the Corporate Area tomorrow.

BY RICHARD JOHNSON Observer senior reporter johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Saturday, April 19, 2014    

A NUMBER of local artistes are set to show their support for the legalisation of marijuana (ganja) during a march and mass rally set for the Corporate Area tomorrow.

Denroy Morgan

The march, organised by veteran reggae artiste Bunny Wailer's Solomonic Productions and the Rastafari Millennium Council, is aimed at furthering the debate on the legalisation of the weed which is considered a holy sacrament by followers of Rastafari.

The march and motorcade is set to start at 10:00 am from the Mandela Park in Half-Way-Tree to St William Grant Park in the heart of downtown Kingston, before moving on to the Trench Town Culture Park in western Kingston for the rally and presentations.

Among the artistes down to lend their support to the call is Denroy Morgan.

Morgan — best known for his 1981 I'll Do Anything for You and patriarch of sibling group Morgan Heritage — is an advocate for the legalisation.

In 2011, Morgan was arrested and charged with possession of 25 pounds of ganja in the Bronx, New York.

A year later Morgan walked out of a courtroom with a 90-day probation and US$25 court filing fee after successfully arguing that he had no intention of distributing the ganja for profit, but instead bought it for spiritual use.

He told the Jamaica Observer that that experience leaves him no choice but to advocate for the legalisation of ganja. more 

IN JAMAICA: Role change for 74 y-o Father Richard Ho Lung.....Ho Lung, who had open-heart surgery 11 years ago, said most of his time will now be spent on teaching the brothers and establishing the missionaries' musical productions.

 BY BRIAN BONITTO  Saturday, April 19, 2014    

AFTER 33 years as head and founder of the Kingston-based Missionaries of the Poor, Father Richard Ho Lung has stepped down.

Cast members perform He Is Risen
 from the production Candles in the Dark.

Ho Lung, 74, is succeeded by Bro Augusto Silot, a naturalised Jamaican, who was born in the Philippines.

The announcement was made at the Holy Trinity Cathedral on North Street in Kingston on Wednesday evening.

"I felt it was the right time. Younger men will have to step forward and lead the Missionaries of the Poor into the future. I will still help and be active," he told the Jamaica Observer.

Ho Lung, who had open-heart surgery 11 years ago, said most of his time will now be spent on teaching the brothers and establishing the missionaries' musical productions.

"Now I want to pay a bit more attention to the productions. My involvement in this area will be to the very end. It is something of great value to the people," he said.

Ho Lung has written over 20 productions including Acts of the Apostle, Jesus 2000, Candles in the Dark, Run Come, The Rock, and The Messiah.

Father Ho Lung

"A lot of music has been done. The music and productions are food for the souls. It stirs people to a spirit of hope and joy," Ho Lung said.

Performing under the banner 'Father Richard Ho Lung and Friends', the proceeds from these events help to maintain homes for destitute persons, including abandoned, sick, disabled, or dying men, women, infants, and children.

Ho Lung, who shows no sign of slowing down, said he has some overseas dates for The Messiah.

"We'll be at the Napa Theatre in Trinidad on May 27 to June 1, and the Halton Theatre in North Carolina from August 8 to 10," he said. more

BNQT Babes: Brazilian beach goddess, Emanuela De Paula

Emanuela De Paula

By THE DUDE April 15, 2014 10:45 am
Hailing from one of the most beautiful places on this here planet, Emanuela De Paula is one of the most sought after models from Brazil and is thrown into the mix with global superstars like Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima. If that doesn’t do it for you, well, you just have issues. Enjoy the view! more photos

IN JAMAICA: Krystal Burnett, a 15 year-old student at Ocho Rios High School, has entered the 2014 Pulse Search. A student of the sciences, Krystal hopes to be successful in both acting and modelling, careers she is passionate about.

Krystal Burnett, a 15 year-old student at Ocho Rios High School, has entered the 2014 Pulse Search. A student of the sciences, Krystal hopes to be successful in both acting and modelling, careers she is passionate about. An avid reader, Krystal also enjoys swimming and watching television.

Pulse has launched The Pulse Search For The Million Dollar Girl. One lucky girl with the perfect face, body and spirit will be selected Pulses Million Dollar Girl at the end of summer 2014. She will be awarded $1m in cash and prizes (with no less than $500,000 in cash).

Krystal Burnett - Contributed

Since 1980, The Pulse Search has produced fashion legends such as Kimberley Mais, Angela Neil, Carla Campbell, Romae Gordon, Althea Laing, Lincoln Wynter and Lois Samuels. More recently, there have been supermodels Jeneil Williams, Oraine Barrett, Jaunel McKenzie, Nell Robinson and Nadine Willis.

Interested new faces who think that they could be the one to take the title are asked to visit Pulse at 38a Trafalgar Road, New Kingston any Wednesday at 4 p.m, taking with them a swimsuit and high-heeled shoes. They may also call 960 0049.

The Pulse Search continues to target young men as well. Young women will be accepted in all categories - fashion, petite and full figure.

Sean Paul Heads To Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 24 at the Bank United Centre at the University of Miami in Florida. Awards will be celebrating 25 years

Sean Paul

Published: Thursday | April 17, 2014

International recording artiste Sean Paul is gearing up for a performance on the Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 24 at the Bank United Centre at the University of Miami in Florida.

The Grammy Award-winning reggae performer, who recently released his latest album, Full Frequency, will accompany Puerto Rican sensation Wisin onstage at the prestigious event. The duo is expected to perform their hit song Baby Danger for the mostly Latin audience.

"The Latin audience has always been close to my heart. They embraced my music from the very beginning, and it is a great privilege for me to perform at the Billboard Latin Awards," said Sean Paul.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards will be celebrating 25 years and is presented by State Farm and will be broadcast on Telemundo.

According to examiner.com, the awards show is the longest running and most prestigious Latin Music awards show.

Bachata singer, songwriter and record producer Prince Royce will also be performing on the show alongside the likes of Marc Anthony, Franco De Vita and Ricky Martin.

Prince Royce, who is featured on Full Frequency, was nominated for awards in a whopping 16 categories. more