Ebola Facts : The World Health Organization suggested that the 2014 outbreak can be traced to fruit bats in the West Africa region. Guinea, where bat soup is a local delicacy

Published: Monday | October 13, 2014

Monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, and fruit bats are said to be the main animal carriers of the Ebola virus. The World Health Organization suggested that the 2014 outbreak can be traced to fruit bats in the West Africa region. Guinea, where bat soup is a local delicacy, has reportedly banned the sale and consumption of bat meat.

Research has shown that gorillas and chimpanzees suffer massive population declines during Ebola outbreaks, with the virus killing an estimated 5,000 gorillas in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo from 2002-2003.

Dogs, pigs, and other domestic animals can be infected. One study noted that "dogs could be a potential source of human Ebola outbreaks and of virus spread", but they did not test if human infection could occur through licking, biting, or grooming.

One study also said cultural differences in behaviour and the diet of pet dogs may alter risks in Ebola transmission. Dogs studied in Gabon scavenged for their food, eating dead animals that could have exposed them to the virus, as opposed to dogs that are fed dog food.

Animal and Ebola

26-year-old Nina Pham Confirmed As First Person To Contract Ebola In U.S.

The Huffington Post | By Alana Horowitz Email Posted: 10/13/2014 12:39 pm EDT 

TThe identity of the Dallas health care worker who contracted Ebola after treating a patient who later died of the virus has been confirmed.

26-year-old Nina Pham

The family of 26-year-old Nina Pham, a nurse at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, confirmed the news to WFAA.The family also confirmed the news to USA Today.Pham had been helping to treat Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who was diagnosed with Ebola last month. Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. He died last week.

Last week, Texas health officials announced that a hospital worker who treated Duncan had showed symptoms of the virus. They confirmed the diagnosis on Sunday.

According to CNN, Pham was wearing protective gear whenever she had contact with Duncan.

CDC Director Tom Frieden blamed the Dallas Ebola spread on a breach of protocol.He said on Monday that he wouldn't be surprised if another hospital worker became ill. Here's a picture of Pham, courtesy of WFAA.

Kingston, Jamaica : Bringing joy to Trench Town Community...projects get much-needed support from British Airways, UK charity

Monday, October 13, 2014    

A A social intervention programme in Trench Town, being organised by the Joytown Community Development Foundation, is to get financial support from the UK charity Comic Relief, through which passengers and 40,000 employees of British Airways have donated nearly

nine million sterling pounds for projects across the world.

Major Richard Cooke (left), president of Joytown Community
 Development Foundation, takes Frank Van der Post managing
director for Brands and Marketing at British Airways, on
a tour of Trench Town. Also on the tour were executives of
 British Airways and Comic Relief, the UK charity which
has given financial support to social intervention
programmes in Trench Town.

Managing director for Brands and Marketing at the UK-based British Airways Frank Van der Post said it was encouraging to see the work being done in Trench Town by Major Richard Cooke, president of Joytown Community Development Foundation and his team.

"It became obvious to us today how important these kinds of initiatives are, especially those aimed at youth empowerment in communities such as Trench Town," said Van der Post, who was among a group of the airline's executives who toured sections of Trench Town, last Thursday

"We are pleased that in addition to providing special programmes for youngsters who need intervention, the parents are also being guided in ways to encourage their children to be the best they can be," he noted.

Van der Post explained that the funds donated have come from contributions made by British Airways passengers on each flight and fund-raisers put on by the thousands of staff of the airline, all of which is given to Comic Relief, which identifies needs around the globe.

This is the first time that a contingent of executives at British Airways was viewing a project in Jamaica and the first time that Van der Post was visiting the island. more

Bodies of two men, killed in separate incidents, found in St Catherine, Clarendon

Monday, October 13, 2014 | 9:54 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The decomposing bodies of two men, killed in separate incidents, were discovered on Sunday in Clarendon and St Catherine.

Preliminary reports reaching OBSERVER ONLINE are that in the first incident in St Catherine, the body of a man estimated to be in his early 40s was discovered about 8:30 am face down in a decomposing state.

It is believed that the man was chopped to death as a machete with blood stains was seen in the house where the body was found.

Meanwhile, in May Pen, Clarendon, the body a man identified as Sheldon Reid was discovered around 10:00 am in a decomposing state with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

It is said that a home-made hand gun was also found close to the victim.

'EARTHQUAKE' VATICAN DOCUMENT: ACCEPT GAYS ....Vatican Proposes Dramatic Shift In Attitude Towards Gays, Same Sex Couples...In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said on Monday that homosexuals had "gifts and qualities to offer"

Published October 13, 2014

(Reuters) - In a dramatic shift in tone, a Vatican document said on Monday that homosexuals had "gifts and qualities to offer" and asked if Catholicism could accept gays and recognize positive aspects of same-sex couples.

Da Pope

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Church should challenge itself to find "a fraternal space" for homosexuals without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church's condemnation of homosexual acts or its opposition to gay marriage, it used language that was less judgmental and more compassionate than past Vatican statements under previous popes.

The document will be the basis for discussion for the second and final week of the assembly, known as a synod, which was called by Pope Francis and focuses on the theme of the family.

It will also serve for further reflection among Catholics around the world ahead of another, definitive synod next year.

"Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a further space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home," said the document, known by its Latin name "relatio".

"Are our communities capable of proving that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?" it asked.

John Thavis, Vatican expert and author of the bestselling 2013 book "The Vatican Diaries", called the document "an earthquake" in the Church's attitude towards gays. more

Ebola Vaccine Would Likely Have Been Found By Now If Not For Budget Cuts: NIH Director

BETHESDA, Md. -- As the federal government frantically works to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and as it responds to a second diagnosis of the disease at home, one of the country's top health officials says a vaccine likely would have already been discovered were it not for budget cuts.

Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, said that a decade of stagnant spending has "slowed down" research on all items, including vaccinations for infectious diseases. As a result, he said, the international community has been left playing catch-up on a potentially avoidable humanitarian catastrophe.

"NIH has been working on Ebola vaccines since 2001. It's not like we suddenly woke up and thought, 'Oh my gosh, we should have something ready here,'" Collins told The Huffington Post on Friday. "Frankly, if we had not gone through our 10-year slide in research support, we probably would have had a vaccine in time for this that would've gone through clinical trials and would have been ready."

It's not just the production of a vaccine that has been hampered by money shortfalls. Collins also said that some therapeutics to fight Ebola "were on a slower track than would've been ideal, or that would have happened if we had been on a stable research support trajectory."

"We would have been a year or two ahead of where we are, which would have made all the difference," he said.

Speaking from NIH's headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, the typically upbeat Collins was somber when discussing efforts to control the Ebola epidemic. His days are now spent almost exclusively on the disease. But even after months of painstaking work, a breakthrough doesn't seem on the immediate horizon. more 

Duane Stephenson is fourth on Billboard chart

Monday, October 13, 2014    
DDANGEROUSLY Roots, the album by reggae singer Duane Stephenson, is currently number four on the Billboard Reggae chart.

Released on September 23, it entered the table two weeks ago at number six.

Stephenson is pleased with the progress of his fourth album.

Duane Stephenson

“It hard to explain my every thought right now but I am extremely grateful. When I released the project all I did was hope for the best and so far it's doing really well,” he stated.

Stephenson says he and his team have put a lot of promotion into the 15-track album. On Tuesday, he returned to the island after a 10-day stint in New York.

Next stop will be dates in Colorado and California this month.

The latest edition of the Billboard Reggae Album chart sees Steady by American band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at number one.

Another American band, SOJA, is number two with Amid the Noise and Haste, followed by Count Me In by Rebelution from California and the compilation Summertime Reggae. more

58 y-o Drummer Lincoln 'Style' Scott an original member of the influential Roots Radics Band, was killed at his Manchester home

Monday, October 13, 2014    

LINCOLN 'Style' Scott, an original member of the influential Roots Radics Band, was killed at his Manchester home last Thursday evening.

The Corporate Communication Unit reports that the 58-year-old Scott was found dead by police at his home in Williamsfield district just after 10:00 pm.

 Lincoln 'Style' Scott

The police were told that explosions were heard from Scott's home at about 10:10 pm.

No arrests have been made in the case.

Born in Chapelton, Clarendon, Scott was a member of the Jamaica Military Band who also played the north coast hotel circuit before joining the 'Radics'.

In 1979, the fledgling band also included bass player Errol 'Flabba' Holt, rhythm guitarist Eric 'Bingy Bunny' Lamont, lead guitarist Noel 'Sowell' Bailey, and keyboardist Wycliffe 'Steely' Johnson.

They were, arguably, the hottest reggae band of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, playing on numerous hit songs by Barrington Levy Looking my Love, Bunny Wailer Rock 'N' Groove and Gregory Isaacs Night Nurse.

Along with the Radics, Scott recorded and toured with Isaacs, Wailer and roots group Israel Vibration. He is the fourth member of the band to die; Lamont, Johnson and Bailey preceded him. more

IN JAMAICA (HORRIFIC CRIME): Gunmen rob $2 m payroll, kill four workers of Mount Rosser leg of Highway 2000....MP to meet with Chinese to allay fears ....The dead men, all said to be employed to the project have been identified as Courtney Courbourne, 38, Carlton Scott, 37, Greg Harris, and another man identified only as Kirk.

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, October 13, 2014   

FOUR men transporting a $2-million payroll for workers on the Chinese-constructed Linstead to Moneague Leg of the North/South link of Highway 2000 were brutally murdered yesterday in a daring daylight robbery in the community, of Bowers Wood on the outskirts of Bog Walk in St Catherine.

The dead men, all said to be employed to the project have been identified as Courtney Courbourne, 38, Carlton Scott, 37, Greg Harris, and another man identified only as Kirk.

According to the police, approximately 3:30 pm the men were travelling through the community with the cash to pay a group of employees who are working on the highway when they were ambushed by criminals carrying high-powered weapons.

"Reports received are that the men intercepted the vehicle and opened fire while they were making their way to the community," the police told the Jamaica Observer.

Police said the vehicle transporting the men overturned as it appeared the driver was attempting to escape but was impeded by the narrow roadway.

The criminals then went over to the injured men as they lay suffering from gunshot wounds, and fired several additional shots.

The men then took off with the payroll.

Yesterday, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Central St Catherine Natalie Neita-Headley described the attack as vicious and brutal.

"The incident has really left me in shock," said the MP, who was at home with her family when she got word of the tragedy.

Neita-Headley, during a late evening visit to the area, told the Observer she was making preparations to meet with some Chinese nationals to allay fears and assure them that work would continue on the highway.

It is understood that close to 70 people were left without pay.

Residents in the area described the incident as the worst to take place in recent history.

"Our community is a peaceful and quite area, and to see something like this come happen has left us all in shock," said Horace Johnson, a 48-year-old family member of one of the victims. more

RSPL: Boy’s Town defeat Arnett Gardens on way to second round

RSPL: Boy’s Town defeat Arnett Gardens on way to second round  9:10 PM

 KINGSTON, Jamaica — Red Stripe Premier League outfit Boys’ Town today beat fellow Red Stripe Premier League campaigners Arnett Gardens 2-0 at the Anthony Spaulding Sport Complex to move into the second round of the Flow Cup. It was first round failure for Arnett Gardens, who have never won the cup. Garfield Gillespie (3rd minute) and Shamar Nicholson (16th) scored the goals to continue the two-time winner’s hunt. Hurbun Williams Read More

Additional J$350 million funds released to fight chikungunya outbreak in JAMAICA

Thursday, October 09, 2014 | 1:41 PM 

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller has announced the release of additional funds to tackle the outbreak of the Chikungunya Virus.

At a press conference on Thursday, Simpson Miller revealed that the Government has approved a further J$350 million to provide resources.

She noted that although more money will be allocated, this will not solve the problem and appealed to members of the public to do everything they can to destroy potential breeding sites.

The Prime Minister said garbage collection has been increased in several communities and this exercise will be followed up with the cutting of trees and shrubs among other things.

Concerning medication to treat the virus, she said there is no need for alarm as the island has enough supplies of paracetamol for distribution free of cost to persons in need.

Meanwhile, the Government has stepped up the pace as it relates to measures concerning the deadly Ebola virus.

The Prime Minister said Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Kevin Harvey is heading a technical team that has been briefed on the protocols to deal with any Ebola case.

The team includes the army, police and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). more

(FOLLOW UP STORY): Digicel, KingAlarm come to rescue of Correta Vincent, woman whose wheelchair was stolen at gun point on Spanish Town Road, on Tuesday .... Police say robbery never reported

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 09, 2014  

THE physically challenged woman who was robbed of her wheelchair at gunpoint on Spanish Town Road, on Tuesday, can finally smile again after telecommunications company Digicel yesterday presented her with a spanking-new motorised scooter.

KingAlarm has also committed to providing security for her in order to prevent a recurrence of the horrifying ordeal.

Physically challenged Correta Vincent is overcome with joy
 as she embraces programme manager for special needs
 at Digicel Foundation Judene Hunter after the organisation
 replaced her motorised chair, which was stolen by gunmen
 on Spanish Town Road on Tuesday.
 (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

The organisations stepped in to help after the Jamaica Observer highlighted the plight of Correta Vincent, who said she was on her way downtown Kingston to purchase goods for the small stall she operates when she was held at gunpoint by men who alighted from a vehicle. They took her from the chair and left her on the sidewalk in the vicinity of the May Pen Cemetery. She was eventually rescued by a handcart operator who transported her downtown.

Yesterday, an obviously elated Vincent was presented with the fully motorised chair by representatives of Digicel Foundation at the offices of Independent Living, Kingston, a facility which supplies items such as power chairs, mobility aids, bath safety devices and semi-electric beds to members of the disabled community.

Programme manager for special needs at Digicel Foundation Judene Hunter said the decision to provide the chair for the 37-year-old mother was made immediately after reading the story.

"Digicel continues to be a major advocate for the special needs community, as officials of the organisation believe that it was an area that deserved much more attention," said Hunter. more

Fire leaves 28 homeless in downtown Kingston...fire of unknown origin gutted an eight-bedroom house along Chancery Lane in downtown Kingston last night.

— Published by Jamaica Observer Kimmo Matthews Thursday, October 09, 2014 

TWENTY-ONE persons were left homeless as fire of unknown origin gutted an eight-bedroom house along Chancery Lane in downtown Kingston last night.

Reports are that at about 6:30 pm residents saw smoke coming from a building and called firefighters.

Fire victims mulling around as to their next move

"No one was injured in the blaze but eight adults and 13 children were left homeless," one firefighter on the scene told the Jamaica Observer.

Sharon Andrews, a mother of six, said she lost everything in the fire.

"I am not sure what started the fire but all I know is I lost everything in the blaze," the despondent woman said

Five units from York Park, and Rollington Town responded to the blaze.

Last night as the firefighters spent hours trying to put out the blaze, it threatened to spread to several businesses located along Orange Street. more

BOLT net worth: Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who is widely considered the fastest human on the planet and has a net worth of US$30 million...He charges $250-300,000 for a track meet appearance....Usain Bolt's net worth should be well over US$100 million when he arrives in Brazil in 2016..

BOLT

Usain Bolt net worth: Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who is widely considered the fastest human on the planet and has a net worth of $30 million. Usain Bolt was born in Jamaica on August 21, 1986 to parents Wellesley and Jennifer. A high school school cricket coach recognized Usain's speed and encouraged him to focus instead on track and field. Usain quickly became one of the most talented young sprinters in the world who would eventually set world records in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 4x100m relay. Usain Bolt won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He won five gold medals and two silver medals at World Championship competitions. Amazingly, Usain Bolt's net worth is going to explode even more in the coming years thanks to his performance at the 2012 London Olympics. Considering Usain is only 25 years old today, he is young enough to compete in the 2016 Brazil Olympics. If that's the case, and he stays on pace with earnings, Usain Bolt's net worth should be well over $100 million when he arrives in Brazil in 2016.

Usain Bolt net worth: How he earned it:
In 2012, Usain Bolt was one of the highest paid athletes in the world with earnings of $20.3 million! Bolt makes the majority of his money from endorsement deals with brands like Gatorade, Nissan, Visa, Hublot, Virgin Media and Puma. Out of $20.3 million in earnings, $9 million came from Puma alone for him to wear their brand of shoes.  more

Winkler, Germain and Gussie get medals : AUTHOR Anthony Winkler and music producers Donovan Germain and Gussie Clarke are recipients of the 2014 Musgrave Award....The Musgrave Award has been in existence since 1889. It is a memorial to Sir Anthony Musgrave who served as governor of Jamaica from 1877-1883, and who founded the IOJ in 1879..

AUTHOR Anthony Winkler and music producers Donovan Germain and Gussie Clarke are recipients of the 2014 Musgrave Award.

The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), which presents the annual awards, announced its list of nine awardees yesterday.

Winkler (L), Germain (C) and Gussie (R)

The ceremony takes place October 22 in the IOJ's Lecture Hall.

Winkler, author of books such as The Lunatic and The Painted Canoe, will receive a gold medal for his contribution to literature. Germain, head of Penthouse Records, earns a silver medal for his contribution to music while Clarke, who began producing music over 40 years ago while attending Kingston College, will receive a bronze medal for similar contribution.

Germain, whose label helped develop the careers of Buju Banton, Wayne Wonder and Romain Virgo, said he is humbled by the Musgrave award.

"It shows that the kind of music we make has a quality that deserves recognition," he told the Jamaica Observer.

Gold medals will also be presented to sculptor Petrona Morrison for her work in art and education; and professor Celia Christie-Samuels for her work in medicine.

Other silver medallists are Jasmine Thomas-Girvan for her achievements in jewellery and sculpting; and Dr Karl Aiken for his research in the field of life sciences.

Bronze medals will also go to Phillip Thomas for his achievement in art; and Dr Tannecia Stephenson for research in the field of physics.

The Musgrave Award has been in existence since 1889. It is a memorial to Sir Anthony Musgrave who served as governor of Jamaica from 1877-1883, and who founded the IOJ in 1879.

— Howard Campbell

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? 90th birthday for this woman. But you're about to be Surprised .

RICHIE STEPHENS - Reveals he has the Chikungunya (Chik-V) virus when he premeired his new SKA-Tek genre music "Everbody Dance" (SKA-TEK genre)

BREAKING NEWS: First Ebola victim to die in USA.... Thomas Eric Duncan Dead, Dallas Ebola Patient Had Been Critically Ill....

Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who had been diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas, died on Wednesday.

He was 42.

Duncan was the first person to have been diagnosed with the virus in the United States. He had been receiving the experimental drug brincidofovir since Saturday. The latest update on his condition, released yesterday afternoon by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated, was that he was on a ventilator and had been receiving kidney dialysis.

Before he died, his symptoms appeared to be improving. His condition had been downgraded from serious to critical.

The hospital told HuffPost that he died on Wednesday at 7:51 a.m.

A statement from the hospital about the news of Duncan’s passing reads:

It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am. Mr. Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola. He fought courageously in this battle. Our professionals, the doctors and nurses in the unit, as well as the entire Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas community, are also grieving his passing. We have offered the family our support and condolences at this difficult time.

Duncan was visiting family in Texas when his symptoms emerged. Earlier in September, he had assisted a woman in Liberia who later died of Ebola. Marthalene Williams, 19, had been taken to the hospital by Duncan and others.

The Texas hospital has been sharply criticized for failing to recognize Duncan's symptoms. Duncan first arrived at the emergency room on September 25th, but he was sent home. His illness worsened and he was taken back to the hospital in an ambulance days later.

Duncan's family had visited him on Monday and was disturbed by his condition.

"What we saw was very painful. It didn't look good," his nephew, Josephus Weeks, said.

The Most Important Breast Cancer Findings Of 2014.... The "Angelina Effect" Is Real

The Huffington Post | By Anna Almendrala Email Posted: 10/08/2014 8:23 am EDT 

It's estimated that 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, and about 40,000 American women are expected to die from the disease this year.

Learn more about the potentially life-saving research, conducted or published this year, that has been conducted in research centers around the world:

The "Angelina Effect" Is Real

Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie made waves in May 2013 when she opted to have preventive double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, a mutation that greatly increases one’s chances of developing breast cancer in the future. This year, a study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research reveals that Jolie’s announcement may be responsible for inspiring a wave of requests for genetic counseling and tests for breast cancer risk. In the U.K., referrals for genetic testing more than doubled after Jolie went public with her surgery, and they were mostly women who had a good reason to be concerned; many had a family history of breast cancer, just like Jolie. It was no one-time spike, either -- data from 12 different clinics and 9 genetic testing centers in the U.K. showed that a doubling of genetic test referrals for BRCA1 lasted from immediately after the announcement through October of that year. more

Luciano cancels Africa gig in light of the current Ebola virus outbreak

REGGAE artiste Luciano has cancelled his upcoming African gigs in Malawi, Ghana and South Africa in light of the current Ebola virus outbreak on that continent. According to a statement from ... Read More

IN JAMAICA: Gunmen rob physically challenged 37 y-o woman, Coretta Vincent of her wheelchair — leave her on sidewalk....“You can imagine if dem deal wid her that way a how dem would deal with the able-bodied persons,” said one vendor,

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, October 08, 2014    

CRIMINALS yesterday sunk to an all-time low when they held up a physically challenged woman and robbed her of her wheelchair, leaving her lying on the sidewalk on Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of May Pen Cemetery. Coretta Vincent, a 37-year-old resident of Waltham Park Road, Kingston was travelling in her motorised wheelchair along the busy road, heading to downtown Kingston to buy goods for a small stall she operates in the commercial hub of the capital city when the armed thugs struck.

“I was going to town to purchase mi sweetie and other items to do my little hustling when a group of men drove up and held me up at gunpoint,” Vincent told the Jamaica Observer.

The disabled woman, who has lost the use of both legs and one of her hands, said she could not even raise her hands above her head when the criminals pointed their guns at her. The frightened mother of one said her life flashed in front of her as she began to brace herself for what was to come next.

She said she was preparing herself to be robbed of the little money she had to purchase the items but was left dumbstruck when the criminals did the unthinkable.

“One of the men come out of the van and him show mi him gun and seh a di wheelchair him want,” said Vincent, tears in her eyes as she related the ordeal.

“The men came out of the vehicle, took me out of the chair and left me on the roadside and then sped off in the vehicle,” she added. Vincent said she was so traumatised she could not even call for help as she lay on the roadside. Help came about 20 minutes later in the form of a cart operator, who took her downtown.

“A come mi a come on the road and see her on the roadside and put her on the cart and bring her come a town,” said the cart operator, who asked not to be named. Yesterday, other vendors in downtown Kingston were fuming over the cruel act.

“You can imagine if dem deal wid her that way a how dem would deal with the able-bodied persons,” said one vendor, who plied her trade along West Queen’s Street.

“All criminals like those you caan sorry fi dem when things reach dem,” said another vendor. The police say they are investigating the robbery. more

OCHO RIOS, St Ann — UPDATE: Suspect leads police to shallow grave with body of missing woman 18-year-old Jessica McLarty of Buckfield in the parish.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014 | 6:35 PM

Police are now awaiting forensic evidence to confirm whether the body they retrieved from a shallow grave in Great Pond, Ocho Rios is that of 18-year-old Jessica McLarty of Buckfield in the parish.

McLarty was reported missing by her boyfriend on May 3, the Ocho Rios police have reported. “We launched a missing person investigation which continued up to October 2,” head of the Ocho Rios police Assistant Superintendent Throyville Haughton revealed.

A suspect was taken in for questioning. Haughton said the man was extensively interviewed. The police were led to a farm in the neighbouring Great Pond community where remains believed to be that of McLarty were found. The remains have since been taken to the morgue where a post mortem is expected to be done to determine the cause of death as well as to confirm that the body is of the woman.

“In short order we are expecting to lay charges on suspect,” Haughton said.

He added: “We are pleased that there is closure even though we regret the death and the hurt that will be caused to family and community members.”

While not confirming that the woman had an intimate relationship with the accused man, Haughton said “they had some relations”. more

Renae Dixon‏

IN JAMAICA: Chikungunya virus, ‘Chik-V’ results in 30 per cent absenteeism in schools....A survey by the ministry revealed that 3,911 students and 591 teachers were absent from schools. The most affected parishes, with 2,487 suspected cases, were Kingston and St Andrew,

Tuesday, October 07, 2014 | 6:55 PM  

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Suspected cases of the Chikungunya virus has resulted in up to 30 per cent absenteeism of staff and students in schools across the six regions as at Tuesday, the Ministry of Education has said.

A survey by the ministry revealed that 3,911 students and 591 teachers were absent from schools.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites

The most affected parishes, with 2,487 suspected cases, were Kingston and St Andrew, which comprise region one. This is followed by 945 suspected cases in region two, which includes St Thomas, Portland and St Mary.

The least affected parishes, with 23 suspected cases, were Manchester and St Elizabeth which are located in region five.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has commended the management and staff of the affected schools for their efforts in keeping the institutions open as well as for providing as much health care as possible to students.

Thwaites has appealed to parents to be on the alert for symptoms of Chik-V and other illnesses and to get medical attention for their children immediately.‏

Man Who Had Sex With Chicken Allegedly Has Sex With Guinea Fowl....In 1992 42 y-o Michael Bessigano, was convicted of having sex with and killing a Rottweiler. He served two years.

The Huffington Post | By Sebastian Murdock Email Posted: 10/07/2014 12:29 pm EDT 

An Indiana man previously convicted of having sex with a chicken is now accused of having sex with another bird.

Michael Bessigano, 42, was arrested last Friday at his home on felony charges of bestiality and killing a domestic animal, the Times of Munster reported.

The suspect allegedly went to a local park and entered a building where guinea fowls were being housed. Witnesses who identified Bessigano to police said the man sexually assaulted one of the birds, killed it, and attempted to hide the carcass in a trash barrel.

Michael Bessigano is accused of having sex with a guinea fowl (pictured in a stock photo). The birds weigh between two and four pounds.

Authorities executed a search warrant and said they found bird feathers at the residence. More from Times of Munster:

DNA testing showed the feathers at Bessigano's home matched the bird found dead in the Buckley Homestead trash barrel, according to police.

Police said Bessigano was wearing blue jeans covered in blood when they searched his home. An analysis by the Indiana State Police Laboratory found the blood on the jeans belonged to an undetermined species of animal.

The animal abuser allegedly had a rubber wolf mask and an altar of candles set up at his residence.

Bessigano, whose mother says suffers from schizophrenia, has a long history involving animal cruelty and bestiality. In 1992 he was convicted of having sex with and killing a Rottweiler. He served two years.

In 2002, Bessigano was sentenced to four years in prison after having sex with and killing a chicken. In that incident, police said he took the chicken to a hotel room, plucked its feathers, then sexually abused the animal before killing it.

While in jail, Bessigano would reportedly paint stripes on himself and refer to himself as the "master of cats," according to the Chicagoist. After the 2002 incident, a law was passed making sexual relations with animals a crime.

27 y-o Woman Shot, Killed After Saying No To A Man's Advances to get her telephone number at an event, Detroit Police Say

The Huffington Post | By Kate Abbey-Lambertz

Police say a man shot and killed a woman after she rejected his advances at an event in Detroit over the weekend. Five people were also injured during the incident.

Mary Spears, 27, was at the American Legion Joe Louis Post No. 375 on the east side of Detroit when the 38-year-old suspect allegedly approached her and began talking to her, according to WDIV.

Mary Spears, 27, 

When the suspect asked for her number, Spears, whose fiancé was also at the event,told him she was already involved with someone, WJBK reports. The suspect, however, continued harassing her, family members told the station.

Police said security took the man out of the club through the back door and escorted to him to the front. After a fight broke out, the suspect allegedly took out a handgun and began shooting, killing Spears around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Some on social media were horrified by the news. more

4 y-o with 250 packets of heroin: A Delaware mom arrested after her four-year-old daughter unknowingly brought roughly 250 packets of heroin to her daycare, and passed them out to classmates thinking they were candy. 30 y-o mom, Ashley Tull arrested and charged

(Reuters 10/7/14) - A Delaware mother was arrested on Monday after her four-year-old daughter unknowingly brought roughly 250 packets of heroin to her daycare, and passed them out to classmates thinking they were candy, police said.

Ashley Tull, 30, of Selbyville was charged
with drug possession

Ashley Tull, 30, of Selbyville was charged with drug possession and endangering the welfare of a child after her daughter brought the drugs to the Hickory Tree Child Care Center on Monday morning, Delaware State Police said in a statement.

Several of the children who received the small, unopened bags were taken to area hospitals as a precaution, and were later released, police said.

Police said the child unknowingly brought the heroin to the care center in a replacement backpack, after hers was ruined by a family pet the night before.Tull was released from jail after posting $6,000 bond, police said. She has been barred from coming into contact with her 4-year-old, or her two other children, aged 9 and 11.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Jamaicans Say No To Abortion. Gleaner Poll Shows 69% In Favour Of Retaining Law.... Father Richard Ho Lung, is "extremely heartened" that at least seven in 10 Jamaicans are against changing the country's abortion laws.

Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator Published: Tuesday | October 7, 2014

Father Richard Ho Lung, founder of the Roman Catholic charity organisation Missionaries of the Poor, is "extremely heartened" that at least seven in 10 Jamaicans are against changing the country's abortion laws.

Father Richard Ho Lung

In the September 2014 Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll, 69 per cent of 1,208 Jamaicans surveyed said the law should not be changed, 22 per cent said make the law easier, while nine per cent did not have an opinion.

They were responding to the question: 'At the present time, it is against the law in Jamaica in most cases for a woman to have an abortion, do you think the law should be changed to make it easier for a woman to have an abortion, or should the law not be changed a this time?'

"I am very, very heartened by the response," Ho Lung told The Gleaner yesterday.

"I am totally and completely against abortion. I think it will lead to a death culture, which is beginning to erode places like Europe. More and more rampant we are seeing the killing of children from in the womb, the killing of older persons by euthanasia, and more and more suicides. On top of that, we are seeing endless messages that there is no God. It is a definite push on the part of the Evil One."

He added, "Jamaica cannot lose its morality, which comes from the hands of God. And if we legally sanction the killing of innocent babies from in the womb, then we are heading down an evil path."

Ho Lung has been championing the fight against legalising abortion for several years, which began in earnest in 2006 after two missionary brothers found aborted babies thrown in a garbage dump in Jamaica.

In 2011, the charity group opened the Holy Innocents Women in Crisis Centre in Kingston as an alternative to abortion for pregnant women in trouble.

Ho Lung, along with the Drs Doreen and Wayne West-led Coalition for the Defence of Life, also took the debate to the streets, hosting a number of public forums on the issue. more