BREAKING NEWS (Dr. Craig Spencer NOW tested Positive for Ebola)....New York City Dr. Craig Spencer, Who Treated Ebola Patients In Guinea Taken To Bellevue Hospital With High Fever....He is in his mid-30s and an employee of Doctors Without Borders, reported a 103-degree fever and nausea.

 The Huffington Post | By Alana Horowitz & Anna Almendrala Email Posted: 10/23/2014 3:13 pm EDT

A New York City doctor who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea was taken to the hospital on Thursday with Ebola-like symptoms.

Dr. Craig Spencer

According to the New York Post, the doctor, who CBS New York confirmed is male and in his mid-30s and an employee of Doctors Without Borders, reported a 103-degree fever and nausea.

Both CBS New York and the New York Post reported that the doctor's name is Craig Spencer.

The New York City Department of Health confirmed that a patient who had recently traveled in Africa was being tested for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Test results are expected within the next 12 hours.

Ebola Virus

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) also confirmed that a person in New York who had recently worked with the organization in West Africa reported a fever to them Thursday morning. The organization immediately notified the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene with the news. As with all Doctors Without Borders staff who return from working with Ebola patients, the person had been monitoring his health daily since returning from his trip.

At this stage Doctors Without Borders said it will not be providing any further details about its colleague. HuffPost reached out to officials from Bellevue and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but did not receive immediate comment. more

CONGRATS HIGH SCHOOL GENIUS: Veteran Reggae Icon, Daddy U-ROY makes a presentation at the PALAS award ceremony @ UWI-Mona Campus to JAVANNEY CAMPBELL, PALAS Gold Star Recipient from Clan Carthy High in Kingston.

CONGRATS HIGH SCHOOL GENIUS: Veteran Reggae Icon, Daddy U-ROY makes a presentation at the PALAS award ceremony @ UWI-Mona Campus to JAVANNEY CAMPBELL, PALAS Gold Star Recipient from Clan Carthy High in Kingston. Javanney also received a computer from Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna. PALAS awarded 72 scholarships in 2014 and has a new goal to award 125 scholarships in 2015. PALAS awarded 187 scholarships in 4 years valued J$8.9 million. Please donate at www.PALAS1.org

Multiple Shootings Near Canadian Parliament In Ottawa, Soldier Killed

Multiple shootings rocked Ottawa on Wednesday, bringing Canada's capital to a halt.

Ottawa police confirmed shots were fired at two locations in close proximity to one another: the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill. Twenty-four-year-old Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed in the attacks.

Chaos in Canada

At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Canadian officials said one male gunman was killed. An official later identified the shooter as 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Canadian officials would not confirm or deny reports of multiple suspects during Wednesday afternoon's press conference. However, a spokesperson for Ottawa's police told The Huffington Post earlier on Wednesday they were looking for at least one other suspect.A little before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, police received several emergency calls reporting a gunman had opened fire at Ottawa's National War Memorial, fatally shooting a Canadian soldier who was standing guard.

Witnesses told Reuters that the gunman then ran towards Parliament Hill, which is located across the street from the Memorial. Construction worker Scott Walsh told the news service that he saw a man dressed in black with a scarf over his face running towards parliament. He added that the masked man was carrying a double barreled shotgun. He saw the assailant hijack a car and drove it to the main Parliament building. more

My interview with a CHIKV-laden mosquito by Mark WIGNALL....How did you penetrate my defence, bite me, transmit your pain to me, and leave me so low, helpless and, at times, just confused?

Thursday, October 23, 2014    

Mark Wignall (MW): I tried most desperately to avoid you, using Vape mats, coils of burning stuff, spray insecticides, and the electric fan at the foot of my bed on rapid. My point is this. How did you penetrate my defence, bite me, transmit your pain to me, and leave me so low, helpless and, at times, just confused?

CHIKV (C-V): Like most members of the human race, as huge in mass as you are, and as miniscule as I am to you, you are basically a fool.

My interview with a CHIKV-laden mosquito
The Aedes aegypti mosquito

MW: Don't annoy me! I spent all of Sunday night and Heroes Day totally decked out. You hammered nails into my knee joints, rendered my arms and hands useless and, if that was not bad enough, while I was spending five minutes to make a 6-metre trip to the bathroom, you arranged that the objective was met just before the trip was concluded.

C-V: (laughs) You mean, you wet yourself?

MW: I am asking the questions here! I captured you yesterday and you are here in my personal glass case. First question. What are you doing here? When did you get here? And, why are you attacking us so? And, what would you like to be called? more

Barnabas Davis Arrested With 633 Packs Of 'Ebola'-branded Heroin (VIDEO)

 The Huffington Post | By David Moye Email Posted: 10/22/2014 6:45 pm EDT 

Accused drug dealer Barnabas Davis was apparently hoping to stand out from his competition by capitalizing on global paranoia.

Barnabas Davis

When police in Toms River, New Jersey, arrested Davis, 47, on Monday, they allegedly discovered 633 wax folds of heroin as well as "trademark" stamps that marked the packets with the brand name "Ebola."

Investigators said they got a tip about drug dealing taking place in the rear suites of the Ramada Inn along Route 9 and executed a search warrant of Davis' room, NBC Philadelphia reports. The Ebola-branded heroin doesn't actually contain the deadly virus. It's just a way for customers to ask for a specific type of heroin, according to Toms River police officer Ralph Stocco.

"Different dealers have different potencies and products. Many times they are labeled with catchy phrases," Stocco told the Daily News. "In the past we have had Bin Laden, Hello Kitty, D.O.A., Twin Towers, 911, gumball, pow, etc." more

Forensic expert urges caution on Michael Brown autopsy analysis...account of Brown’s injuries from the Aug. 9 shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, in which police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot the unarmed teen.

10/22/14 10:10 PM—UPDATED 10/22/14 11:16 PM MSNBC News

Details from an official autopsy on slain teen Michael Brown that were leaked to reporters could bolster his killer’s claim of self-defense. But just hours after the details were published, one of the experts whose analysis was central to those claims told msnbc that her analysis of the findings had been taken out of context.

“You cannot interpret autopsy reports in a vacuum. You need to do it in the context of the scene, the investigation and the witness statements,” Dr. Judy Melinek said. “Sometimes when you take things out of context they can be more inflammatory.”

The report, obtained and published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, provides the most detailed account of Brown’s injuries from the Aug. 9 shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, in which police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot the unarmed teen. more
.

More terror in Bog Walk, St. Catherine: 70-y-o among three murdered as violence continues in sleepy town...The police have identified those killed as Malty Taylor, Patrick and Pete, who were said to be farmers of Kingston addresses..."Lord, have mercy on us, look what wi district come to," said one woman.

 By Kimmo Matthews Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 23, 2014 

GUNMEN have continued to wreak havoc in Bog Walk, St Catherine, killing three men, among them a 70-year-old, at Pine Apple Lane, yesterday.

Police investigators talk among themselves at the scene
 where three people were killed yesterday.
(PHOTO: KARL MCLARTY)

The police have identified those killed as Malty Taylor, otherwise known as 'Malty Blair', an elderly man from the community, and the other two men only as Patrick and Pete, who were said to be farmers of Kingston addresses.

According to the police, approximately 10:30 am, the two men from Kingston had gone to the area to purchase coconuts.

Residents reported hearing several explosions minutes after they arrived in the community. The police were called, and after a search of the area the bullet-riddled bodies of the three men were found.

The murders, which bring to seven the number of people killed in the St Catherine North Division in the last week, have triggered an exodus of citizens from some of the surrounding communities, despite assurances from the police that they will be maintaining a 24-hour presence in the volatile areas under attack from criminals.

However, this has provided little comfort to the many fearful residents.

"Lord, have mercy on us, look what wi district come to," said one woman.

She was part of the large group of people who gathered in the area behind the police yellow tape, which were used to mark the crime scene.

Residents look on as the police process
the crime scene

"Right now, based on what has been taking place in this area, nuh body nuh safe," said another woman, who vowed that she would be moving out of the area before nightfall.

The police tried to provide some assurance.

"We can guarantee the residents, in this area and surrounding communities, that the police and military have been deployed to the area and will be maintaining a 24-hour presence to restore normalcy and restore order," said head of operations of Area Five, Senior Superintendent Anthony Castell. more

GOOD NEWS: EBOLA FREE, 29-year old Amber Vinson, a Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola while caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, is now free of the virus, according to her family. Vinson had treated the Liberian man who died of the disease in a Dallas hospital.

As of Tuesday night, Dallas nurse Amber Vinson no longer has the Ebola virus in her body, according to a statement from her family. She is steadily regaining her strength and her spirits are high.

Amber Vinson

COURTESY AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 "Amber and our family are ecstatic to receive this latest report on her condition," said Vinson's mom, Debra Berry. "We all know that further treatment will be necessary as Amber continues to regain strength, but these latest developments have truly answered prayers and bring our family one step closer to reuniting with her at home."

 Her family and friends were stung by suggestions that Vinson, who volunteered to care for Thomas Eric Duncan – the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. – had been reckless in flying to Cleveland over the Columbus Day holiday for a weekend of wedding planning. Vinson had checked with the CDC before flying, according to NBC News. more

JAMAICA Not Ebola-Ready: Manchester Patient, Nigerian Dr Bob Banjo Who Sparked Ebola Virus Fears Lashes Government On Preparedness...Banjo said he admitted to visiting Nigeria from July 16 to August 27 and recounted the panic and hysteria that followed when he checked into the Hospital in JA..."The moment I told the nurse I travelled to Nigeria, she ran out and told the doctor [and] the whole hospital - even patients and the staff. They went haywire," he recounted..

Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

The Nigerian man who set off alarm bells at the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester last Saturday, after medical personnel there mistakenly thought he was displaying symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus, has warned that Jamaica is in trouble if his ordeal is any indication of the country's preparedness for the disease.

Dr Bob Banjo displays his passport to show that he returned to
Jamaica well outside of the 21-day incubation period for Ebola.
 Banjo also displays a Ghanaian/Nigerian health certificate confirming
 that he did not have the Ebola virus when he left the region.
Ian Allen/Photographer

Dr Bob Banjo, who has resided in Jamaica for the last 28 years, blasted nurses and other employees at the hospital as being ill-prepared for an Ebola outbreak and described how some became hysterical after he revealed that he had travelled to his homeland in July.

Banjo, in recounting his ordeal to The Gleaner yesterday, admitted that he had dizzy spells and was sweating profusely when he turned up at the hospital and said the doctor on duty assigned a nurse to take his temperature and blood pressure.

He said the test showed that his blood pressure was high, prompting the nurse to ask him if he had travelled overseas this year.

Banjo said he admitted to visiting Nigeria from July 16 to August 27 and recounted the panic and hysteria that followed.

"The moment I told the nurse I travelled to Nigeria, she ran out and told the doctor [and] the whole hospital - even patients and the staff. They went haywire," he recounted.

"Because they claimed, 'This is somebody from Nigeria; he has Ebola'," he asserted.

NINE-HOUR WAIT

The result, Banjo claimed, was that it took medical personnel more than nine hours to inform him that the dizziness and sweating he was experiencing was likely to have been caused by food poisoning or high blood pressure and prescribed medication. more

FDA Reverses Its Position on Daily Aspirin : Aspirin generated $1.27 billion in sales for Bayer last year....Even MORE Bad News for Bayer > Each year, 15,000 people die and 100,000 people are hospitalized as the result of aspirin and other NSAIDs

By Dr. Mercola
If you haven’t had a heart attack, step away from the aspirin bottle… If you are one of the 40 million Americans who take an aspirin every day, you may want to heed the latest warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
After many decades of promoting aspirin, the FDA now says that if you have not experienced a heart problem, you should not be taking a daily aspirin—even if you have a family history of heart disease. This represents a significant departure from FDA’s prior position on aspirin for the prevention of heart attacks.

“FDA has concluded that the data do no support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called ‘primary prevention.’ In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks — such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach — are still present.”

Their announcement was prompted by Bayer’s request to change its aspirin label to indicate it can help prevent heart attacks in healthy individuals. Aspirin generated $1.27 billion in sales for Bayer last year, and from Bayer’s request, it appears they want everyone to be taking their drug.

But the FDA says “not so fast”—and rightly so. Evidence in support of using aspirin preventatively has gone from weak to weaker to nonexistent. This is why I’ve been advising against it for more than a decade. It looks as though aspirin, even “low-dose aspirin” (LDA), may do far more harm than good.

In fact, it is debatable whether or not aspirin has ANY protective benefits against cardiovascular disease, even if you have suffered a heart attack or stroke. Recent scientific studies have uncovered a number of serious side effects, suggesting that whatever aspirin may offer may be overshadowed by its risks, especially when safer natural alternatives exist. more

IN JAMAICA: Caribbean Cement Company (Carib) to commence new cement supply deal with Venezuela this month....generated $3.5 billion growth in sales revenue for the Sept 30 quarter

Wednesday, October 22, 2014    

THE island's sole cement manufacturer Caribbean Cement Company (Carib) plans to resume exports to Venezuela this month amid posting a positive outlook for its financial year.

The outlook also serves as a broader indicator of sustained economic activity for the ailing island.

Carib Cement

Carib already recorded near 10 per cent year-on-year growth in sales during the three months to September 30, when it generated $3.5 billion in revenue.

"The recent trend in the domestic market is expected to continue as well as improvement in the export earnings," said Carib in a joint notice accompanying the financials signed by new chairman Christopher Dehring and director Hollis Hosein. "In addition, we have entered into a new agreement to supply 240,000 tonnes of clinker to Venezuela, starting shipments in October 2014.

"We therefore remain cautiously optimistic that these favourable results can be sustained."

Between July and September, the company supplied 149,000 tonnes of cement to the local market, or two per cent more than year-earlier levels.

It also exported 17,100 tonnes of clinker, or 155 per cent more than a year ago.

But its exports of cement are down by one-quarter to 58,500 tonnes, which it expects to rebound based on shipments to Venezuela. more

Double murder: The bodies of a common-law couple murdered by gunmen in Lea's Flat, Red Hills

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Source Jamaica Observer    

The bodies of a common-law couple murdered by gunmen in Lea's Flat, Red Hills, were found early yesterday morning with stab wounds.

Police report that the couple's two young sons, who were gagged and bound, managed to free themselves and alerted neighbours.

Police believe that the couple was killed on Sunday night. Two motor vehicles were reportedly stolen from the home.

Up to news time the police were still processing the scene and had not released the names of the couple nor any further details on the double murder. Developing Story.......

Next Time Someone Says 'White Privilege Isn't Real,' Show Them This.... Roughly 16 percent of white children born into the poorest one-fifth of U.S. families will rise to become a member of the top one-fifth by the time they turn 40 years old

The Huffington Post | By Kevin Short Posted: 10/21/2014 2:17 pm EDT 

Think white privilege doesn't exist in America? Consider just how much the color of a child's skin changes his or her odds of escaping poverty later in life.

Roughly 16 percent of white children born into the poorest one-fifth of U.S. families will rise to become a member of the top one-fifth by the time they turn 40 years old, according to a new study by Brookings Institution researchers for the Boston Federal Reserve.

Those are fairly bleak odds, but for poor black children the odds of making it to the top are even longer: Only 3 percent of black children born into the poorest one-fifth of families will ever make the leap to the top income group, according to the study.

Even if they don't always make it to the top of the income ladder, poor whites escape the worst forms of poverty more often than poor blacks. Only 23 percent of poor white children will still be counted among the poorest Americans when they turn 40, while a whopping 51 percent of poor black children will, the researchers found.

This chart shows the social mobility levels for white Americans. The horizontal axis shows where families start out on the income ladder, and the vertical axis shows the percentage of children from those families that end up at each income level by the age of 40. more

IN JAMAICA: Young Toni-Ann Miller Gallantry Steals the Show.... National honours audience comes alive for heroic, brave awardees

BY RICHARD JOHNSON Observer senior reporter johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, October 21, 2014  

THERE were cheers and sporadic rounds of applause throughout the national honours and awards investiture ceremony at King’s House yesterday, but it was the citations for those being awarded for gallantry that evoked the most reaction from the large audience assembled on the sprawling lawns.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller (centre) celebrates
with some of the recipients of the Order of Jamaica at
 King’s House, yesterday. From left are: The Most Reverend
 Charles Dufour, Senator KD Knight, track coach Glen Mills,
Professor Joseph Frederick, Dr Max Wellington — who
accepted on behalf of his father Dr Karl Wellington —
 and human rights advocate Flo O’Connor. Dennis Daly
 was posthumously conferred with the Order of Jamaica.
University lecturer Professor Sir Roy Augier also
received the OJ, but is missing from the photo.
(PHOTOS: GARFIELD ROBINSON AND
 JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

When the story about the then 10-year-old Toni-Ann Kacian Miller’s rescue of two young brothers trapped in a burning house in May of last year was recounted, there were more than a few teary eyes.

And as she mounted the platform and shyly acknowledged Governor General Sir Patrick Allen to accept the Badge of Honour for Gallantry for her act of heroism and bravery, the cheers grew. Speaking with the Jamaica Observer after the ceremony, Toni-Ann seemed oblivious to the magnitude of her act of selflessness.

“I was coming from school when I saw the house on fire and went inside for the bigger brother. I then asked him for his little brother and he said he was sleeping on the bed.

Young Toni-Ann Miller with the
Medal of Honour for Gallantry

So I went back for him in the house and saw him sleeping on the bed and took him out,” she said. Were you afraid to go into the burning house? the Observer asked. “No,” she replied. The audience would later be aroused when Corporal Everton Henry received his medal for gallantry. more

Reggae veteran, Marcia Griffiths — Artistes with distinction at the National Honours and Awards investiture at King's House in St Andrew, yesterday.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014    

THE local entertainment fraternity was well represented among the list of recipients at the National Honours and Awards investiture at King's House in St Andrew, yesterday.

GG presents award to Marcia Griffiths

The brilliant October morning sunshine paled against the array of some of Jamaica's leading proponents of the arts who ascended the dais mounted on the lawns of the official residence of the Governor General to receive their insignia.

The charge was lead by reggae veteran Marcia Griffiths who was regal in shades of purple as she received the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander.

Also receiving awards in this category were theatre veteran Douglas Bennett; visual artist Laura Facey; poet Linton Kwesi Johnson (who was absent from the ceremony); and dancer Patsy Ricketts.

Bassist Phil Chen was more than pleased with the honour bestowed on him.

Marcia Looking Lovely

"This is a wonderful honour and award. I am humbled by it."

He recalled his early days working with the group The Vagabonds and travelling to London in 1964 to promote ska.

"That tour, through my work with people like Count Prince Miller lead to a number of other gigs including being bass player for Rod Stewart for five year and other greats including The Who, Queen, The Bee Gees, The Doors, Ray Charles and Bb King. more

Oscar Pistorius Gets 5 Years For Killing His Girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

The Huffington Post | By Ed Mazza Email Posted: 10/21/2014 4:24 am EDT 

Oscar Pistorius was sentenced in South Africa today to five years in prison for the 2013 shooting death of his then-girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius

He was also given a 3-year suspended sentence for a firearms conviction.

Pistorius' attorney, Barry Roux, told Reuters he expects the double-amputee athlete to serve only 10 months of the sentence in prison, with the rest of the time under house arrest, while prosecutors believe he will be jailed for at least 20 months.

Last month, Judge Thokozile Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of murder, but guilty of culpable homicide.

Pistorius, 27, did not dispute that he shot and killed Steenkamp. However, Pistorius argued that he believed she was an intruder when he shot her through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria in the early-morning hours of Feb. 14, 2013.

Prosecutors had called for a minimum of 10 years in prison, while attorneys for Pistorius suggested a lighter sentence combining house arrest with community service, saying prisons would not be able to accommodate his disability, according to The Associated Press.

But the judge didn't buy that argument. more

Louis Farrakhan speaks on Reparation in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica: 3 Children injured in downtown Kingston shooting .... two 15-year-old children and a 7-year-old admitted to hospital

Monday, October 20, 2014 | 8:37 PM  

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The police have confirmed that two 15-year-old children and a 7-year-old were shot and injured about 7:20 pm Monday at the Intersection of North and Church Street in downtown Kingston.

The children were reportedly walking in the area when a lone man on foot approached them and opened gunfire hitting all three. 

They were taken to the hospital where they have been admitted in stable condition.

Initial reports are that the children were attacked in a drive-by shooting.

Fashion designer Mogul, Oscar de la Renta dies at 82 in Connecticut

Associated Press By SHELLEY ACOCA  NEW YORK (AP) —

Oscar de la Renta, the worldly gentleman designer who shaped the wardrobe of socialites and Hollywood stars for more than four decades, has died. He was 82.

Oscar De La Renta

De la Renta died at home Monday evening in Connecticut surrounded by family and friends and "more than a few dogs," according to a handwritten statement signed by his stepdaughter Eliza Reed Bolen and her husband, Alex Bolen.

"While our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much with us. Oscar's hard work, his intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company," the statement said. "All that we have done, and all that we will do, is informed by his values and his spirit. Through Oscar's example we know the way forward. We will make Oscar very proud of us by continuing in an even stronger way the work that Oscar loved so much."

The late '60s and early '70s were a defining moment in U.S. fashion as New York-based designers finally carved a look of their own that was finally taken seriously by Europeans. De la Renta and his peers, including the late Bill Blass, Roy Halston and Geoffrey Beene, defined American style — and their influence is still spotted today. more

JOHN HOLT TRIBUTE - 1 Hour of The Reggae Icon's Classic Music. DEAD OCT 19, 2014. Tribute by Rula Brown on RulaBrownNetwork (RBN)

The cost of chikungunya, also called CHIKV, to Jamaica is now ravaging the island of Jamaica, shutting down court cases, crippling productivity and, in some regretful instances, taking lives from complications associated with the virus...With the prediction that some 60 per cent (1.6 million) of Jamaicans will be affected by CHIKV...estimating a loss to the Jamaican economy of at least $30 million

Kent GAMMON  Monday, October 20, 2014    

THE chikungunya virus, also called CHIKV, is now ravaging the island of Jamaica, shutting down court cases, crippling productivity and, in some regretful instances, taking lives from complications associated with the virus.

BAUGH... dealt with a polio outbreak scare back in 1983
 so effectively hardly anyone remembers it. At right:
 FERGUSON...kept his job in the face of bungling the
 country’s response to CHIKV

The minister of health, when the alarm bells were first rung by the Jamaica Labour Party's caretaker for Eastern St Thomas, said he was politicking and scaremongering on the part of the Opposition party.

The minister of health insisted some weeks ago that only 34 cases were confirmed for chikungunya when, in that very week, almost half of an entire high school in Eastern St Thomas had its student population sick with the symptoms of the chikungunya virus.

The Opposition put on a press conference to inform the nation how to deal with the chikungunya virus and that the virus was spreading at an alarming rate. The minister of health then reluctantly had to admit, after the evidence was overwhelming with Jamaicans down with CHIKV, in an address to the nation that the country was dealing with an epidemic of CHIKV. Worse yet, the minister of health reported that his ministry had been preparing for the onslaught of the chikungunya virus some two years before it reached Jamaica.

The effects of an epidemic on the economic health of a nation are catastrophic and the CHIKV epidemic is no different. With the prediction that some 60 per cent of Jamaicans will be affected by CHIKV, that is one million six hundred thousand Jamaicans, and with a downtime of five to 10 days, we are estimating a loss to the Jamaican economy of at least $30 million using a daily wage of $2,000.00 per day. This is a very conservative estimate and is certainly not the type of loss to the island's income that Jamaica can afford in the throes of an IMF economic straightjacket. more

HERO IN JAMAICA (GREAT STORY): 11-y-o Toni-Ann Miller to be honoured today....Toni-Ann Miller rushed into a burning building to save the lives of two children younger than herself....for her bravery and is to be conferred with a Badge of Honour for Gallantry at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony on the lawns of King's House today. PLEASE CONGRATULATE HER.

Monday, October 20, 2014 Jamaica Observer   

IT is a deed from which many would have shied away, but then only 10 years old, Toni-Ann Miller rushed into a burning building to save the lives of two children younger than herself.

Toni-Ann receiving her award from GG

Her own safety was the furthest thing from her mind when she quickly responded to the cries of a little boy who was trapped in a blazing house, thick billows of black smoke signalling that he was in serious danger.

A year later, she is being recognised for her bravery and is to be conferred with a Badge of Honour for Gallantry at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony on the lawns of King's House today.

Toni-Ann recalls that she was on her way home from school with friends in the Mount Hermon community of St Catherine, when they came upon the burning structure.

After rescuing the six-year-old boy, who came away unhurt, Toni-Ann, who knows the child asked him for his younger brother. Learning that he was still inside asleep, she re-entered the building to take the five-year-old boy to safety.

By this time, “half of the bed was burning”, Toni-Ann said.

The younger boy sustained minor burns to one of his arms.

Eleven-year-old Toni-Ann Miller 
will today be conferred with
 a Badge of Honour for Gallantry at the
 National Honours and Awards Ceremony 
to be held on the lawns of King’s House.

Toni-Ann’s cousin Judeen Cunningham, who is also her caregiver, says she is convinced that “Toni-Ann doesn't realise (the significance of) what she did”.

Recalling the account of an eyewitness, Cunningham says the concrete around the front door of the house gave way just as Toni-Ann emerged with the second child.

She says she's very proud of her cousin, who has been living with her since November of last year, and expressed amazement at the child’s act of heroism, quipping: “(I) myself wouldn't do that”.

The question on many people’s lips: How did she do it? “I saw my father doing it already,” the child says. more

IN JAMAICA: Radio station owner among 711 arrested for alleged electricity theft....According to JPS, the parishes with the highest number of arrests for electricity theft are St James with 128, St Elizabeth with 118, and St Catherine with 112.

Monday, October 20, 2014 Jamaica Observer

The owner of a community radio station was among 711 people arrested in relation to electricity theft since the start of this year, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) reported Saturday.

According to the light and power company, a radio station owner/operator was arrested last week when a meter bypass was found powering the small media entity in St James.

Electricity Thief (File Photo)

“The radio station had been disconnected since February of this year for an outstanding balance, but was discovered this week (last week) to be receiving supply, via an illegal connection,” JPS said in a news release.

The arrests, the JPS said, spanned the period up to October 15 as the company continues multiple operations to counter electricity theft across the island, with the support of the security forces.

In addition, the JPS has also been conducting meter audits and account investigations.

According to JPS, the parishes with the highest number of arrests for electricity theft are St James with 128, St Elizabeth with 118, and St Catherine with 112.

The company also said that a cold storage operation in Cross Roads, Kingston “was recently discovered to be stealing electricity valued to the tune of half-a-million dollars per month. The facility served as a storage plant for bag juice supplies. more 

Farrakhan says Jamaica has let national heroes down ‘You are not free!’...."Breaking away from our colonial slave masters is what we started with in our Independence movement, but we never took it as far as it should be taken," said Farrakhan. DO YOU AGREE or DISAGREE?

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, October 20, 2014    

NATION of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan yesterday criticised Jamaican governments over the years for not adequately building on efforts made by the country’s late national heroes to create an independent Jamaica.

Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan

Addressing hundreds of Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals gathered at the National Arena to celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Million Man March (MMM) yesterday, the eve of National Heroes’ Day, Farrakhan said revamping the current education system was the place to start.

A Rastafarian man, who was among hundreds of
 people at yesterday’s 19th anniversary celebration
of the Million Man March, waves a pan-African flag
 while listening to an address by Nation of
Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan.

“If you want to be free, the first thing you have to think about is what kind of education should we possess that will allow us to continue the journey that Norman Manley, Bustamante and Michael Manley put us on,” said Farrakhan, noting that steps in recent time to introduce in schools the teachings of the country’s first national hero, Marcus Garvey, was a commendable first step.

He also suggested breaking allegiance to the queen of England, which he described as a necessary part of evolutionary growth and development, and a necessity if Caribbean countries are to become a regional power “with a voice that [will] affect the world”.

"Breaking away from our colonial slave masters is what we started with in our Independence movement, but we never took it as far as it should be taken," said Farrakhan. more

JOHN HOLT IS DEAD AT 69

VETERAN reggae singer John Holt died in a London hospital yesterday. He was 69.

Copeland Forbes, Holt’s manager since 2006, confirmed the entertainer’s passing.

“John died at 2:40 am English time. His [John’s] nephew informed of his death,” Forbes told the Jamaica Observer.

The cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

Forbes said Holt did an operation at the University Hospital of West Indies in June and went to England the following month for a series of shows. Holt is one of reggae's most influential singers.

He had a remarkable career with the Paragons during the rocksteady era of the late-1960s.

His solo career is just as impressive. He recorded hits for producers Clement Dodd, Bunny Lee and Joseph Hoo Kim in the 1970s, as well as the classic album 1000 Volts of Holt, a big seller in the United Kingdom. His hits include Stick by Me and Only a Smile. more

ST. THOMAS, JAMAICA: Father, Lorenzo Findley hits children’s mom with building block arrested and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and was remanded when he appeared in court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty. WHAT SENTENCE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM?

Sunday, October 19, 2014 Jamaica Observer   

A  delinquent father was last week brought before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court after he got upset at his "babymother" for taking out a summons to take him to the Family Court for child support and for using half of a building block to hit her several times in the head.

The court heard that the complainant was at her home in Bull Bay, St Thomas on May 31, when the father of two of her children, Lorenzo Findley, took up the piece of block and hit her repeatedly in the head.

The matter was reported and Findley was arrested and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and was remanded when he appeared in court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty.

On Friday when Findley returned to court for sentencing, the complainant told the court that he attacked her because she insisted that she was going to take him to court.

She explained that on the day in question he was at her home when the police came to serve him the summons but he hid.

However, she said that when the police left he came out of hiding and a quarrel developed between them.

"Him say to me 'you neva send yuh next babyfada a court but yuh waa send me' and me say to him, yuh lucky, yuh a guh," the complainant told the court.

She said after that, Findley then grabbed the piece of block and started to hit her.

The magistrate then turned to Findley and asked him if he had anything to tell her as to why she should not send him to prison. "No, Your Honour," Findley answered. more