SHAUNDRICE FOSTER, Top PALAS 2015-2016 Performers (5 of 5).... PALAS Gold Star Awardee of Excelsior High School... 8 CXC passes with 3 ones, distinction...Aspires to Be a Marketing Management Specialist Won several awards and certificates for school & community activities

by Shaundrice Foster, A 2015 PALAS Awardee. Excerpts from her Essay 

The abbreviation PALAS signifies Peace and Love Academic Scholarship. As a Christian young lady peace and love are some of the attributes that I embrace in my personal journey throughout life.

Having completed five years at Excelsior there has been many up and downs, many achievements and many difficulties encountered in efforts to achieve them. One such difficulty that unfortunately has remained as a constant issue is financial difficulty. I am currently living with my grandparents and my aunty as a temporary living situation and due to the fact that the only source of income is my grandfather’s pension money, things are entirely tedious and difficult as the small amount of money received is not enough to finance the basic needs of a family of four much less to send a teenager to high school on a daily basis.

In regards to my parents, my mother left me when I was a toddler, hence I do not know her and my father is currently unemployed and has been in this state for quite some time now due to the scarcity of jobs and the current prevailing economic conditions. In spite of all this I am a philanthropist by nature and I find joy in giving back to people through my services as a way to uplift myself and promote positive thinking. My future plans are to pursue a career in the field of marketing management and entrepreneurship. In order to fulfill this I would like to complete the two year period of the sixth form program and then enroll in a tertiary institution where if the Lord permit, I would pursue my bachelor’s degree, major  in Marketing,  minor in Entrepreneurship. 

After this I would like to work as a qualified senior marketing manager in a firm to generate capital to finance my business. Awarding me with this scholarship would help me to get through sixth form and continue on my academic journey that I have already started as well as facilitate the fulfillment of my goals and plans for the near future.

Sometimes due to the severity of my circumstances the only options are go out and ask friends or to ask the guidance counselor for assistance. Unfortunately I am not on the path program, due to some unknown circumstance I was not accepted and the temporary program available at the school, operated by the guidance department to help only a limited number of students has ended.

Therefore I believe that my unbearable circumstances has rendered me eligible for receiving this scholarship as it would provide much needed financial assistance even if it is for a temporary period, this assistance would be greatly appreciated and utilized for the relevant purpose.

Please make a donation online at www.PALAS1.org to support these scholarships. PALAS awards 95 scholarships in 2015 in Jamaica. Preserving Young Minds for Posterity.

Independence hope and seeding rain clouds : An event like the Grand Gala, for instance, continues to be the main target as many question why the Government spends money on celebrations.

Barbara GLOUDON  Friday, August 07, 2015   

ANSWER this for me: What has brought about the seeming indifference on the part of some people for celebrating our nation's Independence, the recognition of a momentous time in our nation's history? When the celebration was introduced 53 years ago it was the belief of the majority of our island's people that we had reason to celebrate. We were as free as possible in defining who and what we wanted to be.

Independence Celebration at National Stadium

Half-a-century and a toops later, it is sad to see how a new generation expresses little or no interest. There's no indication that they would care to put right those things which are distressingly wrong. Day by day cynicism grows more and more with the cry "Independence ah nuh nutt'n". Okay, so who is going to put things right?

From one year to another, the official Independence celebration finds itself buried beneath a mound of argument about why Government spends any money on it at all. An event like the Grand Gala, for instance, continues to be the main target. The contradictions are not without reason. The Government machinery seems still unable to create a format which catches the interest of the population, as it used to in the early years. In trying to make improvements, the first thing is to do away with the old format and back it up with a realistic budget. The need for islandwide promotions to draw attention to the fact that we are one people, whose objective was to demonstrate respect for one and all, is necessary.

If we cannot succeed from the start, then we'd better do all that is possible and work hard to get it right.

Another thing worthy of recollection is that when Independence celebrations were first introduced, people took for granted that the bridge between urban and rural would always be part of the scene. Today, the rapid expansion in the two areas, plus the development of telecommunications and broadcasting, in particular, unites us in some ways and separates us in others. We no longer have to leave 'country' to come to 'town' to see "what a gwaan". There are more choices now; roads and highways enabling us to stay or go where we want. Big entertainment travels from the east to the west. We have the big stadium in 'town', but country has enough mini ones of their own to satisfy rural interests. The centre of entertainment gravity has shifted. more

SHE NAM OFF MI CURRIED GOAT....YU FI LEARN FI SHARE....BUGGA YU

BIG INDEPENDENCE DAY LAUGH...LEARN FI SHARE#RulaBrownNetwork

Posted by Bring Back Our JAMAICA, #BBOJ on Thursday, August 6, 2015

CHYNA NICOLE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP. Awardee (2015-2016).... 11 y-o Shanouy aspires to be a Medical Doctor in JAMAICA. She will receive a laptop computer in addition to scholarship funds. Please donate online at www.PALAS1.org

THE GLEANER MINUTE: RJR, Gleaner merger ... Obama congratulates Jamaica... Cops threatened

ELOMBE I. CALVERT, Top PALAS 2015-2016 Performers (4 of 5).... Medical student at UWI, 3.66 GPA at Mannings High... 20 CXC/CAPE passes with 17 ones, distinction...Won several awards and certificates for school & community activities

“A NEW ME ROSE FROM THE ASHES”

by Elombe Calvert, A 2015 PALAS Awardee. Excerpts from his Essay 

Dreams and aspirations meant nothing to me. As far as I believed, they were just tales and fables made to believe achievable by a partial system that selected only a privileged few to make something good of themselves. For the longest time, as far back as I could remember, all my dreams and aspirations seemed distance and unattainable.
  

Please donate at www.PALAS1.org

However, all this changed in fourth form when my home was engulfed by an unexplained fire. I lost everything, clothes, gadgets, food and most importantly memories. Thankfully, no one was hurt by the flames, as we all got out just before the flames reached the gas cylinder, which blew up the house.  On my skin no burn or scorch marks could be seen, but deep inside me, within my soul I was darkened with soothe all over.

 The flames burnt away my unprogressive mentality, and a new person rose from the ashes. For the first time in my entire life I saw it, I saw my dreams and aspirations flashing in small pulses across my eyes. At that moment, that small fraction of time my face froze and tears rolled down my cheeks. A strange feeling infiltrated my petrified body, one that I had not experienced before, it was a feeling of hope, hope for the future. With chuckles and a smile that stretched from one cheek to the next, I knew I could achieve all my dreams. This tragedy opened my eyes to the all the possibilities and I started to dream big, as big as any boy my age could dream.

Now seeing life at a different angle, I started to excel in my studies, most notably; I garnered 15 subjects in the 2013 CSEC Examinations, with 14 distinctions and topping my graduating class at Manning’s School that year.  With this performance, I was named the Top performer at Manning’s School by the Jamaica Association of Principals for Secondary Schools (JAPSS). In addition, at the end of my tenure in lower sixth form at Manning’s School, I was placed first in the Sciences; I attained three distinctions at CAPE; I was on the Head Master’s Honour Roll and was named a Top CAPE performer at the Manning’s School. The Renaissance of change that was initiated in my life was not only limited to the class room but also transcend to my involvement in school. I became an active member in the Business Society, 4-H Club, Science Club, EGLJ, Business Society and the Performing Arts.  Apart from being an ordinary member and holding various executive positions in these clubs, I have attained a number of awards through my involvements. I have held the prestigious title of Westmoreland’s 4-H Boy of the Year for two years, I am the 2013-second place winner of the SRC National Oratory Science competition and I am part of the team that placed third in the SRC’s National Young Inventors/Innovators competition. In addition, I am the 2015 Dr. Steve Wilson’s Business plan competition first winner and I have won a number of medals at the JCDC’s Speech Festival.

In order for a person to be truly well rounded, they must exude some amount of leadership potential, a trait that is innately intertwine into my very being.  Over the years, I have held a number of leadership positions, most noted: I was the Deputy Head Boy for my primary school; I am a Prefect of the Manning’s School and the Youth PRO for the Y’s Service Club of Westmoreland.

In retrospect, I have been through a lot over the years but in spite of my circumstances, I have found a way to overcome those hurdles and still shine bright as any well-polished diamond. Thus, with this said I am a perfect match for this scholarship as I meet and exceed all the requirements being assessed and so should be a worthy recipient. I am now faced with another hurdle, as I need financing to cover some of my college fees to do Medicine at UWI, and so I would be ecstatic to receive a coveted PALAS Scholarship. If selected for this scholarship, I will continue to apply the same diligence to my tertiary studies as I have to this point, making education and service to others my top priority.

Please make a donation online at www.PALAS1.org to support these scholarships. PALAS awards 95 scholarships in 2015 in Jamaica. Preserving Young Minds for Posterity.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE: 'I Wish All Jamaicans Continued Success And Prosperity' - Obama

Thursday Aug 6, 2015

United States (US) President Barack Obama has extended congratulations to Jamaica on the country's 53rd Independence celebration.

Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer President Barack
Obama smiles and waves as he leaves Jamaica last Thursday.

In a US Embassy release, Obama said he was delighted to wish all Jamaicans continued success and prosperity.

SEE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

Dear Governor General Allen:

On behalf of the people of the United States of America, let me congratulate you and the Jamaican people on the celebration of your 53rd year of independence this August 6.

As I said during my trip to Kingston earlier this year, the United States and Jamaica are strong partners, friends, and pillars of democracy in the Caribbean.

We are working closely together on important issues such as citizen security, energy independence, and economic development. We are also inextricably bound together by geography, a common language, and most important of all, a multitude of business, familial, and individual relationships between the Jamaican and American people.

Because of these deep and intricate ties, the long history of friendship and cooperation between our two nations, and our common goals in creating a safe, prosperous, and strong Caribbean, I am delighted to wish you and all Jamaicans continued success and prosperity as you mark your 53rd year of independence.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Jamaica's songs of independence....IT was an exciting time to be in Jamaica in 1962.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer  Thursday, August 06, 2015    

IT was an exciting time to be in Jamaica in 1962. For, on August 6 that year, the country was declared independent by Great Britain. Many artistes have since celebrated the milestone in song. Here is a look at some of the finest moments. 

L-R) Derrick Morgan Eric Donaldson Roy Rayon

Forward March (Derrick Morgan): The visually-challenged singer from Mocho, Clarendon, was arguably Jamaica's biggest star when he recorded this song for producer Leslie Kong. Done in 1962.

Independent Jamaica (Lord Creator): A Trinidadian, Creator (real name Kenrick Patrick) was encouraged to record the song by producer Vincent 'Randy' Chin. Written in half-hour by Creator at Chin's Kingston home, it was also released in 1962.

Land of My Birth (Eric Donaldson): Considered by many people as Jamaica's unofficial national anthem, Land of My Birth won the Festival Song Contest in 1978. Winston Wallace, a teacher and trade unionist, was inspired to compose the song by political turmoil in Jamaica at the time.

Nuh wey Nuh Better Dan Yard (Tinga Stewart): Jamaica was still recovering from a near-decade of politically-driven violence when Stewart won the Festival Song Contest in 1981, with this un-apologetic patriotic number.

(L-R) MG Smith Tinga Stewart Lord Creator

Give Thanks and Praise (Roy Rayon): At 25, Jamaica was all grown-up and Rayon's exuberant mento/revivalist salute helped the nation celebrate its silver anniversary. Won the 1987 Festival Song Contest.

I Saw my Land in The Morning (words by MG Smith; music by Mappletoft Poulle): One of the world's distinguished social anthropologists and respected poet, Smith (who died in 1993) went into his soul for this somber salute to his country. He is the grandfather of roots artistes Kelissa and Keznamdi.

IN JAMAICA: RJR, The Gleaner Merge Media Operations.....Radio Jamaica/Gleaner merger -"the most exciting media development this century" -J.A.Lester Spaulding

Published:Wednesday | August 5, 2015

Jamaica's two top news entities are to combine their media operations to create the most powerful multimedia entity in the Caribbean.

The boards of the 180-year-old Gleaner Company and the 65-year-old Radio Jamaica today approved the merger of both entities, and the Jamaica Stock Exchange has been advised of the deal.

The transaction will require shareholders and court approval as well as some support from regulators such as the stock exchange.

The Gleaner and Radio Jamaica will also be required to have extraordinary general meetings to have the scheme of amalgamation approved.

The process could take up to six months.

The survival of Jamaican media in what is a very challenging local climate is the “dominant reason" for the decision to combine operations, the companies said in a statement.

The local media landscape is dominated by numerous small entities operating from weakened and inefficient financial bases which threaten the long-term sustainability of the industry," they said.

The expanded entity will be led by J. A. Lester Spaulding, as chairman, with Oliver F. Clarke as deputy chairman.

The entity will initially have a 14-member board represented equally by seven directors from each of the existing companies.

Gary Allen is to be Chief Executive Officer while Christopher Barnes will serve as Chief Operating Officer.

DEIDRE-ANN BROWN, Top PALAS 2015-2016 Performers (2 of 5)....Medical student at UWI, 4.0 GPA at MBCC...PALAS Gold Star Runner Up...15 CXC/CAPE passes with all ones, distinction...Active in 32 school & community activities

Please make a donation to PALAS

PALAS Student News August 4, 2015-
Excerpts from Deidre-Ann Brown's Essay

 “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” -Nelson Mandela 

In September of 2009, my mother detected a lump in her right breast. I thought that I would surely lose my tower of strength as my family had recently lost a friend to breast cancer. However, further testing revealed that the lump had been benign. Though relieved, at age thirteen, I began to think of the many in the world that were not so fortunate; those who had lost a family member, those who were unable to see their children grow up and most importantly those who did not get to fulfil their dreams. 

I have since aspired to become a medical doctor- to put myself in a position in which I would be able to help an individual in the most desperate of times, to give a family hope and joy. I one day hope to embark on practice and research in the areas of oncology and neurology so that I can help to unlock new ways of elevating the standard of human lives. 

I have faced several difficulties in my pursuit of the sciences. However, through persistence I was able to overcome these challenges and attain all distinctions at the CSEC level and at the CAPE Unit One level. I was awarded third place in Jamaica for CAPE Biology Unit One and tenth place for Physics Unit One. I take an active part in my school and community as I believe that for the nation to progress the youth must show an active interest in all spheres of life. At the Montego Bay High School, I served as a prefect and the president of the Rotary Interact Club. 

At the Montego Bay Community College, I currently hold the post of secretary of the Sign Language Club. I give back to my community by volunteering with the Cornwall Regional Hospital and the Open Heart Charitable Mission where I have assisted in feeding and giving clothing to the homeless of St. James. I am also a very active member of my church where I am a member of the Youth Choir, the Women’s Ministry and the Youth Council. 

PALAS,  'Preserving Young Minds for Posterity'. Please make a donation online at www.PALAS1.org or Send a check to PALAS. P.O Box 5461, Alpharetta GA 30023.. Thank you.

THE GLEANER MINUTE: Mario Deane protest... No election money ... Drought costs rise... La Liga deal

OCHO RIOS, ST Ann — Man accused of slashing 21 y-o girlfriend Shasha-Kaye Williamson's throat is on the run

ABOVE: Shasha-Kaye Williamson, who
 was killed on Sunday, allegedly
 by her common-law husband.

 Tuesday, August 04, 2015    

OCHO RIOS, ST Ann — The Brown's Town police are now searching for the common-law husband of a 21-year-old woman who was killed in Retreat early Sunday morning.

Police reported that about 1:00 am Shasha-Kaye Williamson of Philadelphia District, Brown's Town was at a bar she operates in Retreat, also in Brown's Town, when an argument developed between her and her common-law husband.

Crime Scene

The argument, police said, escalated into a fight, after which Williamson was chased to a nearby house where her throat was allegedly slashed by the accused. She died on the spot.

The accused man, whose name is being withheld by the police, is now on the run. more

PALAS TOP PERFORMERS in 2015-2016 (1 of 5) : Keli-Jo Hewett-Dalling PALAS Gold Star Applicant with 20 CXC/CAPE ALL DISTINCTIONS (1's).... 3.92/4.00 GPA in Economics at UWI.

3.92/4.00 GPA in Economics at UWI.

PALAS Student News- Published 8/3/15 SHORT EXCERPT FROM KELI-JO's ESSAY:

I have journeyed a bumpy road to get to where I am today, but in the midst of these hardships I 
continue to work hard and help others along the way. I believe that I should receive a PALAS 
scholarship based on my financial need; my academic achievements and my expressed willingness 
to better my situation and that of others. There are many financial challenges to be had growing up
 in an impoverished home. When I was six years old my family became virtually homeless which
 led to us having to stay at a neighbour’s home; three persons, one room. Coupled with our housing 
struggles was my mother’s illness which absorbed most of our funds and subsequently, she lost her job. 

From then on lacking formal education, my mother would do 
a myriad of odd jobs, which offered, at most, minimum wage. 
Being the last child, I committed myself to ending the chronic
 cycle of poverty in my family. Higher education is the means 
of doing this. Receiving a PALAS scholarship would help to 
reduce the financial costs of attending University.........

Financial difficulties are present but I use this as a motivation to strive for excellence. 
These challenges are also why I will become a great Economist so that I can aid in 
making "Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business”. 

IN JAMAICA: Robert Lightbourne High reaping success — after ranking bottom of secondary schools .....under its new leadership as it now boasts a 43 per cent increase in maths, up from zero

Monday, August 03, 2015    

ROBERT Lightbourne High in Trinityville, St Thomas, which previously struggled with underperformance is reaping great success under its new leadership as it now boasts a 43 per cent increase in maths, up from zero ,and a 35 per cent hike in English in the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Students walk past the renamed reading lab at Robert
Lightbourne High School in Trinityville, St Thomas.

The school which was also severely under-populated has since received approximately 100 transfers from other institutions in the parish.

Interim Principal Alfred Thomas said the improvements in maths and English came as a result of the keen focus on literacy and numeracy as the school struggled with children reading below their grade level, some as low as the pre-primer stage.

"Seventy-four per cent of students were reading below the grade four level. We had students who were struggling to identify letters; therefore, we decided that it made no sense to have students struggling to identify letters; and, you are asking them to do 13 subjects," the principal said.

Against that background, the number of subjects carried by some students were reduced to eight; and, higher priority given to improving their literacy and numeracy competencies.

The school which is a participant in the JN Foundation iLead educational leadership programme is steadily pulling itself up from the bottom rung of the secondary education ladder since it was ranked at the bottom of secondary schools by Educate Jamaica and flagged as being in need of critical support by the National Education Inspectorate.

Acknowledging the challenges faced, at a recent town hall meeting held at the institution, Thomas explained that the school has managed to strategically use the difficulties it has been facing as opportunities for growth. more

IN JAMAICA : Doctors Leave Surgical Needle In Baby’s Chest after heart surgery on five-month-old Chardonnay Taylor

Published:Sunday | August 2, 2015Nadine Wilson-Harris

When doctors from two local hospitals performed a heart surgery on five-month-old Chardonnay Taylor in 2009, someone left the suture needle behind and failed to properly close the opening in her chest.

Nicola Irving and her daughter, Chardonnay Taylor.

Today, Chardonnay is six years old and, despite her mother's best efforts, neither the doctors from the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) nor the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) who operated on her have made any effort to remove the needle or complete her surgery.

Nicola Irving said her daughter was born at UHWI in 2009 and she was informed shortly after that she has Down's syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus and atrioventricular canal defect (hole in the heart). A few weeks after, doctors there attempted a surgery to close her patent ductus arteriosus, which essentially is the opening between two major blood vessels leading from the heart. This procedure was, however, unsuccessful and Chardonnay was referred to the BHC.

A follow-up surgery was undertaken at the children's hospital later that month and saw a medical team from that hospital collaborating with a group of surgeons from overseas to correct her heart defects. While the hole in her heart was corrected, an X-ray that was done post-surgery showed that a needle was left behind in her chest. 

DANGEROUS TO REMOVE

 "When I ask them about the needle, they said that they won't go back in to try to remove the needle because it is very dangerous. I ask them what will happen in the long run and they said that it's a slim chance the needle will move," said Irving.

The mother said she expressed concerns about the possible effect the needle might have on her child in the future, and asked for a letter outlining what the doctors had stated to her. However, she said the doctors refused this request. more

Dr LENNOX ROWE of ST. ELIZABETH : Poor boy with no food and shoes rises to the top to become Doctor

BY INGRID BROWN Associate Editor - Special Assignment browni@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, August 02, 2015 

GROWING up with his grandmother in rural St Elizabeth, Lennox Rowe could not attend school more than three days a week as he had to stay home to work in the field and accompany the elderly woman to the market.

Dr Lennox Rowe graduating from NCU in 2013 with a
doctorate in education. (PHOTOS: GREGORY BENNETT)

But despite his poor attendance at primary school and sometimes going to bed without dinner, Rowe not only passed the Common Entrance examinations to gain a place at Munro College, but has risen from being a poor boy with only one pair of uniform and no shoes to having a doctorate in education.

"I never dreamt that one day Lennox Rowe would have a doctorate in front of my name, and I am so humbled by this accomplishment," said Dr Rowe, who is getting ready to pen his biography which he intends to title From Poverty to PhD.

Rowe, an advance chemistry teacher at Nassau Christian Academy in The Bahamas, said failure was not an option as he knew the only way out of poverty would be education, since he had no hope of an inheritance.

"Because of the condition in which I grew up, there was always a drive to ensure that I would never continue like this and I recognised the importance of education as social mobility," Rowe said.

His journey began in the deep rural community of Bantin in Mountainside when his mother gave him to his paternal grandmother, despite his father not initially acknowledging him as his son. According to Rowe, his father had given his mother the wrong information, resulting in him being registered in a different name.

Rowe said he grew up thinking his mother did not want him, and with his father providing only a small stipend towards his upkeep, his grandmother had to work hard, making and selling woven baskets and mats, to make ends meet for both of them.

Life was tough, as they lived in a one-room house. But his grandmother loved him as if he were her own son.

As the only child in the home, he had to help with the chores from

an early age; this included

plaiting straws to make the craft items for sale.

Owning only one pair of uniform and needing to help the elderly woman with everything around the home, Rowe said he would only get to go to school three days of the week. more

The Sad But Self-Inflicted Fall of Cornel West...West called Obama a “Rockefeller Republican in blackface,”.... he does not “respect the brother at all,” referring to Obama.

Michael Eric Dyson is on the money: There’s a new model now of black intellectual leadership, and West is yesterday’s news.

Michael Eric Dyson’s blistering takedown of Cornel West in The Ghost of Cornel West for The New Republic not only closed the door on a decades-long friendship that arguably led the way in black American thought at the end of the 20thcentury, but also displayed how the roles of black leaders have evolved during Barack Obama’s rise to prominence.

Cornell West

Dyson starts off by describing West’s animus toward the president as a love that has turned into a hatred so severe that it would make the heavens shudder. He mentions the times when West called Obama a “Rockefeller Republican in blackface,” on Democracy Now! and a “brown-faced Clinton” in Salon magazine. He discusses a moment when West told him, Dyson, that he does not “respect the brother at all,” referring to Obama. All this in the first two paragraphs.

As the piece winds its way to the conclusion that solidifies the end of their personal and professional relationship, a narrative of West emerges as a man of supreme intellect who thought that he had reached the pinnacle of African-American thought. West had even gone so far as to start referring to himself as a prophet. He believed that he was the voice that the black community would run to when in need of clarity. Dyson was one of those voices early on, so West’s fall from grace in his eyes is all the more striking. He was a self-anointed prophet, who has publicly lost one of his most significant disciples and a friend. more

Judy-Ann Morgan tops Bikini Contest in JAMAICA. Morgan received $200,000 in cash and prizes

Friday, July 31, 2015    

JUDY-ANN Morgan walked away as winner in the inaugural Bikini Contest held at the American International School of Kingston in St Andrew on Saturday.

Judy-Ann Morgan, Contest Winner

The event was dubbed Power Play Power Lifting Competition and Bikini Contest.

According to the event's co-organiser, Mark McDonald, he is encouraged by the feedback.

"It was well received, and the patrons enjoyed every bit of it," he said.

McDonald, a personal trainer at Gymkhana and promoter of Soca vs Dancehall, said the contest was conceptualised by Chris Virtue of Muscle Fitness and Health and himself.

"We are in the process of planning the next staging," said McDonald.

Judy-Ann Morgan (centre), winner of the inaugural Bikini
 Contest, is flanked by (from left) Diedre Lewis, fourth place
finisher — Fit Farm; Tara Fong Yee, third place — Giscombe’s
Gym and Wellness Centre; Diandra Gilbert, second place
 — Gymkhana; and Rachel Chong, fifth — Giscombe’s
 Gym and Wellness Centre.

For the Bikini Contest, Morgan received $200,000 in cash and prizes while Javon DaCosta outdid his rivals to win the Power Play Power Lifting Competition. He got $30,000 along with other prizes.

"We wanted to merge two different aspects of fitness... power lifting, which is a test of maximal strength, and aesthetic appeal which more has to do with physique. We also wanted to get involved in both aspects of fitness. That is, we want an individual who enjoys power lifting to try out the aesthetic side too," said McDonald.

Digicel ordered to provide information in Vybz Kartel juror case

Saturday, August 01, 2015    

A magistrate earlier this week ruled that telecoms company Digicel is to provide information that would assist the court in the corruption trial of so-called Kartel juror Livingston Cain.

Vybz Kartel

Corporate Area Magistrate Maxine Ellis ruled that Digicel provide information relation to the International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) of a juror-witness in the case against Cain.

The information is to determine if the phone had been in use between March 2014 and May of that same year. The defence, led by senior attorney Valerie Neita-Robertson, was forced to apply to have the information disclosed after the prosecution claimed that the witness had lost the phone around March and April.

The information is to be provided before the next court date of August 31.

CAIN ... accused of attempting to
 pervert the course of justice

The phone contained reported recordings of Cain trying to bribe a fellow witness in the Vybz Kartel murder trial to return a not guilty verdict against the entertainer and his co-accused.

The trial, which started in November 2013, concluded with Vybz Kartel and three other men convicted of the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams. One man was acquitted. The convicted men were each given life sentences.

Cain was arrested and slapped with five counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice and one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

On Tuesday the court also ordered that the call data record of the phone number be disclosed to the defence. The record was provided by Digicel to the police. more