IN JAMAICA: 12,000 jobs for St Thomas Urban Development Corporation (UDC) Dr Damian Graham says, FCJ to play major role in Morant Bay redevelopment project
BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, June 20, 2017
GENERAL Manager of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) Dr Damian Graham says that some 12,000 new Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) jobs are to be created in Morant Bay, St Thomas.
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| General Manager of the Urban Development Corporation Dr Damian Graham responds to a question at yesterday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s head office on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston. (Photo: Antonio Graham) |
Dr Graham said that the planned establishment of a new town centre for Morant Bay, on the premises of the old Goodyear tyre factory, which has been closed for some 20 years, will not only allow for the BPO expansion, but also housing and educational facilities.
“Persons can't be travelling from Papine to get to Morant Bay in order to work and live, and so we are doing the planning that will help to support that 25-acre project becoming a success,” he added.
Dr Graham said that the UDC has been having discussions with the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ) on the proposal for the creation of the new urban centre, as part of the redevelopment of the St Thomas capital.
“We have been doing the master planning for the Morant Bay redevelopment and we will be sharing that as soon as we are complete, at least with the high-level plans,” he said.
However, he said that the project would not be confined to the Goodyear lands, as it will be displacing businesses within a town that currently spans some 200 acres and fitting them into a 25-acre premises at the old Goodyear plant.
“That's going to be massive,” the UDC boss said, as he spoke to Jamaica Observer editors and reporters at the newspaper's Monday Exchange at its Beechwood Avenue head office in Kingston. more
CASTOR OIL — Jamaican black gold.... Producer argues that country is losing out...missing out on billions of dollars internationally.
By Javene Skyers Tuesday, June 20, 2017
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| Lindo's castor oil is produced under the brand Outa Earth and is sold locally as well as internationally. (Photo: Shirley Lindo) |
Most business people, while they may work late into the night, will get the chance to catch a few hours of sleep in their beds or even at a desk.
Shirley Lindo, however, spends her late nights next to a large boiling pot containing a product that has been a hidden jewel on the market — Jamaican Black Castor Oil.
The product, made from the oil nut bean, although a powerful laxative, is also sought after for haircare and skincare.
Lindo, along with her husband, has been producing castor oil for over 20 years. They operate their factory on their home property just outside of Spanish Town, St Catherine, nestled on a part of the Bernard Lodge Estate.
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| Lindo scrapes the bottom of the pot to ensure that the oil is not burned during the boiling process. Photo: Lionel Rookwood) |
The factory, which was built by the castor oil enthusiasts a few years ago, has a drying house as well as a specially constructed exterior building to facilitate the arduous process of boiling the castor oil.
Oil produced by Lindo is labelled “Outa Earth (Processors Limited)” and is certified by the Bureau of Standards with the 'Jamaican Made' mark, approving the authenticity and quality of the product.
“Our label Outa Earth doesn't bottle black castor oil, when I say black, … it is black castor oil by the process, but we don't put black castor oil on the shelf, our castor oil is a medium dark or the light one, which people request,” Lindo explained, while stirring a bubbling pot of oil. more
Georgia Special Election Seen As Last, Best Chance To Stop Trumpcare Opponents are alarmed that the health care issue has fallen off the front page. A win Tuesday for Democrat Jon Ossoff could change that.
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| Democratic nominee, Jon Ossoff |
WASHINGTON ― Health care reform activists have grown dour as signs from Capitol Hill suggest increasing chances for the passage of legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. Faced with a once seemingly far-fetched possibility, they have begun pinning their hopes on an external event that would effectively apply the brakes to the legislative process. Tuesday presents their best chance of that.
The special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District is already one of the most hotly contested and absurdly expensive contests in congressional history. Now, those hoping to put off Obamacare’s demise are gearing up to use a potential win by the Democratic nominee, Jon Ossoff, as a means of spooking recalcitrant Republicans into inaction.
“It could at least give them pause that there will be a bigger backlash than they even thought and that they should rethink this huge bill,” is how one top health care reform advocate put it.
With Senate Republicans reportedly planning to vote on their health care bill as early as next week, opponents see few other options than to convince moderate Republicans to balk. Senate Democrats have planned various parliamentary and procedural maneuvers to slow down the legislative process. But, ultimately, there is little, if anything, they can do to stop a vote.
THE OASIS INVENTION :This 10-Year-Old, Bishop Curry, Is Creating A Device To Prevent Infants From Dying In Hot Cars...His patent should be here within the year.
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| Bishop Curry, 10 y-o inventor |
By Zahara Hill of Huffpost 6/20/17
After Bishop Curry heard his neighbor’s 6-month-old infant died from being in an overheated car, he decided to create a life-saving device to prevent incidents like this from reoccurring ― as any responsible 10-year-old would.
“It kind of came in my head,” Bishop told HuffPost of his device, the Oasis. The Oasis would respond to rising temperatures by emitting cool air and use an antenna to signal parents and authorities. At the moment, Bishop only has a 3-D clay model of the device, but his father, Bishop Curry IV, began a GoFundMe campaign for the Oasis in January.
“I got lots of help from my parents,” Bishop said.
Attorneys advised the family that the minimum amount they’d need for prototyping and manufacturing fees, as well as a patent for the device, is $20,000.
The GoFundMe campaign has already exceeded that $20,000 goal and, as of Monday, has raised over $23,700. Bishop, who will begin sixth grade in the fall, told Fox News last week that in addition to his parents, his classmates and friends are fully behind him on his projects.
“They want to work for me,” he said.
Last June, CNN reported that the number of hot-car deaths had nearly tripled compared to the same time in 2015, which had 24 hot-car deaths in total.
When Curry grows up, he wants to center his career around inventions, including a time machine.
IN JAMAICA, WOMAN'S BODY FOUND (WESTMORELAND) : INDECOM to probe the death of 21-year-old Shantel Wright, probing canefield discovery of victim said to be last seen with a policeman
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| WRIGHT... was last seen in the company of a policeman |
LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland — Angry residents of this Western Westmoreland town yesterday disrupted normal activities on the road leading to the popular tourist town of Negril to protest the death of a female employee of the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station, whose body was found in a canefield.
The woman's relatives and other community members, who mounted the roadblock, alleged that Wright was last seen alive in the company of a senior police officer, who is stationed in Westmoreland, and called for the senior officer to answer certain questions.
“He has to be interrogated,” one female protester demanded.
Later the protesters heard that the Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) had stepped in to probe the death of 21-year-old Shantel Wright who went missing last Wednesday night, before her body was found a short distance from her home late Friday evening.
“A report was made of a missing young lady in the form of Shantel Wright. Shantel Wright's body was discovered yesterday (Friday ) in a canefield in Little London, Westmoreland. INDECOM received information after the discovery that a police officer had information that could assist with an investigation,” Errol Chattoo, director of complaints, INDECOM, Western Region, told the Jamaica Observer.
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| A policeman looks on as protesters block the Little London main road in Westmoreland yesterday. (Photo: Philp Lemonte) |
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| WRIGHT, a member of the administrative support staff of the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station |
About 11:30 pm she decided to leave the party and was said to be driven home by the lawman, a short distance from where the entertainment event was hosted. “Her mother had a party Wednesday night. He (cop) took her home and he was the last person seen with her. They called at work and was told she is not at work. So we put out an alarm and launched a search with the assistance of the Little London Police,” claimed distraught cousin of the deceased Dorette Williams.
Wright's aunt, Sonia Williams, concurred.
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| People of Little London in Westmoreland protest the death of Shantel Wright yesterday. (Photo: Philp Lemonte) |
Chattoo is appealing to persons with information that can assist INDECOM to provide it.
“We are also appealing to anybody who has information in relation to her disappearance to come forward and share the information with us,” Chattoo implored.
He said that INDECOM had already contacted the Police High Command.
“We have been in contact and dialogue with the High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in relation to the matter,” Chattoo stated. more
Beyoncé Gives Birth To Destiny’s Children.... Moment of silence for the internet.
Beyoncé and husband Jay Z have welcomed twins in Los Angeles, according to multipleoutlets. The sex of the twins is currently unknown, as well as exactly when the singer gave birth. The couple are, of course, already parents to Blue Ivy, 5, who, if you haven’t heard, is about the most adorable girl on planet earth.
The “Formation” singer announced she was pregnant with twins in February with an instantly iconic photo shoot that essentially broke the internet. Her announcement photo became the most-liked Instagram post ever. Remember? The floral moment with some green mesh and major Virgin Mary vibes?
“We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes,” the announcement read, signed by “The Carters.” The typically reclusive star has been out and about since then. She stopped by the Grammys about a week after the announcement only to lose every major award to Adele. Bey did walk away with the satisfaction that she delivered the night’s most flawless performance, featuring a medley of songs from her nominated album, “Lemonade” about what it means to be a mother and a daughter.
SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – Justice Minister Delroy Chuck: Jamaica's Buggery law will only be changed by a referendum
Friday, June 16, 2017
SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – Justice Minister Delroy Chuck yesterday reiterated the Government's position that Jamaica's contentious buggery law will only be changed by a referendum.
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| JPs pay attention at yesterday's training seminar at Beadle's Hall in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth. (Photo: Ainsley Clarke) |
However, while insisting on what he said was a personal position that homosexuality is morally “wrong”, Chuck questioned whether it was the business of the law to determine right and wrong of private sexual conduct.
“The Government's position is clear and I will repeat it, the law will not be changed, save and except by a referendum. The buggery law will never be changed unless a referendum so decides,” Chuck told justices of the peace during a training seminar at the Beadle's Hall in Santa Cruz.
Responding to what he said were questions being asked about his own position, the minister said: “Let me make it very clear, I do not believe that the anus is a sexual organ. I am against homosexuality (loud applause), quite frankly I believe it's wrong but at the same time I believe it's equally wrong for anyone to promote homophobia (hatred of homosexuals)…” he said.
He argued that people had a right to their own views and positions on issues. “…Once they do not infringe… your rights and freedoms we must respect them. In a democracy differing views must contend,” he said. more
HAPPY 46th BIRTHDAY 2PAC...HE DIED 20 YEARS AGO AT 25 y-o. #RulaBrownNetwork
About
Also known as 2Pac, he was one of the more notable figures in the 1990's East Coast - West Coast hip hop rivalry. He released four albums between 1991 and 1996, eventually selling over 75 million albums worldwide. He was killed in a drive-by shooting after watching a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Before Fame
He played the role of Travis Younger in the play, A Raisin in the Sun, at the Apollo Theater.
Trivia
He also performed under the stage name Makaveli. His song "Dear Mama" was added to the Library of Congress in 2010.
Family Life
He was married to Keisha Morris from 1995 to 1996.
Associated With
A hologram of his body performed alongside his former friends Dr. Dre. and Snoop Dogg at the Coachella music festival in 2012.
IN JAMAICA: GSAT scores up... Results of Grade Six Achievement Test to be released today 6/9/17
BY KIMONE THOMPSON Observer staff reporter thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com Friday, June 09, 2017
IF the national scores and the number of students placed in one of the five schools on their preferred list are any indication, school administrators and teachers should be pleased when they receive the results of the 2017 sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) today.The Ministry of Education reported yesterday that schools with online access should have been able to access the results as of 12:01 am today, while those without will be able to pick up the documents at the regional offices by midday. Parents should start learning their children's scores and placement schools today.
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| Education Minister Ruel Reid (left) and his junior minister Floyd Green announced the 2017 results of the Grade Six Achievement Test in a press conference at the ministry yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) |
At a press conference at its Heroes Circle head office yesterday, the ministry reported that with the exception of one subject, this year's scores showed “notable improvement” over those recorded last year.
Mathematics, which has previously been on the decline, moved up 4.2 percentage points to 62.4 per cent; language arts moved up 4.4 percentage points to 72.8 per cent; communication task moved 4.2 percentage points to 76.2 per cent; and social studies went from 68.9 per cent in 2016 to 70.6 per cent this year.
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| Primary School Students |
The education minister, Senator Ruel Reid, explained that while students' knowledge of concepts was particularly high, it fell when asked to analyse or apply deductive reasoning.
In tandem with the improved results, the ministry said 99 per cent of the students who sat the exam have been placed in high schools, as opposed to all-age and junior high schools. more
KINGSTON, JAMAICA : Mother of 6-y-o says she lost everything after a fire destroyed two houses on Second Street in Trench Town
Friday, June 09, 2017
THREE people were left homeless after a fire destroyed two houses on Second Street in Trench Town, Kingston, yesterday.According to Garth Mills, district officer for the Jamaica Fire Brigade, firefighters responded to a call at 10:39 am. He said two units from York Park Fire Station responded.
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| A resident videos what is left of the houses following the fire yesterday in Trench Town, Kingston. (Photos: Bryan Cummings) |
No one was injured in the blaze.
When the Jamaica Observer visited the community yesterday, the fire had already been extinguished.
Shanise Mendez, 23, who occupied one of the houses with her six-year-old son, told the Observer that she lost everything.
“I was on West Road when mi hear, 'Watch dah smoke deh'. I stopped and look. People were moving like nothing was happening. Then my sister called me and said your house a burn down. When I came I saw the place burn down,” Mendez said, adding that she was preparing for her son's graduation next month.
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| Fire Victim Wonders Whats Next |
MANDEVILLE, Manchester (CRIME IN SCHOOLS) : Porus High School mourns... Acting principal says deadly fight at institution unexpected
BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com Thursday, June 08, 2017
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — It was just Monday of this week, according to acting principal of the Porus High School in Manchester, David Powell, that he offered commendations at the school's devotion for what he said was a relatively incident-free school environment.“We hadn't had a fight or uproar in a while,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
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| Students of the Porus High School in Manchester on the compound of the Mandeville Regional Hospital yesterday, where one of their schoolmates was pronounced dead and another hospitalised after an altercation at their school. (Photo: Gregory Bennett) |
However, that changed yesterday afternoon when a male third-form student was killed and another hospitalised, following a stabbing incident at the institution.
One year and four months into his role as principal, Powell said that he was on a quest of “reforming and rebranding” the school.
He said the educational institution has been doing “extremely well” as a result of initiatives in place to keep the students positively engaged.
Last week, Powell said, students performed creditably at a Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Gospel Festival.
He said, too, that the school has been making strides, over time, and that is also reflected in its battle to cop third place in the spirited All Together Sing television competition, where high school choirs get a chance to showcase some of their best talents, in 2015. more
NEGRIL, Westmoreland (JA) : Shockingly Chilling! Mother's body found in tomb inside her house; baby still missing
BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com Thursday, June 08, 2017
NEGRIL, Westmoreland — The police yesterday afternoon removed the partially decomposed body of 24-year-old Shantel Dyer from a tomb which they demolished inside the house in which she lived here.But her three-year-old daughter, Orlandi Miller, is still missing.
“We will be working with our overseas colleagues to get him back into the country,” head of the Criminal Investigation Branch Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Ealan Powell told the Jamaica Observer last night.
Bailey had to be assisted by family members when the news that her daughter's body was discovered.
NEGRIL, Westmoreland — The police yesterday afternoon removed the partially decomposed body of 24-year-old Shantel Dyer from a tomb which they demolished inside the house in which she lived here.But her three-year-old daughter, Orlandi Miller, is still missing.
The police say they will be seeking the help of their international partners to extradite Dyer's spouse, whom she lived with, but who left the island on April 27.
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Family members of 24-year-old Shantel Dyer are distraught after receiving confirmation that her body was found in a tomb inside her house in Negril yesterday. (Photo: Philp Lemonte) |
The mother and her infant daughter went missing about two months ago.
According to Keith, Dyer's distraught uncle, family members heard from the 24-year-old for the last time on her birthday, April 3.
He said that on Monday his sister — Dyer's mother Carline Bailey who lives in Kingston — was informed by a caller from New York that her daughter and granddaughter were dead.She rushed to Westmoreland where she reported the matter to the police who accompanied her to the house where they discovered the tomb in one of the rooms.
Yesterday, the police demolished the tomb and found the body.
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| People gather around someone who apparently collapsed after learning that the body found inside a tomb in 24-year old Shantel Dyer’s house yesterday was hers. (Photos: Philp Lemonte) |
She cried uncontrollably and had to receive medical attention from an ambulance crew summoned to the scene.
Several family members and other residents who camped out for hours behind the police crime scene tape were overcome with emotion after the gruesome discovery was made.
“My mind messed up. Mi speechless; this is like a movie,” a woman was overheard saying.
“This is history in Jamaica... This is history to the highest level,” one man said.
The police are expected to resume the search for the infant today. more
IN JAMAICA: St JAMES BLEEDS! Four shot dead in night of terror...Killed are 59-year-old Doreen Brown, her 24-year- old son Wade Weekly; and Clayton Daley. Brown's15-year-old grandson
BY HORACE HINES Observer West reporter Thursday, June 08, 2017
BARRETT TOWN, St James — The bloodletting in the western parish of St James continued yesterday when four people — a mother, her son and his friend, as well as a female bartender — were shot dead by gunmen in two incidents in Barrett Town and the adjoining Barrett Hall community. Both incidents reportedly occurred shortly after1:00 am yesterday.
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| Bartender Nardia Cunningham killed at her Barrett Hall home. |
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| Grieving family members of Doreen Brown wait outside the Barrett Town Police Station yesterday for word from investigators about the,latest killings in the community. |
Brown's15-year-old grandson, who was also shot and injured during the incident, was up to late yesterday battling for his life in hospital.
A Jamaica Observer West police source close to the investigations revealed that the deadly attack is believed to be a reprisal for the recent killing of a woman in the community.
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| Fifty-nine-year-old Brown shot dead at her home. |
Then yesterday morning, masked men armed with high-powered weapons invaded Brown's house by kicking a door open and sprayed the occupants with bullets. Brown managed to escape the house but was caught outside and shot dead, reports say.
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| Curious residents gather at the house in Barrett Town where three people, including a mother and her son, were killed in the wee hours yesterday. |
Meanwhile, in the nearby Barrett Hall community, unknown assailants gunned down 25-year-old bartender Nardia Cunningham shortly after the Barrett Town attack.
The police were not clear if the second attack was related to the Barrett Town incident.
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| Wade Weekly, Brown’s 24-year-old son. |
Among the many community members and curious onlookers, who converged near the triple murder scene and at the police station in Barrett Town yesterday was Brown's distraught sister, Joycelyn. more
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19 Years Ago, JAMAICAN Jodi-Ann Maxwell Won The Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 12....She made history as the first non-American to win the competition and a cash prize of US$10,000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Jodi-Ann Maxwell |
Jody-Anne Maxwell from Kingston, Jamaica, was the winner of the 1998 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of 12.[1] She made history as the first non-American to win the competition.
According to Ebony magazine, she was viewed as a celebrity on her return to Jamaica.[2] Maxwell also attained significant fame in Jamaican communities within the United States.[3]
Maxwell qualified for the Scripps competition by winning Jamaica's National Spelling Bee Championship, which her sister Janice had also won in 1990.[2] Her prizes for winning the national[clarification needed] bee included $10,000 cash,[1] and an education trust fund of $11,000 (U.S).[4]
She later went on to host the local Jamaican program The KFC Quiz Show with various co-hosts, (the first two being Dominique Lyew and Damar Pessoa) up until 2004 when the post was handed off to Samantha Strachan and Raine Manley Robertson.
Maxwell was also a contestant on Nickelodeon's game show Figure it Out in 1998. She successfully stumped the panel of judges for all three rounds.
She attended the Norman Manley Law School at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.[5]
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