Recently in Jamaica Category

The reopening of school for the Easter term has been pushed back by almost a week, due to the general election. The date for the resumption, which was originally scheduled for January 3, is now set for January 9. Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Grace McLean said the delay would not affect students, as plans have been put in place to accommodate them for the stipulated time for the school year. The Education Regulation mandates that students should be given 190 days for the school year. "The election will be the 29th and most of the schools are going to be used and we can't say if everything is going to be restored for school to begin on the 3rd, so we tried to identify within the school year, those four days that we had for the Easter term so we have actually placed them elsewhere on the school calendar so that we will still maintain the 190 days," McLean said. Follow @YardFlex

Plans for the country's 50th anniversary celebrations next year are well advanced, with the activities set to begin on January 1, with fireworks on the waterfront, downtown Kingston, and at various locations across the island. The celebrations, with the slogan 'Jamaica 50: Feel the heart and soul of a nation', will culminate in a similar manner on December 31, 2012. Jamaica 50 is being led by a National Planning Committee, chaired by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, with membership from various sectors, including culture, tourism and other government groups; the Opposition, the private sector, youth organisations; religious and civic groups and other sectors. The committee is supported by the Jamaica 50 Secretariat, which is co-ordinating and implementing the programme of activities. Salmon said a series of entertainment activities would take place at the waterfront event, including a praise and worship session at midnight. He pointed out that the main highlights of the year-long celebrations will be in August 2012, the month Jamaica gained independence from Great Britain in 1962. Follow @YardFlex

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The police had sent out an advisory for Portmore Empire artiste, Gaza Slim to report to them last week, but the date has gone and we have not heard any word about it. Gaza Slim had reported to the Star that Lizard, one of the men whose murder her boss Kartel is charged, had robbed her. The cops say they have the phone with the text sent to Gaza Slim telling her to make the report to the police. We await the outcome of this one eagerly.
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Sunday night in Manchester was the night for bold, peppery statements from Audley Shaw. According to Shaw's predictions, "Collin Virgo will retire Michael Peart in South Manchester because him tired and needs a little rest. Timothy Scarlet in North West Manchester is going to take care of little Peter Phillips (Mikael Phillips, son of PNP campaign director, Dr Peter Phillips). We gwine send him back to town to him daddy. "And when it comes to the little one from Central Manchester, you know who mi a talk, im so brite, him say him going to sue Man-A-Yard, and him call upon Man-A-Yard to resign. An a seh to him, a gwine to make Danville Walker pepper him," Shaw said. He continued, "And a seh to him tonight, him retired one time from South East Clarendon. And when Danville Walker done wid him, him going to retire permanently from politics. Because Danville Walker is going to give him a political castration that he will never, ever forget," Shaw told the labourites. Shaw also vowed to demolish Dr Peter Phillips in the upcoming national debates. "An Peter Phillips seh him want to debate mi, a caan wait to debate Peter Phillips. A gwine to fix him business. When I catch him, when de day come when you hear that Man-A-Yard to debate Peter Phillips, go home early. Get out yuh hot beer, get out yuh white rum an Pepsi, get out yuh cranberry juice, and watch Man-A-Yard tek out Peter Phillips," he said.
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The long wait to hear the date of the next general elections is finally over. Jamaicans are to go to the polls on December 29, 2011. Nomination Day is Monday December 12, 2011. Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement at a mass meeting in Mandeville, Manchester Sunday evening. The announcement comes two weeks after the Prime Minister indicated at the JLP's Annual Conference that general elections would be held before yearend. Many persons have voiced the opinion that the month of December is not a good time to hold general elections as it will interfere with traditional Christmas celebrations.
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The US media is reporting another case of Jamaican lottery scammers targeting an unsuspecting elderly victim. A resident of Renton in Washington has been swindled out of more than US$16,000 after receiving a telephone call from Jamaica informing her that she had won the lottery. The woman paid over the money during a four month period. She said a man first called in July claiming that he was from an organization known as "Winners International" and that the widow had won a US$2.5 million lottery. After dozens of phone calls and at least 31 wire transfers, the woman sent more than US$16,000 from her bank accounts and her late husband's retirement plan. She even sold jewelry in order to meet the demands of the Jamaican scammers. The woman is now broke.
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The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) and the police have confirmed reports that a 44-year-old man is suspected to have committed suicide on the compound of the Kingston Public Hospital on Thursday night. The man has been identified as Christopher Adams of Moore Street, Kingston 13. Mr. Adams, who was patient at the hospital, is believed to have jumped from the balcony of a ward. According to reports, about 9:25, he was seen wandering around the compound. Shortly after, he was found by hospital staff lying on the ground. He was later pronounced dead. SERHA says it has since launched an investigation into the incident.
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A top level probe has been launched into the killing of the Jamaica Labour Party Councillor/Caretaker for the Claremont Division in St. Ann, Ryan Beatle. Mr. Beatle was stabbed to death on Wednesday night in the community of Crescent Park in Golden Grove, Claremont. About 11 o'clock the Councillor/Caretaker's body was found lying face down outside his Toyota Corolla motorcar which had the engine running. The body had several stab wounds and the throat was slashed. Details were not available as up to early Thursday morning detectives were still processing the scene. It could not be ascertained whether a motive has been established for the killing of the JLP representative. And JLP candidate for South East St. Ann, Oneil Esteen, has condemned the deadly attack on the Councillor/Caretaker. He called for Mr. Beatle's killer to be brought to justice. "I really regret this cruel act and I condemn this act and I pray that the Lord will find the culprit and bring the person to justice. We need to promote peace and love at this time. I am against what took place tonight. He was a strong, vibrant, industrious man, decent, honest, not a man with any criminal background," Mr. Esteen said.
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