Ocho Rios, St. Ann
A 36-year-old labourer was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday in the St. Ann Circuit Court after he was found guilty of murder.
Daniel Morrison, popularly known as 'Rat', of a Windsor Road address in St. Ann's Bay, was on trial for the fatal stabbing of Roy Grant in the vicinity of the St. Ann's Bay market on August 5, 2003.
Allegations are that Morrison and a woman had a heated dispute and Grant intervened to quell the row. He, however, reportedly got involved in a quarrel with Morrison who then used a knife to stab him in the chest. Grant died from the injuries.
Devon Evans
Mandeville, Manchester
The Rotary Club of Mandeville presented medical equipment valued at $6.2 million to the Mandeville Regional Hospital on Tuesday, October 4.
The equipment was handed over by Winston Lawson, president of the club, to the chief executive officer of the hospital, Paulette Elliott.
Rotary President Winston Lawson, who is also manager of the Manchester Road branch of National Commercial Bank, said the service club was currently constructing a classroom and bathrooms for the School of Hope, also situated in Mandeville. The completion of the project is slated for December at a projected cost of $2 million.
Byron McDaniel
Morant Bay, St. Thomas
A handgun with six live rounds of ammunition was recovered from a minibus in Morant Bay recently.
The police reportedly found the illegal firearm in a passenger vehicle which was carrying commuters in the parish capital. The Smith & Wesson revolver, with serial number erased, was found under a seat in the minibus.
No one has been linked to the find.
Arthur Green
Montego Bay, St. James
Cabinet has approved the award of a development design contract valued at US$1.9 million ($117.8 million) to upgrade the Montego Bay cruise ship terminal.
The project is part of the efforts by the Port Authority of Jamaica to add capacity to its terminals. The contract has been awarded to the United States-based company, Mott McDonald.
Minister of Information, Senator Burchell Whiteman, gave details of the project at Monday's weekly post-Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House. With the expansion, there will be a minimum of six berths, which would allow for six ships to be accommodated at any one time in the port. The construction will last between 15 and 18 months.
May Pen, Clarendon
Life in north central Clarendon came to a halt on Monday as taxi and bus operators, joined by residents of Pennants and surrounding communities, mounted barricades to protest the deplorable roads in their communities.
Protesters took to the streets as early as 5 o'clock in the morning, using tree branches, discarded vehicles and other debris to block entrances to the communities of Pennants, New Longsville, Water Road and other areas.
Residents told Across the Nation that they had been without proper roads for several years and the situation had become intolerable. They said they were plagued by rising fuel prices and costly repairs to their vehicles that were damaged by the poor road conditions.
Stephanie Elliott
Port Antonio, Portland
The 2005 Jamaica Information Service (JIS)/Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) Heritage Debate, which got under way in early October, will be moving to Port Antonio soon.
In the first debate, Cornwall College scored a victory over hot rivals Mount Alvernia High School to move on to the next round. Other contests are expected to get under way soon in the regions of Ocho Rios, May Pen, Mandeville and Kingston. The winner will be crowned on October 27.
JIS News
Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth
As the Jamaica Postal Corporation celebrates World Postal Week, the Santa Cruz Post Office observed the event by reaching out to less fortunate residents in the society.
The post office handed over well-needed toiletries to the Santa Cruz Infirmary. The items, worth over $20,000, were presented to Madge Miller-Robinson, ward assistant nurse of the infirmary, by acting Postmaster Selony Jennings.
About 70 indigent persons are currently being housed at the institution.
Michael McLean
Old Harbour, St. Catherine
The black spot near High House on the Old Harbour main road claimed two more lives when a motor vehicle transporting security guards crashed on Wednesday night, killing two persons instantly. Seven others were hospitalised.
The dead men have been identified as Andrew Robinson and Christopher Neil, of St. Catherine addresses.
Reports from the Old Harbour police are that at 9:15 p.m., the bus was travelling from Old Harbour towards Spanish Town when, upon reaching a section of the road in the High House area, the driver swerved from a pothole and lost control of the vehicle. After colliding with a truck, the vehicle then slammed
into a utility pole, killing the men.
Their deaths brought the number of road fatalities since January to 232, a decline when compared to 263 deaths for the corresponding period last year.
Rasbert Turner
