BLACK RIVER, ST ELIZABETH:

In an effort to reduce the problem of flooding in sections of St Elizabeth, the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the water Resource Authority, last week hosted a drainage seminar in the parish under the theme 'The Black River Morass'.

The seminar, attended by stakeholders from farming and community-based organisations focused on the upper Morass, which includes, Newton, Maggotty, Appleton, Siloah and Balaclava districts in the north of the parish.

Stanley Rampair, chief executive officer of the NIC, stressed that the purpose of the seminar was to increase awareness regarding drainage, to outline NIC's policy responsibilities and garner stakeholders.

Guest speaker, minister of state in the Ministry of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for North West St Elizabeth, JC Hutchinson, said the NIC was playing a very important function in terms of water management and drain cleaning.

He indicated that two critical areas, New River and Braes River, were now benefiting from the flood mitigation programme.

- Michael McLean

SANTA CRUZ, ST ELIZABETH:

Attorney-at-law Jeremy Palmer has strongly recommended that matters at court having to do with the Maintenance Act, as well as some cases under the Road Traffic Act, should be dealt with by justices of the peace, freeing up the backlog of cases in the legal system.

Palmer was addressing the annual general meeting of the St Elizabeth chapter of the Lay Magistrates' Association of Jamaica at Beadle Hall in Santa Cruz.

He said the improvement of courthouses islandwide must be at the forefront of the quest to reform the justice system.

Turning to the treatment of jurors, Palmer, the mayor of Black River, said that in most cases jurors were called to sit on panels and only received compensation when they heard cases.

He said it was unfair for persons to be called to perform jury duty and then receive no compensation.

- Rayon Dyer

SPANISH TOWN, ST CATHERINE:

The latest St Catherine store in the Super Plus chain, will be closing its doors today, forcing the operators to transfer and make some staff redundant.

According to Richard Chen, chief operations officer, the closure came as a result of very high overheads and moderate customer space.

"The recent Jamaica Public Service bill is a proverbial straw which broke the camel's back. For months we have been getting large bills, however, in recent times, it has proven impossible to operate under the current conditions," said Chen.

He also blamed a downturn in the economy for the low profitability of the entity.

Chen added that, following the closure of the store, the Oasis branch was the second to be closed in 2008, in addition to six Super Plus convenience stores in a relatively short period of time.

The store opened just a year ago.

- Rasbert Turner

MAY PEN, CLARENDON:

Clarendon's crime woes have continued as the parish's murder toll jumped to 129, with the latest occurring in Western Park on Thursday night.

According to reports, five men were among a group at a shop in Nickle Avenue, Western Park, when armed men entered and identified themselves as police before opening fire and hitting four.

The injured men were taken to the May Pen Hospital where 32-year-old Gilbert Christian, of Reynolds Avenue, was pronounced dead.

The other three were admitted in critical condition.

Later, 33-year-old Mark Mckenzie of Sevens Heights, May Pen, was found in nearby bushes suffering from gunshot wounds.

He was taken to the May Pen Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The police have theorised that McKenzie was among the group of men who launched the attack, but have no answers about how he was shot.