Minister of Agriculture, Dr Christopher Tufton, and a member of the 4-H Club, André Dixon, pat a Dorper, following the handover of a $5-million cheque to the service club for the Goat Revolving Scheme. The event was held at the 4-H Club's Old Hope Road offices on February 12. - JIS

Haitians remanded

MANDEVILLE, MANCHESTER:

Two Haitian nationals and one Jamaican who were arrested for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition on January 29 were remanded when they appeared in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

The three men, 26-year-old Jean Bernard Pheojene and Ivis Aristeade, 39, both from Haiti, and Hanson Lynch, 39, from Portland, Jamaica were travelling on the Hatfield to Spur Tree main road in a Toyota motor car when they were intercepted by the Mandeville police.

A search of the vehicle revealed one .357 Desert Eagle Magnum handgun and one 9mm High Point pistol along with 120 rounds of ammunition.

A source close to the investigation told The Gleaner that the police were trying to determine if the men were part of a guns-for-drugs crime ring operating out of Haiti. He also said that the men disclosed that they were seeking buyers for the weapons in the Greenvale area, just outside Mandeville, which is responsible for a large percentage of gun crimes in Manchester.

The three are scheduled to return to court on February 20.

- Angelo Laurence

Businessman gives back

SPANISH TOWN, ST. CATHERINE:

As a way of giving back to the Lakes Pen community in St Catherine, Patrick Williams, a businessman and one of his associates from England are putting on a community event entitled 'Jamaica- Birmingham Linkup'.

The function, which will take place on February 22, in the Lime Tree Grove area, will have several giveaways. Bass Odyssey and Pablo Movement from the United Kingdom will provide entertainment.

According to Patrick Williams, the aim of the event is to entertain people and add a little extra with the international flavour of Pablo Movement that is renowned in England but not Jamaica.

"We see where persons in the area want a change and as such, as a business person, by whatever legal means, we are prepared to give them this new view on life," remarked Williams.

He promised to stage other community events aimed at fostering positive community relations.

- Rasbert Turner

NSWMA to comfort late colleague's family

BULL BAY, ST Andrew:

As part of the compassion and outreach mandate of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, a high-level team from the organisation is to visit the families of the late Austin Murray, a contract worker who lost his life under tragic circumstances on Tuesday.

Murray was on duty in the 11 Miles area of Bull Bay at approximately 7:00 p.m. when his crew stopped to refresh themselves and he was hit by a heavy-duty vehicle which severed one leg from his body and badly crushed the other. He died in hospital.

According to a source from the NSWMA, the executive director Joan Gordon-Webley, is to visit with his family in Needham Pen in St Thomas. It is not clear as to what level of support will be offered

The driver of another motor vehicle, which was also involved in the accident, is reported to have succumbed to his injuries as well.

- Arthur Green

Water supply project complete

CLARENDON:

After decades of having to exist with inadequate or nonexistent piped water in their area, 42,000 residents from sections of the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St Ann are now benefiting from the commissioning of a new state-of-the-art $500 million Spaldings/Christiana water-supply project.

The project, the construction of which started in January 2006, and which was completed in December last year, was funded by the European Union and was officially commissioned into service on Thursday by Minister of Water and Housing, Horace Chang, European Union ambassador, Marco Mazzocchi-Alemanni, other officials from Government, and the National Water Commission at a handover ceremony at the plant.

The project had been on the books for implementation for more than 10 years.

- George Henry