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Florida cop charged with DUI

West Manchester Township Police Officer Adam Bruckhart, left, and York Area Regional Police Officer Mike Georgiou observe a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol as he performs a field sobriety test at a DUI checkpoint on the business loop of Interstate 83 Friday, April 23, 2010. The driver was later arrested on suspicion of DUI. DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - KATE PENN

A Juno Beach cop was arrested Wednesday after refusing a field sobriety test.

The officer, Calvin McGriff, reportedly told deputies he was having health issues related to his diabetes.

A police report said a witness called 911 as he followed a possible drunk driver swerving through lanes near Delray Beach.

The driver was later identified as McGriff.

Deputies said they smelled alcohol on his breath. McGriff told deputies he was having a diabetic attack. But as they waited for paramedics, McGriff called his wife and told her he was going to jail, officials said.

He then refused a field sobriety test and was arrested.

McGriff was released a couple of hours after his arrest.

Asafa Powell places second in Qatar diamond League 100m

Powell...placed second in Doha Diamond League

Former world record holder Asafa Powell was second behind South Africa’s Akani Bimbine is the Doha Diamond League 100 meters in Qatar on Friday.

Bimbine was the only sprinter to break the 10 second barrier with 9:99 seconds. Powell, who has the record for the most sub-10 dprints, finished in 10:08 seconds. Qatar’s Femi Ogunode was third in 10:13 seconds.

Olympic silver medalist, Justin Gatlin, was fourth in 10:14 seconds while Olympic bronze medalist Andre De Grasse of Canada was fifth.

Best of the Caribbean

Steven 'Jabba' Beckford

Steven ‘DJ Jabba’ Beckford has been in the music business long enough to know the importance of listening to your fans.

After the 2012 Best Of The Best show at Bicentennial Park in Miami, he and co-founder Joey Budafuco decided they would cut back on hip hop acts.

“In life, mi learn from my mistakes an’ people mistakes, an’ one of di mistakes mi mek was put to much hip hop artiste pon Best Of The Best,” he told Caribbean National Weekly.

Best Of The Best 2017, which takes place May 28 at Bayfront Park in Miami, was launched Thursday at Club Iguana in Pembroke Pines.

This year has a strong Jamaican dancehall lineup, complemented by acts from Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas. According to DJ Jabba, while 2012 was a commercial success, the fans were not pleased with the number of hip hop artistes.

“We had Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, 2 Chainz an’ Young Jeezy an’ it draw a wicked crowd but wi core people neva like it,” he explained.

Best Of The Best audiences, he noted, love to see a diverse Caribbean package. Which is what promoters are offering this year.

In addition to current dancehall heavyweights Mavado, Aidonia, Masica, Christopher Martin and Dexta Daps, Trinidadian soca artistes Patrice Roberts and Lyrikal, and Bahamian performers Julien Believe and Dyson Knight, are on the bill.

“The Bahamian people roll out an’ support wi, like the Trinidad people, so wi treat dis as a family business. Wi have to make everybody happy,” said Jabba.

Best Of The Best was first held in 2007 at Bicentennial Park. It celebrated its tenth anniversary last year.

Elaine Thompson wins Diamond League opener over Schippers

Elaine Thompson races off against Dafne Schippers

Jamaica’s double Olympic sprint champion, Elaine Thompson, won the 200 meters at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar over her perennial rival Dafne Schippers.

Running out of lane 8, Thompson posted a season best time of 22:19 to beat Schippers (22:45) convincingly. The Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Talou was third in 22:77.

Though posting a season’s best of 23:00, Jamaican Simone Facey could only manage fourth while her compatriot and former World and Olympic champion, Veronica Campbell Brown was fifth in 23:09.

 

Jamaica’s Goule finishes eighth in Doha Diamond League 800m

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule could only manage an eighth place finish in the Doha Diamond League 800 meters on Friday.

Goule’s 2;01:59 found her way off the pace that was won by South African Caster Semenya in a season’s best of 1:56:61. Kenyans Margaret Wambu and Eunice Sum were second and third respectively.

African athletes copped the first five places in the middle distance event with Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu and Genzebe Dibaba coming in fourth and fifth.

Three Jamaican netballers suspended after locking horns with coach

Jermaine Allison-McCracken...suspends three senior jamaican netballers

Three of Jamaica’s senior netball players have been suspended indefinitely from the training squad following repeated confrontations with newly appointed head coach Jermaine Allison-McCracken.

The three senior players Nicole Dixon, Shanice Beckford and Khadijah Williams, have been told not to return to training until they appear before a disciplinary committee of Netball Jamaica.

Hey were fired as the Jamaica team prepared for an upcoming series against Barbados.

The players have been reported opposed to Allison-McCracken’s coaching methods and were disruptive and disrespectful.

The coach is said to have the full backing of the board.

Richards and Dixon have been members of the national senior programme for several years now.

In 2015 they were signed by Team Northumbria in the Vitality Netball Superleague in the United Kingdom.

Williams has also represented Jamaica for several years and was a member of Jamaica’s team to the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Jamaican-born female usher fired from White House

Reid...sacked by Trump administration

Jamaican Angella Reid, the first female chief usher at the White House, has been fired from the post.

CNN reported Friday that Reid was abruptly sacked this week. She was appointed by the Obama administration in October, 2011 and took up her post the following month.

Born in St. Thomas, Reid had worked with Ritz-Carlton companies for 25 years when she got the job.

Her functions included managing the staff of butlers, maids, chefs, florists and electricians. She also worked closely with the first family, including providing guidance on the furnishings, art and décor.

Reid was the second black person appointed chief usher. She succeeded the first, Admiral Stephen W. Rochon, who worked in the George W. Bush and Obama (first term) administrations.

BPCS holds opportunity event for small business vendors

Broward County Small Business vendors

Small, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses Offered Assistance to Secure Contracts

Local businesses are invited to attend a Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) business outreach event on May 8, 2017 from 9 am to 1 pm, at the Urban League of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale.

The event will provide an overview of the new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program Policy 3330 and a 2017 Procurement Opportunities Forecast. It is designed for all businesses in the tri-county area interested in doing business with BCPS and is free to attend.

The purpose of the event, hosted by the District’s Procurement and Warehousing Services Department | Supplier Diversity and Outreach Program (SDOP), is to unveil the new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program and provide detailed information on how local businesses can learn more about the opportunities to provide products and services to the District. Business owners will also be able to speak directly with key BCPS staff about upcoming business opportunities.

“The School Board is keeping its promise to promote supplier diversity and ensure equal opportunity for local small, minority and women-owned businesses to provide products and services to Broward Schools,” said Mary Coker, Director, Procurement and Warehousing Services Department. “We are ensuring that there is a fair and balanced bidding environment and are eager to help vendors with the process.”

Register to attend the event at bcpsprocurement17.eventbrite.com or contact The Mosaic Group atevents@upscalebymosaic.com or 561.651.9565.  For more information about the Supplier Diversity Outreach Program, call(754) 321-0505 or visit browardschools.com/sdop.

The Supplier Diversity Outreach Program builds capacity in the local business community by providing increased opportunities for underutilized business to do business with BCPS, generates growth among local businesses by providing increased preferences to Small/Minority/Women Business Enterprises (S/M/WBEs), and creates jobs and career opportunities for local residents.

The adoption of the new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program followed a disparity study, completed in 2015, that identified barriers and various forms of marketplace discrimination that weakened the participation of minority and women-owned businesses.  The new policy, approved on January 18, 2017, takes effect on July 1, 2017.

Collin bets on Rajiv

Collin Maragh (R) shares a happy moment with his son Rajiv

BY Howard Campbell

When Rajiv Maragh takes the track astride Irish War Cry in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday, he won’t be short of fans.

Forty of his family and friends are making the trip to Louisville to cheer him in on in the Run For The Roses. Leading the pack will be his father Colin Maragh.

Maragh senior, 55, believes his eldest son has an outstanding chance of winning his first derby in five attempts.

“This one looks like the right one; he definitely has a good shot once he has a good draw an’ some luck,” he said.

Irish War Cry is coming from the 17 draw which some pundits argue gives him an advantage as he will not be in the early jostle.

Colin Maragh, a former jockey, expects the colt to come off the pace in the ten-furlong race.

“He has a running style that suits this journey. He can either sit mid-pack or close in the stretch,” Maragh said.

Now a trainer on the US East Coast, Colin Maragh has saddled winners in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida.

Two of his three sons are jockeys. Shamir rode mainly on the New Jersey circuit but has been sidelined due to weight problems.

Rajiv is one of the US’ top jocks with over 1,600 winners. His mounts have earned more than $87 million since he started riding in 2003.

He had a life-threatening fall at Aqueduct in July 15, suffering extensive injuries that put him out of racing for sixteen months.

“A lotta people never expected him to ride again, even he’s surprised that he’s back. It’s what he loves, it’s his passion,” said the elder Maragh, who lives in New Jersey.

Like his son, Colin Maragh was born in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. He started riding at Caymanas Park, the country’s only racetrack, in 1981 and rode over 165 winners in a 15-year career.

Miami-Dade principal of the year to be gifted new car

Jiminez...receives new car

Miami-Dade Public schools principal of the year, Maritza Jimenez, is to be gifted with a new car in recognition of her outstanding service to education.

Jimenez will be presented with a 2017 Toyota Corolla Luxury Edition by Craig Zinn’s Toyota of Hollywood. The presentation will be made at the Hialeah Gardens Middle School on Friday May 5.

Jimenez has served as principal of Hialeah Gardens Middle School (HGMS) since 2008.  She brings more than 20 years of experience in administration and curricular expertise.  During her tenure at HGMS, she has boosted test scores and attendance rates, as well as instituted an International Cambridge Program and several popular and successful academies.

Messi to play in Argentina’s next three matches after winning FIFA appeal

Messi...wins appeal against FIFA ban

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, will play in Argentina’s next three World Cup qualifying matches after winning an appeal against a ban by football’s governing body FIFA on Friday.

Messi was slapped with four match a ban after being accused of insulting a referee’s assistant.

Messi has already sat out one match when FIFA’s disciplinary committee made its ruling before Argentina’s 2-0 loss in Bolivia in March.

FIFA said its appeal committee considered Messi’s behavior “reproachable” for verbally abusing a linesman late in a 1-0 win over Chile on March 23. But the panel concluded the “evidence available was not sufficient to establish to the appropriate standard” required for the disciplinary committee to impose the initial suspension.

“The appeal committee nevertheless underlines the importance of always showing respect to the match officials, stressing that such a principle is essential in football and any unsporting conduct that may be contrary to the principles of fair play cannot be accepted,” FIFA said in a statement.

Argentina’s next World Cup qualifier is at Uruguay on August 31.

Argentina is fifth in the 10-team South American group with four games left.

The 2014 World Cup runner-up is in line to advance to a November playoff against a team from Oceania, likely to be New Zealand.

Jamaica to get speed and license cameras

Jamaica to get Speed cameras

Jamaica’s National Works Agency (NWA) is to receive speed and license plate cameras from the government.

This was revealed by Minister of National Security, Robert Montague at at the launch of the United Nations (UN) Global Road Safety Week at the Ministry of Transport and Mining’s headquarters in Kingston, recently.

The new equipment will be used to deter motorists from flouting the Road Traffic Act with the aim of reducing the number of traffic fatalities on the nation’s streets.

Between January 1 and April 31 this year, 110 persons have lost their lives in Traffic accidents. Last year the road fatality count was 379

“It will enhance the Road Traffic Act, because it will allow the courts to utilize the electronically generated tickets. We are going to be utilizing technology in assisting, because the police are low with numbers in monitoring some of the activities on the street,” Montague said.

He used the opportunity to appeal to delinquent motorists to take advantage of a new 60-day amnesty to pay fines on outstanding traffic tickets.

The amnesty will come into effect on July 1.

“We want persons to make use of it, because the fees under the new act are going to be more expensive than under the old act,” he said.

Trumpcare passed!

A gloating Donald Trump

House Republicans have passed their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The measure will now be sent to the Senate, where it is expected to be significantly revised.

The bill passed the House in a narrow 217-213 vote on Thursday. All Democrats opposed the bill.

Following the House vote, House Republicans celebrated with a press conference at the White House Rose Garden with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Trump touted the bill as a “great plan” even though they got “no support from the other party.”

He congratulated and thanked House Speaker Paul Ryan and praised House Republicans for coming together.

“What we have is something very, very incredibly well-crafted,” Trump said.

“This has really brought the Republican Party together,” Trump added. “As much as we’ve come up with a really incredible health care plan, this has brought the Republican Party together. We’re going to get this finished.”

Even though the bill has passed the House, there are major roadblocks ahead in the Senate, where the bill is expected to undergo significant changes.

West Indies bundle out Pakistan to level home series

West Indies' players celebrate

The West Indies’ Test team turned in a gritty final-day display against Pakistan to level their home three-match series in Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.

Shannon Gabriel starred with the ball as the West Indies’ seam attack bundled Pakistan for 81 to win by 106 runs and set up a deciding final test in Dominica next week.

Pakistan appeared likely to win the test and the three-match series when they limited the Windies to 268 all out to leave a fourth-innings target of 188.

However, West Indies bowlers expertly exploited a pitch offering variation in bounce to reduce Pakistan to 36-7 and sealed a comprehensive victory after a brief fightback from Sarfraz Ahmed (23) and 3(20).

Gabriel finished with figures of 5-11 from 11 overs, while fellow quicks Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph also impressed en route to 3-23 and 2-42 respectively.

The hosts began the day on 264-9 and added just four to that total before Yasir Shah had Devendra Bishoo (20) caught at mid-off to finish with 7-94.

Pakistan survived the first six overs of their chase without losing a wicket but then things fell apart for the visitors.

 

Bidders for NMIA

Norman Manley International Airport to reopen tomorrow, Sangster’s reopen today
The Norman Manley International Airport

The Development Bank of  Jamaica (DBJ), has received nine applications in response to the Government’s Request for Qualification for the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) public-private partnership project.

Applications were received mainly from overseas firms.

DBJ Managing Director Milverton Reynolds says the NMIA Enterprise Team will now review and assess the submissions to determine if  they meet legal, technical and financial criteria.

He expects that the list of  pre-qualified firms will be announced by the Government within several weeks and a Request for Proposal issued to them next month.

The pre-qualified firms will be allowed to conduct due diligence to support the preparation and submission of  their bids which is targeted for November.

The Government expects to announce the winning bidder by December.

The Norman Manley International Airport is owned by the Airports Authority of  Jamaica (AAJ) – it is  currently operated by NMIA Airports, a wholly-owned subsidiary of  the AAJ.

Billions needed for Jamaica’s justice reform

Jamaica's Justice Minister Delroy Chuck

The Jamaica government says it will cost an estimated J$7 billion to reform the justice system by 2020.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, during the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, said this amount does not include the cost for infrastructural works and institutional capacity.

He noted that the Andrew Holness government will continue with the reform of the justice system with support from the country’s partners.

“The Justice Undertakings for Social Transformation (JUST) programme will continue to strengthen the judiciary through training, development of manuals and improvements to the system,” Chuck said, adding that the Justice, Security, Accountability and Transparency (JSAT) Project will advance the work that has been started to install the new technologies in the courts and to contribute to the timely disposal of cases and improve witness protection.

Chuck also told Parliamentarians that the Ministry will put the Alternative Dispute Resolution infrastructure in 1,000 schools.

“Many persons do not understand how important Alternative Dispute Resolution is, but we want to put it in all the schools,” he said, adding that the government will establish 14 Parish Justice Centres, which will be opened by the second quarter of the fiscal year.

“We are not unmindful of the fiscal constraints, so we are utilising existing vacant public properties to get the most out of the resources,” Chuck said, adding that more Justices of the Peace (JPs) will be trained and available to provide a better quality of service to their communities and to the court system.

Grenadians told to brace for more eruptions from Kick ‘ em Jenny

Kick 'em Jenny

The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) has told Grenadians that they should expect more eruptions of the underwater volcano, Kick em’ Jenny as it reported “increased activities” on Wednesday.

In its latest advisory bulletin, NaDMA said it continues to collaborate with the Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to monitor activities at the underwater volcano that became active over the last weekend.

“Volcanic episodes at Kick em’ Jenny, since 1939, usually consist of several eruptions lasting over several days before returning to repose; therefore, further eruptions should be expected in this episode,” the NaDMA said, adding “there have also been a number of felt reports.

“It would be useful for those in coastal areas to be on the lookout for unusual material that might be ejected from last evening’s eruption. SRC will continue to monitor and update as activity warrants.”

NaDMA said that the alert level remains at YELLOW and that vessels should observe a 1.5 km/0.93 mile exclusion zone.

Fifth Annual Taste of Haiti celebrates Haitian cuisine

Haitian cuisine will be on the front burner

Celebrating five years of culture

 

Haitian cuisine will be on the front burner again this year during the annual celebration which will feature a new venue and many exciting new attractions.

As part of Miami-Dade County’s celebration of Haitian Heritage Cultural Month, the fifth Annual Taste of Haiti will take place on Saturday, May 13 from 3 to 10 p.m. at Miami Dade College North Campus.

Admission is free and open to the general public.

The event will showcase top Haitian chefs, restaurants, and food trucks, including several new dining experiences showcasing culinary delights.

“I am excited about this year’s event, and I am looking forward to personally welcoming our residents to one of the premier community events in South Florida,” said Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime. “The uniqueness of the festival is that it unites everyone with good food and music and allows all cultures to experience a ‘Taste of Haiti.’”

New attractions this year will include a pikliz eating contest, and a Chef’s Gourmet Cook-off featuring South Florida’s own Chef Creole, as well as Chef Irie and Chef Thia from PBS’s “Taste the Islands.”

“This marquee event is the only major event of its kind, specifically celebrating Haiti’s food culture, bringing together some of the top culinary professionals and restaurants in the community,” said top chef and CEO/President of the Haitian Culinary Alliance, Stephan Durand.

Honoring the protectors 

Some of South Florida’s finest turned out at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Fort Lauderdale on April 29, for the second Protect The Children Gala.

Presented by the Female Development World Organization (FDWO) and Kiwanis Club of Lauderhill, four persons were honored for tireless work tackling sexual child abuse.

They are Pastor Marcus Davidson, who received the International Leadership Award; Juliet Murphy Roulhac, recipient of the Humanitarian Award and Barbara Weinstein who accepted the Protect the Children Freedom Award.

Juliet Holness, wife of Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the evening’s keynote speaker, was the first recipient of the Dr. Rita Marley Ambassador Award.

Roulhac, a Kingston-born attorney who has lived in South Florida since she was 15, said the recognition is gratifying.

“This inspires us to keep on doing important work,” she told the audience.

Holness is founder of the Save Our Boys And Girls Foundation, which helps educate and empower impoverished children in Jamaica.

She lauded the FDWO’s efforts to reduce child abuse. For her, talking is not enough.

“As my husband always says, implement, implement, implement. Over the years, successive governments have failed to implement,” said Holness.

The function was well-attended. Guests included Rita Marley, widow of reggae legend Bob Marley; City of Miramar Mayor, Wayne Messam; Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness; and Franz Hall, Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami.

University of the West Indies in Barbados announces fee hike

Four years after the Barbados Government stopped paying tuition fees for Barbadian students, the University of the West Indies (UWI) hikes tuition prices.

Yesterday, the Cave Hill campus of the UWI announced that a decision was taken by the UWI Council at its annual business meeting last Thursday to increase tuition fees.

From the beginning of the 2017/2018 academic year, tuition fees in the faculties of Social Sciences, Humanities and Education and Science Technology will move from BD$5,625 to BD$6,000, an increase of 6.67 per cent. Tuition fees in the Factuality of Law will move from $8,808 to $9,000- an increase of 2.18 per cent-, while fees within the Faculty of Medical Sciences remain unchanged.

The new change will also affect graduate programs financed by University Grants Committee, but the fees for the taught masters programs remain unchanged, UWI said.

 

 

Ffriend bounces back

Jamaican basketball player cops MVP award despite manslaughter woes

Jamaican basketball player Kimani Ffriend, seems to have brushed his travails aside after being recently named Most Valuable Player in the Serbian Basketball League.

In the recently concluded season, Ffriend ,39, averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game for Dynamic. By virtue of his outstanding play, Ffriend accumulated the most index points (672) for the season and was named MVP.

During the 26 weeks of the league, Ffriend was MVP of the round seven times. His 221 rebounds was the second highest of the season as were his 486 points.

Ffriend is currently awaiting the verdict of his appeal on a vehicular manslaughter conviction for which he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

In September 2014, Ffriend was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for the death of Nevena Dragutinovic, a 30-year-old account executive. She was hit by a car being driven by Ffriend in Belgrade on the morning of November 3, 2012. Reports said she had just alighted from a taxi cab at about 4 a.m. when she was hit.

He appealed the verdict and was last in court for the appeal hearing in March. His is now awaiting the verdict which is expected in the coming weeks.

National Weekly May 4, 2017

Four more Jamaicans plead guilty to multi-million dollar lottery scam

It Thursday May 4 and we are looking at some of the top stories across your Caribbean American community.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum could be Florida’s next, and first African-American, governor. Gillum, 37, threw his hat into the ring in the race for the Governor’s seat as incumbent Governor Rick Scott’s tenure ends in November 2018. Gillum debuted in Florida politics when at age-23 he was elected to the Tallahassee city commission. In 2014, at age 34, he was elected mayor.

Prisoners in St. Kitts are using their time behind bars to further their education, with the assistance of correctional staff at Her Majesty’s Prison. Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris, is pleased with efforts to rehabilitate inmates. Speaking at the first Her Majesty’s Prison Officers’ Awards Service at Immanuel Methodist Church in Sandy Point, Harris said there is a significant increase in CSEC/CXC and CAPE subject passes by inmates.

The City of Miami recently secured a major victory in a lawsuit filed against major commercial banks including Bank of America and Wells Fargo. The city claimed the banks practiced predatory lending methods against African American and Hispanics and was largely responsible for hundreds of these Miami residents losing their homes to foreclosure when the housing crisis erupted in 2008 and thereafter.

And in sports

The Combined Islands and Jamaica will meet on Saturday at Lauderhill Sports Park in the Lauderhill T20 Night Cricket final. They play for the Mayor’s Cup, starting at 6:00. Both teams easily beat their opponents, Trinidad and Tobago and Pakistan respectively, in the semi-finals which were also played at Lauderhill Sports Park last Saturday night.

Here’s what’s trending…

 Four more Jamaicans charged in the United States in what authorities say is a multimillion-dollar lottery scam pleaded not guilty in federal court in North Dakota. Jason Jahalal, Kazrae Gray, Dahlia Hunter, and Xanu Morgan all waived detention hearings and will remain in custody pending further court proceedings, according to court documents. No immediate trial date was set for the suspects.

For Tomorrow’s weather forecast.

It will be mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and partly cloudy in Palm Beach county with a high of 88 and a low of 64. Today’s news was brought to you by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, who encourages you to Protect Your Baby, Vaccinate On Time, Every Time.  They remind you that Immunizations are SAFE, PROVEN PROTECTION. For more on these and other stories visit us at caribbeannationalweekly.com Make sure to pick your copy of Caribbean News weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.

Teenage Trinidadian husband sent to anger management classes for wife beating

Wife beater

A teenage Trinidadian husband who admitted he kicked and slapped around his wife, has been ordered to attend anger management classes and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions.

A Trinidad court also ordered that the accused wife beater, Arvin Gokool, stay away from his wife, Alliyah Ali who was left with a badly bruised.

Gokool of San Fernando was charged with assault by beating. He admitted to beating his wife in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court..

The accused man also beat his wife with a mop handle, forcing her to seek treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital.

Court records show that Gokool had been convicted in the past for larceny of a dwelling house and was also charged with possession of marijuana.

Gokool admitted that he used illegal drugs in the past and for three years he had been using alcohol.

He was granted TT$25,000 bail with a surety and was ordered by the court to attend Alcoholics Anonymous sessions, provide proof of his attendance to the court and visit the National Family Services for anger management sessions.

Gokool will return to court on May 31.

Applications open for Miss Jamaica Florida Beauty Pageant

Miss Jamaica Florida

Applications are now being accepted for the 28th edition of the Miss Jamaica Florida Beauty Pageant.

The pageant has four categories and is open to young ladies between the ages 6 to 25 years, who reside in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, single, never married, nor given birth to a child and are of Jamaican descent.

Pageant Director, Keisha Edmond, explained that while potential contestants who meet the pageant requirements live in other sections of the state, logistics would make it difficult for potential contestants from outside the tri-county area to effectively compete.

“It is not an exclusion but from past experience we have come to realize that persons who live further north than Palm Beach would have a hard time participating in the activities we have planned such as etiquette and public speaking workshops,” Edmond said.

There will be four age categories open for application:

The Little Miss Jamaica Florida (ages 6-8 years); Junior Miss Jamaica Florida (9-12 years); Teen Miss Jamaica Florida (13-17 years); and Miss Jamaica Florida (18-25 years).

The final pageant will be held on October 29.

The winners will be awarded cash prizes, make appearances at select events in South Florida during their one-year reign and will be given a trip to Jamaica.

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