Serena Williams declares she’s pregnant
Its Thursday, April 20. We’re taking a look at some of the top stories that are making the news across your Caribbean-American community … Good Afternoon and welcome I’m ……………, and you’re watching CNW90. The coverage today is brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today. Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!.
Harold Fairweather, the oldest child of the world’s oldest person, Violet Brown, died at his Duanvale, Trelawny home on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Prior to his death, Fairweather held the record for being the oldest living person with a parent alive. Fairweather’s mother celebrated her 117th birthday last month, while he observed the 97th anniversary of his birth on Saturday.
A luxury hotel in South Beach, Miami-Dade, is facing a discrimination lawsuit that claims a group of Haitian dishwashers were fired because of their race, color and nationality and were called “slaves” by managers. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit Tuesday against the SLS Hotel, claiming they violated federal law. The suit alleges the Haitian workers were terminated and replaced with light-skinned Hispanics. It also claims managers called the black employees disparaging names, and banned them from speaking in Creole on the jobs, while allowing Hispanic workers to speak in Spanish at the same workplace..
The head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) Sandra Honoré, says the mission will cease operations in Haiti within six months. Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Honoré said what the progress achieved during the past 13 years in Haiti’s stabilization process is notable and has recommended the closure of MINUSTAH in six months, and replace it with a smaller peacekeeping operation with concentrated focus on the rule of law and police development, and human rights monitoring roles
In Sports
Jamaican Aljamain Sterling defeated Brazilian Augusto Mendes by a unanimous decision at the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday. The judges’ scored Sterling a winner by 29-28 across the board. After a slow start Aljamain Sterling’s mixed martial arts skills were on point, as he feinted with kicks to keep his opponent on the backfoot..
Here’s What’s Trending
23 time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, on Wednesday posted pictures on the social media website, Snapchat, indicating she is pregnant. The tennis star posted a photograph of her belly before deleting the post minutes later. The singer posted a picture of herself in a bathing suit and captioned it ’20 weeks’. Williams 35, announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in December.
For today’s weather forecast
It will be partly cloudy in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties with a High of 82 degrees and a low of 68. For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbeannationalweekly.com. Make Sure to pick up your copy of the National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.
Today’s coverage was brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today. Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!”
This has been CNW90, I’m ……………………..
$15 million in public benefit over-payments recovered by OPBI
The Florida Department of Children and Families’ Office of Public Benefits Integrity (OPBI) has recovered more than $15 million dollars in public benefit over-payments in just the first three months of 2017.
The figure represents the highest amount ever recovered in one quarter since the office was created six years ago. Since that time the OPBI has recovered more than $134 million dollars.
“We are committed to making sure that public benefits get to the individuals and families who need them quickly and accurately,” DCF Secretary Mike Carroll said. “So many families count on our services and the public can be assured that the integrity of the public benefits system is sound through the processes and diligence of those in the department, especially within the Office of Public Benefits Integrity.”
Within OPBI, the Benefit Recovery Program focuses on maintaining the integrity of public assistance programs through accurate identification of overpaid benefits; acting as stewards for state and federal taxpayer dollars.
Overpayments can be due to administrative error, client error, or fraud. Collection options to recover the public assistance funds include cash payments, online payments, intercepting Lottery winnings, the Treasury Offset Program and future benefit garnishment.
DCF continues to lead the country in recovering overpayments and as a result, Florida is eligible to retain a portion of the funds recovered in the Federal Grants Trust Fund. Over the last three years, OPBI has retained more in recoveries than the state spends to fund the program, netting a positive return on investment.
DCF’s Office of Public Benefits Integrity is responsible for investigating public assistance fraud or misuse regarding the SNAP (Food Assistance), TANF (cash assistance), and Medicaid programs by individuals or merchants. OPBI is dedicated to preventing, detecting, and recovering waste, fraud, and abuse within the public assistance programs.
Jamaica wins Carifta Chess Championships
Jamaica are the 2017 champions of Carifta chess after seven rounds of play in the Championships which were held in the island recently.
Jamaica last won the tournament in 2013, when the event was first staged in Jamaica.
In the Under 12 (Absolute) Category, the number one seed Jamaica’s Candidate Master (CM) David Thomas took the Under 12 title, after defeating fellow Jamaican Coy Wilson in the final round to top the standings with 6.5 points from seven games.
CM Leigh Sandiford of Barbados got the better of Jamaica’s Darren McKennis to take second place in the Under 12 Category on a tiebreaker over Jamaica’s Nathan Walsh, as both players ended on six points from their seven games. Walsh secured his six points with a final round win over compatriot Mikhail Bond.
In the Under 12 Girls Category, Jamaica’s Johmoi Blake was declared the champion on tiebreak over Vanessa Greenidge of Barbados, after both players ended tied on 6 points. Third place went to Trinidad and Tobago’s Zara La Fleur who ended on 5.5 points.
Jamaica’s Joshua Christie had to settle for silver in the Under 16 (Absolute) Category after losing to the defending champion, Alan-Safar Ramoutar of Trinidad and Tobago in round 6. At the end of round 7, both players were tied on 6 points, however Ramoutar was declared the Champion on tiebreak, having defeated Christie in their head-to-head battle. Third place was copped by Jamaica’s Jhustice-Dimonte McDonald who secured 5.5 points from his seven games.
In the Under 16 Girls Category, Jamaica’s Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Adani Clarke came out tops after defeating Pritika Kandamaran of Barbado.
Despite suffering two defeats on day three of the Championships, top seed Taqesyah Marcos of Curacao rallied on the final day to secure two wins and second place behind Clarke. Third place was shared by Jamaicans Ashanti Blackwood and Aulani Kidd, who each ended on 4.5 points.
In the Under 20 Girls Category, top seed Sheanel Gardener of Jamaica recovered from a poor start to take the overall title with 5.5 points, after securing back-to-back victories against Tian Henry and Deidre-Ann Johnson in her two final games. Second place went to another Jamaican Akelia Donaldson on tiebreak over Nickaylah Curwin and Gabriela Cumberbatch of Barbados, after the three players ended tied on 4.5 points each.
Despite good showings from Jamaica’s top Under 20 players, the coveted Under 20 (Absolute) Category was won for the third year in a row by Barbadian FIDE Master Orlando Husbands, who ended on 6.5 points from seven games. Second place went to the number two seed Barbadian FIDE Master Yu Tien Poon who was also unbeaten with 6 points. Third place was shared by Jamaica’s Malik Curriah and Aruba’s Jomar Benschop after each player ended on five points.
The next CARIFTA Chess Championships are scheduled to take place next year in Suriname
Six hurricanes, 12 storms expected this season
As the Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches, meteorologists and storm trackers are preparing for the masses of cyclones to develop in the warm waters of the Atlantic.
Reports states that during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season, starting June 1 through November 30, there are expected to be 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes to develop in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to The Weather Company, this forecast of cyclones are predicted to be less active than a year ago.
Dr. Phil Koltzbach, head of the Colorado State University (CSU) Tropical Meteorology Project, called for 11 expected storms, and four expected in the Atlantic Basin.
Currently, meteorologists are tracking the sub-tropics for any updates on the first subtropical depression to form before the official start of the season, and is considered a rare development.
According to the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, there has only been one recorded tropical storm recorded during April from 1851 to 2016.
Although meteorologists feel the storm poses no immediate threat and believed to be short-lived, should the depression advance it would be given the name Arlene.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the depression is moving north-northeast at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
Koltzbach said the northern Atlantic Ocean water temperatures are colder than average and tropical Atlantic sea-surface temperatures have cooled, which cause the atmospheric conditions to be unfavorable for development of Atlantic hurricanes.
Although only 12 storms and a handful of hurricanes are expected, always have an emergency hurricane plan and be cautious when meteorologists are watching the tropics.
Germaine Mason dies in motorbike accident
Jamaican-born high jumper, Germaine Mason died early this morning following a motorcycle accident in Harbour View, Kingston.
Mason, 34, was riding a CBR motorbike on the Florizel Glasspole Boulevard when he reportedly lost control of the bike and crashed. The accident occurred about 4:20 AM.
Mason won a silver medal in the high jump for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
He holds the Jamaican high jump national record of 2.34 meters. While representing Jamaica, he won gold at the Junior Pan Am Games in 2000 and again in 2002, in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Bridgetown, Barbados respectively. At the World Junior Championships held in Chile in 2000, Mason won the silver medal in the high jump. He also won the high jump title at the Pan American Championships in 2003.
Mason was a close friend of eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt and former English Premier League and Reggae Boyz footballer, Ricardo Bibi’ Gardner, with whom he attended the Wolmer’s Boys School.
At the time of his death, Mason operated a micro-financing business in Kingston.
Florida Democratic Party calls for Senator Frank Artiles’ head
Despite an apology by Miami Republican Senator Frank Artiles , the Florida Democratic Party is calling for his head on the chopping block.
Artiles flew into a tirade and spewed racial vitriol at his African-American colleagues a bar-room chat with them.
Artiles spoke on the floor of the Florida Senate on Wednesday, saying “no one deserves to be spoken to like that”. His apology stems from a late-night incident at the Governors Club, not far from the State Capitol.
He berated two black senators during a chat on politics.
“I stand up before all of you, every one of you, and with great humility, I ask for your forgiveness,” Artiles said on Wednesday in a nearly four-minute mea culpa. A lawmaker approached Mr Artiles to ask if his objections to a bill she had filed were political payback for her questions about one of his previous bills.
Artiles reportedly used insults and profanity against African-American Senators Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville and Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale.
He allegedly referred to Ms Gibson as a “bitch” and a “girl”.
In response to the racist and sexist slurs used by Frank Artiles when referring to his African-American and female colleagues in the Senate, Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Johanna Cervone issued the following statement:
“Frank Artiles must resign now. His use of horrific racist and sexist slurs towards his colleagues is disgusting, unacceptable and has no place in our democracy or our society. This is just the latest in a string of violent, hateful incidents in which Artiles blames his ‘temper’. There is never an excuse for racism or misogyny and the people of Florida aren’t buying it. Resign now.”
97-year-old son of world’s oldest person dies
Harold Fairweather, the oldest child of the world’s oldest person, Violet Brown, died at his Duanvale, Trelawny home in Jamaica Wednesday morning.
He died after a brief illness.
Prior to his death, Fairweather held the record for being the oldest living person with a parent alive.
Fairweather’s mother celebrated her 117th birthday last month, while he observed the 97th anniversary of his birth on Saturday.
His birthday coincided with the day Brown is believed to have become the world’s oldest living person following the death of previous world’s oldest, Emma Morano of Italy.
Brown, born March 10, 1900, is considered to be the oldest person in the world with credible birth documentation, according to Robert Young, director of the supercentenarian research and database division at Gerontology Research Group, a network of volunteer researchers into the world’s oldest people.
But she is yet to be declared the world’s oldest by Guinness World Records, considered to be the official arbiter of the oldest person title but Guinness depends heavily on Young’s group. Young said he has met Brown and examined her birth certificate, which was issued by the British authorities who governed Jamaica at the time of her birth.
71-year-old church elder sentenced for bribing child to have sex with him
A 71-year-old church volunteer, who said the devil took control of him, was slapped with a 10-year sentence for attempting to bribe a 14-year-old girl to have sex with him.
Fort Lauderdale insurance broker Timothy Taffe told the girl he would give her his BMW and leave her an inheritance if she had sex with him. He also sent her graphic photos of himself and gave her instructions on getting birth control pills.
They met at an Episcopal church where he volunteered as a greeter.
Her family contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and local police about his conduct.
The police took control of the child’s email and phone and intercepted his messages.
U.S. District Judge William Zloch during Monday’s hearing rejected Taffe’s comment that “the devil really had control of me.
MINUSTAH mission to Haiti to end in six months
The head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) Sandra Honoré, says the mission will cease operations in Haiti within six months.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Honoré said that the progress achieved during the past 13 years in Haiti’s stabilization process is notable and it “is therefore timely to reshape the partnership among the international community, the United Nations and Haiti with a view to ensuring the sustainability of this progress
It is with this in mind, that the Secretary-General has recommended the closure of MINUSTAH in six months from now and the establishment of a smaller peacekeeping operation with concentrated focus on the rule of law and police development, with strong good offices and human rights monitoring roles.
“With your support, the transition from MINUSTAH to a new and smaller Mission would be guided by a Joint Transition Plan that underpins the gradual transfer of tasks to the Government, international partners and the UN Country Team,” she added.
The UN mission, established in June 2004 by a UN Security Council resolution, succeeded a Multinational Interim Force (MIF) after then President Bertrand Aristide departed Haiti for exile in the aftermath of an armed conflict which spread to several cities across the country.
In January 2010, the Security Council, by resolution, endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendation to increase the overall force levels of MINUSTAH to support the immediate recovery, reconstruction and stability efforts in the country.
Marlon Samuels donates to blind foundation
West Indies Cricketer Marlon Samuels, through his Marlon Samuels Foundation, has assisted Jamaica’s blind community with a J$1.5Million (US$11,700) contribution to The Jamaica Society for the Blind.
The donation is to assist in fulfilling of their mandate of promoting the welfare, education and employment of persons who are blind or visually impaired in Jamaica.
The donation was made at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Tuesday, and was received by Executive Director of the Jamaica Society for the Blind, Ms. Lola Marson.
Samuels also made a presentation of JM$350,000 (USD$2700) to a visually impaired student from Church Teacher’s College (CTC), 23-year-old Garfield Mitchell. Mitchell passed seven Caribbean Examinations Council subjects and is now his dream of becoming a teacher but has faced challenges with paying his tuition.
Samuels has been supporting Jamaica’s blind community since 2013 after he suffered an eye injury while playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Australian Big Bash Twenty20 tournament, which left him confined to his hotel room and unable to see for two weeks.
“Well, the urge for this is definitely two weeks of closing my left eye and not being able to see anything out of my right eye. It was total darkness, so I can imagine what they are going through for their entire life being like that,” said Samuels.
Haitians dishwashers sue South Beach hotel for slave treatment
A luxury hotel in South Beach, Miami is facing a discrimination lawsuit that claims a group of Haitian dishwashers were fired because of their race, color and nationality and were called “slaves” by managers.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit Tuesday against the SLS Hotel, claiming they violated federal law.
The suit alleges the Haitian workers were terminated and replaced with light-skinned Hispanics. It also claims managers called the black employees disparaging names, even referring to them as “slaves.”
James Greeley, chief legal officer for the hotel, said the company decided more than two years ago to outsource the staffing of some departments at the SLS Hotel for economic reasons, to try to manage “the wide seasonal fluctuations in the Florida market.”
“When this issue first came to our attention, we immediately conducted a thorough internal investigation and found no evidence of wrongdoing,” Greeley said in a statement. “We shared all of that information with the EEOC, and have been engaged in what we thought were cooperative and good-faith discussions about how to resolve this matter. We do not believe we have done anything wrong and will fully defend our company against any false claims.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation and changes at the hotel.
Olympic champion Omar McLeod to face high class field at Prefontaine Classic
Jamaica’s 2016 Olympic 110-metres hurdles champion, Omar McLeod, takes on a stacked field in the sprint hurdles event at the 2017 Prefontaine Classic set for Eugene, Oregon on May 26 and 27.
McLeod, the 2016 World number one, will take on the last four number-one sprint hurdlers that will include the last two Olympic Champions, the last two World Champions and the World Record Holder.
McLeod is the first sprint hurdler to break 10 seconds in the flat 100m and 13 seconds in the 110m hurdles but he will face four others who have also run under the 13-seconds.
The Jamaican Olympic champion and World Indoor Champion, will be challenged by world-record holder Aries Merritt (12.80), Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov (12.98) who is the defending world champion from Beijing in 2015, and American David Oliver, who boasts a personal best of 12.89.
McLeod’s best time is 12.87 seconds.
Also in the line-up will be Frenchman, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (12.95) and Dimitri Bascou, (13.12) the Olympic bronze medalist and 2016 European champion, Andrew Pozzi, of Great Britain, who capped an undefeated indoor season in the 60 hurdles with a European Indoor gold.
Facebook Killer Commits Suicide
Jamaican attorney at law, Jo-Anne Jackson-Stephens, is the recipient of the STEP Excellence Award for the highest score worldwide in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Company Law and Practice. Jackson-Stephens is a former Jamaican Independence Scholar and also holds a MBA from the University of Oxford where she graduated with Distinction, is an associate at Higgs and Johnson in the Cayman Islands since October 2015.
Panama’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign was dealt a savage blow after midfielder, Amilcar Henriquez, was gunned down in the country’s Colon province. Henriquez’ killing was confirmed by the Panamanian National Police. The police report that the 33-year-old midfielder was leaving his home when a gunman shot him several times. Another two people were wounded. Henriquez was taken to a nearby public hospital, where he died.
Florida International University has launched a new program that promises to pay 100% of tuition and fees for students who cannot afford college. The scholarship is called the Golden Promise. Students can take 30 credit hours a year and earn a bachelor’s degree in four years. Students must register full-time, take at least 12 hours per semester and must maintain a 2.0 GPA at the minimum. Eligible students must be, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, Florida residents and have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
In Sports
Jamaica once again underlined their dominance of the CARIFTA Games in Curacao by amassing 86 medals -39 gold, 28 silver and 19 bronze – in the three-day competition held between 15-17 April.
Here’s What’s Trending
The man dubbed the Facebook killer, Steve Stephens, committed suicide yesterday in Pennsylvania as cops closed in on him. Stephens, 37, sparked a multi-state manhunt after he shot and killed 74 year-old Robert Godwin seemingly at random on Sunday, recording the encounter on his phone and uploading the horrific video to Facebook.
For today’s weather forecast
It will be partly cloudy with isolated showers in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties with a High of 82 degrees and a low of 64. For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbeannationalweekly.com. Make Sure to pick up your copy of the National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.
Soca singer Benjai clouted with beer bottle in Guyana
Soca artiste, Benjai, of Trinidad and Tobago received 12 stitches in the face after he was attacked by an angry patron outside a club in Guyana early Easter Sunday morning.
The incident reportedly occurred outside of the popular Night Court nightspot.
Benjai, whose real name is Rodney Le Blanc, had just finished performing inside the night club as one of the main acts at the “Easter Phenomenon” event and was mingling with patrons outside of the establishment when he became embroiled in an argument.
It has been reported that his attacker used a beer bottle and clouted Benjai in the face with such force that the bottle shattered on impact.
The singer was immediately rushed to a private hospital, where he received over a dozen stitches in the face.
The attack developed during an argument b etween Benjai and a taxi driver about some girls in his company who were leaning on the man’s vehicle. Another man is said to have assaulted the singer while his attention was directed at the taxi driver.
The singer made a formal report to the police before returning to his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago.
Jamaican Aljamain Sterling defeats Brazilian in UFC bout
Jamaican Aljamain Sterling defeated Brazilian Augusto Mendes by a unanimous decision on Saturday at Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday.
The judges’ scored Sterling a winner by were 29-28 across the board.
After a slow start Aljamain Sterling’s mixed martial arts skills were on point, as he feinted with kicks to keep his opponent on the backfoot.
Sterling (13-2) won for the first time since a finish of Johnny Eduardo in Dec. 2015, which brought him to 12-0.
Now back in the win column after a pair of losses, Sterling should be boosted by his all-around performance after admitting doubts about his style. Mendes goes back to the drawing board after an upset of Frankie Saenz in his previous outing.
Man posts video of killing 74-year old man
Its Tuesday, April 18. We’re taking a look at some of the top stories that are making the news across your Caribbean-American community … Good Afternoon, you’re watching CNW90. The coverage today is brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today. Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 rocked St. Kitts Nevis early Monday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Unit says the tremor was recorded at 1:23 am (local time) at a Latitude of 17.48 N, Longitude of 61.20 W at depth of 10 km. The Seismic Unit said the center was located 83 kilometers north east of St. John’s, Antigua; 141 Km north-north east of Point-Pitre, Guadeloupe and 171 km East of Basseterre, St. Kitts
South Florida’s public transit is not attracting the expected passenger support despite the region’s perpetual traffic congestion. Lower gas prices, taxi services like Uber and Lyft, relatively easy car payments is keeping commuters away from public transportation. The decline has been noted on county buses, Tri-Rail and Miami-Dade’s Metrorail.
Last week Jamaica’s Consul General Franz Hall greeted Jamaican nationals serving in elected office throughout the State of Florida at the Florida State Capitol, during a visit to the Florida State House of Representative in Tallahassee. Consul General Hall was among the several members of the Florida Caribbean Diplomatic Corp and elected officials participating at the 8th Annual Caribbean Day celebrations held from April 11 to 13th.
In Sports
West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle was dropped for the second time in five matches as he struggles to regain form for Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore. Ahead of Sunday’s fixture against Rising Pune Supergiants Gayle was replaced by Australian Shane Watson, as the team looks to recover from a sputtering start to the competition. The team has won just one of its opening for fixtures. Watson however, failed miserably with the bat and ball as his team lost to the Delhi Daredevils.
Here’s What’s Trending
A man who killed a 74-year-old man in Cleveland, Ohio and posted a video of the act on Facebook, is being hunted by the FBI and the Cleveland police. The video of the murderous act, was posted on the social media website on Easter Sunday, by a man identified as 37-year-old Steve Stephens. Stephens is believed to be either hiding out in Ohio or may have fled to Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, or Michigan.
For today’s weather forecast
It will be partly cloudy with scattered showers in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties with a High of 82 degrees and a low of 70. For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbeannationalweekly.com. Make Sure to pick up your copy of the National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.
Today’s coverage was brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today. Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!”
This has been CNW90, I’m ……………………..
FIU to offer free tuition
The Florida International University (FIU) has promised to pay 100% of tuition and fees for students who cannot afford college.
The scholarship is called the Golden Promise.
The University said beginning with the 2017 freshman class, the Golden Promise will cover gaps in financial aid so that students can take 30 credit hours a year and earn a bachelor’s degree in four years. Students must register full-time, at least 12 hours per semester and must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
Eligible students must be, US citizens or permanent residents, Florida residents and have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FIU awards priority financial aid to those who submit the FAFSA by March 1. Students have until June 30 to apply, but officials say the earlier you file the more money you may receive and the sooner you’ll know how much money you’re entitled to.
The students who meet the requirements typically come from families that earn less than $33,000 a year.
The Office of Financial Aid estimates that approximately 1,200 freshmen will benefit from the Golden Promise in 2017.
Seven arrested for Panamanian footballer’s killing
Panamanian authorities have arrested seven people in the slaying of national team midfielder Amilcar Henriquez.
The suspects were arrested in the Colon region on the country’s Atlantic coast, where Hernandez was slaughtered on Saturday. Three of those arrested are reported to be minors.
Authorities say a gunman shot the 33-year-old Henriquez several times, killing at least one other person and wounding a third.
Henriquez had been playing for Panama in World Cup qualifiers and for local club Arabe Unido
Facebook killer commits suicide during police chase
The man dubbed the Facebook killer, Steve Stephens, committed suicide on Tuesday morning in Pennsylvania as cops closed in on him.
Stephens, 37, sparked a multi-state manhunt after he shot and killed Robert Godwin seemingly at random on Sunday, recording the encounter on his phone and uploading the horrific video to Facebook. Godwin’s family said he had no connection to Stephens or a woman Stephens mentioned during the incident.
Stephens was spotted in a McDonald’s parking lot in Erie County just after 11 a.m. by a member of the public who quickly contacted Pennsylvania State Police. After a 2-mile chase, “troopers attempted a PIT maneuver to disable Stephens’ vehicle…As the vehicle was spinning out of control from the PIT maneuver, Stephens pulled a pistol and shot himself in the head,” a state police Facebook statement said.
Stephens was driving a white Ford Fusion, a picture of which had been circulated by police, when he was discovered.
It was not suspected that Stephens killed anyone else during his nearly 48 hours on the run. His cellphone had reportedly “pinged” in the area on Sunday; however, a search for him there was futile and officials said the report appeared unfounded. Yet federal officials were back combing through the area again on Tuesday when Stephens killed himself.
A patrolman involved in the pursuit of Stephens on Tuesday couldn’t stop his car in time and slid into Stephens’ vehicle, causing minor damage. No officers were injured, state police said in a statement.
Panamanian midfielder shot dead outside his home
Panamanian soccer player, Amilcar Henriquez, has been murdered in the country’s Colon province, police in Panama are reporting.
They say the 33-year-old midfielder was leaving his home last Saturday when a gunman shot him several times. Henriquez was taken to a nearby public hospital where he died.
Two people were also shot and wounded during the incident.
President Juan Carlos Varela condemned the killing on his Twitter account and called for
authorities in Colon to hunt down the murderers.
Henriquez was a member of Panama’s national team and played the last 10 minutes of their recent
CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against the United States last month. The game ended 1-1.
He played club soccer for Panamanian giants Arabe Unido and started both legs of their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final defeat to FC Dallas earlier this year.
Barbuda marks boundaries of coastal sanctuaries
In an effort to manage and protect its marine resources, fisheries officials in Barbuda have completed the demarcation of the island’s coastal sanctuaries.
Over the last three months, a team consisting of Barbuda Fisheries, the Codrington Lagoon National Park, Maurice Underwater Services and the Waitt Institute installed 27 buoys and 15 signs on water and land to mark the boundaries of Barbuda’s marine protected zones. These zones stem from a law passed in 2014, when the Barbuda Council established coastal sanctuaries, no net zones, and anchoring zones around the island.
The Barbuda Council established the protected zones to sustainably manage important marine habitats. The reserves allow fish and lobster populations to replenish and spillover into nearby areas that remain open for fishing.
“By designating protected areas, Barbudans have taken a bold step in managing their natural resources. They have protected critical habitats such as the Codrington Lagoon that is home to an immense fish and lobster nursery as well as significant area of coral reefs including Palastar Reef. We look forward to seeing the ecological and fisheries benefits in years to come,” says Andy Estep, Waitt Institute Science and Field Manager.
In order for sanctuaries to protect the marine environment, complying with the Barbuda’s coastal zones is key.
The team surrounding Barbuda Fisheries installed buoys and pilings to ensure that no fishing areas, no net zones and anchoring sites are clearly marked.
Sanctuary areas where no fishing can take place are marked with a yellow buoy with blue bands. Areas where no mooring or anchoring are allowed have yellow buoys with a green band, and areas where nets are prohibited have yellow buoys with a red band. Additionally, shipping lanes are marked with red/green buoys.
Boy, 9, burned with iron for being forgetful
A Pembroke Pines mother used a hot iron to burn the chest of a 9-year-old boy after she became angered that he left some paperwork at school, according to police.
The Pembroke Pines police and the Broward Sheriff’s Office Child Protection Investigations Services went to the residence of Tamecha Jean, 32, about 4 p.m. Monday.
There, investigators learned that the boy had been burned with the iron while being disciplined “because he failed to show her his school work,” according to an arrest report.
The incident allegedly happened in February and left a quarter-sized scar on the center of the boy’s chest “consistent with the shape of the tip of an iron” and another inch-long scar on the left side of his chest, the report said.
The boy told investigators that Jean used a white-colored iron with a purple handle to burn his chest area twice. During their investigation, police found an iron that was white and blue, according to the report.
Jean told investigators that she was ironing while disciplining the child, using a belt to spank him, and that he may have burned himself on the iron “because he moves around a lot while being spanked,” the report said.
During a court hearing Tuesday, Assistant State Attorney sought to have Jean held on a bond of $20,000. “The violence alleged in this case is just so aggravating that it just completely outweighs any mitigating factors your honor,” Linder said.
However, Broward Judge Christopher Pole said Jean could be released on her own recognizance but will have to wear an ankle monitor as her case proceeds through court. Additionally, she was ordered not to have contact with the boy or his two siblings until a family court judge rules otherwise.
Jean is facing a charge of aggravated child abuse.
Following Jean’s arrest, the 9-year-old boy and his two siblings were placed in the care of child protection workers.
Chris Gayle slams 10,000 T20 runs
T20 cricket batting giant, Chris Gayle became the first man to score 10,000 runs in that form of the game when he slammed a commanding 77 off 38 balls for Royal Bangalore Challengers in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.
Gayle was only three runs short of the target when he strolled to the wicket and 68 short before the tournament bowled off. He experienced a poor run of form and was dropped for two matches.
He rebounded in style, blasting the bowling to all parts of the ground to celebrate another
personal milestone. He hit seven sixes and five fours.
The hard-hitting Jamaican has 18 T20
centuries to his credit and is the first to score a ton in the shortest format of the game. Some 74 per cent of his runs have come from boundaries.
His 10,074 runs is 2,550 more than second-placed Brendan McCullum of New Zealand. Gayle scored
his runs in 290 matches with a strike rate of 149.51. He has struck a remarkable 743 sixes, while Kieron Pollard of Trinidad and Tobago is second with 459.
Gayle has represented 19 different T20 teams. He was a member of the West Indies team which won the World Cup T20 tournament in India.
Jamaican attorney achieves highest worldwide score in STEP Excellence award
Jamaican attorney achieves highest worldwide score in STEP Excellence award
Jamaican attorney at law, Jo-Anne Jackson-Stephens, is recipient of the STEP Excellence Award
for highest score worldwide in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Company Law and Practice.
Jackson-Stephens, who is a former Jamaican Independence Scholar, also holds a Master of
Business Administration from the University of Oxford where she graduated in 2012 with Distinction. She has been an associate at the Higgs and Johnson firm in the Cayman Islands since October 2015.
STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) is a professional association with over 20,000 members in 95 countries. It consists mainly of trust and estate attorneys, accountants and trust specialists.
STEP announced the first 38 student
winners in a new awards scheme recognizing student achievement on a worldwide level.
Jackson-Stephens, a past student of Immaculate Conception High in Jamaica, completed her law degree at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and Barbados before going on to receive her CLE at the Norman Manley Law School in 2006.
Becoming a member of STEP gives lawyers the TEP designation, making them eligible for consideration among the most experienced and senior practitioners in the field of trusts and estates. Applicants are required to take a number of exams or prepare papers for presentation.
