Home Blog Page 1388

Former Miami Gardens Police Chief accused of sexual misconduct

A former Miami Gardens Police Chief has been accused of sexual misconduct by a former Broward High School basketball star,  who had applied to become a Miami Gardens police officer.

The woman said during that process she received special attention from another member of the force: then acting police Chief Antonio Brooklen.

Brooklen then began texting and calling her.

She also said that he touched her inappropriately in a patrol car and said she went along with it because she did not want to be fired.

The victim said the inappropriate attention made her uncomfortable and that she had no romantic interest in Brooklen because she is a lesbian.

After she got the job, she said she began dating another young officer, Kimberly McDonald. Then she learned that McDonald was having an intimate relationship with another member of the force.

McDonald’s lover was the same Miami Gardens Police Chief Antonio Brooklen.

On April 18, Battle, who was on duty at the time, and McDonald had a domestic dispute at McDonald’s home.

Police were called.

It sparked an internal investigation and Battle alleges that Brooklen pressured her to resign her position, promising her he would help her get a job. She resigned a week after the incident, on April 25.

The internal investigation, however, wasn’t concluded until two months later.

McDonald was suspended with pay.

Battle’s attorney, Stephan Lopez, said he sent an intent-to-sue letter to the city September 19 on behalf of Battle alleging sexual harassment ,among other causes.

Three days later, Brooklen abruptly resigned as the top cop, from a position he’d called his dream job less than a year before. In his letter he cited the health of his mother, who is seriously ill.

McDonald is still suspended with pay, in limbo, deprived of her badge and gun.

Brooklen was demoted and suspended for 30 days back in 2009 after a sexual harassment complaint was made by a female crime scene technician that he was sexually harassing her with phone calls and text messages.

The employee alleged he offered to give her a massage, asked to take her out, and encouraged her to wear “something short” to show off her legs. The internal investigation found  “considerable inappropriate behavior” on Brooklen’s part and that he “demonstrated in extremely poor judgment in pursuing a relationship with” the woman, “without thinking about the consequences or impact it would have on his own marriage … or most importantly the Miami Gardens Police Department.”

 

Today is Alkaline’s day of reckoning

WHAT a difference a year makes.

In February, 2016, deejay Alkaline was touting the release of his first album, New Level Unlocked. He was confident of it doing well in the lucrative American.

It has done well. Released in March, New Level Unlocked topped the Billboard Reggae Album Chart, the first dancehall set to do so in five years.

But now the artiste finds himself in hot water with authorities in his native Jamaica. He was still in custody Sunday afternoon, being questioned by police about the January 20 murder of a man in Kingston.

Alkaline’s arrest (on February 10) is one of the hottest topics in Jamaica. Ironically, its main news rival is the “zero tolerance” crime-fighting measures announced last week by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Another irony. During his campaign for PM last year, Holness regularly used Alkaline’s hit song, Champion Boy.

A colorful figure with his tatooed pupils, Alkaline is the latest dancehall act to run afoul of the law. Vybz Kartel, currently serving life imprisonment for murder, is the most notorious; Tommy Lee Sparta and Popcaan have also had legal issues.

The 23-year-old Alkaline has had spats with other artistes and was barred from performing in Caribbean countries including St. Kitts/Nevis.

Alkaline
Alkaline…found himself in hot water

Last year, a woman’s group in Suriname said he should be prevented from performing there because he disrespects women.

Yet, last year as he stepped up promotion for New Level Unlocked, Alkaline spoke about personal growth.

“Time is the answer to everything. With time you grow and tend to see things differently. Music forces you to grow quickly,” he told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

Alkaline, whose real name is Earlan Bartley, does not have the typical dancehall artist’s background. He is from a middle-class family, attended one of Jamaica’s best high schools and went to college where he was a journalism major.

Music took precedence over studies and he hit his stride three years ago with a flurry of hits. Alkaline has maintained that flow with chart-riders like Conquer The World, Somebody Great, One More Time and Wait Your Turn.

Under Jamaican law, a suspect has to be released from custody if they are not charged by police after 72 hours. Today is Alkaline’s day of reckoning.

Ziggy Marley wins ninth Reggae Grammy

Ziggy Marley won his ninth Reggae Grammy award on Sunday night

The eldest son of Reggae King, Bob Marley, has awarded his third Best Reggae Album Grammy in the last five years.

Marley won for his self titled album Ziggy Marley on the Tuff Gong Worldwide label.

He bested other contenders including Devin Di Dakta & J.L for Sly & Robbie Presents … Reggae for Her; J Boog for Rose Petals; Raging Fyah for Everlasting; Rebelution for Falling into Place; and SOJA for SOJA: Live in Virginia.

Marley has now won five Grammys for Best Reggae Album and two Grammys for Best Reggae Recording. That category is no longer awarded.

He also won a Grammy in 2009 for his album Family Time, which won in the Best Musical Album for Children category.

He has also won as a member of the Melody Makers

“Give thanks to the [Academy] for the honor, my family and all the artists keeping #reggae alive and well. LOVE,” Marley wrote on his Twitter page.

Immigration News – New law to reduce visas coming

** Contributions to this Column are made by Attorney Caroly Pedersen, Esq. of the American  Immigration Law Center – Call 954-382-5378

IMMIGRATION NEWS & UPDATES

Republicans Propose  To Dramatically Reduce Overall U.S. Immigration!

On February 7th, Republican Senators unveiled planned Immigration legislation which would dramatically change America’s entire legal immigration system. Called the “Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act” the proposal intends to cut all legal immigration by 50%, exclude parents of citizens from the current special designation as “immediate relatives” and instead  force them to wait in long visa lines, eliminate the yearly diversity (Visa Lottery) program, and cut refugee visas by half. Most tragically, the measure would eliminate all immigrant visas for adult children of U.S. Citizens and Residents, and all siblings (brothers & sisters) of U.S. Citizens, allowing only spouses and unmarried minor children of citizens and permanent residents to obtain Green Cards.

Introduced by Republican senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue, the Act, would dramatically alter our current legal immigration laws and by Cotton’s own estimate, “cut annual immigration in half, from 1 million to 500,000 green cards per year”. An exception in the proposal would allow qualifying elderly parents to obtain temporary visas to stay with sponsoring U.S. Citizen children in the U.S., but would require proof of health insurance and not allow the parents to work or receive public benefits.

According to CNN, Sen. Cotton,  said he’s been in “close contact” with Trump’s staff as they’ve worked on the details of the bill and that he’s spoken with Trump about it as recently as Tuesday morning. Referring to Trump, Cotton reportedly told reporters, “He strongly supports the broad concept of moving legal immigration towards a merit-based system,”. The Senate Bill is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks and as we  know, things are changing at lightning speed.

So with family immigration under fire, it’s only a matter of time before some version of a Restrictionist  immigration Bill is signed into law by Trump. As a result, U.S. Citizens should not delay in filing petitions for Parents, adult Children (single and married) and Siblings now! Similarly, U.S.  Residents (Green Card holders) should file petitions to sponsor their adult single children as well. As in the past, immigrant petitions for all these family members filed now before the law changes, will remain valid in the future, even if family categories are later restricted or eliminated.

This radical immigration proposal is just the start of similar legislation to come under the Republican controlled Congress and Whitehouse. There are few limits on their powers, except public opinion! This is your opportunity to voice your opposition to any Congressional proposals to restrict legal immigration, before it’s too late! Call your local Senators now and tell them  you do NOT support the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act and want to stop any efforts to restrict legal immigration. For Florida, you can call your Senators at: Democratic Sen. Nelson : 202-224-5274 and Republican Sen. Rubio: 202-224-3041 Those outside Florida can get the link to contact your state’s  Senators  by visiting our website at: www.Immigratetoday.com and clicking on the Immigration Newsletter link.

Appeals Court Refuses To Re-instate Trump’s Travel Ban!

Last week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump’s request to lift the hold on his Executive Order travel bans. For background, on January 27th, Trump issued an Executive Order called “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” which would “ban entry into U.S. from Certain Muslim-Majority countries for at least 30 days and some up to 90 days for all immigrants and non-immigrant nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen”. Following the Executive Order, the state department cancelled visas and put all visa processing on hold for nationals of the named countries, including initially applying the ban to U.S. Residents (Green Card holders) causing hardship, detentions, denial of entry into the U.S. and chaos at airports, Consulates and the USCIS. As a result, the states of Washington and Minnesota filed a lawsuit to stop implementation of the ban, citing its violation of U.S. law and the Constitution. A Federal Judge in Washington then issued an order to “stay” (hold) the ban from being implemented, pending a trial on the legality of the Executive Order. The Trump Administration then appealed the stay, which resulted in the current ruling by the 9th Circuit Appeals Court to uphold the stay. The Administration can appeal the decision or rewrite the Executive Order in an effort to make it more acceptable under the law¸ for instance only apply the ban to issuance of new visas to national’s of the named countries, etc.. Stay tuned…

THIS WEEK’S IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question: My girlfriend is here in Miami on a tourist visa visiting from Venezuela. I plan to propose to her on Valentine’s Day and want her to stay here in the U.S. so we can get married. I am a resident and will go to my swearing in ceremony to get my American Citizenship in a few weeks. My questions are, once I get sworn in, how long do we have to wait before you can file her immigration papers so I can sponsor her? If we get married at the courthouse, can we use that certificate or do we have to have the wedding ceremony first? Also, once you file her papers, does she have to go back to Venezuela or can she stay here with me while she goes through the immigration process? Thanks.

 

Answer: Great question. To be validly married, you must: 1) get your marriage license and either 2) have your civil marriage ceremony performed at the clerk’s office, or 3) have a religious clergy member or notary perform the ceremony. The quickest way is usually to get your marriage license and have your ceremony performed at the clerk’s office at the same time. You can always have your religious ceremony later, without delaying the filing of your wife’s immigration petition.

Once you are married and you become a U.S. Citizen (the same day) we can file your wife’s residency petition. However, first, she needs to have a medical exam performed by a doctor authorized by the USCIS, so we can include her medical report in the immigration package when filing. Since your girlfriend entered the U.S. legally, she can stay here in the U.S. legally during her entire Residency process. Once the case is filed, she will receive her work authorization card in about 90 days and then she can apply for her social security number. Once she has that, she can apply for her Driver’s License. The process in Florida generally takes about 6-8 months or so to receive her Green Card. You can get the link to South Florida Marriage License websites in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County by visiting our website at: www.Immigratetoday.com and clicking on the Immigration Newsletter link.

 

Christopher Martin debuts with Big Deal full length album

There is no doubt that Christopher Martin has been blessed with a talent for entertaining and in his own words he is a Big Deal.

In 2005 the brash young singer earned his place in the hearts of Jamaicans when he came out tops in the Digicel’s Rising Stars competition. Since then he has released a slew of popular singles.

Surprisingly after 12 years in the mainstream, Christopher Martin, has just released his debut full length album. And it is aptly entitled Big Deal after one of his more popular singles.

The album has debuted at number one on the Billboard Reggae charts in Japan and has by selected by MySpace as one of the top five album releases for the week ending February 11.

The release of the Big Deal album is aptly timed as Martin was born on Valentine’s Day 29 years ago. The 16-track
showcases Martin’s versatility and honeyed vocal range.

The theme song “I’m A Big Deal” has received almost 4 million views on social media while the tracks Under The Influence Remix” featuring UK grime artist Chip, Magic and Love Distance Lover featuring the fresh Destiny Moriah are also creditable efforts.

The ballads Distance and Better Than The Stars are also worthy of mention.

Alkaline, a person of interest in homicide case

Happy Friday everyone! Today is February 10. We’re taking a look at some of the top stories that are making the news across your Caribbean-American community right here in South Florida.

The 9th US circuit court of appeals unanimously ruled on Thursday to maintain the suspension of the immigration ban against immigrants of 7 Muslim countries. The ban, strongly opposed by Caribbean-American and othr Florida immigrants, was implemented by an executive order issued by President Donald Trump two weeks ago. The ban was suspended by a Washington state judge last weekend. Following an appeal by the Trump administration, the federal court ruled against it.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has announced a zero-tolerance approach towards criminal offenders in a bid to curb the increase in criminal activity in Jamaica. Speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House following a special meeting of his Cabinet, Holness said the main targets were those who committed crimes of domestic violence, sexual abuse of women and minors.

Popular Jamaican dancehall star Alkaline has been detained by the Jamaican police as a person of interest for the January 15 murder of Rohan Morris in Kingston.

Police say Morris was shot 15 times by gunmen at his home. Responding to the police call for him to come in for questioning Alkaline turned himself in yesterday accompanied by his attorney. He will undergo further questioning today.

In Sports

Rock Island FC defeated Creekers FC 5-4 at the Lauderhill Sports Park on Wednesday in the CASA Super League. This was the second successive defeat for Creekers FC who suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Fort Lauderdale Juniors at the same venue days before. The Super League continues this Saturday with Team Haiti tackling Fort Lauderdale Juniors, and Plantation FC versus Lauderhill Lions.

Here’s What’s Trending

The Caribbean Heritage Organization (CHO) and the family of the late reggae legend Bob Marley has instituted the annual Robert Nesta Marley Humanitarian Award in recognition of individuals/entities making positive impact on society with their time, actions and dedication. The award will be made during the CHO Caribbean-American Heritage Month Salute to Hollywood and Excellence Awards gala held in Los Angeles in June,

For tomorrows weather forecast

It will be partly sunny in Broward County with a High of 76 degrees and a low of 65. It will also be partly sunny in Miami-Dade, with a high of 78 and a low of 65 degrees. For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbean nationalweekly.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 ……………………..

Haitian Miss Universe runner up welcomed by Miramar

Her poise and beauty are astounding and the entire Caribbean community is proud of Haitian first runner-up in the recently held Miss Universe contest, Raquel Pellisier.

The queen was welcomed in open arms by the South Florida city of Miramar recently and personally by mayor, Wayne Messam at a standing room only reception at the Miramar Cultural Center.

Miss Haiti 1The more than two hundred residents of Miramar and guests of the city were simply overjoyed that they could share the same space with the wonderful gem of Haiti and the wider Caribbean.

Mayor Messam was well aware of the importance of the occasion to the residents as well as Pellissier’s family members.

“It is truly an honor to have so many welcome a true role model for our Miramar young ladies. Miss Pellisier speaks four languages, is continuing her studies in optometry and competed as Miss Haiti in the Miss Universe pageant, coming in as the second runner-up. This reinforces the message that our youth can aspire to be all they desire to be,” Mayor Messam said.

Barrett Town gears up for zinc fence removal

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has inked an agreement for zinc fence removal in the community of Barrett Town in St James.

The agreement was signed at the foundation’s Oxford Road, Kingston headquarters on February 7, 2017 between Member of Parliament for East Central St James, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and JSIF Managing Director, Omar Sweeney.

The Zinc Fence Removal project is being implemented through JSIF’s Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP).

A World Bank loan of $260 million has been allocated for the project that will see removal of zinc fences in 11 communities across 6 parishes. Of this amount $18 million will be used for the removal of zinc fences in Barrett Town, St. James.

The eleven communities were selected based on the degree of impact of zinc fence on the aesthetics and ability to access.

The communities, include: Hannah Town, Denham Town, Rose Town, Greenwich Town, Maxfield Park in Kingston and St. Andrew; Canaan Heights, and York Town in Clarendon; Steer Town in St. Ann; Barrett Town and Granville in St. James, and Russia in Westmoreland.

The agreement with the Barrett Town Community, which is the first of the agreements to be signed, will result in the removal and substitution of selected length of fencing (492m) along the following roadways in Barrett Town: Bottom Vietnam Road, Top Vietnam Road, Walkway linking Bottom and Top Vietnam, Saigon top side (from Blount Street), Vietnam Lane.

The overall project is geared towards public safety, and aesthetics and identity to improve the lives of persons living in those communities.

National Weekly February 9, 2016

Chronixx releases new dancehall single Likes

Hot Rastafarian Reggae troubadour Chronixx, has shown that he has not drifted far from his dancehall roots with the new single Likes.

The single is the first release from his soon-to-be-released album Chronology which is expected to hit the streets in early Spring this year.

The effort is produced by Soul Circle Music.

The single is produced by the singer himself and is heavily influenced by the dancehall beat and catchy rhymes in his own inimitable style.

Jah 9
Jah9 to accompany Chronixx on North American tour

However his message remains poignant as he expresses his thoughts on the present dancehall fixation on social media and the hype that it brings.

Chronixx, is set to embark on a North American Chronology tour to promote the album from March 2 until April 30 with his Zincfence Redemption band.

Other artistes who will accompany him on the musical excursion with the rising entertainer are Jah9, Jesse Royal, Kelissa and Max Glazer.

 

 

 

Trump Executive Order denied by appeals court

A federal appeals panel has maintained the freeze on President Trump’s controversial immigration order, meaning previously barred refugees and citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries can continue entering the United States.

In a unanimous 29-page opinion, three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit unanimously denied arguments made by attorneys for President Trump’s administration for reinstating the ban on immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries.

The travel ban was originally imposed on travelers to the US from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen in an executive order signed by President Trump last month.

Attracting strong domestic and international opposition from its inception, last week a court In Seattle, Washington, placed a stay on the executive order. The Trump administration appealed the Washington court’s order to the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco, California. After hearing arguments for and against the travel ban last Tuesday, the 9th Circuit ruled against the Trump administration. This means the hold on the travel ban remains in place.

In a response to the announcement of the appeal court’s ruling on Thursday evening, President Trump tweeted, “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” He later told reporters the judges  made “a political decision.”

In its ruling the judges countered the argument made by the attorney for the Trump administration that the ban should be lifted for national security reasons, and any argument that the courts could not rule against the president on immigration policies “runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy.”

On the other hand, the court did not support arguments made by the Washington court that the ban was one against Muslims entering the US. In its ruling the court stated it was premature to make such an assessment.

Although the Trump administration has not made their immediate plans following the 9th District Court ruling, the opinion by most legal analysts and observers is that the administration will advance the matter to the US Supreme Court for its ultimate ruling.

Haiti host Nicaragua in Gold Cup play-off

Haiti has been drawn to host Nicaragua in the first leg of the CONCACAF Gold Cup play-off following a draw held at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida.

The Haitians, who hold the distinction of being the first Caribbean country to play in the World Cup, booked a spot in the play-off after claiming the Caribbean Cup fifth spot.

The will host the opener of the home and away fixtures on March 24th, before travelling to Nicaragua for the second leg.

The matches will decide the 12th and final Gold Cup place.

The marquis regional tournament kicks off on July 7 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

The 11 teams already qualified are:

Canada, Mexico and the United States, Curacao, French Guiana, Jamaica and Martinique, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama.

The Haitians are placed 69th in the FIFA rankings and have won four of the last five games played, including a 5-2 win over Guyana, Jamaica 2-0, St Kitts & Nevis 2-0, Suriname 4-2 and Trinidad 4-3.

Nicaragua, has won one of its last five games.

Wavell Hinds returned as WIPA president

WIPA Wavell Hinds

President of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), Wavell Hinds, was given the green light to continue leading the association after an Annual General Meeting in Antigua recently.

The WIPA members, returned Hinds his entire administration for a third successive term.

The AGM was held at the Halcyon Cove by Rez Resorts and included healthy debates on a number of issues affecting West Indian players.

Hinds, will now be at the helm of WIPA for another two years.

His team is completed by Nixon McLean – vice president, Wayne Lewis – honorary secretary, Ridley Jacobs – honorary treasurer and Liam Sebastien – honorary assistant secretary.

Over the last few years, Hinds has been accused of siding with the board in creating unfair deals for West Indies players, much to the chagrin of the players who walked out on a tour of India.

Whitmore drop Holness, Powell for Honduras friendly

Whitmore drop Holness, Powell for Honduras friendly

Coach of the Reggae Boyz, Theodore Whitmore on Wednesday named a 20-man roster for an international friendly against Honduras.

Missing from the squad which fell to a 1-0 defeat to the USA, are  Omar Holness and Alvas Powell, who will be replaced by midfielders Fabian Grant and Andre Lewis.

The match will be played February 16 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, USA.

Despite the loss to the US Whitmore was confident of an improved showing by the Jamaican team.

“The good thing is that we have a platform to build on going forward and based on what we have seen, the future looks bright where this team is concerned and I can definitely see us improving as we look to take on Honduras,” he said.

Also included in the squad is defender Kemar ‘Taxi’ Lawrence, who plays for the 2016/17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinalist New York Red Bulls.

Five players have been selected from the country’s champion club team, Montego Bay United, including forward Owayne Gordon and schoolboy Jordaine Fletcher.

Jamaica is preparing for the 2016/17 Scotiabank Caribbean Football Union Men’s Caribbean Cup finals in June and the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.

The full squad reads:

GOALKEEPERS: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union/USA), Ryan Thompson (no club)

DEFENDERS: Sergio Campbell (no club), Oniel Fisher (Seattle Sounders/USA), Rosario Harriott (Harbour View FC), Kevon Lambert (Montego Bay United), Kemar Lawrence (New York Red Bulls/USA), Damion Lowe (Tampa Bay Rowdies/USA), Ladale Ritchie (Montego Bay United)

MIDFIELDERS: Dwayne Ambursley (Montego Bay United), Michael Binns (Portmore United), Ewan Grandison (Portmore United), Fabian Grant (Harbour View), Andre Lewis (Portland Timbers 2/USA), Je-Vaughn Watson (New England Revolution)

FORWARDS: Cory Burke (Bethlehem Steel FC/USA), Jourdaine Fletcher (Montego Bay United), Owayne Gordon (Montego Bay United), Shamar Nicholson (Boys’ Town), Romario Williams (Atlanta United FC/USA)

Nesta Carter cleared to run

Sprinter to compete at Western Relays in Jamaica

 

Jamaican Olympic and World Championship Gold medalist, Nesta Carter, has been cleared to run at this weekend’s Milo western Relays in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

This will mark his first outing since being unceremoniously stripped of his Beijing Olympic 4X100 relay gold medal after a retroactive test found a banned substance in his sample.

Carter’s re-tested sample from 2008 was found to have traces of the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last month.

As a result Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team which included the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, former world record holder Asafa Powell and World Championship silver medalist, Michael Frater were ordered to return by the IOC their gold medals.

Carter has announced his intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The 31-year-old Carter has not raced competitively for 17 months due to injury and because he was notified of the positive test,

He has not been banned by world governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and he is clear to run until his appeal has been heard.

Carter, also part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won gold at the 2012 London Games, has until Feb 15 to file his appeal with CAS.

Five year old witness may have led cops to Alkaline

A five-year-old girl the victim who witnessed the murder of a man for which dancehall DJ, Alkaline, who was wanted for questioning by the police may be a key prosecution witness if the artiste is charged.

The child was present when gunmen barged into the home Three Oaks Gardens home of Rohan ‘Head’ Morris and shot him 15 times, killing him on the spot.

Morris reportedly begged for his life but his attackers showed no mercy and peppered him with bullets. He reportedly threw a mattress to protect the child before his life was snuffed out.

Alkaline on Thursday morning, turned himself into the Area Four Police at the headquarters of the Harmon Barracks at Vineyard Town in the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica accompanied by his attorney, Peter Champagnie.

On Wednesday the DJ took to social media to proclaim his innocence.

The artiste, who ruled the dancehall charts in 2016 with hits like City, Formula, My Side of the Story and Company claimed he is not involved in any act of criminality and pleaded for his fans to be calm.

Part of the post read:

“There is a rumour circulating. Regarding Alkaline, Earlan Bartley, and questioning for murder. Please ignore, this is one of the most cruel, vicious, destructive, degrading, derogatory, ruthless lie, I have ever experienced in my 23 years of existence. I am asking my fans to be calm, relax. I am in no form of mix-up with any form of illegal activities of any sort. And I declare innocence in all its entirety”, the post read.

He also took jabs at the media for reporting that he was wanted for questioning.

“I am therefore asking the media personnel to desist from spreading rumours on me unnecessarily. BIG LIE!!!! Alkaline!! Try again!!”

On Tuesday the Twitter accounts of both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and National Security Ministry posted information regarding interest in the entertainer.

@JamaicaConstab tweeted “Police are seeking Earlan Bartley o/c Alkaline for questioning in relation to a murder. He is to report to Harman Barracks by 5:00 p.m., Feb 8”
@NatSecurityJA tweeted “Police seek Earlan Bartley (Alkaline) 4 questioning related 2 Rohan Morris’ murder. It is believed he can assist with the investigation.”

The police were tight-lipped when CNW checked whether Morris was an associate of the artiste and would only say he could assist them in their investigations.

Rock Island defeat Creekers in five-goal thriller

Rock Island FC came up trumps with a nail-biting 5-4 win over Creekers FC at the Lauderhill Sports Park on Wednesday in the Caribbean American Soccer Association Super League.

Creekers were the first to get on the score sheet when they scored in the tenth minute.

But Rock Island were not about to lay down and play dead and equalized just two minutes later.

The Rock Island team went ahead almost with the last kick of the first stanza.

In the second half it was end to end action and Creekers clawed their way back into contention via a strike from the penalty spot.

Both teams gave up no quarter and with minutes to go the scores were locked at four goals apiece.

But Rock Island had other ideas and two minutes from time the grabbed the lead for the final time to clinch a memorable victory.

This was the second defeat in a row for Creekers FC who suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Fort Lauderdale Juniors at the same venue on Saturday last.

The Super League continues this Saturday with Team Haiti tackling Fort Lauderdale Juniors while Plantation FC do battle with Lauderhill Lions.

In the Masters League, Attackers FC face Oldtymers FC and South FLA Kickers oppose Lions Masters.

Be careful how you travel

Immigration attorney warns Caribbean nationals

Immigration attorney, Dahlia Walker-Huntington, is advising Caribbean nationals who are holders of green cards and who have been charged with a crime in the United States not to travel abroad at this time.

Despite a court in Seattle, Washington, placing a stop order on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which placed a ban on travelers from seven Muslim countries, Caribbean nationals living in the United States are still on edge.

Speaking at an immigration forum at the Holy Cross Episcopalian Church in Miami Gardens, Florida, Walker-Huntington said there are still negative implications for non-U.S. citizens.

Walker-huntington
Walker-Huntington

She warned that local law enforcement officers have now been reordered to act as immigration agents by the Trump administration. This stipulation was previously dropped by the Obama-led government.

“You may have had a minor offence many years ago and you now want to apply for citizenship or you want to travel. My suggestion to you is do not travel. If you are a green card holder and you were arrested, even if you were not convicted or even if the case was dismissed, Do not travel as you may be caught and be unable to return,” Walker-Huntington said.

She told the audience that green card holders who have been charged with offenses in the U.S. are more likely to be harassed than those aliens who are arriving in the U.S. for the first time.

Caribbean nationals who hold green cards and spend more time outside of the country than they do on American soil, also stand a chance of losing their green card.

Those persons were warned to get their act together.

“If you can’t actually live here there is a level entry permit that you can apply for that will allow you to stay out of the country for two years,” she said, while warning that those persons should be always on the ball with filing their taxes every year.

The attorney also had a warning for undocumented aliens.

“The non-criminal undocumented, those who came across from the Bahamas… the Executive Board now sees them as a threat to national security and they are to be repatriated swiftly, consistently and humanely. Some 10,000 new Homeland Security agents are to be recruited and they also say the “overstayers” are to be detained until the merit of their case is heard,” she said.

She added that those individuals will no longer fall under prosecutorial discretion where they will be released until their case is heard but will be forcibly detained for up to two years, as has been stated by Attorney General, Jeff Sessions.

Sessions, she said, was a career law enforcer who has no interest in prosecutorial discretion.

Beware! Jamaican PM announces zero tolerance approach to criminals

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, on Wednesday announced a zero-tolerance approach towards criminal offenders in a bid to collar the raging crime monster that has driven fear into the hearts of law-abiding citizens.

Speaking during a hastily-called press conference at Jamaica House in Kingston following a special meeting of the country’s Cabinet, Holness said the main targets were those who committed crimes of domestic violence, sexual abuse and grooming of minors.

His announcement came in the wake of a rise in vicious crimes against women and children in recent weeks.

Insisting that the announcement was not a knee jerk reaction, Holness identified a deep cultural rot as the root cause of those particular crimes and warned that the coming crime measures will cause shift in the manner the country has operated.

“The Government will be using existing laws, which include preventative detention in live and imminent situations of domestic violence, sexual abuse and grooming of minors to remove aggressors from the scene, thereby de-escalating the situation,” he said.

He added that at an appropriate time he will be combining all the elements Government has been working on to tackle crime.

A key pillar of the zero-tolerance approach, will see the police, in tandem with the Transport Authority, targeting illegal ‘robot’ (taxis as of Monday next week, and will remove dark tints from all public passenger vehicles.

In the last 13 months the police have arrested and charged 1,442 persons for of crimes against women and children.

zero
The Jamaican government has promised a zero tolerance approach to domestic and sexual violence as well as grooming of minors

Acting Police Commissioner Novelette Grant, also spoke at the press conference and revealed that 86 people had been nabbed for shooting, 67 for murder, 252 for rape, 280 for robbery, 202 for sexual offences/indecent assault, 237 for sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16, 169 for break-ins, while 54 were held for larceny.

All lies! Alkaline claims he is being framed

Dancehall artiste turns himself in

Dancehall DJ, Alkaline, says reports of him being involved in a murder are untrue.

In a social media rant the artiste, who ruled the dancehall charts in 2016 with hits like City, Formula, My Side of the Story and Company claimed he is not involved in any act of criminality and pleaded for his fans to be calm.

Part of the post read:

“There is a rumour circulating. Regarding Alkaline, Earlan Bartley, and questioning for murder. Please ignore, this is one of the most cruel, vicious, destructive, degrading, derogatory, ruthless lie, I have ever experienced in my 23 years of existence. I am asking my fans to be calm, relax. I am in no form of mix-up with any form of illegal activities of any sort. And I declare innocence in all its entirety”, the post read.

 He also took jabs at the media for reporting that he was wanted for questioning.

“I am therefore asking the media personnel to desist from spreading rumours on me unnecessarily. BIG LIE!!!! Alkaline!! Try again!!”

On Tuesday the Twitter accounts of both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and National Security Ministry posted information regarding interest in the entertainer.

@JamaicaConstab tweeted “Police are seeking Earlan Bartley o/c Alkaline for questioning in relation to a murder. He is to report to Harman Barracks by 5:00 p.m., Feb 8”
@NatSecurityJA tweeted “Police seek Earlan Bartley (Alkaline) 4 questioning related 2 Rohan Morris’ murder. It is believed he can assist with the investigation.”

alka biggz
Alkaline…turned up at the Harmon Barracks in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday morning (Photo: Marlon Biggs)

The artiste turned up at the headquarters of the Harmon Barracks about 9:00 AM Thursday, with his attorney, Peter Champagnie, in tow.

Morris, popularly called ‘Head’, was shot more than 15 times by hoodlums at his Three Oaks Gardens, St Andrew home in January. The murder was reportedly witnessed by a five year old child who was inside the dwelling at the time of the attack.

The police were tight-lipped when Caribbean News Weekly checked whether Morris was an associate of the artiste and would only say he could assist them in their investigations.

Sexual abuse of minor girls must be stopped

There’s a cloud persistently hovering over Jamaica that seems to get darker and darker. This is the cloud of sexual abuse of girls, some reportedly as young as 10.

Based on reports the scourge of sexual abuse of young girls and teenagers on the island, has increased over the past two years. However, this has been a perpetual scourge on the society. It’s just that before the former and current government took formal steps to clamp down on this atrocity, which ruins young girls and women psychologically and physiologically, the majority of cases were not reported mostly through fear of reprisal or shame.

Last week, the head of the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) – Enid Ross-Stewart, told a joint-select committee of Parliament, currently reviewing Jamaica’s sex laws, that pastors and policemen are among the main perpetrators of sex offences against minors, mainly girls. According to Ross-Stewart, the agency “constantly arrested high-profile members of the society,” and in particular pastors and policemen.

This  revelation is shocking but not surprising. Anyone who has followed the Jamaican scene closely will attest to the betrayal of trust by some clergymen, police officers, and male teachers who lure young girls on pretense to be helping them socially, only to take advantage of their sexual innocence.

sexual abuse of minors
sexual abuse of minor girls in Jamaica must stop

The CISOCA report coincides with damaging reports of high-level pastors in the Moravian Church charged with sexually molesting young girls aged15 and under.

However, casting blame on a particular church, the church as an institution, police and teachers, is to look at the problem of sexual abuse of minors in Jamaica through half-skewed eyes. Neither can the problem of this abuse  be associated solely with poverty, although there definitely is some correlation.

Underage girls are being abused across the country in all classes. There have been reported incidences of sexual abuse of minor female members by their male relatives in poor and middle class homes.

There’s a serious sociological problem based on a high level of perverse behavior. Several men reportedly believe that they need to be the first to take the virginity of their young female relatives. Through abject ignorance, men also believe that having  sex with a female minor is the cure to venereal diseases. But the prevailing cause of the sexual abuse of minors in Jamaica is the growing trend by grown men to have sex with young girls, as substitute sexual partners compared to their much older sweet- hearts or wives, A common theme among some Jamaican men is “Me have fi find a young ting,” (translated –  having a young girl lover).

This is where poverty can be considered a cause of sexual abuse. Many of the girls who are abused are from poor homes, headed by single mothers who are unable to provide the basic necessities of life including school uniforms, shoes, books and material, male predators entrap these girls with cash or kind, seeking sexual favors in return. It is not unheard of for mothers to encourage their young daughters from she blossoms into womanhood to offer sex in return for groceries, or money to pay the rent, and other bills.

The situation gets real sickening when a young girl who is enduring financial hardships or has  personal problems turns to a pastor or a policeman as she believes she can trust and confide in for counsel and help, but then ends up forced into exchanging sexual favors.

It becomes more scandalous and hypocritical when the pastor that’s sneaking around having sex with a minor, is the same so-called religious leader who vehemently condemns his parishioners to burn in hell for committing fornication and adultery. What blatant hypocrisy!

There’s an unfortunate tendency for society to cast blame on some of these young girls for dressing too provocatively, and enticing men into having sex with them. Women have been enticing men since Eve offered the prohibitive apple to Adam to take a bite. Grown men, so-called respectable men of the community, must be able to exercise self-control that prohibits them from having sex with a minor regardless how sexually appealing her body may be.

The only possible way to curb this sociologically mess in Jamaica, and here in the US too, is to set Draconian penalties that will serve as a deterrent against a man even thinking of having sex with a minor. This dark cloud, this scourge must be removed, A very important component of our societies future, our young women, are being tarnished and destroyed. This scourge must be stopped.

Palm Beach County Community Revitalization Team to meet on February 15

Palm Beach Mayor Shelly Vana wants the homeless situation handled at John Prince Park.

Palm beach residents are encouraged to attend a Countywide Community Revitalization Team (CCRT) meeting hosted by the Palm Beach County Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) on Wednesday, February 15.

The meeting will be held at Vista Center, 2300 North Jog Road, Suite 1W-47, West Palm Beach, beginning at 6 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to allow residents to learn about the programs and services county agencies and departments offer. OCR will also be seeking input on what other programs and services citizens may want county government to provide.

Vista-Center-complex-2
The Palm Beach Vista Centre will host the community meeting

County Mayor Paulette Burdick will be in attendance to provide an update on programs and activities in District 2 and answer questions from the audience.

Residents are urged to attend this important public meeting to share their concerns, ideas and recommendations on what is needed and/or desired to make their community a safer and even better place to live.

Jovenel Moise sworn in as Haiti’s 58th President

Public wants effective medical marijuana regulations

medical marijuana

By Garth A. Rose

On Tuesday, the relatively small room at the Broward County Health Department in Fort Lauderdale was jammed with over 200 people eager to contribute to the pending Florida regulations related to the state’s medical marijuana laws.

The public hearing was the first in several convened by the Office of Compassionate Use (OCU), the state agency that regulates the use and distribution of medical marijuana. These public hearings have been scheduled as part of the state’s responsibility to establish the regulations based on the approved of the medical marijuana amendment in last November’s general elections.

The large, enthusiastic crowds on Tuesday, including medical doctors, attorneys, school officials, and people afflicted with various ailments who have benefitted from using marijuana as treatment, and anxious to have legal access to the herb.

The two-hour meeting heard draft proposals already prepared by the OCU, to which the public response and input is being sought.

However, as Palm Beach County attorney Julius Brooks explained, “The process to finalize these regulations is frustratingly tedious. Even with the public’s input, and OCU’s final proposals, the ultimate regulations will depend on related laws to be passed by the Florida Legislature when they meet next month.”

medical marijuanaAccording to the terms of Constitutional Amendment 2, approved by voters last year, the state has until July 1 to announce the required regulations.

The suggestions made by the public on Tuesday were varied, but focused on making the medication available as soon as possible, easily accessible to those who genuinely need it, and not accessible to children or those who need the herb for recreational purposes.

Several doctors sought to reduce a state proposal that require patients to have to wait 90-days from first being examined by a doctor and determined to need medical marijuana until the doctor can prescribe the drug.

“That’s ridiculous,” said Dr. Antony Lewin of Boca Raton. “A patient suffering from cancer, and in excruciating pain will need the medication to help him immediately. In 90 days, the man could be deceased.”

Dr. Lewin also wants the state to be more “flexible” to what ailments are applicable to medical marijuana prescriptions.

Under the state’s current proposals medical marijuana would be approved to treat patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Officials from South Florida school districts suggested that the dispensaries for medical marijuana be established at “safe distances” from schools. They also want the packaging for the drug to be such that the packets doesn’t appeal to young children.

Denver Pratt, a Jamaican-American, told National Weekly after the meeting he was conflicted about medical marijuana. “I want the state to hasten the regulations. I have Parkinson disease and have used marijuana to control my tremors and balance. However, I have sons that smoked the weed and have seen the negative effects on them. I am all for relatively easy access to medical marijuana, but these must be effective regulations.”

Similar public hearings are scheduled this week in Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee. Members of the public can also make their input re the proposals online at www.floridahealth.gov.

IMMIGRATION QUESTION & ANSWER

Question: Hi I am a green card holder can I file for my 4 children, 2 under age 18, one age 20 and one age 25?

Answer: Yes, as a Green Card holder (U.S. Resident), you can file for your minor children (under age 21), in the F2A Immigration Category and your adult SINGLE children in the F2B Immigration Category. The waiting line for residency for minor children (F2A) is about 1 ½ years, so any of your children age 19 or younger will likely be able to immigrate in the next few years, unless they are married or get married before immigrating. The waiting time for adult, single children (F2B) is about 7 – 8 years, so your 20 and 25 year-old children will have to wait quite a few years more before being able to immigrate.

Also, please make sure your adult children understand that if they marry, the Immigrant Visa petition will automatically be cancelled, unless you have naturalized before your child marries.

1...1,3871,3881,389...1,547Page 1,388 of 1,547