Sunday, July 20, 2008

In Jamaica, the former head of the Crime Management Unit, Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams has retired.  After more than 30 years in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the controversial top cop spent his last day in office Friday, July 11th.  Just minutes before leaving office, the cop who is seen as a hero in some communities in Jamaica reflected on his many years in the battlefield.  Senior Superintendent Adams says he has one regret...that marauding gunmen in Tivoli Gardens confronted the security forces in July 2001.    The incident led to the deadly West Kingston affair in which 25 people were killed. "I hope that there were never circumstances that led us there, I would have hoped that there was peace and tranquility always in that area. The criminal elements have always tried to make this community hostile to the policed...so for that I am eternally sorry and in sorrow for the circumstances that took place that we had to go in."  The senior cop added that criminal elements causing chaos in the society are getting too much press.
 

Up to 4,000 residents in Bermuda were left without electricity on Monday, July 14th after Tropical Storm Bertha lashed the island with high winds, heavy rains and crashing waves.  The streets of the capital were empty during the storm's passage, and all ferries and flights were cancelled.  Bertha's heavy rains flooded roads and its winds felled utility poles.  there were no reports of injury.   Bermuda's weather service cancelled a hurricane watch for the island late Monday, as the storm's centre moved away from the British territory.

In Jamaica, the Spanish Town Shopping Centre in St. Catherine was the scene of a murder on Tuesday afternoon.  Shoppers had to scurry for cover after several explosions placed them in panic just after 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.   The body of the man was found at the rear of the building shortly after the explosions were heard.        Homicide detectives from the St. Catherine North Police Division are now on the scene where the body was found.  He has so far been identified as Charles Blake, 40, of Sydenham Villa.  The body was found lying on the back with gunshot wounds to the head.   A section of the shopping complex has since been closed as police continue their investigations.

Rescuers in Trinidad and Tobago have found the body of a student of University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus.  The student went missing after a hiking expedition by a group of 70 persons turned deadly on Sunday, July 13th.  Police report that the body of Aiyana Baksh, 21, was found a few miles away from where the body of her UWI colleague, Marcus Smith, 22, a final year chemical engineering student, was found late on Sunday.   Both had been part of a group of eight persons swept away by a swollen river they were trying to cross.  Police said that 30 other hikers who were reported lost had been found. 
Several foreign students had also participated in the hike into the forests when the river, swollen by days of heavy rainfall, burst it's banks, resulting in the tragedies.

In Jamaica, a much anticipated announcement on new measures to deal with the country's crippling crime problem was not forthcoming from Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Tuesday, July 15th.   Mr. Golding was expected to announce measures to be adopted by his administration in a bid to break the choke hold of crime.  However the Prime Minister told Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives that he was not ready.   He explained that he was reserving comment on the issue due to ongoing discussions with the opposition and human rights groups.
 

In Jamaica, a 36 year old tourist from Jacksonville, Florida, was reportedly found dead in Negril.  Suzan Fellhauer, was found dead on Sunday, July 13th at the hotel where she was planning to be married.  According to Negril Police, she was discovered dead about 4 p.m. in her hotel room by her fiancé, John Todd.  Ms. Fellhauer had complained of feeling ill and later went into a seizure lasting approximately two minutes.  Mr. Todd went to the front desk to get assistance and a doctor was summoned.  However, when Mr. Todd returned to the room, his fiancée was dead.  Police do not believe there was any foul play in her death.  Ms. Fellhauer had been employed by Jacksonville School District 117 as a speech pathologist for four years.