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The Chase Files Daily Newscap

Good MORNING  #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Tuesday 5th March 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

POLICE FUNDING INTACT, SAYS PM – There have been no cuts to funding for the Royal Barbados Police Force, the Prime Minister has assured, as she pledged Government’s continued support of the force’s fight against crime. Mottley made the comments before the House Standing Committee following accusations by Opposition Leader Reverend Joseph Atherley that Government had reduced the money to be allocated to the police at a time when it should be increased. She said: “I give him [Atherley] the assurance, as I do the country that believe you me, we have not only put the money on the police force, we’ve put it under the law courts . . . , It is not a reduction whatsoever,” Mottley further insisted.  Atherley had based his assertion on the $81 million allocation to police services this year - $7 million less than last year’s allocation of $88 million. He said when the current crime situation was taken into consideration, there should have been a substantial increase in this year’s Estimates of Expenditure. Atherley declared: “I do not know how you can tell Barbadians that there is some just cause, reason, explanation, why you’re providing for police services in the year ahead, less than you did for last year, simply because in the prior year the former administration failed adequately to provide.”  But Prime Minister Mottley warned the Opposition Leader that there was a “danger in looking at just absolute figures and nothing more”. She said the difference between the money granted in the closing fiscal year and the upcoming fiscal year was due to a freeze in filling established posts in the police service. The Prime Minister said a decision had been taken that those posts that could not be filled would be frozen until Barbados was able to get out of its economic crisis. Revealing that those statutory posts had been vacant for over 15 years, she told the House: “The bottom line is that if you look at all of the other amounts; the operating expenses of the police has gone from $3.145 million to $3.32 million; the maintenance of property remains the same at $3.853 million; the subsidies are flat at $160 000; supplies and materials have gone up in fact by more than 15 per cent from $748 000 to $839 000. What has gone down?”  She also reveled a decision had been taken to buy $5.8 million in equipment for police services. The Prime Minister said the Port Authority is seeking to borrow $41 million to purchase scanners to prevent the importation of drugs and arms at the lone national seaport. She maintained that all of the money spent on law enforcement and policing services would not be found under policing services alone, but said the amounts being spent under police services had significantly increased. The Prime Minister said: “Persons may have forgotten that Parliament finished at one o’clock on Friday night and what we did was to take the deliberate decision a few months ago, to upfront in this financial year capital purchases that are critical to the police. The police have not functioned in this country with any kind of relevant technology and software for years. “We are now trying to get the cameras going again on the main highways that allow the police particularly on the main highways and in St Lawrence Gap and hopefully on the West Coast to be able to deal with finding people when crimes are committed.”  New tools, including crime mapping software and drone technology, are also to be added to the Government’s crime-fighting arsenal.  (BT)

‘FIGHT ON’  - A three-year plan to tackle rampant crime, targetting crime-ridden communities, is currently being drafted by the Government’s Criminal Research and Planning Unit, Attorney General Dale Marshall disclosed in Parliament today. Speaking as a House select commitee began hearings on the law and justice headings in the appropriations and estimates bill for the new financial year, the Justice Minister revealed the crime strategy is to cover 2019 to 2022.  Marshall told fellow lawmakers: “The whole idea behind it is that it will try to bring together all of the elements that go into strengthening our society . . . . We have to look at reform strategies, we have to look at intervention strategies and we also have to look at what long term things support those strategies. “Unless we work on all of those things that feed into what can create a block culture then we will be  challenged.”  Marshall expressed the hope that the 2019 to 2022 proposal would be the “golden thread” to arrest and “hopefully minimize criminal activity”.  Also appearing before lawmakers, the Government’s chief criminologist Cheryl Willoughby revealed that the research and planning unit and community officers from the Division of Youth Affairs will be going into at-risk communities from March 20.  She also said that the department was researching the levels of fear among the residents in at-risk communities.  The Attorney General who is responsible for the Royal Barbados Police Force, the preservation of public order, the Forensic Sciences Centre, the Police Complaints Authority and the Criminal Justice Research Unit indicated that the “levels of paralysis” linked to the recent spike in violent attacks were alarming and unacceptable.  He told the House committee: “Every Barbadian community knows what it is like for people to have a corner where they can hang out on... but when we have an environment, not of our own making where individuals feel that they have to stay in the house because that is the only way to be safe we are really having an environment that is suffocating our communities. “Whether we have a high level of fear or not the fact is that many communities in those high at risk area feel that way.”  Marshall went on to say that the police will assure people in high-crime areas that they were closely monitoring the situation.  The Attorney General said: “One of the first things we must do is reassure those communities that we are on the job . . . . Then those communities will not have a chance to breathe – increasing police presence via mobile patrols or community policing.  “This is not just about stamping out crime it is also and must also be about giving our communities a chance to breathe again so the average Barbadian can experience life living in fellowship and harmony as we know it used to be.” (BT)

‘SECOND WHISTLEBLOWER LAW COMING’ - More legal protections for whistleblowers are to be brought to lawmakers in the next four to six months, according to Attorney General Dale Marshall.  During the Estimates hearings in the House of Assembly, Marshall declared that the Integrity In Public Life Bill alone was inadequate to stem police corruption and crime.  He noted that the bill did not target public sector entities or corporations that were susceptible to corruption.  He told the House select committee on appropriations: “This piece of legislation [Integrity Bill] cannot stand alone, this piece of legislation has its own whistleblower provisions in it but if you are going to seriously stamp out corruption then we need to build up the other legislation that is going to build that structure.”  He went on to reveal that a second piece of whistleblower legislation would ensure that “individuals who give public interest declarations” do not fear or suffer from retaliation for coming forward to the authorities.  Declaring that the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1929 was an “absurd” piece of archaic legislation in urgent need of updating, Marshall said: “its fine structure needs to be updated; even the very language that it uses and the constructs that it enshrines”. Touching on the Money Laundering and Instrumentalities of Crime Act that was brought before the House last Friday, the Attorney General pointed out that the police force and other departments will reap financial benefits from the introduction of the law intended to funnel the seized assets of crime to law enforcement agencies.  Marshall told the House select committee: “If you are engaged in drugs and money laundering and you have five and six high-end vehicles but no job that nobody can point, you have an obligation to say to the state where did you get these assets from... When it comes to the modern approach to law enforcement we simply cannot allow people to engage in criminal conduct to be able to hold on to their ill-gotten gains. “Where assets are seized from, the large percentage of those assets are made available to law enforcement agencies to further carry out their work so it would be beneficial for us, in a situation where we would be effectively able to seize assets and then those assets are under our law ... are able to be distributed across agencies.” (BT)

POLICE MAKE BREAKTHROUGH IN TWO MURDERS -  Police have made a major breakthrough in investigations relating to the fatal shootings of Daryl Harris, who was fatally shot at Barbarees Gardens, St Michael on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 and Corey Parris, who was fatally shot at Baxters Road, St Michael on Thursday, January 24th 2019. A number of persons are assisting Police at the Major Crime Investigations Unit and charges are expected to follow shortly. (DN)

THREE MURDER ACCUSED TO APPEAR IN COURT TOMORROW -  Three murder accused are set to appear at the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. Lamar Alex Hewitt, 27, of 7th Avenue, New Orleans has been charged with the January 23 murder of Corrie Parris. Parris, 47, of Shop Hill, St Thomas was shot multiple times while sitting in a car on Baxter’s Road in the vicinity of Jordan’s Supermarket. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital ( QEH) but succumbed to his injuries. Jaleel Kadeem Callender and Jalen Trimal Jones-Cox will also face the court charged with the murder of Daryll Harris on January 15. Harris of Barbarees Gardens, St Michael was shot nine times by a gunman. He died at the QEH. Hewitt faces an additional charge of supplying a firearm to Rio Benn between February 1 and 18. Meanwhile, Shamar Recardo James, of Murphy’s Pasture, Chapman Lane, St Michael has been charged with supplying a firearm to murder accused Jaleel Kadeem Callender sometime between January 1 and February 18. That firearm has been recovered by police. (DN)

 FIVE GRANTED BAIL - Five aggravated burglary accused were granted bail in a District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today but only four got to go home as one was unable to get a suitable surety before the end of the day’s sitting. They are: 23-year-olds Kemaro O’Neil Harris and Jabarry Stafan Roach both of Block 4H, Rock Close, Wildey, St Michael; 24-year-old Kimberley Ashleigh Ellis, of Block 6F Field Road, Wildey, St Michael; 22-year-old Damion Ramon Whittaker, of Bay Street, St Michael and 27-year-old Pierre Ramon Belle of Block 6G, Field Road, Wildey, St Michael. Harris, Roach and Ellis are jointly charged with entering R.B Rotisserie as trespassers on November 9, 2018 and stealing a cellular phone worth $600 belonging to D’Andrea Burrowes and $3,043.78 cash belonging to ESC Inc. It is also alleged that they had a knife during the commission of the crime. Roach, Harris and Belle are accused of entering Chutneys and R.B Rostisserie as trespassers on July 20, 2018 and stealing $4,942.10 belonging to ESC Inc, a cellular phone and case worth $2,030 as well as $20 cash belonging to Persuadia Powlett and a $1,200 cellular phone belonging to D’Andrea Burrowes. It is further alleged that they had a knife, box cutter and scissors at the time. None of the accused was required to plead to the indictable charges. Station Sergeant Cameron Gibbons did not renew objections to their bail when they appeared before Magistate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant today. Whittaker who is represented by attorney-at-law Angella Mitchell-Gittens was granted $4,000 bail as well as Ellis who had Bobby Clarke as her legal counsel while Belle secured $8,000 bail and Roach $12,000. However, Harris who was also offered $12,000 bail was not able to present a suitable surety to the magistrate. He will return before the court tomorrow for another chance. All the accused were given an August 27 date to return to court. In the meantime they all have to report to Central Police Station every Wednesday before noon with valid identification and also adhere to a daily 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. (BT)

YARDE REMANDED FOR 28 DAYS - Fifty-year-old Junior Anderson Grafton Yarde has a place to lay his head at least for the next 28-days. This after he admitted before Magistrate Douglas Frederick today to having no fixed place abode. It was on that basis and his criminal record that prosecutor Sergeant St Clair Phillips objected to bail saying that the police prosecutor’s office would be hardpressed to locate the accused if he chose to abscond. Grafton is charged with stealing two pairs of goggles worth $800 and $15 cash belonging to Abdullah Manjra between February 27 and 28. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and will reappear before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on April 1, 2019. (BT)

‘ADDICTED TO DRUGS’ – “He will kill himself before his time and I want him to get detox!” The mother of an 18-year-old made this plea today in the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court after the teenager admitted to smoking up to 64 packets of marijuana on a daily basis. The teen who lives in the Bayville, St Michael area was stopped while driving a hired car on Black Rock Main Road, St Michael on March 1 around 11:10 a.m. On the dashboard, according to prosecutor sergeant St Clair Phillips, were the packets and a grease-proof wrapping of vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis weighing 32.25 grammes and worth approximately $322.50. A search warrant was later executed at his house and more of the illegal substance was found on his bedside table. He was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of possession, possession with intent to supply and trafficking of the drug. “I have a bad problem with marijuana. It was for myself. I would smoke all of them in an hour’s time,” the photography student told Magistrate Douglas Frederick today. His attorney Harry Husbands in mitigating on his behalf also admitted to a serious drug problem adding that the young man was self medicating as he was battling a number of health issues including asthma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a mitral valve prolapse. He asked that the magistrate show leniency so that the teen, who he said was a first-time offender and had not wasted the court’s time, could get help. However, the young man’s mother gave an even more candid explanation of her son’s problems. She told the court that she only recently found out about her only child’s addiction to the drug as he was not using it home. “Friends told him that weed is a natural thing and is good for him. So he takes it because he is terrified of the pain and smokes to stop it. However, the doctor told him he cannot smoke and take the medication,” the mother stated. She added: “He is going to die. I want him to go and get detox and go to Verdun House. He is not a doctor and he will die before his time. He is killing himself slowly but surely. His condition is such that he needs a doctor to deal with him.” The teen also admitted that he needed the help to address his drug addiction. He was therefore remanded to the custody of doctors at the Psychiatric Hospital for assessment to determine his suitability for the programme offered at Verdun House. However his legal troubles did not end there as he had to appear before Magistrate Graveney Bannister to answer the charge of driving a hired car when he was not the holder of a valid driver’s licence. “I have a permit to learn for the past three months,” he revealed adding: “I get anxiety a lot. I actually told myself I am going to learn to drive today . . . so I took the car for a spin,” he said moments before his attorney asked the court to be lenient given his health issues. Magistrate Bannister then reprimanded and discharged him saying that he was “penitent enough”. The teenager will make his next appearance before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on March 25. (BT)

ROAD FATALITY - Police have reported a road fatality on Government Hill, St Michael. The accident occurred around 1:15 am. (more details as they come to hand.) (BT)

POLICE STILL WORKING IN COMMUNITIES - The island’s top cop has lauded the Royal Barbados Police Force for its community policing efforts. Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith today told the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament that the initiative had significantly helped the police in the fight against crime, especially in areas regarded as hotspots. Griffith strongly refuted accusations that community policing was dead. “Recently some of the comments that you would hear in the mainstream media would make you think that community policing is no longer with us. I would like to allay all fears in that regard. “If you just look at the project in the Chapman Street, New Orleans area [and the] community policing efforts there, anybody there who would have interfaced with the officers who man that post would tell you that community policing is alive and kicking. Those officers are totally embraced by those communities and do a fantastic job day out and day in,” Griffith said. “Had not for that intervention I can assure you that that community is so volatile that we would not know how to manage the affairs there . . . I am sure that what they do on a daily basis is outstanding,” he maintained. Earlier this year in an interview with Barbados TODAY former Commissioner of Police Orville Durant and Oral Reid, chairman of the Caribbean Association of Security Professionals called for an urgent return to full-fledged community policing. They claimed that a lack of attention to community policing, as well as a breakdown in social structures was to blame for the ongoing wave of violence in Barbados. The commissioner said through the force’s community policing efforts programmes had also been established to assist at-risk youth. One such programme, the Prince’s Trust International Team Building programme, had already produced excellent results, Griffith said.  Following a successful pilot project in 2016, the Prince’s Trust International teamed with the RBPF to offer a 12-week personal development programme aimed at helping disengaged and unemployed young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years old. The programme helps to build confidence, motivation and skills, while allowing participants to take part in a series of outdoor activities, community challenges and classroom-based learning. “We continue to work with the youth. We also have engaged in the Prince’s Trust International Team Building programme which has seen in excess of 80 persons to date graduate from the programme and who have made a turnaround in their lives. We are satisfied that programmes like that coming out of the community policing effort will indeed ensure that our youth will have some support in order to eradicate some of the scourge of crime that we are seeing,” Griffith said. (BT)

PSV OWNERS BACKING UNIFORMS FOR WORKERS - Even as some Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators and conductors continue to celebrate the suspended rollout of the controversial uniform code, one owners’ organisation is not so happy. As a matter of fact, the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) is suggesting that the move could be a setback to efforts to bring discipline to the sector. The owners’ group is hoping that the Transport Authority has not abandoned the idea of the proposed mandated logo-bearing uniforms. This morning, AOPT Public Relations Officer, Mark Haynes, told Barbados TODAY that his organisation is sticking to its position, articulated when the controversial issue first reared its head two months ago.“We maintain that this would have helped to bring discipline to the sector, which we are seeking to do. Now that is off the table, may be for a number of reasons which we are not privy to, that does not mean that we don’t still support discipline and order. I think that the wearing of uniforms will seek to legitimize the industry and bring order to it because we believe that it urgently needs to be regulated,” said Haynes. In a joint statement released last Friday by the PSV Workers’ Association and the Transport Authority, it was agreed that the introduction of the mandatory uniform, which was to be implemented on March 1, has been put on hold until further notice. The decision came after five hours of talks last Tuesday between the Transport Authority under the chairmanship of Ian Estwick, and members of the PSV Workers’ Association, including President Shawn Best, PRO Fabian Wharton and Director Rodney Bellamy. It was further agreed that on weekends and bank holidays, drivers and conductors will be allowed to wear polo shirts, providing that they are in the legally allowed colours of grey for drivers and yellow or cream for conductors. Two Fridays ago, PSV operators said that they were blindsided by the authority’s notice of the new dress code, which had resulted in a two-day bus strike in January when attempts were first made to introduce it. The workers claimed at the time that negotiations were ongoing and that the matter was far from resolved. The following Monday, the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO) threw their support behind the drivers and conductors, revealing that their attorney-at-law, Michael Lashley QC, had written a legal challenge to the Transport Authority. However, this morning the AOPT spokesman suggested that as soon as the Transport Authority is able to work out all of the kinks in the proposed legislation, a third attempt should be made to re-introduce it. “I believe that there were some legal issues on the table. I do not know what is the up-to-date status as it relates to a legal opinion on the issue, but once the law provides for it and supports it, we do not see any reason why it should not be done,” said Haynes. He noted, “If the Transport Authority intends to get back to it, then that would be a matter for them to decide but as far as we are concerned, there is no effort on our part to make things difficult for the workers. We are just saying that we want discipline and order in the sector, and I think that if we are a serious people, then behaviour and dress are important to ensure that the public has a better perception of the PSV sector.” (BT)

WRONG WAY - Government appears to be looking to change the existing sick leave policy in the public service says the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW). But the administration is going about it the wrong way, bypassing the established process which requires discussions with the union and the Ministry of the Civil Service, charges a senior member of the island’s largest public sector bargaining body. Acting Assistant General Secretary of the NUPW, Wayne Waldron said his union is concerned by this unilateral attempt by Government to change sick leave criteria for workers in the public service. The NUPW suggested that Government has turned to the social partnership to come up with a replacement policy. This afternoon Waldron told Barbados TODAY that Government has asked the social partnership to draft a new sick leave policy, a move that the union sees as a circumvention of the NUPW’s collective bargaining jurisdiction. The National Union of Public Workers is cautiously watching a development, where certain matters relating to public officers’ terms and conditions of service, are being placed before the social partnership to formulate policies to review those terms and conditions of work.“For example, we are aware that the sick leave policy has been placed before the social partnership for revision. The appropriate way to deal with any variations of these contractual arrangements, should be through discussions between the NUPW and Ministry of the Civil Service,” Waldron said. He argued that any decisions coming out of the social partnership will not be legally binding, while expressing fear that the private sector component of the tripartite committee, would not be able to relate to the concerns of public officers. “When you put this before a social partnership rather than properly putting it before the civil service, that policy is not legally binding. You can’t just unilaterally vary these terms and conditions just like that, this is not how we do industrial relations in Barbados,” he lamented. The trade unionist questioned the need for a revised policy in the first place, when in his estimation there were adequate measures within the current policy to deal with persons who abuse the system. “Even if there is some discussion about the level of sick leave, there are mechanisms within the public service to deal with this. So, for example, after three to six months an officer can be asked, depending on the ailment and prognosis, to be subject to a medical examination. In addition, sick leave can be extended with or without pay. This is at the discretion of the department. In cases where persons go over their sick leave provision, they are asked to refund the salary or it is taken from their pension or gratuity,” he explained, revealing that as a result of the latter provision, some public servants have found themselves having to repay one year’s salary. Waldron further argued that if Government wanted to revise the sick leave policy, they first needed to look at the issues making workers sick in the first place. The NUPW official contended, “We need to look at the cause and effect of sick leave in the first place. We have to look at our sick building syndrome. We have to also look at workers’ mental health because there are many who are discontented by unfair practices. There are many senior competent officers who have not been promoted or appointed and therefore feel disillusioned. There has to be comprehensive data analysis to be properly informed about the impact of these underlying factors.” According to the 2018 Public Sector Report, there were over 8000 applications for sick leave from public servants, permanent and temporary, during 2017. And in total, the service recorded a whopping 61288 days in days lost to work because of illness.  (BT)

EYE ON PRESIDENCY - Akanni McDowall is seeking a third term at the helm of Barbados’ largest public sector union even amidst recent publicized clashes with his administration and widespread criticism for his handling of ongoing Government retrenchment of public workers. In fact, the head of the National Union of Public Workers, (NUPW) said it would be a irresponsible and a dereliction of duty if he did not throw his hat into the ring for the April 3 elections. “I would think that it would be irresponsible of me to leave the presidency or to leave the union during a retrenchment programme. I would really think so. I would want to see my members through this phase and through this programme before I give up on the leadership position. I really would not feel good leaving just like that because I stand by public servants in their time of need,” said McDowall, who is confident that he still enjoys majority support of the membership. McDowall told Barbados TODAY it is important he stands by his constituents who are still navigating an austerity programme. In June 2016, McDowall convincingly overcame a no-confidence motion 168-45 during his first tenure as president. A year later he easily brushed aside a challenge for the presidency from immigration officer, Roy Greenidge. But with critics such as Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn, describing the NUPW under McDowall’s stewardship as “political prostitutes”, it is left for the membership to decide who will lead them.  Senator Franklyn had also accused the union of playing politics when shortly after the Barbados Labour Party’s emphatic win in the May 24 polls (BLP), the union reached agreement on salary increases for public servants at 4.5 per cent after insisting on 23 per cent from the previous administration. “To come down from 23 per cent to 4.5 per cent is like dropping off a cliff,” Franklyn said then. “Everybody knew that the [previous] Government was mismanaging the economy and that the whole country was going to hell in a handcart, yet they [NUPW] insisted on 23 per cent. I can’t say if this Government is being reasonable, but you can’t just settle in one meeting after elections. It smells like a bag of rotten shrimp,” the outspoken senator said at the time. However, McDowall told Barbados TODAY that he is fully aware of the criticisms of his leadership and that he is prepared to defend his record, even though he believes that “it speaks for itself”. He also revealed that he has heard rumors regarding persons wishing to challenge him but so far no one has officially indicated their intention to do so. “I have heard people say that I am in bed with the current Government, but I would encourage them to bring the proof of this. My record shows that even after the Government was changed, I have continued to fight for the workers. I would like people to judge me based on what I have been able to achieve rather than accusing me whimsically of being associated with one administration or another. “I have not shown preference for one administration over another in my capacity as president of the NUPW, and if people have proof to the contrary, then I suggest they bring it,” saidMcDowall, who pointed to the recent relocation of the Immigration Department as one example of the NUPW’s continued push for workers’ rights in recent months. (BT)

EARLY REAPERS – At least two private sugar cane planters started reaping canes yesterday at the official start of the harvest season. Farm manager at Drax Hall Plantation, Phillip Whitehead, said he started harvesting around 10 a.m. in St George and had reaped about 20 tonnes of cane, which were delivered to the Bulkeley trans-loading station also in St George, and eventually to Portvale Factory in St James. He said while he lost six acres of cane to fire, 311 acres were in production and he anticipated reaping 7 000 tonnes, a slight increase from last year’s yield of 6 884 from 288 acres. Richard Armstrong, of Armag Farms Ltd, was the other planter harvesting canes. From 35 acres in Colleton, St John, and a few in Hampton, St Philip, he expects to reap about 50 tonnes. However, this will be his last time harvesting cane for sugar production as he is planning to fully utilise the 600 acres he has responsibility for to plant a high-fibre cane for a special biomass project.  (DN)

AMBASSADOR SUPPORTS BEACH VENDOR - Cultural Ambassador Anthony The Mighty Gabby Carter is still not convinced that Barbadians are being granted free and fair access to the country’s beaches. The outspoken ambassador was weighing in on recent complaints levelled by a beach chair vendor at Alleyne’s Beach St James that his access to the beach had been restricted by the National Conservation Commission (NCC) at the request of the Fairmont Royal Pavilion Resort. While efforts to reach the NCC’s General Manager, Keith Neblett continue to be unsuccessful, Cultural Ambassador Gabby voiced his support for 31-year-old Derry Bayley, a registered beach chair vendor, who last week accused NCC workers of unfairly restricting his access by drawing a black mark on the beach and insisting that if he operated south of the line, his licence would be revoked. The young man also charged that staff of the nearby hotel was harassing his clients for placing his beach chairs on “their side” of the beach. “He needs to get something and spray it on the beach too, to tell them that they can’t pass there and show Royal Pavilion where they can’t pass. That is what I believe. It can’t be a one-way street there,” Mighty Gabby told Barbados TODAY. He added: “Nobody owns the beach. The law needs changing as it pertains to the beach, because that foolishness about the high water mark needs to be changed so that we can get more justice in situations like these. That should never be and I hope that the young man will get some relief in terms of being able to put his chairs on the beach, because nobody should own the beach. It is ridiculous. I don’t agree with it at all.” By law, local beaches are considered public spaces, defined under the NCC cap 393 as “the land adjoining the foreshore of Barbados and extending not 33 metres beyond the landward limit of the foreshore.” More specifically, the NCC Act defined 100 feet from the high water mark as beach. However these public spaces become bigger and smaller based on the weather, resulting in changes to the high water mark and a lack of clarity about the ownership of some portions of the beach and its immediate environs. The Mighty Gabby took aim at the over 35-year-old legislation arguing that it still did not provide enough clarity. “Anything past your fence should belong to the public and if you use the beach, you use it at the public’s discretion. You should be paying taxes for the land up to your fence,” said Gabby, who added that he was also concerned about access to some beaches which had gradually been blocked. “All of the windows to the beach also need reopening. Historically you can tell where they are and so you should go and reopen all of them. I don’t care whose property is there.” He also urged Government to better regulate the growing occupation of beach chair vending in a way that was equitable for small entrepreneurs and large hotel owners, warning that beaches like Browne’s Beach, a popular spot for locals, were restricting access to Barbadians who frequent the beach from the neighbouring communities. “We need to take those chairs on Browne’s Beach and send them back where they came from. Sometimes when we go down there to bathe, we end up having to beg the tourists for a break. That shouldn’t be so. That beach especially is one which should not be used like that. It is ridiculous. “It needs to be regulated better because it is restricting free access to the beaches. There are some beaches which are accessed by tourists and we cannot get to freely access some of their beaches, so you cannot allow the tourists to come down there [Browne’s Beach] and take over where the locals bathe. It is ridiculous and needs to be stopped so that we could at least have that part of the beach to ourselves. We don’t mind sharing, but ordinary Barbadians cannot be placed on the back burner,” said Gabby. (BT)

UPSET PARENTS PLAN PROTEST – Parents of Milton Lynch Primary students plan to protest today against what they describe as the deplorable conditions at the school. They made this decision yesterday evening at the Water Street, Christ Church school, saying they were frustrated that the health and safety of students and teachers were not being taken seriously. They said they were dissatisfied with some industrial cleaning done over the weekend. A fiery Katelyn Bourne told the DAILY NATION: “My son was home for four days and then I had to carry him to more than one doctor. “The bathrooms smell terrible, the hallways are atrocious. There are hardly any toilet bowl covers; the smell alone is making the children sick. And If I was to leave my child at home I would get the Child Care Board call on me. But this is nowhere to send [a] child,” Bourne complained. (DN)

ST JAMES PRIMARY SCHOOL CLOSED TODAY FOR CLEANING – The St James Primary School at Trents, St James, will be closed today, Tuesday, March 5, for industrial cleaning.  It will reopen on Wednesday, March 6. The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training regrets any inconvenience this closure may cause. (BGIS)

ANN HILL SCHOOL CLOSED TODAY FOR CLEANING – The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has advised that the Ann Hill School, at Pine Plantation Road, St Michael, will be closed today, Tuesday, March 5. This is to allow for the completion of industrial cleaning at the school, which will reopen on Wednesday, March 6. The Ministry thanks parents and guardians for their cooperation and understanding in this matter. (BGIS)

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[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 11/11/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Saturday 11th November, 2017. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing Saturday Sun Newspaper (SS).

NEW DAY – Forget about Government’s Medium Term Growth and Development Strategy (MTGDS) and get ready for the Barbados Sustainable Recovery Plan (BSRL) 2017. Nearly four years after he unveiled the revised MTGDS as the main strategy that would take Barbados into the year 2020, Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler today effectively announced that the Freundel Stuart administration was ditching that programme to make way for the BSRL which he described as “one of the most ambitious deficit-reduction programmes in the country’s history”. In a ministerial statement to Parliament back in December 2013, Sinckler had announced that the MTGDS would, among other things, reduce the country’s fiscal deficit to below two per cent of gross domestic product by 2020/21; achieve a more comfortable level of debt sustainability; strengthen the Net International Reserves position to at least six months or 24 weeks of import reserves cover; reduce the cost of doing business and the cost of living; enhance international competitiveness, national productivity, efficiency, service excellence and business facilitation; expand and accelerate public and private investments and preserve a strong social safety net. However, with the economy still worryingly in the red with the fiscal deficit estimated at $279 million for the first six months of the 2017/2018 fiscal year, the country’s foreign reserves having plunged to 8.6 weeks of import cover or $549.7 million at the end of September and Government debt having soared to 144 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, Sinckler today announced that the draft BSRL would be laid in Parliament next month, again with a view to tackling the many problem areas addressed in his 2013 ministerial statement. At the same time, the embattled Minister of Finance sought to assure that there would not be any “wild slashing of social services or ‘beheading’ of thousands of public servants to achieve arithmetic objectives”. Before an audience that included the Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank Dr Justin Ram who recently called on Government to bite the bullet and seek help from the International Monetary Fund, Sinckler was also adamant that public servants would not be made to bear the brunt of any new fiscal adjustments. “We have to study the implications of all our actions. And I believe that having examined the situation carefully and completely, Government is now in a better position to roll out a comprehensive plan to tackle these issues head-on,” he said, while promising that the BSRL would be a targeted, inclusive and decisive plan and that it would benefit from wide public discourse, even as Government moves to quickly advance phase one of the programme’s initiatives. The BSRL, which was first announced by Sinckler in his May 30 Budget, was structured and developed by three working groups coming out of the August Social Partnership meeting, involving Government, trade unions and the private sector. The plan calls for the establishment of a local competitiveness commission, as well as a technical unit to drive the process of implementation. Under the BSRP, a new national energy policy is also to be implemented to accelerate Government’s objectives of making Barbados energy independent by 2035. The plan also makes provision for appropriate tax reforms, the transformation of Customs into the umbrella Barbados Revenue Authority and the implementation of a single taxpayer information technology system.  (BT)

FTC URGED TO DECIDE ON BNTCL – Make a decision! That is Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler’s call to the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) on the proposed sale of the Barbados National Terminal Company Limited (BNTCL). Sinckler said the tardiness of the FTC was “jeopardising” the country’s economic plans. The announcement that the BNTCL would be sold to regional petroleum giant Sol for US$100 million in January was halted by the FTC five months later, after a preliminary ruling recommended that the merger not be permitted. He was speaking at the Chartered Accountants of Barbados’ (ICAB) Annual Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. The FTC found that sections of the proposed sale bid were unlawful. This was after competitor Rubis secured an interim injunction after it took to the law courts challenging the sale. Rubis argued that the sale would give Sol an unfair advantage and allow it to create a monopoly. While revealing that the sale of Hilton Barbados resort was almost complete, Sinckler said he was concerned at the length of time it was taking for the FTC to make a ruling. He said Minister of Commerce Donville Inniss was also of the same view and had written to the FTC calling for a judgment to be handed down. Sinckler said the sale of both entities would help to boost the faltering foreign reserves. “The first of these initiatives is to complete the sale of the Hilton and this I am suitably advised is at an advanced stage. Secondly, I believe the Minister of Commerce has indicated to the FTC that the issuing of its final decision on the sale of the BNTCL is now long overdue and must be done expeditiously, whatever that decision might be,” he said. “It is simply taking way too long in my opinion and frustrating all parties involved and potentially jeopardising economic plans.  (SS)

WELFARE AND NAB TO BE RENAMED – The Government department responsible for providing welfare assistance to the less fortunate is to undergo a name change by the end of this year. Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett announced today that in a bid to end the stigma associated with obtaining assistance from the Welfare Department, Government would be renaming that department, as well as the National Assistance Board. “We [understand] the stigma attached to the Welfare Department and those who present [themselves]. We want to change the entire ethos of the Welfare Department so that people would not feel badly about themselves [when seeking] the services that they [the Welfare Department] offer,” Blackett told reporters on the sidelines of the Salvation Army’s kettle appeal launch in Jubilee Gardens, The City. Once approval is given by Parliament, he said the Welfare Department would be called the Department of Social Services while the NAB is to be referred to as the Commission of Elder Affairs. “The National Assistance Board is going to be called the Commission of Elder Affairs and that agency is specifically to administer the national policy on aging, which was administered by this Government,” Blackett said, adding that Government was committed to working closely with local non-governmental organizations to fight intergenerational poverty. (BT)

MANY MORE – The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is happy that more than 100 public workers have recently been appointed. But with hundreds more officers still awaiting their appointment letters, NUPW president Akanni McDowall has described Government’s latest move as a “drop in the bucket”. In a press release issued yesterday, the NUPW said 52 nurses at polyclinics and 28 people at the level of Administrative Officer I had received their letters of appointment. It stated that about 100 postal employees were expected to be appointed soon. Additionally, it said security guards, prison officers, clerical officers and maids were also expected to soon receive letters of appointment. “This action is Government’s response to the union’s request that temporary workers with three years’ service and over be appointed. Over 500 public officers are expected to be appointed,” the statement added. In an interview with the SATURDAY SUN, however, McDowall said although the union was happy for those officers who had been appointed, the Personnel Administration Department (PAD) still had a mammoth task ahead in appointing hundreds more in the public service. (SS)

RUMBLINGS IN THE BSTU – Two high-ranking officials of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) reportedly tendered their resignations this week from the executive, amid rumblings within the BSTU. However, up to late this evening feverish behind the scene attempts were being made to have the resignation letters rescinded, with top officials of the teachers’ union said to be locked in closed-door meetings at the BSTU’s Beleville, St Michael headquarters. Members of the union’s executive, including BSTU President Mary Redman and first vice-president Charles Morris, could not be reached for comment on the matter. However, informed sources have confirmed to Barbados TODAY that the two individuals at the centre of the current impasse were considered “pillars” of the BSTU. Sources have also expressed concern that if their resignations were allowed to stand, it could have a far-reaching effect on the local trade union movement as a whole. However, there are said to be divergent views among the top brass of the BSTU on the way the union should proceed in relation to the non-renewal of a teacher’s contract at the St Michael School. The two executives are said to be equally concerned that the union’s efforts are being deliberately sabotaged by certain individuals who they accuse of leaking confidential information to the Ministry of Education. “A union has to stand united and it is only as strong as its weakest link. However when we see such acts of betrayal take place at the top it is difficult to inspire confidence among the membership and the people that we are fighting against will destroy us,” one source explained, while maintaining that the resignations would not be good for the BSTU at this time. (BT)

OPPOSITION ST JOHN CANDIDATE TAKES MARA TO TASK – The Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St John Charles Griffith has agreed wholeheartedly with a suggestion made by his St Joseph counterpart Dale Marshall that the only constituency that is possibly more neglected than his own, in terms of road infrastructure, is St John. “Other than St John, we [St Joseph] remain the most neglected parish. The road infrastructure across St Joseph has been allowed to deteriorate by the Ministry of Transport and Works. The residents have called and I have called and other members of my team have called, but all we are constantly hearing is that there is no material, absolutely no material. So the situation is just going from bad to worse and the [recent] rainfall just worsens the entire problem,” Marshall had complained to Barbados TODAY late last month. But while supporting the position taken by the BLP’s incumbent for St Joseph, Griffith was not about to entertain any such complaints from the current Member of Parliament for St John, Mara Thompson. Back in March, Thompson, in making her contribution to the 2017/2018 Estimates debate in the House of Assembly had pleaded with her own Government for improved transportation and better roads in the rural constituency, while describing the situation as deplorable. However, Griffith told Barbados TODAY, Thompson, who succeeded her husband late Prime Minister David Thompson as the sitting representative for the area in 2010, should be the last one to complain about the situation. “She was supposedly the representative for the last seven to eight years the better part of ten years and she has not been able to do a single road in St John or even initiate a single project in St John that would benefit the people in St John,” he said, while echoing her concerns about the inadequate bus service. “I was in the bus stand recently checking out the situation for myself and I waited for two and a half hours with residents from Bowmanston for a bus. It is shameful,” he said, while pointing out that a proposed private public sector transport initiative for the area has had to be put on hold because “the roads were in such a state that private persons would not put their minibuses on the Martin’s Bay route”. Griffith also accused Thompson of sitting on a proposal for the construction of a new recreational facility for residents of the rural constituency which has been represented by the ruling Democratic Labour Party in parliament since 1958. “Can you imagine that a landowner in St John gave the parliamentarian attached to St John a portion of land to be developed for recreational purposes in St John that would take the pressure off Gall Hill, and, almost two years later, nothing has been done with the parcel of land to facilitate the needs of young people in St John,” Griffith said while maintaining that St John, which was previously represented by two former prime ministers, including the country’s founding father Errol Walton Barrow, was in need of better representation. “St John had a problem almost as acute of those in St Joseph and you heard Dale Marshall speaking about the plight of his constituents, but how many times did you hear the representative of St John speaking on behalf of St John?” Griffith asked.  (BT)

SCORES STRANDED AS RESULT OF LIAT PILOTS’ STRIKE – Scores of passengers were left stranded at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) on Friday, as pilots employed by regional airline LIAT staged protest action. This follows a breakdown in talks on Friday morning between management of the Antigua-based carrier and representatives of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA). In a statement this afternoon, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones did not go into details on the latest impasse, but apologized to the passengers for the inconvenience caused by the pilots’ action. “LIAT apologizes for these disruptions to our passengers and their plans and wishes to reiterate its commitment to work with LIALPA to resolve any issues,” Reifer-Jones said in the statement, adding that management was working to restore regular operations as soon as possible. In the meantime, reports reaching Barbados TODAY were that passengers were left with no way to turn. One woman, who arrived on a British Airways flight this afternoon with an onward connection to St Vincent, complained that passengers, including the disabled, have been left to fend for themselves. “We have no idea when we are going to leave Barbados. There are disabled people here and LIAT is not taking responsibility. They haven’t even offered us as much as a glass of water,” she said. There has been no official word from LIALPA on the latest impasse. However,  in recent months the pilots have been at odds with the airline’s management over pay, with the pilots refusing to fly LIAT’s ATR 72 aircraft unless they were compensated for the additional responsibility of flying those larger planes. (BT)

PROSTATE NO.1 CAUSE OF CANCER DEATHS – Prostate cancer is taking many Barbadians to the grave. This is coming from qualitative researcher with the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Dr Natalie Greaves, who said the data collected by 2013 showed that the most common cancer deaths resulted from the prostate, followed in descending order by breast, colon, cervix and blood and lymph cancers. Greaves also said of the five most cancers that caused death in Barbados, four of them were preventable. She said the incidence of cancer in Barbados could be reduced since there was an opportunity for early detection, screening, vaccines to prevent the contraction of some viruses linked to cancer. She added that elements such as proper diet and physical activity also played a part. Greaves said in 2008 cancer deaths stood at20 per cent of all deaths in Barbados, but by 2016 it moved to 26 per cent. Greaves said for males the most frequently diagnosed cancers in order of frequency were prostate, colorectal, stomach, lung and lip oral cavity. The most common deaths were from prostate, colon, blood and lymph and digestive other tumours in descending. For females the most frequently diagnosed cancers were breast, corpus uteri, colorectal, cervic uteri followed by ovary while the most death was from breast, colon, blood and lymph, cervix and digestive other tumours. Greaves also said they were now seeing more cases of digestive other tumours, which included pancreatic, gall bladder and stomach cancers. She said the registry would provide information that would help to bolster the case for cancer care and treatment to be in one location rather than the now scattered system. (BT)

‘MISGUIDED UWI’ – The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus has come in for scathing criticism from a Government senator, who has charged that the tertiary institution has lost its prestige and is now lagging behind its regional and international counterparts. While defending the ruling Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) 2013 decision to stop footing the full cost of tertiary education for students attending UWI, Senator Verla De Peiza suggested today that the campus had lowered its standards in a misguided attempt to fast track the vision its former principal Sir Hilary Beckles had for a university graduate in every household. “I will say without fear of contradiction, but with every expectation of contradiction, that the policy of a graduate in every household was misguided as sold. It was back in 2009 that Sir Hilary had unveiled the plan to have a graduate in every Barbadian home by 2020. And while describing critics of the concept as “unintelligent”, Sir Hilary had sought to explain that his vision was one way of ensuring the issue of poverty was addressed. However, De Peiza, who is the DLP candidate for Christ Church West contended that as a result of its botched execution, the UWI now had faced an uphill challenge in regaining respectability, even at the regional level. “So UWI does have to do some work to get itself back on an international footing and not just that, UWI has to do some work to put itself back on a regional footing,” said De Peiza, while pointing out that while UWI students only needed a passing grade to make it to law school, in England you needed at least Upper Second honours to apply for law school. “Across the board UWI needs to move from just producing document holders to producing research of a significant nature,” De Peiza added. The Government senator also suggested that the campus had an insatiable appetite for funding, due to an “explosion” of its physical plant which she said was only partially paid for by private entities, with contributing governments were left to bear the brunt of the financial burden. (BT)

ELECTION PETITION – The Chief Electoral Officer Angela Taylor is being sued. Lawyers for Guyana-born Shireene Ann Mathlin-Tulloch, of #2 Castlerock, Cane Garden, St Thomas, filed an application in the Supreme Court today challenging Taylor’s decision to refuse to register their client as an elector in Barbados. According to the court documents, Mathlin-Tulloch is a Commonwealth citizen who has been living and working in Barbados legally for the past 16 years. Through her attorney-at-law Wilfred Abrahams, the 49-year-old woman wants the court to declare that she satisfies the conditions entitling her to register as an elector as stipulated under Section 7 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 12 of the Laws of Barbados. Contending that she possesses a Barbados national identification card issued by the local Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the applicant also wants the court to issue an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the Chief Electoral Officer to refuse her as an elector. The High Court is also being asked to order the top electoral official to register the applicant and grant an injunction restraining the Government department from refusing to register persons as electors other than in accordance with the same Act. Mathlin-Tulloch is also asking for costs and “such further and/or other relief as may be deemed fit” by the court. Elections are constitutionally due here by the middle of next year. (BT)

NEW GAY FRIENDLY LAWS COMING – A Barbadian civil liberties activist and Canadian university professor is suggesting that “gay-friendly” legislation will soon have to be added to the statute books in Barbados and other Caribbean countries. Delivering the annual Dame Nita Barrow Memorial Lecture at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination last night, University of Toronto Associate Professor Dr Rinaldo Walcott acknowledged that “tension” currently exists between Christians and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community on the island. However, he suggested that due to economic considerations and the growing assertiveness of sexual minorities in Barbados, the domestic laws would soon be changed with a view to safeguarding gay rights. Just last month, the Christian youth groups Hannah’s Mission and Youth For Christ Barbados staged a march through the capital, Bridgetown, sporting rainbows in a protest to what they deemed declining morals and values on the island. At the same time LGBTs staged a counter-march on October 28 in Independence Square to lay claim to the rainbow as an international gay symbol. A standoff resulted. However, the protests ended peacefully with two sides sharing the same platform. Reacting to this development, Walcott said “the assertion by the Barbadian LGBT community, and its claim to the rainbow follows a very particular global gay identity.  While describing the local reaction to gays as varied, he pointed out that “questions of class, perceptions of belonging and a range of social factors indicators, all condition how some queens [members of the LGBT community] might be acknowledged in Barbados, making the experience not a singular one for all of them”. Walcott also suggested that the experience was similar across the Caribbean while projecting that all of the region’s tourism dependent territories were likely to adopt more gay-friendly legislation in the near future “as [members of the LGBT community] begin to think about making visits to the region as their status is normalized in Canada and elsewhere. (BT)

SEARCH FOR MISSING ST JOHN MAN – Scores of armed police officers, their sniffer dogs and Barbados Defence Force soldiers launched a massive search early yesterday for missing man George Washington Bailey, of Sherbourne No 3, St John. It was just after 5:30 a.m. that the search teams arrived in droves combing more than 80 acres of bushy, muddy canefields at Clifton Hall, St John, for clues they believed would lead them to Bailey. “We are searching the area to see if we can find the missing man George Washington Bailey,” said Inspector Elliott Bovell of the Royal Barbados Police Force at the command centre, in Clifton Hall. About five hours later, the search teams came out empty handed. Earlier this week, Joycelyn Bailey, the missing man’s mother, told the DAILY NATION she last saw her son on October 19, just before 9 p.m., when she ran to the window after he arrived home. However, he did not visit that night for a meal as he usually did. The 43-year-old lives next door to his mother in what used to be a shop. Bovell said investigations are continuing. (SS)

HAYNES THREATENS TO SHOOT PARRIS – A 52-year-old man, who allegedly used threatening words towards another, is out on $2,000 bail. Allan Arthur Haynes, of 5th Avenue, Holders Land, St Michael, is accused of telling Winston Parris “man I gine shoot you” on November 8, which caused Parris to believe that immediate violence would be used against him. Haynes pleaded not guilty to the offence when he appeared before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant. And with no objections raised to his bail he was released with a warning to stay away from Parris until the matter was resolved. Haynes is due to reappear in the No.2 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on January 4. (BT)

WELCH GETS 12 MONTHS FOR SNATCHING WOMAN’S BANGLES – A 27-year-old man was sentenced by Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant to 12 months in prison. However, the sentence will run concurrently with a two-year sentence already being served by Shamar Renaldo Welch, of Rockhampton Road, Grazettes, St Michael. Welch recently pleaded guilty to stealing four bangles worth $4,000, belonging to Daphne Hamblin on April 29 last year. Based on the facts presented in the case, Hamblin was at her stall serving a customer when Welch reached over and pulled the bangles from her hands. She tried to resist but he was still able to get away with the jewellery. Welch was subsequently arrested. (BT)

‘LORD EVIL’ STILL ON BAIL – Andre Lord Evil Jackman remains on bail, at least until next Monday. A day after hearing submissions from Jackman’s lead attorney Arthur Holder and Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas in relation to a violation of his $175,000 bail conditions, Acting Judge Alrick Scott was expected to deliver his decision on Friday morning. However, when the matter came up for hearing just around 9:30 a.m. , it was adjourned until November 13, after a 15-minute sitting. Jackman, 38, of Stroud Bay, Crab Hill, St Lucy, is accused of breaching, on October 28, his 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily curfew, which was imposed back in May 2016. His attorney told reporters yesterday that he had been served with two affidavits on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, which he now had to reply to. (BT)

DOUBLE TRIAL – A nine-member jury today began hearing evidence in a wounding and robbery case against two Wildey, St Michael men. Dwayne Damian Foster, of 2A, North Close, and his co-accused Anderson Jerome Calderon, of 2E, North Close, are charged with causing serious bodily harm to Antonio Fitzpatrick on May 4, 2007, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him. They are also jointly accused of inflicting serious bodily harm on Fitzpatrick on the same day, while Foster is facing a separate charge of robbing him of a $15 wallet, $585 in cash and a $599 cellular phone. (BT)

DELUSIONS ‘ALTER KILLER’S BEHAVIOUR’ – Convicted killer Lennox Boyce suffers from schizophrenia with paranoid delusions and at times this influences his behaviour. This was revealed by Registrar of the Psychiatric Hospital Dr Ronald Chase as Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson sat to yesterday hear a progress report on Boyce in the No. 1 Supreme Court. Boyce, who is now at the Psychiatric Hospital, is serving a life sentence for killing Marquelle Hippolyte in April 10, 1999. He was one of four who beat and killed the 22-year-old Hippolyte at Weston, St James. Co-accused Romaine Curtis Bend and Rodney Ricardo Murray pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the outset, after being charged for murder, spent 12 years in prison and were released. However, Boyce and Jeffrey Joseph opted to go to trial and were convicted and sentenced to hang for murder. Every court turned down their appeals but their death sentences were eventually commuted to life in prison. Joseph was freed after the local Privy Council recommended his release. Boyce is appearing before the Chief Justice, who is sitting as a first instance judge, in his resentencing matter after indeterminate life sentences were ruled unconstitutional. Yesterday, Chase, who read the progress report, said while Boyce was neither violent nor disruptive in occupational therapy sessions, he did slap a patient in the face because that patient sneezed in his direction. When questioned about it, Boyce said the patient spat at him and then bragged about it to other patients, which he felt was a display of disrespect. “Mr Boyce did not view his actions as an inappropriate response to the incident. Furthermore, he thought his actions were controlled compared to his likely response of shooting a person if he was not in the hospital,” Chase read. The doctor added Boyce continued to express paranoid delusions and boasted of killing another inmate in the maximum security section of the prison. However, said Chase, that inmate was known to be alive and still in prison. Chase recommended that Boyce continue occupational therapy sessions but under escort by a nurse. Boyce will be reviewed on a six-week basis to determine if there is any progress. When questioned by attorney Peta-Gay Lee-Brace, who was representing Boyce, the registrar said he was undergoing a type of behaviour modification and it would take time for some people to utilise some of those skills. He said the incident was precipitated by Boyce’s delusions. The Chief Justice adjourned the matter until December 14.  (SS)

TARGET PRIMARY SCHOOLS – It will be tough to unearth new stars unless the National Sports Council (NSC) embarks on a vibrant tennis programme in the primary schools, says Davis Cup team captain Damien Applewhaite. He believes Barbados has to go back to the mechanism that resulted in the discovery of wonder boy Darian King for the resurgence in the sport to continue. Applewhaite says a worrying gulf separated King and Haydn Lewis from the rest of the pack. “It is all about bridging gaps. Right now, we have Darian and Haydn playing at a very high level and then you have some juniors trying their best to make it; maybe their level and plateau is the college/level. “As a tennis nation, we were always successful in producing scholarship winners and people going on to compete on the inter-collegiate scene in the United States. It is very rare that we get Darians that can cross that gap and compete professionally.  “Now we have two players that are doing that, we need to find a way to get more players to bridge the gap,” he said.  (SS)

AMERICANS DOMINATE AT WATER FESTIVAL – Americans David Heron and Taylor Abbott dominated the Men’s 1.5K and 5K swims while compatriot Chelsea Colwill, a Pan American Games medallist, captured the 1.5K and 10K races at the 6th Barbados Open Water Festival last weekend in Carlisle Bay. United States Olympic medallist Ashley Whitney won the women’s 5K while Trinidadians Nikoli Blackman and Savannah Chee-Wah produced winning swims in the 3.3K and Canadian Taylor Parker repeated as men’s 10K champion. US 5K champ Heron edged 2014 Junior World champion Abbott, for victories in the men’s 1.5K and 5K races. Heron, 24, set a new course record for the 1.5K with a 17:14-minute swim. The two Americans, who are studying and training at the University of Tennessee, led the 5K race from the start and were neck and neck at the final buoy. Heron pulled ahead of the younger Abbott as he emerged from the water before racing up the beach to the finish line, much to the delight of the spectators. Barbados’ Olympic triathlete Jason Wilson made a valiant effort to stay with the two in the lead pack but was unable to keep up as they moved into the third lap, so he had to settle for third place. Junior Barbadian swimmer Nkosi Dunwoody was fourth. The 29-year-old Colwill, an accomplished swimmer and a 2011 Pan American Games gold and silver medallist in Mexico, set new course records in both the 1.5K and 10K races (18:17 and 2:14:28). Twelve-year-old Trinidadian Nikoli Blackman clinched third place in the men’s 1.5K and had a commanding victory in the 3.3K. A record 597 competitors from 17 countries including England, Canada, Wales, Poland, Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Brazil, Australia, United States, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Netherlands, USVI, Trinidad, Antigua and Barbados, participated in the five-day festival, which featured four distance races in Carlisle Bay. Apart from the winners, Dominika Jamnicky, Canadian pro-triathlete, was in fine form and took second in the women’s 1.5K and 5K races. Canadian Olympians Katie Brambley and Tera Van Beilen, (4th in 10K) as well as retired pro-triathletes Eney Jones and Alison Hayden (2nd in 10K), were in attendance. Masters Open water swimmer Bill Ireland of the United States also made his first appearance in Barbados and was sixth in the 3.3K. Barbadian junior swimmers gave a good account of themselves with top five finishes. Ashley Weekes had two third places while Dunwoody had a fourth and fifth and Dominique Nurse-Allen was fourth twice. Keilani Talma was second and fifth; Christopher Pollard was second in one of the races while Danielle Treasure, Nathaniel Roach and Rebecca Lashley all earned fifth places. The Jonathan Morgan Memorial Trophy for the first Barbadian Masters swimmer to complete the 5K was won for the third time by Toronto-based Rick Peters, who has attended all six festivals. A strong swim by Simon Wilkie earned him third place in the men’s 10K marathon swim and the coveted Chris And Peter Gibbs Trophy for the first Barbadian in that race. (SS)

GYM TEAM OFF TO THE US - Twelve gymnasts will be displaying their talent and trying to win silverware for Barbados at the Crown Of The Carolinas Meet in the United States this weekend. During an interview at the Wildey gym base this week, head coach of the national women’s gymnastics team Alison Jackson told SATURDAY SPORT it was the contingent’s ninth time competing in the ten-year history of the meet and they always looked forward to it. She added that the meet was also a good choice of competition since it followed the Americas system. “We follow the US system in Barbados – as well as everyone else in the Caribbean who does gymnastics – so competing in the [United] States is very important. So we know where we stand against the Americans who created the system that we compete in,” she said. (SS)

NEEDY BAJANS – The local Salvation Army says it is seeking to raise $750,000 this year to be able to meet the day-to-day demands of indigent Barbadians, particularly during the Christmas period. However, two officials today expressed concern that amid the worsening domestic economic situation, the charitable organization was getting “less and less” revenue through its annual kettle appeal, while the demands by Barbadians for assistance were getting “greater and greater”. “We are looking forward to raising $750,000 this year,” Community Relations Officer Major Denzil Walcott told reporters at this morning’s launch in Jubilee Gardens, The City, while stating that the Salvation Army was hoping to render assistance to more than the 44,000 people it fed last year. “More persons have been coming to us. We don’t turn anyone away when they come for the food. What we do [is] to encourage them to register at the Welfare Office so that they have an idea of the persons coming to us,” Walcott said, adding that it was becoming increasingly difficult to respond to the rising demands for assistance. Chairman of the Advisory Board Paul Bernstein said he too was concerned that while the Salvation Army was “getting less and less revenue through the kettle appeal . . . the demand [for assistance] is getting greater and greater”. However, he said though things were tight in the country economically, there were still those who were willing to contribute to the charitable cause. (BT)

That’s all for today folks there are 53 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase

[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 3/20/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Monday 20th March 2017. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

YES TO CELLS - Come September, students can have their cellphones at secondary schools across the island. Word of this comes from Minister of Education Ronald Jones, who revealed the Mobile Technologies Use Policy for Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools in Barbados would be ready for the start of the 2017-2018 academic year. The minister was speaking following the opening of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA) Parenting In The 21st Century – Media, Money, Music More workshop held at the Christ Church Foundation School on Saturday. “Well, there are a few steps we have to take. We have the comments of all the stakeholders we communicated with and will put those into context in relation to the policy,” Jones said. (DN)

UWI STUDENTS BACK KOTHDIWALA - A student leader has backed 13-year-old Khaleel Kothdiwala who created controversy appearing on a Barbados Labour Party platform. Kothdiwala’s actions even pitted parliamentarians against one another during last week’s Estimates Debate in the House of Assembly.  Newly elected University of the West Indies (UWI) Guild of students president Kai Bridgewater (right) commended Kothdiwala for speaking out, but cautioned political parties against using young people for mileage. “Well, I don’t believe in exploiting a young individual,” he said. “My support for him is under the assumption that those were his genuine words, his thoughts and I don’t think that he should be restricted for having his own thoughts.   (DN)

UNIONS NOT REASONABLE – Combative and unreasonable.That is how outspoken Member of Parliament Donville Inniss has described the island’s unions which are agitating for double-digit pay increases for civil servants. He was speaking during a Democratic Labour Party St Peter branch meeting at the All Saints Training Centre yesterday evening. “Everybody, including the Opposition, understands the challenges that we are facing in this economy. And you still have trade unions asking for 23 per cent? What kind of cubbah you could be? Where it gine come from? Who will we sacrifice? It’s almost as though that’s not their business,” the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Small Business Development told the small gathering. (DN)

NUPW NOT BACKING DOWN, SAYS MCDOWALL – The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is not backing down in its fight for an increase in salaries for public workers. Saying that it was not a case of the union being a troublemaker, or not loving the country, president Akanni McDowall said if the NUPW realised the Government was willing to hold strain, it would do likewise in the interest of the country. But, he said, in light of certain signals which suggested Government was not doing such, the union would continue to ensure its workers were “not taken for granted”. McDowall’s comments came as he delivered remarks at a service to mark the 73rd anniversary of the union at the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels yesterday. (DN)

MCDOWALL: WE ARE NOT TROUBLEMAKERS - As the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) prepares to press for a salary increase for its members and public workers, President Akanni McDowall is urging the country not to brand the union executives as troublemakers. McDowall delivered brief remarks during a service this morning at the historic and symbolic Cathedral of St Michael and All Angels marking the start of the NUPW’s Annual General Conference. ” . . . we are not agitating for this pay raise because we are troublemakers, or because we do not love our country,” he said. “We are stakeholders in nation building.  If the Government of Barbados signals to us that our country is in difficult times and strain will be held, we the union will hold strain.  It is our national duty to so do.  However, when the Government signals, by removing the hold of strain that we are again in a position to do more, then the union will return to its primary mandate of ensuring that our workers are not taken for granted.” The NUPW has threatened industrial action to force Government back to the negotiating table. Last week the union’s General Council decided to engage in industrial action at a yet to be announced date, to pressure the administration to resume talks on its demand for 23 per cent pay rise for public servants. The union insists that its research has found that Government can afford a wage hike, and it has dug in its heels even further following the decision by legislators of the ruling Democratic Labour Party to restore the ten per cent that was cut from their salaries and those of senior public servants in 2014 during the height of austerity. Outlining some of their recent achievements, McDowall said the NUPW now has better connectivity with the public through a new website launched this month. (BT)

BRA RESPONDS TO PRIVACY CONCERNS - The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) is assuring the public that it’s taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the privacy of Barbadians is maintained and secure as it carries out its mandate of tax administration. In response to comments made in the media recently, the BRA has confirmed that as part of its annual audit planning, it has been conducting audits in the pharmaceutical sector. While also confirming that a number of issues have been raised by pharmacists, Revenue Commissioner Margaret Sivers said the Authority is committed to clarity and will develop guidelines to further ensure that the privacy of Barbadians is maintained. Sivers said any information requested of business owners by tax officers is related to the accuracy of revenue figures and the application of the law. Sivers also explained that a recent meeting the Authority, held with more than 50 pharmacists, is part of an ongoing sensitisation plan, which sees the engagement of the BRA with groups representing various sectors on the island in order to share information and garner feedback. (BT)

BRADSHAW: $10 MILLION FUND ACCESS SUBSIDY NOT ENOUGH – Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Member of Parliament (MP) for St Michael South East Santia Bradshaw has described as inadequate, Government’s recent $10 million disbursement to Fund Access – the agency charged with providing development finance for micro enterprises. Speaking to members of the media following a tour of the St Michael East constituency on Saturday, Bradshaw said constituents who try to access the Fund would “get the short end of the stick”, as there is not enough money to allow people to start a business and make their surroundings safe and attractive to customers. It was during his 2016 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals last August that Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler announced the establishment of the $50 million fund, to be administered by Fund Access, to provide a blend of soft loans and grants to small businesses in Barbados. Suggesting that the timing was “convenient” Bradshaw said that the Fund should have been implemented since the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) took office nine years ago. (BT)

SUGAR HARVEST LOOKING GOOD – A promise to significantly increase sugar production for this year’s sugar harvest seems to be crystallising for the producers.  Almost six weeks after the 2017 harvest started, nearly half of the last year’s total has already been surpassed, said Portvale Sugar Factory manager Raphael O’Neal. Speaking to the DAILY NATION yesterday, O’Neal said that approximately 3 000 tonnes of sugar had been produced to date. A paltry 7 000 tonnes was the total for the whole of 2016. Last year’s disappointing harvest was due to a two-year-long drought which stifled crop growth. With the drought now a thing of the past and cane farmers increasing their acreage of production, the factory manager said this 3 000 mark in March bode well for the overall target of 12 000 tonnes. (DN)

SANDALS GOES ROYAL – Christ Church is getting a pair of Sandals. What started out as major expansion of its existing hotel at Dover has become the construction of a new luxury property to be called Sandals Royal Barbados, which is scheduled to open on December 20. The project is expected to cost US$160 million when completed, a price tag Sandals Resorts International (SRI) said would make it the company’s “largest ever investment in a single property”. Company officials also said the construction phase of the new hotel was employing 700 people, a number that was expected to increase to between 1 000 and 1 200 by the end of this month. Also, when Sandals Royal becomes operational, the property will employ 600, bringing the Sandals workforce here to about 1 200. (DN)

BRANDED AS SQUATTERS – Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Senator Wilfred Abrahams has accused the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) of aiding in the underdevelopment of the St Michael East constituency. Abrahams expressed shock and outrage at the unpaved roads, garbage pile-up and poor drainage that residents of Licorish Village have to live with. Accusing the DLP of gross mismanagement during its nine years in office, Senator Abrahams said “the responsibility for governance and for the uplifting of the people in Barbados rests solely and squarely on this Democratic Labour Party Government. How can they be talking flippantly about the next five years when they have done nothing for the last nine years for the people out here?” Abrahams singled out Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr Denis Lowe for the majority of the blame for the deteriorating environmental conditions in the country. Following Lowe’s accusation last week that members of his constituency posted defamatory signs on his residence, Abrahams argued that the Minister of Environment has shown his disregard for his constituents and the people of Barbados. As it relates to rectifying the environmental problems plaguing Barbados, the BLP representative for St Michael East, Trevor Prescod, said the 2008 Owen Arthur–led�� BLP Government left the plans for a Canadian-sponsored reverse osmosis plant. Prescod accused the DLP Government of abandoning the project which was to be funded by the Canadian government to the tune of Bds$80 million. (BT)

A MUCH NEEDED CLEAN UP – Randolph Woodroffe, a grandson of Barbadian icon Roland Edwards, has collaborated with a few concerned citizens to clean up the house of his late grandfather. The group stripped a large amount of debris from the house which has recently become the centre of controversy. Edwards is the composer of the music of the Barbados National Anthem. His grandson said the outcome of the house would be determined when the parties involved return to court on March 25. While he could not say much on the issue, Woodroffe noted that he would like to see the house restored and used for either a museum or office. (BT)

JAMAICAN WOMAN SURRENDERS TO POLICE - Jamaican national, 24-year-old Kimone Tasheeka Carty, who was the subject of a wanted person bulletin earlier today is now in police custody. Carty, of Brighton, St Michael, surrendered to the police today and is currently assisting with investigations. Earlier, the police said Carty was wanted in connection with serious criminal matters. Police Public Relations Officer acting Inspector Roland Cobbler thanks the media and the public for their assistance in this matter. (BT)

BULLS HANDS PINE FIRST LOSS - The champs are unbeaten no more. Kelan Phillips scored 25 points, including three clutch free throws, as Burger King Clapham Bulls handed Orange 3 Pinelands their first loss of the Co-operators General Insurance Basketball Premier League via Saturday’s 75-69 victory at the Barbados Community College. The win was the fourth in five games for the upstart Bulls, who’ve been one of the league’s early surprises by contending with an eight-man roster. Yet nothing was more startling than this result, which snapped the Pine’s unbeaten streak after the reigning kings beat the other three 2016 playoff teams to start this season. (DN)

BOYS’ WATER POLO TEAM KEEP TITLE - The under-18 boys’ Barbados water polo club team retained their crown against visitors team Lamar High School at the end of the Darren Eastmond Barbados Invitational Tournament. The tournament, which began last Thursday and ended yesterday, saw the local boys pulling out all their tactics two weeks ahead of the CARIFTA water polo competition. They won three matches, drew one and lost one. In an epic final match at the Aquatic Centre, the visiting team from Houston, Texas were the first to score. They led momentarily 2-0 before Barbados’ Gabriel Mayers scored back-to-back goals to level the score at the end of the first quarter. Lamar High again led the scoring in the second quarter, but the Bajan blue caps took the lead, ending the quarter ahead by one goal. (DN)

CHASE STRIKES - Roston Chase produced the best bowling performance of his first-class cricket career to lead Barbados Pride to a resounding nine-wicket victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at Kensington Oval yesterday.  Chase took all five wickets on the third morning as the Volcanoes, resuming on 34 for five with a lead of just three, folded for 71 in just under an hour on the penultimate day in the seventh round Digicel Regional 4-Day match. Windward Islands batted first and scored 293 to which Barbados replied with 324. Miguel Cummins led an assault on the Windwards’ batting on the second evening but on the third morning Chase put on a virtual one-man show to finish with seven for 22. (DN)

BAJAN JUNIORS TOP TRINIDAD AT MEET - Multiple athletes met carifta Games qualifying standards at the Barbados vs Trinidad and Tobago Junior Athletic Classic at the National Stadium on Saturday. And Team 246 ran away with the title at the inaugural event. An 86-point margin separated the two nations as Barbados ended with 540 points and Trinidad and Tobago 454. Barbados’ Ondre Callender cemented his qualifying leap in the sand pit in the Under-18 boys long jump event. The Lester Vaughan student and member of the Rising Stars Club surpassed the 6.85 metres standard, jumping 6.91 metres. (DN)

GOOD SHOW AT PARKINSON - AKEM DAS and Tyesha Drakes were the winners in Parkinson Memorial Secondary School’s second annual pageant Saturday night before a large audience.  In the show themed Legacy, 50 Years A Bajan, they seemed very relaxed on stage as they faced the panel of five judges to clinch the titles from a field of seven girls and three boys. All were vying for top honours in the Mr and Miss Parkinson Memorial held at the school’s hall. In the early stages of the contest, Das, second-placed Ronnico Ross and third-placed Travis Blackman seemed better prepared and more relaxed than the girls. But they all seemed settled by the talent segment and gave a better showing. (DN)

That’s all for today folks. There are 287 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase 

[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 4/3/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Monday April 3rd 2017. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN). 

EMPLOYERS ‘HAD THEIR SAY’ ON ACT – You had your chance! That’s the swift comeback from veteran trade unionist and former president of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), Walter Maloney, to those employers’ representatives who in the past week complained about the Employment Rights Act being unfairly slanted towards employees. The chief executive officers and human resource managers were participating in an employee engagement workshop. They expressed concern that the act allowed employees to hide behind the phrase “that is not my job” as they refused to carry out certain tasks. They also claimed that a section of the legislation, which expunged infractions and warnings after a year, also worked in favour of workers. (DN)

ROW OVER EMTS – A letter of rebuke sent to the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) by the board of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has led to further accusations that Government is seeking to influence the outcome of forthcoming union elections. In correspondence to the DAILY NATION over the weekend, the NUPW cited the “threatening” letter sent to president Akanni McDowall, requesting that the union’s executive retract a statement that appeared in an advertisement and posters promoting McDowall’s team in forthcoming union elections. Deeming the letter as political interference, the union said: “Again we ask the question . . . why is it so important at this point that the Government regains control of the union? The executive demands that Government desist from attempting to influence the outcome of the elections.” (DN)  

MCDOWALD: JUDGE US BY OUR RECORD – The President of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Akanni McDowall has said he would not engage in a public spat with former president Walter Maloney. Delivering the ruling Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) lunchtime lecture last week, Maloney gave the NUPW, under McDowall’s leadership, a failing grade. But in a statement today, McDowall, who faces a serious challenge from Deputy General-Treasurer Roy Greenidge for the presidency in Wednesday’s ballot, said his team should be judged by its record of achievement over the past two years. Listing his executive’s achievements, McDowall said they negotiated salary increases for Grantley Adams International Airport workers; appointments for all public servants acting for three or more years; establishment of 555 public sector posts; appointment of National Housing Corporation (NHC) and National Conservation Commission (NCC) workers; and increments dating back as much as five years for staff at the National Petroleum Corporation. McDowall also pointed to the launch of a new website in March 2017; new membership cards allowing discounts on several goods and services; audited financial statements for the first time since 2013; renovation of the entire NUPW building, including the bar and kitchen area, and the installation of a new security system; and implementation of a Wellness Programme in collaboration with public health specialists from the University of the West Indies. (BT) 

FARLEY: ICAB THINKING AHEAD – THE INSTITUTE OF Chartered Accountants (ICAB) of Barbados isn’t waiting for disgruntled customers to start making complaints against the actions of its membership. Instead, ICAB has established three separate committees aimed at providing transparency and protection, along with disciplinary regulations which will allow clients to seek redress if they believe they have been wronged. Executive director of the body of professionals, Reginald Farley, told the DAILY NATION the committees and regulations formed part of ICAB’s commitment to its 925 members to remain current and competent. “We are required to regulate in the public’s interest. We want to assure the public that when work is done by an ICAB member, those members are competent, follow high standards and ethics, and should there be a problem, there is recourse through a formal system of complaint,” Farley said of the new regulations. (DN) 

INDUSTRIAL UNREST AT LIAT – The management of LIAT said they are experiencing several flight delays and cancellations due to industrial unrest. In a brief statement today, acting Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones said these current irregular operations may continue to occur over the next few days as the carrier works towards resolving the issues. She apologized to travellers for any disruption to their travel plans. “We remain committed to working with our employees to resolve the issues impacting the delivery of our services to the Caribbean,” Reifer-Jones said. Unions representing LIAT employees had earlier threatened to take action if LIAT goes ahead with plans to pay salaries late. The unions have also argued that in 2014 they participated in a salary deferral exercise, which was projected for five months, but lasted 14 months, without any tangible results. Reifer-Jones said she sent a letter to the Chairman of the shareholder governments, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines, asking him to urgently intervene. She has confirmed that the shareholder governments have agreed to intervene in the dispute. Reifer-Jones said the leaders have agreed to a meeting, which is to be held next week in Barbados. (BT) 

CHANGES IN PETROLEUM PRICES - Barbadians will see a change in petroleum prices from midnight tonight. Consumers will have to pay more for gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), but will be paying less for kerosene. The retail price of gasoline will move from Bds$2.96 per litre to $2.97, an increase of one cent per litre. The price of diesel will rise from Bds$2.21 to $2.28, an increase of seven cents. Kerosene will now retail at $1.12 per litre, down from $1.13. Meanwhile, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will retail at Bds$157.72 per 100 lb cylinder, up from BBD$153.85, an increase of $3.87. The price of the 25 lb cylinder is now $44.53, an increase of 97 cents, while the 22 lb cylinder will now cost $39.35, an increase of 85 cents. The price of a 20 lb cylinder has moved from $35 to $35.77. These adjustments in retail prices are due solely to changes in the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) of these refined products. (BT) 

TOP UP AND RIDE – The President of the Association of Private Transport Operators (APTO) has again appealed to Government to implement a mobile payment system for both public and private transport operators. Morris Lee, who made the initial call last September, said public service vehicles (PSVs) were easy targets for robbers and it was time commuters were allowed to pay fares via mobile phones or other electronic devices. “I would like to see cash taken out of the system – that would make the environment safe for everybody,” he said. “Just how you would top up your cellphone, you would be able to put $20 on the phone to cover a week’s travel that would still be available even if you don’t travel.” (DN) 

GAY CRY – An HIV/AIDS Counsellor and father of four says the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme being taught in secondary schools is turning Barbadian children into homosexuals. But George Griffith, who once fronted the Child Care Board and the Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA), declared the programme merely prepared students for what they would encounter in the real world, and that homosexuality was around for much longer than any programme in local schools. The debate was stirred up yesterday as Ambrose Carter, the HIV/AIDS counsellor, lashed out at Griffith and accused him of being the man behind the thrust to have Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) established in schools. Carter, founder of the Pure Sex Centre, was speaking on The Truth About Comprehensive Sexual Education at Bethel Pentecostal Church in Drax Hall, St George. (DN) 

SENATOR KNOCKS POOR PARENTING – The absence of proper parenting is causing problems for children in the island’s school system.  This is according to parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education, Senator Harry Husbands, who said a worrying lack of good parenting was at the core of problems schoolchildren were encountering. Speaking at the Barbados National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations’ (NCPTA) annual general meeting on Saturday, Husbands said that while schools and teachers were important, parents were central to the socialisation of children in Barbados. To prove his point, he noted that reports from the Ministry of Education’s Student Services, which deals with student deviancy and delinquency, revealed that poor parenting was at the core of many of the children’s problems. (DN) 

DROWNING AT SIX MEN’S, ST PETER – Police have released the name of the man suspected of drowning at Six Men’s beach, St Peter around 5:30 p.m. He is Olric Glenroy Babb, 43, of Rock Hall, St Lucy. According to police, Baptiste went to the beach with a group of friends. Whilst in the water, his friends observed him floating face down. They brought him to the shore unresponsive and he was subsequently pronounced dead. Investigations are continuing.  (BT)

MISSING MAN FOUND - Missing man 66-year-old Andrew Payne has been traced and is safe. Payne, who lives at Drax Hall Hope, St George was reported missing last Thursday. (BT)

CASSAVA THIEVES HIT CONSTANT – Crop thieves raided a field of cassava in Constant, St George, sometime in the last week. The discovery was made by the Barbados Agricultural Management Company’s (BAMC) farm manager (non-sugar unit), Edwin O’Neal, on Saturday, as he was making a tour of the fields. “They do the dog out here. No wonder they ain’t buying,” he told the DAILY NATION as he surveyed the discarded plants that were carelessly tossed in the field. He said the scale of the theft probably encompassed the entire field. (DN) 

FUNDS BEING DISBURSED TO ATHLETES - Seems Government has shown some athletes the money. Minister of Sport Stephen Lashley has refuted recent reports that Barbados’ elite and emerging athletes had not received any grants for the year. However, he acknowledged there was an issue with the system of funding allocation. Lashley made the comments during Saturday’s panel discussion on sports entitled Tek It Pro Or Nah, which was staged by the Young Democrats at The St Michael School. “To say that both emerging and elite athletes have not been funded is not correct at all and I will certainly rely on the [Barbados Olympic Association] and the [National] Sports Council (NSC) to give you the facts on that,” said Lashley, in response to an impassioned member of the audience. (DN)

JONES DREAM TURNS TO NIGHTMARE – CURTIS JONES’ dreams of winning a national singles title in road tennis will have to wait for another tournament.  The number three ranked player who had advanced to the final in the first edition of the Massy United Insurance Clash of the Titans in 2014 will not appear in this year’s semi-finals after he was knocked out by taxi driver Marson Johnson 21-18, 10-21, 21-11 on Saturday night at the Dover courts. Since winning Bush Hall Finest late last year, Johnson, who often battles chronic back pains, has looked in tremendous form. That form was obvious in the Silver Hill tournament and he peaked in an impressive dismissal of Jones on Saturday night. (DN) 

LIGHT WORK FOR PARKISTAN – The West Indies batsmen could not keep up the tempo of the previous day and so Pakistan took all the spoils in the four-match Twenty20 International series. Set just 125 to win the final T20 yesterday, Sarfraz Ahmed’s men made light work of the task, wrapping up a seven-wicket victory with an over to spare to take the rubber 3-1 at the Queen’s Park Oval. Soon after Shoaib Malik stroked a Jason Holder full toss to the cover boundary to end proceedings, the Trini Posse DJ struck up the obligatory Rally Round The West Indies. But there was little for the Windies bowlers or their fans to rally around yesterday. And faced with a straightforward target, Ahmed Shehzad (53, 45 balls), Kamran Akmal (20, 21 balls) and Babar Azam (38, 36 balls) did the business despite the gallant work of seamer Kesrick Williams, who ended a personally encouraging series with two more wickets (3-0-16-2). (DN) 

BLACKBIRDS STILL SINGING SWEETLY – UWI Signia Blackbirds are singing their usual song after defeating Pine Hill St Barnabas 43-35 to win Saturday’s final of the senior netball knockout competition at the Netball Stadium. The excited Blackbirds posse were in full flow while the team that seized every senior title in 2016 captured yet another. Though the Blackbirds managed to pull away to cement the win, St Barnabas were no pushovers, locking scores multiple times throughout until the Blackbirds plucked balls from their hands to fly away with an eight-goal win. Leading the way to victory was goal shooter Shonica Wharton who sunk 33 goals from her 39 attempts and a determined midcourt line-up that made every opportunity count towards the end of the third quarter and into the fourth. (DN) 

That’s all for today folks. There are 272 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase