Archive for August 21st, 2011
Drivers asked to take care after Savannah smash
(CNS): At least one person has been injured in a two car road collision near Wendy’s in the vicinity of Buddy’s Way, Savannah, Grand Cayman, police have confirmed. Officers from the RCIPS Traffic Management Unit are on the scene of the smash and are asking motorist to drive with caution near the area as one lane has been closed to vehicles. Police have confirmed that one person has been injured and taken to George Town hospital but at this stage there are no further details of how the crash occurred. Meanwhile, at around 7pm a woman was taken to hospital following a single vehicle crash in the Breakers area. CNS understands that the car flipped but there are no further details of the crash. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Check back to CNS later for more on this weekend's news
Teens plead guilty to attempted heist at liquor store
(CNS): Two teenage boys pleaded guilty to two accounts of attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm on Friday and were remanded in custody until their sentence hearing next month. Jonathan Welcome (17) and Jordon Powell (18) admitted attempting to rob the Blackbeard’s store in Grand Harbour, as well as Charles Ebanks, one of the men who helped apprehend the teens on 2 May this year after their foiled liquor store heist. The teenagers also pleaded guilty to having an imitation single barrel shotgun and possession of pepper spray. Powell also admitted his guilt in assaulting Charles Ebanks when he sprayed the pepper at him during a struggle outside the shop.
The two boys pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder however, which had been laid against them but one which the crown stated in Grand Court last week that it would not be pursuing given the report filed by a ballistics expert in the case.
The teenagers had failed to rob Blackbeard’s liquor store when staff refused to give them money and the two would-be robbers were then confronted by members of the public outside the store. It was originally claimed by the prosecution that one of the boys had attempted to fire the shotgun, which was reportedly loaded, during the struggle. However, the gun did not go off and by all indications to the court the weapon was not capable of firing.
The incident had generated considerable publicity after the men outside the store had struggled with the young would-be robbers and disarmed them. The boys had then used pepper spray and then made their escape. Charles Ebanks, Edward Azan and Ray MacGuire chased down the teenagers and caught up with them not far from the store and held them until police arrived at the scene. They were lauded after the event as local heroes.
Following the teens’ guilty pleas the judge ordered a social enquiry report and adjourned the case until 30 September for sentencing.
Jamaica makes bid for private jet business
(CNS): According to the Jamaican government's informaiton service the newly opened and rebranded Ian Fleming International Airport in St. Mary could become a hub for private jets in the region. Transport minister Mike Henry has said he confident that the airport has the potential to become an important centre for providing aircraft servicing, maintenance and support services to the aeronautical industry. Representatives from Netjets, one of the world's leading aviation firms, toured the spruced up airport’s facilities last week. Henry said operating private jets was the fastest growing segment of the air transport sector.
"I am seeking to interest Netjets to look at this (facility) as an operational point, which relates to the servicing of planes and to base them…The idea is to see what the opportunities are, which fit into the training of people in the whole aeronautical industry and ties in the whole interconnected multimodal plan which we have in place,” explained the minister.
Chief Executive Officer of Netjets, Bill Noe, said that while Netjets was familiar with doing business with the two other and more established international airports in Jamaica, Ian Fleming was relatively unfamiliar. "We've had one operation into Ian Fleming over the past year. Most of our activities are into Montego Bay and Kingston. So, we want to come and look at it and explore the possibilities," he said.
NoW cop payments may bring in US investigators
(Reuters): Executives at Rupert Murdoch's UK-based News International are concerned that emails discussing questionable payments made to police by the News of the World may prove more problematic than those that discuss phone hacking, sources familiar with investigations into the shuttered tabloid's reporting practices said. There are growing concerns inside the company that evidence of questionable payments to police — or other British public officials — could fuel investigations by U.S. authorities into possible breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), an American law that prohibits corrupt payments to foreign government officials. News International is owned by New York-based News Corp (NWSA.O).
"We're more frightened by the (U.S. Justice Department) than we are of Scotland Yard," a source close to News Corp who was briefed about the content of the emails told Reuters. "All Scotland Yard can go after is News International but the Justice Department can go after all of News Corporation."
Thousands of News of the World emails were assembled in 2007 when News International executives and lawyers at an outside firm were preparing responses to a litigation threat lodged by Clive Goodman, a former reporter for the News of the World, who was jailed for hacking into voicemail messages of aides to Britain's Royal family.
From Cayman to the ‘Universe’ and beyond
(CNS): Twenty-four year old Cristin Alexander left the Cayman Islands on Saturday (20 August) to begin her training and preparation for the Miss Universe Pageant in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The contest is Miss Cayman Islands’ last competition before she will hand over her crown to the winner of the 2011 Miss Cayman contest later next month, and before she goes on to follow her own career with twelve months experience as an ambassador for Cayman under herbelt. The final part of the contest known for its glitz and glamour will take place on12 September and will be televised live on NBC. Fans can also help get Cristin a place in the all important semi-final line up by voting in the internet poll. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
For the first time in the history of the contest voters in an online poll will be able to help secure at least one of the semi-finalist spots. The contestant with the highest votes is guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals and voters can log on to www.missuniverse.com and www.nbc.com to vote for Cristin. Voting opened Saturday and will be open until the eve of the 12 September contest. Users can vote from the same email address 10 times per day and anyone who is 16 years old or older and legally residing in any of the countries/territories with 2011 Miss Universe contestants can join the online poll.
This is the 60th anniversary of the pageant when Mexico’s Ximena Navarrete will pass on the crown to one of the 89 contestants currently listed to participate.
The Miss Universe contest which was acquired by Donald Trump in the 1990s was started in the US in 1953 but it is slightly younger than the Miss World pageant which was started in the UK in 1951. Miss universe is the most widely televised beauty contest in the world with more than 600million people tuning in.
Shot fired in weekend robbery
(CNS): Updated Sunday 2pm – Police have now confirmed that a lone gunman armed with a handgun fired a single shot during a robbery in downtown George Town on Saturday night. Police say they arrested a 52-year-old man on suspicion of robbery shortly after the incident. Uncle Clem’s grocery store off Mary Street in downtown George Town was robbed at around 8:50pm last night (20 August) when a masked gunman entered the shop just before closing and fired a shot into the ceiling. He then grabbed the cash bag from the register containing an undisclosed sum of cash and fled from the store. The robber was described as being 5’ 11” tall, black complexion and slim build, wearing jeans and no shirt with his face covered. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Police, said that K9 and scenes of crime officers attended the location and conducted extensive enquires and a short time later a 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery close to Hammerheads bar on the waterfront. The man remains in police custody and police are asking for any witnesses to the incident, in which no was hurt, to come forward.
The robbery is the second of the weekend to take place in the Mary Street area. An attempted robbery was made by a masked armed man on Solomon’s Grocery store on Friday evening. On that occasion the owner barred the suspect’s entry to the store.
The RCIPS is asking people who were in the area at the time and observed anything or have any information that can assist the police to please call 949 4222 or any of the police stations or 800TIPS (8477) or RCIPS hotline at 949 7777.
Tropical storm Irene has Cayman Islands in far sight
(CNS): If the most recent storm formed in the Atlantic on Saturday afternoon stays on its current track it could be coming close to Cayman Brac by Wednesday forecasters predict. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami issued its first warning on Tropical storm Irene at around 6pm local time. The storm formed east of the Leeward Islands some 190 miles east of Dominica and with maximum sustained winds of 50mph Irene is currently moving west at 22mph. Forecasters said that Irene was expected to slow down over the next 48 hours as it turns on a west-northwest track and some strengthening expected. Irene could become the Atlantic 2011 season’s first hurricane by Monday, the NHC forecasters said.
Irene will pass over the Leeward Islands early Sunday morning and move into the Northeastern Caribbean Sea during the day and could approach the Dominican Republic late Monday by which time it is expected to be a hurricane.
Tropical storm force winds currently extend outward up to 120 miles mainly to the north and east of the centre. The latest minimum central pressure reported by an air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft was 1006 mb…29.71 inches.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued across the Eastern Caribbean