Rodent patrols During four days on a cardboard bed in the Half-Way Tree lock-up –in a 31-year-old case that has lingered in the system since 1995 – Courtney Anderson was introduced to the rats that patrol the cells, biting and searching for scraps from those behind bars. Fixing his mind on surviving cell life until he was bailed, he said he was unprepared for the nightly rodent patrol.
Organised crime on cops’ radar in New Kingston murder A 61-year-old Colombian national was gunned down in a brazen attack at Kensington Court in New Kingston on Friday night, in what investigators believe may be linked to transnational organised criminal activity. The deceased has been identified as Julian Lopez. The killing, which occurred at about 9:40 p.m., has intensified concerns about a recent flare-up of violent incidents in the commercial hub, even as security forces maintain that the latest case appears isolated from other recent murders in the area.
Small victories over virus The Government’s push to provide free cervical cancer screening for women and raise awareness during April is showing results, with some clinics reporting that they have exceeded their screening targets. The South East Regional Health Authority (SEHRA), in a release promoting the service, said cancer of the cervix is one of the most common cancers among Jamaican women. Most cases are associated with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
PALS: Recent tragedies show conflict resolution needed in Jamaica’s classrooms The Board and members of Peace and Love in Society (PALS) Jamaica is mourning the death of 13-year-old Kland Doyle, a Seaforth High School student fatally stabbed last week following a long-standing dispute with a schoolmate that families on both sides say could have been resolved. “We are equally troubled by the viral footage of a violent assault at Jamaica College,” stated PALS, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting peaceful conflict resolution and respectful communication in schools and communities across Jamaica.
Free after 15 years Two St Catherine men, who had spent more than 15 years behind bars for the killing of a mother of five in Central Village, were on Friday freed after the Court of Appeal quashed their murder convictions. The men, Kimarley Fortella and Kestner Murray, had been in custody since November 2010 and were convicted in 2014 for the murder of 35-year-old Corrine Johnson, otherwise called ‘Debby’. Johnson was shot and killed at her home in Central Village on January 14, 2010.
From market to mayhem Annotto Bay, St Mary: Inadequate parking – further compounded by higglers peddling their produce in the streets and along corridors, blocking entrances to commercial entities – is one of the chronic problems plaguing the town of Annotto Bay in St Mary. The situation is now seemingly nearing crisis level, as political representatives move to address the worsening issues of traffic congestion, illegal vending, and limited parking space.
Goodison brings Caribbean heat to ‘Dante’s Inferno’ The PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, housed at The University of the West Indies, Mona, will officially launch Dante’s Inferno: A New Translation by Jamaica’s former Poet Laureate, Professor Lorna Goodison, on May 6 in the Multifunctional Room, Main Library, UWI Mona.
NSWMA hiring row sparks two-year tension between senior officials An “irregular” recruitment exercise at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has triggered a two-year impasse between the entity’s executive director and its internal audit manager, creating a “hostile” working environment. The conclusion was reached by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development’s chief internal auditor, following a complaint that the outcome of a selection process to fill an assistant auditor position was altered in favour of a candidate who was outscored by another.
CARICOM faces test over top post standoff Influential leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are confident that the current division within the 15 full-member bloc will not fracture the regional body, even as an active search continues for a consensus candidate to replace Dr Carla Barnett, whose position as secretary-general has become untenable. The Sunday Gleaner was told that no consensus candidate has yet emerged, and no timeline has been set for resolving the impasse.
Penile cancer warning Penile cancer, a rare but serious disease often linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), is leaving some Jamaican men facing devastating consequences, including the loss of their penis and the end of their ability to father children. Consultant urologist Dr Elon Thompson told The Sunday Gleaner that while penile cancer is not as common as prostate cancer in men or cervical cancer in women, local cases have been recorded, with some requiring complete surgical removal of the organ.