| He felt the need for the high-powered weapons after his best friend and personal assistant, Philant Johnson, was killed in a shootout in Cincinnati following a performance. "The guns that were used that night are some of the same guns I was attempting to purchase," he told King. "At the time, I never took into consideration the legalities, I only took into consideration the safety of my life and my family's life." The Grammy-award winning rapper said drugs and guns are a part of his past life. "This is the most severe encounter with the law I have ever experienced," he said. |
| T.I. seemed genuinely focused on his future, working with at-risk youth and mentioned his love for his six children and "special lady" Tameka. He also reiterated his personal responsibility in moving on from the events that led to his incarceration. "The main thing I can do to protect myself in the future is to understand my position," he said. "I can't put myself in an environment where it will require me to have a handgun. I just stay places where I can be cool. I have security now. ... I take full responsibility for everything that happened to me. I'm a full believer that your life is what you make it. Society doesn't owe you anything." |
| "We have to be like 10 yards away from each other," he says. "When I look at it now, it's just like, wow, like, I can't -- I can't believe that -- that actually happened. On his sentencing, Brown says that "everything comes with consequences. They want me to pick up trash remove graffiti...I'm a hard worker. It's something I'm willing to do." Chris also talks about his life with his abusive father. "I used to be scared to go to bed," he recalls. "Nobody taught us how to love one another. Nobody taught us a book on how to how to control our emotions or our anger...I wish I could have changed that night." "I just need to prove to people I can be a role model," Brown says. "That's not who I am as a person, and that's not who I promise I want to be." Chris says he misses Rihanna and admits he's not sure how to deal with her dating other guys. "I definitely would be affected by it, but, at the end of the day, I mean, we're not together, so, if she's happy, I'm cool...We'll always be friends." |
| T.I. is setting the bar high for his post-prison album, King Uncaged, comparing it to Tupac's 1996 classic All Eyez on Me, which was released months after 'Pac got out of prison. "This is the most significant return from incarceration that the game has had since then," T.I. says. "Just given the enormous success of that project, everyone's expecting the same results. I just want to meet the expectations, if not surpass them." |
A 14-year-old girl said to be the mastermind behind a scheme to lure underage girls into a man's home to perform sexual acts, has been arrested by police in Old Harbour, St Catherine.
The girl, along with another 14-year-old girl and a 25-year-old man, were reportedly taken into custody after a raid at a house in the community.
scheme uncovered
A source from the St Catherine North police told THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday that the scheme was uncovered on Wednesday, after the mother of one of the teens in custody spotted another teen with a bag belonging to herdaughter who she had reported missing.
It is said that the mother had reported to the police that her daughter was missing from home for several days.
The source further said that the woman demanded that the teen take her to find her daughter after she accosted her while she reportedly boarded a minibus.
After the teen refused, the woman is reported to have taken her to the Old Harbour Police Station where she revealed to the lawmen that she lured a number of her schoolmates to the house of a man for him to engage in sexual acts with them.
led to house
After the revelation, the police were led to the house in another section of Old Harbour where the 25-year-old man was seen and the missing teenager reportedly found.
"So far the 14-year-old confessed that she had brought classmates and others from her school to the man's home for them do all manner of sexual activities ... We have not yet confirmed just how much girls were taken to the house but our investigations are ongoing," the investigator said.
THE WEEKEND STAR was told that the three persons are to be further questioned as the police continue their investigations.
ALLMAN Town residents this morning blocked sections of Arnold Road, St Andrew, complaining that waste from the nearby CB Chicken outlet has been making their lives miserable.
The residents said at least two manholes in the community and even their toilets have been overflowing with *lo**y chicken waste since Monday.
Ah cant flush my toilet. This morning I tried and is pure chicken *lo**, feather, neck everything coming into my bathroom, 80-year-old Alice Forbes said.
The elderly woman said she had resorted to using pails to avoid venturing into the messy bathroom.
CB Chicken workers who turned up at the protest directed Observer queries to Corporate Affairs Manager Dr Keith Amiel. The Observer is still trying to contact Dr Amiel.
The plant has been a thorn in the side of residents for years, and protest after protest over the years have highlighted the issue where waste feathers, necks and other chicken parts from the plant occasionally comes from the drains and into the nearby homes and roads.
THE STAR is advising customers to be on the look out for unscrupulous persons who are contacting various persons and informing them that they have won cash prizes and Blackberry phones in a STAR promotion.
The scam came to the attention of the paper after one would-be victim contacted the newspaper. She told THE STAR that she received a text message yesterday informing her that she had won the THE STAR Blackberry promotion. She said the message came with the name and contact number of an individual who would reportedly be able to provide further details.
The woman said, "When I called the number, they told me that I would have to go to the Fed-Ex office in Spanish Town to collect the cheque and that her number was randomly chosen from the database of one of the cellular phone companies."
She said she became suspicious after the call as even though she was in a community with a Fed-Ex office very nearby, she was told that she would have to go to Spanish Town. She said she was also told that her prize would be delivered to her and that she would get another call with further instructions.
She said she was also asked whether she had identification and what kind of identification she had.
No such promotion is being carried out by THE STAR and persons are being warned not to let unscru-pulous persons tell them otherwise.
KINGSTON, Jamaica PARLIAMENTARIANS, political groups and members of the general public yesterday (May 11) called for Prime Minister Bruce Goldings resignation, following his admission that he sanctioned the retaining of a law firm to lobby the US not to further seek extradition of one of his constituents.
According to Caribbean360, Golding made a statement in Parliament on Tuesday in which he sought to make a distinction between his actions as leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the head of government.
The media house noted that after weeks of denying that his government did not hire American law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to intervene in the extradition of Christopher Dudus Coke, Golding finally acknowledged that he had sanctioned the initiative. He however insisted that it was his party that hired and paid the firm and not the government.
The PMs revelation of his partys involvement resulted in strong criticisms from the opposition benches as they called for his resignation.
Former PM and leader of the Peoples National Party (PNP) Portia Simpson-Miller called it the mother of all scandals and noted that the government has lost its credibility.
The Prime Ministers admission that he sanctioned a scheme to circumvent the role of the government of Jamaica to resolve a treaty dispute with the government of the United States of America and normal diplomatic channels has brought the government into disrepute.
The Prime Ministers behaviour is disgraceful, outrageous, and out of step with the norms of prime ministerial behaviour and decorum in any democracy in general, and the Westminster system in particular, Caribbean360 quoted her as saying.
Adding his voice to the issue, PNP Chairman, Robert Pickersgill said that Goldings admission in Parliament has serious and negative implications for the countrys reputation at home and abroad. He also declared that in the interest of Jamaica and its people, his party would not allow the issue to rest.
Many politically-aligned groups have also called for Goldings resignation. One such group, the Patriots (the young professional caucus of the PNP), said Goldings resignation was warranted because of his inability to create a safe distance between his office as Prime Minister and his position as JLP leader and MP for the West Kingston constituency where Coke resides.
Another group, PNP Youth Organisation, as stated by Caribbean360, said Golding needs to quit with immediate effect, while the National Democratic Movement (NDM), which Golding once led, said he has compromised the integrity of the government that he leads and deceived the people of Jamaica.
The NDMs General Secretary Michael Williams is quoted as saying, The members of the Cabinet and the Senate, especially those former members of the NDM, should be particularly ashamed and should walk away if Golding refuses to do the honourable thing. Their failure to do so would make them complicit in misleading the country.
Some political analysts on the island also criticised Golding, saying that he had handled the matter poorly and his credibility was being called into question.
Meanwhile, in response to the resignation calls and in support of Golding, Information Minister Daryl Vaz said at a post-Cabine briefing that the PM did what he had to do.
As far as I'm concerned, the Prime Minister did what he had to do. And the fact is that those who are calling for the Prime Minister to resign and for the government to resign have no moral authority to call for anybody to resign, based on their past and their history, he said.
The Gleaner noted that Vaz when pressed for an explanation regarding Goldings dramatic change of position, Vaz said that the PM had spoken clearly and he had nothing to add or subtract.
However, when he came under pressure by members of the media on the issue, Vaz sought to make a distinction between the actions of the PM and the government as well as those of the JLP of which he is leader.
He said that the JLP had already made it clear that the retention of the US law firm was a party issue and as such queries should be directed to party officials.
I report to you on Cabinet matters as the governments spokesperson on information; the party has already issued a statement, he said while adding that the PM had already made the situation clear in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Gleaner quoted him as saying, The government of Jamaica had no involvement with the dealings of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips. I am not going to sit here and deal with internal party issues.
The Gleaner also reported that PM Golding said, I sanctioned the initiative, knowing that such interventions have in the past proven to be of considerable value in dealing with issues involving the governments of both countries. I made it clear, however, that this was an initiative to be undertaken by the Party, not by or on behalf of the government.
A payment of US$49,892.62 was made to Manatt, Phelps & Phillips on September 18th 2009. These funds were sourced from financial contributors to the Party. Rumours and speculation carried in the media that these funds were provided by Christopher Coke are completely false as the Party is fully aware of the source of these funds, he added.
Christopher Michael Coke, who is a member of the JLP stronghold of West Kingston, is wanted on gun and drug charges in the US. And in addition to Dudus, Coke is also known as Paul Christopher Scott, Presi, General, President and Shortman to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).
John P. Gilbride, Special Agent-in-Charge of the USDEAs New York Field Division; Javier F. Peña, Special Agent-in-Charge of DEAs Caribbean Division; and Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, August 28, 2009 that charges were unsealed against Coke.
According to a DEA press release dated August 28, 2009, Coke was charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. The United States has formally requested through diplomatic channels that Jamaican authorities arrest Coke and extradite him to the Southern District of New York on the U.S. charges.
It further read, Coke leads an international criminal organization known as the Shower Posse, with members in Jamaica, the United States, and other countries - which he has led since the early 1990s. At Cokes direction and under his protection, members of his criminal organization sell marijuana and crack cocaine in the New York area and elsewhere, and send the narcotics proceeds back to Coke and his co-conspirators. Coke and his co-conspirators also arm their organization with illegally trafficked firearms. Coke has been named by the U.S. Department of Justice to the list of Consolidated Priority Organization Targets CPOTs), which includes the worlds most dangerous narcotics kingpins.
Replaces falling Japanese demand
THE Mavis Bank Coffee Factory Limited (MBCF) has signed a major deal to supply Barnies Coffee and Tea Company in the United States with 100 per cent Blue Mountain coffee to its 40 stores in Florida.
The exclusive agreement is for roasting and distribution of the beans and was signed off recently by Norman Grant, managing director of MBCF and Barnie Philip Jones Jr, President of the Orlando-based Barnies Coffee and Tea Company. The signing took place at the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory in Portland.
Senator Grant said the deal would help offset the falling demand for the Jamaican coffee.
The partnership is a timely one and a perfect fit as our major market in Japan has been affected by the global recession and therefore they have not purchased the same quantities as in the previous crop year, Grant said, adding that the venture was a welcome lifeline to the company and the farmers who supply it.
He said MBCF had been aggressively diversifying our markets and we have targeted the US as a major part of that thrust.
Grant said that sales to the US market now represents 20 per cent of the companys overall sales, up from one per cent when the company first ventured into that market. At that time some 99 per cent of its exports were to Japan.
We are projecting to diversify our market to have sales to the US and other markets outside of Japan, representing 50 per cent of overall sales over the next five years, he said.
A number of houses in the 'Two Miles' area of St Andrew have been taken over by thugs who are now offering them for rent and even sale, THE STAR has learnt.
THE STAR heard of the situation during a recent visit to the community and residents claim members of the 'Rat Bat' gang have taken control of a number of the houses which were left unoccupied when the occupants decided to flee the volatile community.
Thugs reportedly kicked off the locked doors to the houses and gained entry.
The men are said to be offering rooms for rent as low as $1,000 per month. Some houses are also said to be available for sale but the prices are negotiable, residents claim.
"Dem have house a rent and house a sell cause di people dem run weh ... So di man dem jus take ova di house dem and a control dem,"one resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
"House a gi weh cheap, cheap roun ya, yu can get one now if yu want eno, wait mek mi call di man dem fi yu," another resident jokingly said.
THE STAR was told that the captured houses are either rented to persons close to the thugs or occupied by the thugs themselves.
Almost all the houses are also said to have illegal water and electricity connections.
One person who claims to be close to the gang also said persons have tried to recover their homes but were commanded to leave the area since they already fled.
"People come back yes, but di man dem mek dem know seh dem did run weh already so dem fi jus leave," the person explained.
Meanwhile, the police say though the Rat Bat gang is of major concern to them, they are not aware of these claims.
The west Kingston police cited a lack of cooperation between residents and the police as the reason why they were unaware of the situation.
"The Rat Bat gang is giving a lot of trouble and we are working towards dismantling that gang but we need the help of residents but they are afraid so sometimes things happen and we don't know until long after or when something deadly happens," an officer said.
The police promised to investigate the development.
A teacher at the BB Coke High School in St Elizabeth was allegedly stabbed yesterday by a student while at school.
Following the incident, the teacher is said to have been admitted to the hospital with a punctured lung. The grade seven student, who is alleged to be behind the incident, is being sought by the police.
When contacted, a police officer said that the incident took place while the teacher was talking to two of his colleagues.
THE weekend STAR was told by someone closely connected to the school, however, that the teacher was stabbed after reprimanding a boy. It is said that child had earlier entered his class and attempted to fight another child.
The teacher is said to have intervened and pushed the offending child from his classroom. According to the source, the teacher was stabbed after turning his back and attempting to return to his class.
Director of Communication at the Ministry of Education, Colin Blair, when contacted said that the ministry condemns the incident.
"Children attend school to be educated and become good upstanding citizens, therefore, any criminal act must be dealt with accordingly," Blair said.A man dubbed one of the most wanted in St James was fatally shot by the police early yesterday morning.
The dead man has been identified as David Campbell, also known as 'Rasta Sud' or 'Dave', of Hollywood, Norwood, St James. He was the reputed leader of a gang which operates there and was added to the parish's most wanted list two months ago.
Police reports are that a joint police/military operation was carried out in the community shortly after 5 a.m.
It is reported that on the approach of the security forces, Campbell fired at them.
The fire was returned and he was fatally hit.
The St James police say Campbell was linked to a series of shootings in the area which were said to be linked to an ongoing feud between men from Hollywood and Ooga Lane in Norwood following an incident which left Campbell nursing gunshot wounds.
| DEM TIE KARTEL! |
| a true dem a talk, i confirm dat is shortel aka tanisha.A tie dem tie Kartel fi tru cause him love him belly...a di mother do it. She try fi tie every man whey com inna har daughter dem life, but only di fool dem get fetch.Yu no hear di song "dutty angel", him sing it bout shory aunti. @ Star Girl, a true, i have been there. A di little sister house, one of har ex-man build dem a "church" and a in deh di whole a dem live. Kartel fi do better and tek him babymother out of the ghetto......and a hurt him say him a teacher, know say shorty cant read fi save har life and him wouldnt even teach har...but den again a portmore mattress him go pick up!!! |
Two men were arrested and charged yesterday by the City Centre police for allegedly attempting to rob a store in separate incidents in downtown Kingston.
Michael Lawrence, 27, of a White Hall Avenue, Kingston 8 and Michael Evans, from Kingston 13, are charged with simple larceny and will appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court next Wednesday.
Police said about 12:30 p.m., Lawrence entered the store and enquired where he could find the baby oil. Closely being observed by the security on duty, it is alleged that the man slipped a bottle of baby shampoo into his top left pocket.
He was accosted and held by the security guard shortly after he exited the store with the item.
An hour later Evans went to the cosmetic aisle where he is accused of picking up two deodorants, placing them into his back pockets.
After carefully tucking away the two items, it is alleged that the man went to the stationery section of the store and took up two postcards. It is alleged that the man went to the cashier and left the postcards at her counter then attempted to exit the building when he was approached by the security guard on duty.
The police were called and he was arrested and charged. Both men should appear in court on May 20.
Mark Kenny - File
One of the contestants in the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall might be sanctioned at tomorrow's show for breaching the directives issued by the Broadcasting Commission.
During the previous show, there were fierce lyrical clashes between Press Fyah and Juggla and females Reggae Queen and Bumpa. The competitors sometimes spat some hard-hitting and even edgy lines.
However, since the airing of the show, an apology for the breach was issued by the show's producers and TVJ, which airs the programme.
When contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR, Mark Kenny, executive producer for the show, said one of the contestants breached the directives.
"Her lyrical content was in breach of the Broadcasting Commission's regulations. She broke the caution," he said, noting that the name of the contestant will be revealed on the show.
A consequence of breaking one of the directives issued by the Broadcasting Commission is disqualification but Kenny was reluctant to say whether or not this will be the case tomorrow night.
"They can be disqualified. That's the most severe sanction. There are other sanctions that we are putting in place that will be revealed on the show on Saturday," he told THE WEEKEND STAR.
However, when asked specifically about the possibility of a disqualification, Kenny said, "I am not saying anything. I am just saying that the sanctions that will be imposed will be disclosed on the show on Saturday night."GUNMEN yesterday morning openly fired their weapons along the lower section of Waltham Park Road in Kingston, forcing frightened motorists to divert through some tough areas to get out of the depressed community.
The gunmen, who were protesting against Tuesday night's police killing of a man identified only as 'Cup Head', set fire to items used to block the road and fired shots in the air, scaring motorists, residents said.
Police from the Hunts Bay Police Station were greeted with gunshots when they arrived on the scene, but the gunmen quickly retreated. No one was injured.About 30 minutes later dozens of residents from surrounding communities gathered near the fiery roadblock and watched as two fire units extinguished the blaze.
According to one resident, the dead man was a known gunman who was wanted for several crimes, including murder.
"...Dem a come out and a protest 'bout police killing and the man [killed] is a known murderer. All woman him kill," lamented the resident, who expressed disgust at the gunmen's brazenness.
"The man them a walk up and down in the streets with long gun like them a police. I just sorry that the officers couldn't come on and light up even one of them; I would be so happy," added the man, who claimed Cup Head was a gang leader in the nearby Fitzgerald Lane community.
Yesterday, an officer from the Hunts Bay Police Station confirmed the onlooker's claim, but said he was unable to provide details on Cup Head's ill deeds.
"He was wanted and that's why the police went for him. What they (protesters) did today just shows you how people are willing to protect and cover the wrongdoers in their communities," the officer said.
Card Unit in performance
It was either "guh hard or guh home," at the Red Label Wine Dancin' Dynamites competition, held at the Lime Light Complex.
As the remaining five dance groups danced to the mixes of popular disc jockeys, with the hope of outshining their competition in order to secure a spot as one of the final four groups that will face off at the semi-finals this Saturday during the live broadcast on Television Jamaica (TVJ).
This week, the competition said farewell to Kleva K's, the only female group that was voted off as the season got down to crunch time.
Xcalade dancers, the group from Westmoreland that have maintained the highest number of votes for most of the season, once again were in the top spot and were the first to hit the stage dancing to a mix by ZJ Chrome.
Dancing to Voicemail's Nuh Behaviour, the group generated some energy but it was not until they imbued the props that complemented Kartel's Clarks Again that the crowd burst into loud cheers as a water boot was worn with the word 'Clarks' written on the side was used in the place of an Original Desert Clarks. There was also the inclusion of a full black jacket emulating Bounty Killer's persona, as the song Life A Di Party that also features Elephant Man was belted out, earning them 19 points.
less gimmicks
Xcalade dancers made way for Untouchable Squad, but their performance was delayed for a few minutes due to technical difficulties.
It was DJ Juju Royal that was at the turntables as the 'Chimmey People' jerked to the New Boyz song. At the start of their routine, dancer Jerome Brown came off stage and issued decorated 'chimmeys' to members of the audience, which was met with the question, "Yuh have diarrhoea?" from one audience member due to the number of 'chimmeys' the dancer had in his possession.
Judge Kerry Ann Henry said: "There was less gimmicks and more dance, but your energy was not balanced." The group managed to scoop 28 points.
Targeting the finals, Target dancers were back with the third highest number of votes, dancing to a mix from DJ Juju Royal that was opened with Beenie Man's Selassie I Send Dem as they did the Bogle dance.
technical difficulties
Judge Henry said, "I love your Bogle section, you explored the genre well at that moment, but you need to carry the energy throughout the performance." They were awarded 19 points.
Card Unit's performance was also delayed for a few minutes due to technical difficulties, but that did not affect the outcome of their flawless performance as they executed sharp moves, flips, breaks and tricks to DJ Rav's mix.
And shouts of "Out Deh", led by diehard Card Unit fan KJ from Seaview, shook the venue.
There were screams when Clubs came off stage and fell to his knees presenting audience member Nickeisha Boothe, Advertising Executive responsible for Red Label Wine with an artificial rose as Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love was played.
"The mix was a challenging one, but the moves were creative and the gimmicks worked right into the performance," said Judge Henry while Judge Patterson said, "Your entrance tonight took the cake." And they not only received a perfect score of 30, but also walked away with Coco-Cola's boom prize of $25,000.
G1 dancers were peered with DJ Shine who injected some hip hop into the mix with Ludacris' How LowCan You Go.
Cheers came from the crowd when dancer Jerdine Brown spun Jovaughn Miller over his head. It was one of the group's best routines yet, but it lacked sharpness.
While judge Morris encouraged the dancers to do more research for the moves, Judge Patterson said: "I was kinda bored," and Henry said it was one of their best routines yet. They received 14 points.
The evening was brought to a close with a performance from Richie Loop doing My Cupp as the audience engaged in a 'chimmey' waving frenzy.
Target Dancers
G1 Dancers
Jerome Brown of Untouchable Squad distributes decorated chimneys to members of the audience at the Red Label Wine Dancin' Dynamites at Lime Light Complex, Half-Way Tree. - Contributed photos
DANCEHALL deejay Mad Cobra, who was last Tuesday evening shot and injured in Portmore, St Catherine has been discharged from hospital.
Cobra, whose real name is Ewart Everton Brown, had been admitted to the Spanish Town hospital where he was treated for gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was subsequently removed to the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies where he spent two days.
"He is resting comfortably at home," a source close to the deejay told Splash.Police say that they are following leads that Cobra had been involved in an altercation with a group of men in Braeton who claimed that, while driving, he had shone his bright lights on them. Cobra's attempts at appeasing the situation reportedly failed. One of the men later shot Cobra.
Cobra was the second artiste to be shot in two days. Voicemail member, Oneil Edwards, was shot several times early Monday morning and remains in a stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit at the Kingston Public Hospital.
Less money spent on marketing and promoting film industry, says JTI
EMPLOYMENT from creative industry projects within film, TV, photography, radio and music --facilitated through government --declined by two-thirds to 770 persons whilst capital spend declined over one-third to $292.6 million, during the fiscal year ending March 2010 compared with the prior fiscal year.
Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), which is the facilitating or administering agency, blamed the "global economic downturn" and "less money on marketing and promotion" for the decline but expects improvement in the ensuing fiscal year.
JTI head of communication Mark Thomas in a written statement added: "The dependence on investment from overseas productions resulted in the economic downturn being felt more acutely in our industry. Consequently, we are examining ways to further expand and strengthen our local film industry."Part of that strategy involved the recent hiring of former Rhode Scholar, academic and music promoter Kim-Marie Spence as film commissioner. The administration of projects, especially for film, means that JTI offers tax and other incentives to film-makers and the attendant support services through the Film Commission at JTI.
The downturn occurred despite the filming in February of Knight & Day (20th Century Fox) starring US actors Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. It earned the country US$1.5 million ($134.2 million) during just a week of filming in Portland. Other noted projects in 2009 included: Music Nomad, National Geographic; Bigga, Liquid Light Digital; Going Back, Ricochet Films; Nasuba Bank (French West Africa); In The Dance, 21 Home Entertainment; Dance for Grace, Tower Isle; and Small Island, Television Ruby Limited.
The appeal of Jamaica as a film destination has arguably waned, with most of the island's big budget films shot years ago, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, starring Angela Bassett; The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields; and The Harder They Come, starring Jamaican-born Jimmy Cliff. Last week, respected Jamaican actor Paul Campbell told the Observer that his formal suggestions to fortify the film industry have not been implemented.
"The time is right to move the film industry forward, and in Jamaica we have so many stories to tell - the White Witch of Rose Hall, the Morant Bay Rebellion, Lovers' Leap -- great stories ...stories about the ghettos. We shouldn't have to wait until Palm Pictures or some foreign company comes in and decides to do a film and use Jamaica for the backdrop," he told Splash last week. "If Jamaica's film industry gets up and is on the run, there are so many jobs that can be created. We owe it to the next generation."
In the 2008/9 fiscal year capital expenditure and employment associated with creative industry projects amounted to $470.2 million and 2,155 persons. It dropped in 2009/10 fiscal year to $292.6 million and 770 persons.
JTI said it has planned promotional activities "geared towards positioning Jamaica as the most diverse location in the Caribbean" and expects to see an "improvement in the sector for the ongoing fiscal year. Among the existing incentives offered to attract film-makers are a GCT rebate of 17.5 per cent on all goods and services purchased in Jamaica, a 70 per cent investment allowance for expenditure on production facility; and tax-free dividends to shareholders in Recognised Motion Picture (RMP) production companies according to JTI.
Athletics superstar, Usain Bolt launched his Tracks and Records sports lounge on Tuesday night.
His entrepreneurial venture being backed by Kingston Live Entertainment (KLE), the company behind the successful Fiction lounge at The Market Place on Constant Spring Road.
Usain Bolt's Tracks and Records lounge is set to cost US$1-million and will be located next to Fiction at Market Place and is scheduled to be opened later this year.
The design will reflect that of a stadium and will boast a mezzanine, multiple bars and lounges, interactive booth seating and a retail shop carrying Bolt products.
Bolt's manager Norman Peart said that Bolt's transition in to the world of business was to ensure that the millions he's earning now will keep coming in when he's retired.
With the opening of a high-end sports lounge which has global aspirations, the directors of KLE see Bolt pioneering a product which represents all the good things he is known for.
If there's anyone who knows how to handle sex in a mature and tasteful way, well, it's not comic book writers. When they try to take on the subject things get awkward, at best. At worst, you get something that leaves you shaking your head, while staring quietly at the wall for several hours. Like... #5. Superman's Sex Tape
So why is Superman whoring himself in front of the cameras? Does he need money to pay for the Fortress of Solitude? No, it's all because of this guy here.
The guy, who looks like Slimer from Ghostbusters dressed up like Indiana Jones for Halloween, is named Sleez. Using whatever the hell powers allow you to do such a thing, he brainwashed two superheroes into his control, Big Barda and freaking Superman. So, did he send both heroes out to steal all the gold in the world? Kill all the other superheroes and take over the universe? Nope, he wanted them do a porno flick, and film it. Which, we have to admit, is the same thing we would do. Sleez, by the way, is a member of the New Gods space pantheon and was Darkseid's best pal in the whole world. But while Darkseid had the cool position of god of evil, Sleez was the god of porn. Darkseid became embar****ed of being seen with the guy and kicked him out.
It gets weirder. After Sleez has shot his Superman/Barda porn movie, Darkseid finds himself a copy because he has agents on Earth whose only job is to find new porn in specialized stores for him. This is not a joke--or at least not our joke--this is actually in the story. So there he was, watching his Earthling porn when he suddenly sees Big Barda getting her freak on. Barda, by the way, is married to another superhero, Mr. Miracle. So Darkseid does the most evil, supervillian thing he can think to do: Show Mr. Miracle the tape of his wife getting what is surely the best sex of her life from Superman.
Of course you don't tell him what's on the tape, you just make him watch it.
You truly are the god of evil, Darkseid. Mr. Miracle, Barda's husband, quickly finds Sleez's movie studio and stops his wife and Superman from showing up on Porntube.
Sleez tries to escape through the sewers but Superman follows him. Faced with a life behind bars and without porn, he decides to end it all. He lights a match and the concentrated gases in the sewer make this story end just the way it ran, as a massive explosion of %&%*. #4. The Only Way to Save the Dinosaurs is Rape
See that guy getting romantic with that dinosaur? He is Aviax, proud member of the superhero team The Wanderers. Never heard of them before? No worries! Not even the Editor read it, which is probably how they got away with the dinosexy. Now, we need point out that there is a fine line dividing the province of superhero costumes and that of costumes for backup dancers of homoerotic musical extravaganzas. Aviax's costume crossed the line riding a motorcycle, jumping over 20 school buses on fire and never looked back:
His powers are even more depressing. Aviax has the amazing ability to transform into any bird, one of the many creatures in nature less capable of fighting crime than a regular human. And because life was not miserable already, they gave him a weakness as if his entire self wasn't weakness enough: Aviax has hollow bones, like real birds. Which is OK for them because unlike Aviax, birds are not going to get into fist fights with super villains. But the reason he's on this list is that he ****s dinosaurs. There was this planet where the dinosaurs that were about to evolve into birds were dying because of some radiation. The space police called in The Wanderers since either everybody else was busy, or they dialed the wrong number. Aviax, who was immune to the radiation, came up with the plan: To add his radiation immune gene into these dinosaurs' gene pool. Is he going to use his DNA to make some in vitro dinosaurs and add them to the population? Nope. He's gonna do some dino-****in'.
In the form of a sort-of dinosaur bird, he goes to the planet and quickly finds a lady dinosaur he deems worthy of receiving his gift of radioactive-proof DNA. But Lady Dinosaur has a boyfriend already. Hey, no problem a little aggravated assault can't fix.
Then of course Lady Dinosaur runs like hell, but Aviax catches her, pins her down and has his way with her.
And after all the horrible, soul scarring acts are said and done, Aviax runs off before she wakes up. And we bet he didn't call her in the morning.
So what did Aviax accomplish? God alone knows, because The Wanderers didn't stick around to see if the dinosaur actually got pregnant, or if the baby was born alright or lived long enough to reproduce. They didn't even check if he inherited Aviax's immunity to radiation. So, his only accomplishment? He raped a dinosaur. Hey, what did you accomplish today?
#3. Astro Boy's Anal Fixation
Is there a more perfect idea for a kid's cartoon than Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy? He is a superhero robot boy who saves humanity from big evil robots, and he lives with his robot family and the wacky scientist who mentors him. How can you screw up this idea? It's impossible! What's that, Astro Boy? You need an oil change? Sure, go ahead we can wait a-
So... it goes right in his ass, then. Yes, back in the early days, for reasons we can only speculate *cough*Tezuka was a pedo*cough*, Astro Boy's manga included scenes of Astro Boy getting his ass oiled by his mom. Yes, we get it! Astro Boy is a robot, so he needs oil. But why is he getting a Texaco enema instead of drinking the oil from a can like all normal cartoon robots? Really, Astro, by oiling your butt you are just making Robot NAMBLA's job easier. At least they don't do this in front of the guests.
Alright, so we're making too big a deal out of a couple of panels that feature some anal lube. Probably just a one-off thing, right? You know better than that.
Yes, Astro Boy had a whole arsenal of weapons to fight evil, and all these weapons are inside his ass. Ha! And you laugh at cavity searches in airports. Maybe Astro needs all that ass oiling to keep the guns from getting stuck in there. We know this sounds more stupid than gross, but please remember this is the robotic version of Superman pointing his ass at Lex Luthor and blowing his head off with a well aimed turd. In a way it is an amazingly cruel weapon: With most weapons, the pain ends when it kills you, but the ass guns keep hurting you and your loved ones long after your demise.
|
Craig Jackson, member of the group Voicemail is pleading with persons to stop spreading wrong information regarding the condition of their group mate Oneil Edwards.
In the release sent to the media yesterday, Jackson said; "It is a difficult time for the brotherhood Voicemail and the family and we are strengthened by the display of love and solidarity by members of the entertainment fraternity. However, several persons have been communicating wrong information regarding our brother and we just want them to stop and be responsible in their actions and stop encouraging and participating in rumours."
Edwards was shot early Monday morning while entering his home in Duhaney Park, St Andrew. He was admitted to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) in critical condition where he has remained since the incident.
Doctors performed surgery on Monday afternoon and have reported improvements in his condition. Since the incident occurred, rumours have been spreading via broadcast messages on BlackBerry messenger service as well as social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, that the entertainer had succumbed to his injuries.
The release, however, said, "Oneil Edwards of popular dancehall group Voicemail, remains in a critical but stable condition in intensive care at The Kingston Public Hospital, family and friends continue to pray and monitor his progress even amidst false rumours of a worsening condition."
Edwards, Jackson and Kevin Blair comprise the dancehall group Voicemail which is popular for hits such as Nuh Behaviour, Weddy Weddy and Dance the Night Away. Since Monday, entertainers have had two prayer vigils, one of which was held at KPH's parking lot yesterday.
GUNMEN this morning fired shots to divert traffic on lower Waltham Park Avenue in St Andrew, as they protested the police killing of one of their cronies Tuesday night.
The gangsters, irate about the shooting death of a man identified only as Cup Head, set fire to debris they strew in the roadway and opened fire in the air, scaring motorists, residents said.
Police from the Hunts Bay Police Station turned up on the scene but were greeted with gunshots, before the gunmen eventually retreated.
No one was injured, however.
At least two fire units were summoned to out out the fires.
Dem a come out and a protest bout gunman and the man [killed] is a known murderer, said a resident who came out when the police showed up. All woman him kill, the male resident added.
The police are yet to make an arrest in relation to the shooting of deejay Cobra.
The deejay, whose real name is Ewart Brown, was shot and injured by gunmen in Braeton, Phase One, on Tuesday night.
Information the police say they have received so far, indicated that about 7:30 p.m., he was travelling in a motor car along Marlin Avenue.
group of men
The light from the vehicle is reported to have shone on a group of men who were sitting on a nearby fence and that aggravated them.
Brown reportedly came out of the vehicle and tried to appease the men but was threatened then shot. He was taken to the hospital where he was admitted in stable condition. The Portmore CIB is investigating.
Michael Lee, STAR Writer
Barrington Dixon, popularly known as I-Maroon, says he wants the public to know that he is alive and well and rumours circulating about his death are false.
"Mi a get call from all over, people a call mi from all Florida and England ... Mi jus want mi mother, mi family members and mi fans fi know that I am ok," he said.
According to the singer, numerous persons have approached him astonished that he is alive after hearing that he was involved in a theft at a church, resulting in his head being chopped off.
I-Maroon told THE STAR that he just wants to clear the air and let everybody know that all the allegations are false and that the rumours are threatening to his career. "I just want to get things straight ... the rumours being spread are not true and not proper for my career," said I-Maroon.
THE STAR was told by the artiste that since the rumours, he has recorded a song with the line: "A rumour dem a spread, chat dem a chat sey I-Maroon dead".
The singer, who mentioned that he has been very concerned about the rumours told THE STAR that he has travelled to Clarendon to a district called Kellits, where it is alleged that he was killed.
He indicated that after doing his investigations, he managed to see a picture of the deceased man's head who he claimed looked like him. "The undertaker show mi a picture wid the dead man head and it kinda resemble mi, all him locks look like mine," he said.
Rumours had circulated that a man who was recently beheaded after attempting to rob a church was the singer. Four men had attempted to rob the church, however, a mob held one of them and proceeded to kill him.
With his new song, Life Soon Change, Shane O has forced FM radio to sit up and pay attention.
The song, which appears on the Gal Ova Gun rhythm, proves that Shane O can flow bar to bar with the best in dancehall right now. And since the video premiered on HYPE TV and on CVM last week, the deejay's phone has been ringing off the hook.
"Crazy people ah call me say dem love the video, the response overwhelming fi real," he said.
"I launched the video for Life Soon Change recently on HYPE TV and from last week, mi ah get crazy reviews and love in the streets. When I perform the song on the stage shows, the people are singing it word for word. The song ah shot, it ah announce says Shane O ready to get out there the real way."
Shane O first jumped into the spotlight with his breakout hit Lightening Flash on the Billboard-charting Applause rhythm which propelled him to stardom while still attending Kingston Technical High school.
Despite his success, he kept his head and finished school, juggling studies with his new demands as a popular artiste with slots on the big stage shows such as Reggae Sumfest, Sting, and Bling Dawg Summer Jam.
"It opened the door for my development as an entertainer with a number one song. I did a lot of school fêtes, it was a great experience for me, I learned a lot, but now I understand the business more and I am ready to make a big push," the 20-something year old father of two said.
Other hits also followed like Ghetto Prayer which hit the top of the FiWi Choice Top 10 video charts. Now, he is turning his attention towards the aggressive promotion of a raft of new singles including the popular and inspirational They Say on the G Mac medley rhythm.
"That song is semi autobiographical, anytime yuh hear Shane O do badmind song, it have something to do with what is happening in my life, trying to figure out the hyprocrites dem from the haters. I also have another song called Eee Whoi, and a song I did for Father Pow, that the people are responding to as well," he said.
Shane O said that he plans to shoot at least three videos this summer to heighten his visibility in the marketplace.
"Mi ah come fi tek my spot inna the business. I want to get my thing out there. My voice is growing, I am working hard, writing a lot, so just watch out for Shane O," he said.
Upcoming artiste Toya - Contributed
The artiste christened Lotoya Alecia Jackson, more popularly known as Toya, has music in her veins and says she will be doing all in her powers to remain relevant yet different in the music industry.
Raised in Washington Gardens, the 26-year-old said her current success with the art form comes through being persistent.
''While going to Edith Dalton James, I used to be a good singer so I was placed on the choir, and was also doing drama. Therefore, my exposure started early, '' said Toya.
Her name was given to her by her aunt in honour of the late Michael Jackson's sister Lotoya Jackson.
''My current hit Hot like a Fire is doing very well, getting a lot of love it makes me feel welcome to the music industry, and I know that I am making my contribution,'' she said.
She was also quick to point out, it was no easy road as her first release, Too Sexy, did not make an impact on the industry.
With an inspiration to survive, the sassy looking Toya started out modelling for Biggy Turner and Audrey Goodas.
The latter took her close to the dancehall music, which rekindled her passion for the popular genre, and this gave birth to the Downsound-produced single.
''The song have taken Rihanna's Rude Boy off the chart in Barbados and is number on FiWi Choice. This is a great achievement to me and I cherish it dearly,'' said Toya.
She said her aim is to be the Lady GaGa of dancehall and she hopes to one day collaborate with her.
''Having performed at Sting 2009, Toya is expected to do well. Music is a passion she has and I am confident she is going to do great things there,'' said her manager, Joseph Bogdanovich.
|
The suspect was found dead in Chancery Hall, St. Andrew Wednesday afternoon. A second suspect was captured by the police in Manchester Tuesday night and is now being transported to Kingston. RJR News understands that the dead suspect may have been shot when he engaged members of the St. Andrew South Police in a shoot out on Monday. A senior investigator told RJR News that the suspect escaped a police dragnet on Monday, hours after the shooting of Mr. Edwards. The cops raided a house in New Haven, Duhaney Park in search of the suspect. However, he fired on the cops and escaped in nearby bushes. He left behind a cellular phone which was reportedly stolen from the injured artiste. Mr. Edwards remains in stable condition in hospital after he was shot at his home in Duhaney Park, St. Andrew on Monday morning. The police say the motive of the attack was robbery. |
HANZHONG, China A man charged into a kindergarten in northwestern China with a cleaver Wednesday and hacked to death seven children and two adults the fifth such rampage in less than two months. The attacker then went home and killed himself.
The assault, which left 11 other children hospitalized, occurred despite heightened security countrywide, with gates and cameras installed at some schools and additional police and guards posted at entrances.
It was not clear if security had been increased at the school on the outskirts of Hanzhong, a relatively poor area in the heart of China. Images taken from local TV and posted online showed the school, which only had about 20 students, in a tumble-down, two-story farmhouse.
Sociologists say the recent attacks that have left 17 dead and scores wounded reflect the tragic consequences of ignoring mental illness and rising stress resulting from huge social inequalities in China's fast-changing society.
"The perpetrators have contracted a 'social psychological infectious disease' that shows itself in a desire to take revenge on society," said Zhou Xiaozheng of Beijing's Renmin University.
"They pick children as targets because they are the weakest and most vulnerable," Zhou said.
Wednesday's carnage started as class was beginning at 8:20 a.m. at the private Shengshui Temple Kindergarten, the local government said.
The assailant, identified as 48-year-old Wu Huanming, entered the kindergarten and killed school administrator Wu Hongying and a student on the spot, then began hacking at the 18 others, according to the city government's statement.
Six students and Wu Hongying's 80-year-old mother died later in the hospital of their wounds, it said. None of the 11 hospitalized survivors was in immediate danger.
Wu is a common Chinese surname, and it wasn't clear if the assailant and administrator were related.
Citing the police, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wu Huanming had rented his house to Wu Hongying for the kindergarten without government approval. He then demanded the property back, but Wu Hongying had asked to hold onto it until the children went on summer vacation.
The ages of the children killed were not disclosed, but kindergarten students would typically be 5 or younger. Xinhua said they were five boys and two girls.
The recent attacks are classic "copycat crimes," the effects of which may be amplified by media coverage, Zhou said.
Boosting security at schools would provide only a temporary solution unless the root problems of social injustice and economic inequality are addressed, he said.
It's also difficult to protect so many places.
About 500 kindergartens, primary and high schools in Beijing have hired more than 2,000 professional security guards to increase safety, said He Gang, a police officer at the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Thousands more guards are needed for the city's remaining 4,500 kindergartens, primary and high schools, He said.
Early reports on Wednesday's attack were removed from Chinese websites or moved to less prominent pages. There was no mention of it on state television's national evening news report which instead announced an urgent directive from the education and public security ministries to further protect schools.
State media have steered clear of examining what might be motivating school attackers, preferring to focus on security.
The government has sought to show it has the problem under control, mindful especially of worries among middle-class families who, limited in most cases to one child due to population control policies, invest huge amounts of money and effort to raise their offspring.
Recent scandals in which children have been the main victims have sparked public anger and occasional protests, such as when at least 3,000 children across China were found to have lead poisoning from polluting factories built too close to villages, and more than 300,000 infants were sickened by tainted baby milk powder.
The Hanzhong city government vowed to "leave no stone unturned, learn from the mistakes, and strictly ensure nothing happens like this again."
The city government said about 2,000 police officers and security guards had been assigned to patrol public schools, kindergartens and surrounding areas beginning last week. The city has a population of nearly 4 million.
Parents and grandparents waiting to pick up children at schools in Beijing and Shanghai said they were reassured by the increased security.
"When we hear about those attacks on children, all parents worry. We don't let the child walk home alone," said Guo Xiumei, 52, waiting to pick up her 7-year-old grandson at Beijing's Yonganli Elementary School. Two police officers and a pair of security guards flanked the downtown school's tall metal gate.
In Shanghai, a father waiting in his car outside the Aiguo Elementary School, where a single uniformed policeman stood watch at the gate, said he would adjust his work schedule to drop off and pick up his daughter.
"Who knows how those people think? They shouldn't take out their dissatisfaction with society on innocent children. It's not fair," said the man, who gave only his surname, Su.
The string of assaults began with an attack on a primary school in March in the city of Nanping, where eight children were slashed to death by a former doctor with a history of mental health problems.
The man convicted for that crime was executed April 28, the same day a 33-year-old former teacher broke into a primary school in the southern city of Leizhou and wounded 15 students and a teacher with a knife.
The following day, in the city of Taixing, a 47-year-old unemployed man with a knife wounded 29 kindergarten students five seriously plus two teachers and a security guard.
Hours later, a farmer hit five elementary students with a hammer in the eastern city of Weifang before burning himself to death.
LOS ANGELES A gay rights group is demanding an apology from Newsweek magazine for a recent story that the group says suggested gay actors can't play straight characters, according to an Associated Press story.
"An actor's personal life should not be a factor in their believability in a role," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
"That would be tantamount to audiences not buying Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as lovers in their upcoming film 'Killers' because the two are happily married to different people in real life."
GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said the magazine has not offered the apology sought by the group, but that the topic was discussed with Barrios and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Milk," during a Q&A with Newsweek on Wednesday. He said he believed that discussion would be published in the next issue.
Some Hollywood stars blasted the magazine and writer Ramin Setoodeh for an April 26 story that said it was OK for straight actors to play gay roles, but "it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse."
In the story, Setoodeh criticized Sean Hayes' latest leading-man performance on Broadway, writing that the openly gay actor "comes off as wooden and insincere, like he's trying to hide something, which of course he is."
 | |
 |
 |
 |
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding faced stinging criticism and calls for his resignation throughout yesterday, in the wake of his confession that he had approved his ruling party's engagement of US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips in the 'Dudus' extradition saga.
In the meantime, Information Minister Daryl Vaz last night slapped down rumours that an emergency Cabinet meeting had been called last night, presumably related to the affair.
"It's rubbish. The prime minister is right now at the opening of Secrets Hotel in Montego Bay," Vaz told the Observer when contacted by cellphone.
In a press statement earlier in the day, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, declared she had lost confidence in Golding and the Government.
She stopped short of calling for him to step down, but cited the resignation of her information minister and general secretary, Colin Campbell in the blistering Trafigura scandal that erupted in the last months of her administration.
"The prime minister's admission that he sanctioned a scheme to circumvent the role of the Government of Jamaica to resolve a treaty dispute with the Government of the United States of America and normal diplomatic channels has brought the Government into disrepute," Simpson Miller said.
"From any perspective, the prime minister's behaviour is disgraceful, outrageous, and out of step with the norms of prime ministerial behaviour and decorum in any democracy in general and the Westminster system in particular.
"...In this scenario, the Opposition has lost confidence in the Government and cannot trust anything that the prime minister and his Government say. The Government has lost all credibility, because its prime minister has been caught involved in a scheme to mislead the public and cover up questionable activities," Simpson Miller said in a press statement.
Radio talk shows were inundated with criticisms of Golding and calls for his resignation came from the People's National Party (PNP) affiliates, Patriots and the PNPYO, as well as the National Democratic Movement (NDM) which Golding formed in 1995 and then abandoned when he returned to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
A little known group calling itself the "Centre For Leadership" also joined the calls for the prime minister to step down after his controversial admission Tuesday in Parliament that appeared to suggest he was not being fulsome on March 16 when he told the House the Government had nothing to do with the law firm.
Tuesday, Golding admitted he had sanctioned the JLP engaging Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to help seek resolution with the United States administration over the US request for extradition of Christopher Coke to face charges of drug and gun-running.
"At a minimum, the prime minister must withdraw his statement regarding the Opposition's "strength of character...," said Simpson Miller, a reference to Golding's stern rebuff of Dr Peter Phillips' questioning of the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips involvement in the extradition saga when it was first raised.
Not mincing words, the NDM's Michael Williams urged Golding to "immediately tender his resignation as prime minister", charging him with being "dishonest to the country in Parliament" and continuing "to do so for several weeks".
"...He has compromised the integrity of the Government that he leads and deceived the people of Jamaica," Williams said in a news release.
Both the Patriots -- the young professional caucus of the PNP -- and the party's youth arm, the PNPYO, were at one in calling for the prime minister's resignation.
"We are of the firm and united opinion that the prime minister should tender his resignation...since obviously, his inability to create safe distance between his office as prime minister and his position as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party and Member of Parliament for West Kingston, has caused this country and our people at home and abroad throughout the Diaspora undue embar****ment," the Patriots said in a statement.
It accused the administration of creating "an unnecessary impasse between the Governments of Jamaica and the United States of America".
In a separate statement, the PNPYO said it was "disgusted" by the pronouncements of the prime minister, adding that "in any real democracy the prime minister, having made such a statement, would have had to follow that statement with a statement of resignation".
"Understanding the Government is obviously devoid of morals; we are not surprised that the prime minister did not end his presentation with a resignation but wishes to recommend to the prime minister that this step need to be taken with immediate effect," the PNPYO said.
For its part, the previously unknown Centre For Leadership declared: "We believe that the prime minister of Jamaica should resign with immediate effect. He no longer has the moral authority to govern or lead. The number one foundation in any leadership relationship is trust. Can we continue to trust him or the Government he leads? Let it all fall down and let us rebuild again for the youth and future of this nation."
A female bartender was charged and eight others sanctioned after the St Andrew Central Police, in a bid to clamp down on spirit licence violators, raided sections of the division yesterday.
Head of the Half-Way-Tree Police Station Superintendent Derrick Cowboy Knight, said the bartender was charged with illegally exposing alcohol for sale, and that she, as well as the others, are to go before the court tomorrow.
Ten boxes of alcohol were also seized during the operation, he said.
This is an offence under the spirit licence act where persons have been operating, some of them for years, without the appropriate licence, said Knight.
The superintendent said the raid started about 4:00 pm, and targeted bars and other distribution outlets on Molynes Road, and on Waltham Park and Dumbarton avenues.
He said it was the first of a series of assaults on violators of the spirit licence and noise abatement acts.
About a month ago we had an education seminar and we outlined the requirements of the spirit licence and the noise abatement act, Knight said. We told them what they needed to do, and that we are going to be enforcing these laws."
Yesterday was the first operation, he said.
ROSE HEIGHTS, St James AS 29-year-old Christopher 'Puppiness' Sammons recalls April 29, the day gunmen shot up his car, killing his five-year-old daughter, it's obvious from the steely look on his face and the restless pawing of the ground with his feet, that a war is going on inside him.
But his words bespeak the peace that he has been mooting since becoming a member of the Covenant of Peace established in Rose Heights last year by Pastor Knollis King Snr to stem the profuse *lo**-letting and loss of lives resulting from the violence between warring factions in the community.
"Me know the man who shoot me and him know me. Two things me would love to ask him, how him feel fe know say him kill me daughter, and what the reason he has to shoot me? Me would definitely want to know the reason why him shoot me because me and this man don't have nothing. Over the past months is just peace me say, so me would want to know if is the peace why him shoot me?"
No one knows how to answer Sammons' agonised questions which hang heavy in the air as his voice cracks and he begins to hyperventilate.
And it is hard to witness his pain as he struggles to convey the message that he is not seeking any form of vengeance against the men who also injured his nine-year-old daughter, Krishelle, during the riot along Felicity Road, which was reportedly triggered by the police shooting, the previous day of two men in the tough Glendevon community.
"If I should consider reprisal somebody is going to feel what I am feeling; somebody is going to feel what me daughter's mother feel. No, we are not on those levels right now, no sah, he said noting that he views the incident as a test of faith, which he intends to pass.
According to Sammons, who was also injured in the attack, he was driving his daughters from their home in Rose Heights to school when he came upon the roadblock. As he was in the process of turning back, with the car still slanted across the road he was approached by a group of armed men.
One of the men asked him to "buy a juice" and he responded "not now".
To his horror, the man started to pepper the car with bullets, hitting little Christina in the head and Krishelle in the chest. As the *lo** oozed from the girls' wounds, Sammons, who also sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and right side of his jaw, gunned the car towards the hospital in a gallant attempt to save their lives.
It was a difficult journey--he developed breathing difficulties along the way as the *lo** gushed down his throat and through his mouth. On reaching Vernon's Drive, a little way from the hospital, he saw a driver whom he knew and asked him to transport them to the hospital. But on realising that he would lose precious time transferring the girls to the vehicle, he abandoned the plan and recommenced his journey, bursting the left rear tyre in the process, after hitting a pot hole.
Determined not to stop he kept driving, even as Krishelle who was slumped in the front passenger seat beside her motionless sister, wailed relentlessly.
"Me decide say me naw stop. Long time me a drive and know how to hold steering. Me press but each corner me go around me can feel the car like it want to spin around with me," he said.
"When me reach the hospital me tell them that me daughter them get shot because I was not worrying about my shots. Is just me two daughters them me worry about."
But Christina, whom Sammons recalled as a loving girl who kept him up talking at nights, didn't make it.
He explained that Christina who lived with her mother in Flankers had come to stay with him six days before the incident. She had been expected to remain with him until her mother recovered from an illness.
"I have been through a lot of what happened in Rose Heights: the police thing and warring thing, rough time. When me could be right here sitting down we would have to be looking for cars coming through fe come shoot up the place and we have to be looking to run same way because police naw go see we and pass we you understand?" he said.
"And now we say peace and a that we a embrace, no reprisal. No war, a just peace and love we say for everyone".
A memorial service will be held for Christina at the West Green Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sunday, May 16. In the meantime, according to Pastor King, plans are afoot to honour Sammons for his bravery.
|
This is in addition to the capture of four other St. James wanted men in St. Elizabeth. The dead man is David Campbell, also known as Rasta Sud and Dave of Hollywood Norwood, who reportedly headed a gang there. It is reported that a joint police/military team went to Hollywood just after five o'clock in search of guns and criminals. Campbell who was listed as wanted two months ago reportedly fired at the team and was shot and killed. Campbell was linked to several shootings in the area stemming from feuds between Hollywood and neighbouring Ooga Lane earlier this year. He had reportedly served time on gun charges a few years ago and was shot and injured early this year, an incident which reportedly sparked the gang violence in the area. A man known as MoBay, who was also wanted for the murder of Hugh McIntosh, an engineer from St. Elizabeth, was also captured in Norwood on Wednesday morning. McIntosh was stabbed during an altercation with MoBay who worked for him in 2008. Meanwhile, details on those persons nabbed in St. Elizabeth have not yet been ascertained but Commanding Officer for St. James, Superintendent Merrick Watson, is warning gang members that they are being targeted. |
Earlier this week, R&B singer Ciara was celebrating a friends birthday in Los Angeles when neighbors did not seem to appreciate the festivities. The police shut down the party, but that didnt stop the group from celebrating a little more.
The party found a nearby parking lot to keep the festivities going. Although Ciara thought it was a great time to play some of her new music, nearby residents didnt think so. Police came back around and shut the whole thing down for good.
She captured the whole night on her Twitter page:
Tonight was sooo much fun!! I originally had plans to go to the Victoria Secret party, but that changed last minute and I headed to celebrate my friends birthday party!
It was sooo much fun, and the funny thing to top it off was we all decided to go to a parking lot and play a few of the newest songs I recorded and we realized we had the music just a little too loud because the police came by and said they had received reports of loud music!!
But thank God we had the music down in time, and there was no trouble with the po po.
But thats not all. The singer used her girly charm to win over the officers and ended up snapping a few pics with them.
She recently released two songs for her upcoming album, Ride and Basic Instinct. The album is due to release later this year.
Entertainers and others close to Voicemail singer, Oneil Edwards, say that while the show of solidarity from the music fraternity -- especially from some artistes --has been comforting, rumours of his demise and an "insensitive cartoon" have been adding to their pain.
"One website reported that he was dead and then there was the cartoon this morning -- when I saw them I couldn't do anything but cry," a popular artiste manager told the Observer.
Her cry was echoed by singjay Mr Vegas, who has been spearheading the vigils that have united artistes.
"The timing of the cartoon was bad. It leaves a bitter taste in our mouths," he said. "We are trying to cope. We have come together to condemn violence and to pray for Oneil. Persons have been criticising us and saying that we are not real, but nobody can know another person's heart," Mr Vegas declared.
He added, "This is not the first time I have tried to bring the artistes together for a cause, but thisis the first time the response has been so overwhelming. And it is because Oneil is an artiste who did not deserve this. He isn't one of those who sing gun lyrics and associate himself with violence."
Mr Vegas also condemned the shooting of deejay Ewart 'Cobra' Brown on Tuesday evening in Portmore. Up to last night, Cobra, who was shot in the upper body was resting at the Spanish Town Hospital.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, to whose booking and management agency, Specs/Shang, Cobra was signed during the 90's, has urged the society to unite and take a stance against crime. She also asked entertainers to review their lyrical content.
"Entertainers need to look at the messages they are sending. They must remember that criminals are also their fans, and when they sing about guns, informers and violence they are encouraging them," the minister said.
A press release from Headline Entertainment yesterday afternoon stated that Oneil remains in a critical but stable condition in intensive care at the Kingston Public Hospital. It quoted Voicemail member, Jerome 'Craig' Jackson as saying that "several persons have been communicating wrong information regarding our brother and we just want them to stop and be responsible in their actions and stop encouraging and participating in rumours".
Oneil was attacked and shot as he was about to enter his house in Duhaney Park, St Andrew, Monday morning. Reports are that the main suspect was found dead in Chancery Hall yesterday afternoon. He had been shot several times; Oneil's cellular phone was found in his possession.
Voicemail is popular for hits such as Nuh Behaviour, Weddy Weddy, Just Dance and Dance the Night Away.
1.UR OPINIONS MEAN NOTHING..SHE JUST WANTS YOU TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING
2.U GOING OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS IS COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME, SHE GOING OUT WITH HER FRIENDS IS PRo-CREATION
3. NO MATTER WHATS ON THE MENU, A WOMAN WILL ALWAYS ORDER SOME WEIRD STUFF AND THEY DONT HAVE IT
4. WOMEN DONT CHECK THEIR MONEY B4 THEY SHOP, THEY ALWAYS WAIT UNTIL THEY REACH UP TO THE CASHIER THEY PULL OUT 3.4.5 DIFFERENT CREDIT CARDS AND HOLD UP THE LINE
5.MAKING MONEY REQUIRES WORKING LONG HOURS....BUT A WOMAN REUQIRES ATTENTION FROM HER HUSBAND, SO HE HAS TO BE HOME EARLY, THEREFORE, HE'S UNABLE TO MAKE THE MONEY SHE NEEDS
6.A WOMAN WILL NEVER ASK FOR THE EXACT AMOUNT OF CASH SHE NEEDS, ITS ALWAYS THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT SHE REALLY NEEDS
7. A WOMAN WILL NEVER TELL U EXACTLY HOW MANY MEN SHE SLEPT WITH B4 YUH, BUT IF U MULTIPY WHAT SHE TOLD U BY 3, THATS IT
8.FAMILY MAN, WHEN A WOMAN NEEDS MONEY SHE WILL ALWAYS USE THE KIDS AS EXCUSE TO GET CASH OUT YOUR HANDS
9.A WOMAN IS THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, A WOMAN DOESNT NEED PEN AND PAPER, SHE HAS ALREADY CALCULATED BOTH BUDGETS, AND YOURS GOES TO BILLS, WHILE HERS GOES TO CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT
10. A WOMAN NEVER GIVES A DAMN HOW UR DAY WAS, ITS ALL A BUILD UP TO U ASK HER THE SAME QEUSTION SO SHE CAN TELL U HER BOOK OF PROBLEMS, NEEDS AND WANTS
Tyra Banks in Modelland
 | |
Oprah devised another way to make money. 'She invited men over during the day while my mother was working,' said[Oprah's half-sister] Patricia. 'Her boyfriends were all much older than her, about 19 or in their early 20s.
Oprah would give Popsicles to me and our younger brother Jeffrey and say, "You two go out on the porch and play now." Oprah then would go insider with her boyfriend...I didn't find out later what Oprah was doing until I was older and she showed me how she did 'The Horse' - which is what she called the sex act.'
It took Patricia many years to realize that Oprah was selling "The Horse" - trading sexual favors for money
 | |
JamaicaObserver.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
  EDWARDS... was attacked as he entered his Duhaney Park home  1/1  |
THE main suspect in the shooting of Voicemail artiste O'Neil Edwards, was found dead in the Chancery Hall community this afternoon, Police said the unidentified man managed to escape a dragnet set up to nab him several hours earlier.
Edwards' cellular phone was found in the dead man's possession. The body was clad in green short pants, white T-shirt and blue slippers and was found on Lady Hamilton Close with several gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile a second suspect was picked up by the Manchester Police in that parish last night and is being transported to Kingston where he will be questioned by senior homicide investigators.
Edwards was attacked and shot several times as he attempted to enter his home at Belloc Avenue in the middle class community of Duhaney Park early Monday morning.
He condition is still critical and he remains hospitalised.
|
No New Posts | 
|
New Posts |
|
Topic is Closed | 
|
Sticky |
