The Lost Scriptures (Title subject to change) will be a posthumous studio album from the late hip hop icon Tupac Shakur containing previously unreleased songs scheduled for release in 2009.
Contents

* 1 Album information
* 2 Confirmed songs
* 3 Trivia
* 4 References

Album information

The album will be released by the new owner of Gangsta rap label Death Row Records after founder Suge Knight filed for bankruptcy[2] after being hit with a $100 million judgment in a lawsuit brought by Lydia Harris who claims she was instrumental in the founding of the record label.

It will contain material recorded before the rapper's demise. Songs will be left in their original form unlike previous posthumous albums where the songs have been heavily remixed by various producers.

The master recordings will be selected from a list given by the Death Row Records Trustees also known as the Option Album, the remaining master recordings being returned to Amaru Entertainment.

List of the master recordings to be selected:

* 01. Radio Snippets
* 02. Come With Me
* 03. Amerikka Eats its Young
* 04. Track 12
* 05. Original "U Still Down"
* 06. Radio Drops
* 07. Never Call U bi*ch Again
* 08. "Tupac Nas" Interlude
* 09. Fade Me
* 10. Smile For Me
* 11. "Tupac New Report" Interlude
* 12. Last Niggaz Standing
* 13. Untouchable
* 14. Untouchable
* 15. U Can Be Touched
* 16. Killuminati
* 17. Ain't Nothin Wrong
* 18. He vs She
* 19. If They Love Their Kids
* 20. My Lil Homies
* 21. My Only Fear Of Death
* 22. Ride For Me
* 23. Secrets Of War
* 24. The Struggle Continues
* 25. Things Are Changin
* 26. Through My Rearview
* 27. Tongue Kissing
* 28. Ya Own Style
* 29. One Nation
* 30. Let's Get It On
* 31. Watch Ya Mouth
* 32. Wonder Why They Call You bi*ch
* 33. My Only Fear Of Death
* 34. Trump Tight(1)
* 35. Wherever U Are(1)

Version on Shakur's personal vault is excluded from selection.

Confirmed songs

- Watch Ya Mouth
- Let's Get It On
- My Only Fear Of Death
- He vs She

The Lost Scriptures title was planned to be used for the next Tupac Shakur album from Death Row Records after The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory and R U Still Down?(Remember Me).

Dancehall Deejay Turns Vendor

Is it the Recession? That may be a possibility, however whatever the real reason, it appears that more of our local entertainers are turning to unorthodox career paths to sustain their existence. 876radio.com has learnt that dancehall deejay Snagga P** known for his comical yet witty lyrics has traded the microphone for the sidewalks of downtown Kingston where he peddles his wares as a roots Herbalist. The deejay who was at the apex of his career several years ago with hits such as Urkel Dance, Cyaan Cook and the mega hit Tatti now goes by the moniker 'Mr. Herbalist' since becoming a vendor last December. He explained that his new found interest for selling roots wine came from an higher inspirations and is not ashamed even though he is occasionally teased by passers-by about his fall from grace. In the meantime, Snagga explains that his career though dormant is not dead and is set to make his comeback with an eighteen track (18) album, still untitled. We have embedded a copy of his 'Tatti' video below for your viewing pleasure (see player below)

In an effort to divert police attention, some powerful area dons in the island are turning to producing music, THE WEEKEND STAR has learnt.

Dons from Kingston and St Catherine, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland have taken to the music business as they put up a 'front' while seeking profits to fund their criminal operations.

Although criminal elements have been known to seek profits by hosting events such as stage shows and parties, music production is relatively new.

Checks have revealed that at least three record labels have been associated with dons. There are also at least two songs which are high-riding on local charts that were produced by one of these labels.

 

aware of scheme

Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green, head of the Serious Crimes Division (which networks with the Major Investigation Task Force and Organised Crime Investigation Division) said the police are aware of the activity.

He said certain people in the music industry along with their entourages are always under scrutiny.

Bling, the 'second in command' for a volatile east Kingston community, admitted to their involvement in music production.

"A deh suh di ting deh now eno ... If wi can mek money from show and party, it only natural wi try fi di bigga money and try di music ting straight," he said while pointing out that his boss is one such community leader who has gone into music production.

But there is a twist in the gangsters' involvement. Investigations revealed that the criminals do little or nothing in order to complete the productions.

Blacka Dog, a highly respected community leader from St Catherine, said persons are simply ordered to perform musical favours. "We nuh know how fi build riddim, suh wi jus beg a one producer sort out one fi wi. Afta dat wi link di artiste dem an tell dem seh wi have a bad riddim fi dem voice pon and wi a beg dem put sup'n pon it," he explained.

Threats take care of the promotion of the finished products. One popular selector said 'young' selectors in the business are sometimes threatened to play tunes on the thugs' labels.

"Di man dem come out inna dem numbers when dem ready but a normally di likkle man dem get dem treatment deh still... Di bigga man dem probably inna di link already so a phone call can mek and everyting sort out," said the selector.

Although profits from the new-found enterprise are not made in an instant, the thugs nevertheless say it is a good way of diverting unwanted police attention while travelling on the road to get 'real money'.

In explaining their theory, Bling said: "A real money wi want eno, an dis is a good way to it... Di money might nuh deh pon spot like when yu keep a dance but afta a while a good food can eat."

Despite their belief that this is a good way to elude the police, law enforcement officials said they are aware of the activity.

ACP Green said the police are also aware that other forms of criminal acts come into play with the new development.

"That's nothing new to us and we know that it involves human and drug trafficking," ACP Green said, while adding that the police are not easily tricked and once there is enough evidence to bring someone to justice, putting up any business venture as a front will be futile.

Yendi Phillipps is, without a doubt, beauty with a purpose, and not only because she claimed that award in the 2007 Miss World competition in China.

She is an accomplished, drop-dead gorgeous dancer who stretches herself to be the best she can be. Whether it's an appearance to boost the profile of an event aiming to raise funds for a worthy cause or working at her creative summer camp, Yendi is a Jamaican gem. Since winning the 2007 Miss Jamaica World title she has become a darling of the Jamaican people.

In 2008, when Denise Hunt resigned as host of Jamaica's most popular television show, 'Digicel Rising Stars', the show's producers looked Yendi's way and she accepted. Since then, she has been beamed into the homes of more than one million Jamaicans as the host of their favourite show.

 

learning experience

"It's been a great learning experience, more than anything else. With every episode I acquire more knowledge and it feels great to apply it and I feel myself growing as a person and as a media personality," says the bubbling beauty.

She, like many others, also believes that 'Digicel Rising Stars' is an important aspect of Jamaica's pop culture: "There are many talented Jamaicans who do not have an avenue to showcase their talent and 'Digicel Rising Stars' affords them this opportunity."

Having been through the auditions, Phillipps is optimistic about the new season: "It's a great year for big voices. I heard more contestants belt out tunes than ever before so it's definitely going be competitive. I am very excited about the show this year.

"I had to learn in front of the public last year, which was pretty challenging, but I feel a lot more comfortable and still feel excited every time I have to do the show or something related to it," Phillipps said before revealing that it's the energy of the live shows that she finds most exciting.

But which is more fun for Phillipps, 'Digicel Rising Stars' or Miss Jamaica World? She says the two are "absolutely incomparable but both are like my babies. I truly adore each role in its own way."

There is only one wish that upcoming dancehall artiste Sheldon 'Versatile' Taylor is hoping for when his musical career comes to an end - "I want to be fruitful and be able to release songs that will go through all life cycles," said the 23-year-old.

Taylor, who grew up in Bound Brook in Port Antonio, Portland, said he has dedicated all of his life to music. As a youngster, he entered the music business under the influence of veteran dancehall artiste Beenie Man, and he is now convinced that those experiences will make him a force to be reckoned with.

"I have learned a lot. Beenie Man is one of the greatest performers in the music business. Being around him I have learned how to deal with people and how to work in what is a challenging music business. I am trying to build my music and Beenie Man is a great example to follow," said Taylor, a past student of Port Antonio High, and Titchfield High.

 

songs

Currently, Taylor has penned the lyrics to the songs like Money Call, Just Like Kingston and Cyaan Hold Me Back, all of which are produced by Romeich Records and have been getting airplay.

Taylor said the song, Cyaan Hold Me Back, on which he collaborated with Laden, now has a video which was shot in Canada and directed by High-Class Productions.

So many young artistes have shown little ability once they are given the opportunity. However, Taylor believes he will make a lasting impact on the music business.

"I don't care how much young artistes have come and are not making any great impact, I believe that I am different. music is competitive and, as a young artiste, you have to learn the tricks of the business," he said.

Taylor also recalled when he was in search of the true meaning to life. After high school, he left with two CXC subjects and was advised to "go look a job, but it was all about music for me," he said.

"The music has done a lot for me. It takes time, but I see myself winning Grammy (awards) and operating a studio to help other artistes coming up in the business," he added.

The sexy, curvaceous and engaging Jodi 'Jinx' Stewart has taken over as the new host of E Weekly, which airs on RETV.

E Weekly is a one-minute entertainment news update which focuses on the latest in Jamaican, Caribbean and international entertainment happenings. It airs every hour on the hour, Sundays to Saturdays.

Jinx, who has been a VJ with RETV for the past five years, says, "I am thrilled to be hosting my very own show and I am even more delighted that RETV thought me good enough to host the country's number-one review programme, E Weekly. It is also a great avenue for me to expose my talents and I am grateful for the opportunity."

Apart from being the host of E Weekly, Jinx is also the co-host of RE:view another one of RETV's popular entertainment shows.

Dancehall artiste Spice is resting her wings for a few days after performances in Miami, Tobago and Orlando last week.

Her rest, however, will not last long, as she takes flight tomorrow for a performance in Trinidad.

Not only have her songs been receiving regular rotation on the airwaves, especially her newly released single, Bad Mind on the Equinoxx label, but the songs have also continued to surface on a number of charts.

 

spot on the chart

The single, Nuh Daggerer, copped the number 14 spot on ReggaeColumbia.com's Top singles for May and is currently in the #20 spot on the Richie B/HOT102 FM Top 20 Dancehall Singles chart, while Ramping Shop is in the #4 spot on Riddim Jamaica (ezine's) Top Dozen Video Roundup Chart.

Spice returns to the island on Monday.

Fashozy international recording artiste Da'Ville is confirmed to perform on this year's International Night 2 at Reggae Sumfest on Saturday, July 25, at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay.

It will be the second time that the singer will be performing at the gigantic summer entertainment event. He also performed on the event in 2007.

The singer, whose Missing You Right Now went to number 1 on local and overseas charts, is still one of the most heavily requested and played songs on the airwaves.

 

Another single

Another single, Never Gonna Cry, is also popping up on media charts, playlists, Internet radio stations and blog sites around the world and is fast heading for the top. A video for the song is also being edited and will be released soon.

Da'Ville is also putting the final touches to a brand new album expected to be out soon.

In April, Da'Ville gave an entertaining performance at New York's top radio personality Squeeze's 'Rock With Squeeze' Mondays party at the SOB.

He then flew to Dominica where he dazzled Dominicans at the Krazy Kokonuts Club.

Since the A.R.P. singer went solo, his career has continued to soar. He has recorded a number of chart topping hit songs, such as Always On My Mind, Yesterday, Can't Get Over You, This Time I Promise, Missing You and In Heaven.

A man and woman accused of conspiring to export ganja from Jamaica appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Charged with possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export ganja and conspiring to export ganja are Donnette Francis and Thomas Brown.

 

bag searched

The court was told that Francis was at the Norman Manley International Airport preparing to leave the island when her bag was searched and marijuana found inside. It is alleged that Brown was implicated after it was revealed that he had taken her to the airport.

When the two came before the court, Francis said she did not know that ganja was in the bag. She pleaded not guilty to possession. She, however, pleaded guilty to dealing in ganja. As it relates to the charge of trying to export the drug, she told the court that she had been given ganja to swallow, but had left it at home. She said she handed those drugs over to the police. She, however, maintained that she was not aware of the drug in the bag.

Brown told the court that he was the one who got the bag for the co-accused. He said, however, that he did not know of its contents because the drugs were discreetly packed in a secret compartment. He said he was not a troublemaker and had his elderly mother to care for.

He explained that if he had known that there was drugs in the bag, he would not have come back to the airport when he got a call from Francis saying she had missed the flight.

The matter is to be mentioned on June 8 to determine exactly what revised charges Francis will face. Both were remanded.

After weeks of debate about a video on Youtube.com claiming that a woman was killed while dancing at a local Dutty Friday's session, that female is seeking to clear the air.

In a video clip posted on the popular Internet site titled 'Girl dies at dance', Judith 'c**ky Tractor' Miller was the subject of a near fatal dance episode with another popular dancer, Marvin.

In the clip, made at the November 2, 2008 staging of Seaforth Dutty Friday in Westmoreland, Miller was sitting in a tub while Marvin pulled off a dance stunt, which went wrong.

In the move, Marvin ran up like a sprinter, flipped through mid-air like a gymnast and landed on Miller's neck like a rock, snapping her head backwards. She was knocked unconscious. The mini clip ended with Marvin and another patron rushing Miller from the dance. Since then, there has been much talk that she had died.

mi good

Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, however, Miller dispelled the claims. "Mi alive and well man, mi good," Miller said. "A long time dat though, from November 2008."

Miller, who was giggling for most of the interview, said there was a longer version of the video that showed when she regained consciousness, but most persons seemingly have not seen that footage.

Looking back on the video, she conceded: "Mi coulda dead, but mi naw stop dance." She was quick to point out that while she has since danced with Marvin several times after the incident, she would never try that dance stunt again.

"Mi wouldn't advise nobody fi try dat dance either. Dat move dangerous," she said. She continued that had it not been for the video, she would not have known what happened as the last thing she remembered seeing was Marvin running towards her.

When contacted, Marvin admitted that he had been fretting after he accidentally landed on Miller's neck and knocked her unconscious. He said the original plan was to land in her lap but he slipped a bit. "Is bout 30 minutes or so before she come back to, she did mash up, man," the male dancer said.

dangerous moves

When THE STAR asked Miller if she still engages in other equally dangerous moves she is known for, she responded that she was careful and used techniques.

Miller bragged that after the near fatal incident with Marvin, she went to another party the same night after regaining consciousness. She admitted that she did not dance, however. "Mi go doctor the next morning and dem gimmi some pain killer and ting and mi good."

There were also reports of another girl who died at another dance but this could not be confirmed.

Miller's story is reminiscent of the 2006 Tanisha Henry story. In October of that year, Henry died suddenly at a party. It was rumoured that she had died from injuries she sustained doing the then-popular Dutty Wine. Henry's death raised concern about the dance and its safety and fuelled calls for the dance to be banned.

Two years later however, the dance was vindicated after forensic evidence showed that Henry died from a heart condition.

From BallerStatus.com -- As the hip-hop inches closer to nearly 40 years since being introduced in the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s, the genre has grown tremendously. That means some of today's biggest artists have aged along with it. Some of the game's pioneers have maintained their presence over the years, continuing to grow their brand, while some haven't.

Either way, it shows how much hip-hop has grown and will continue to grow in the coming years.

Here's a list of hip-hop vets who have hit the 30+ mark, compiled by the people over at Bossip.com:

* Ice-T (February 16, 1958) - 51
* Flavor Flav (March 16, 1959) - 50
* Uncle Luke (December 22, 1960) - 48
* MC Hammer (March 30, 1962) - 47
* Dr. Dre (February 18, 1965) - 44
* Rev. Run (November 14, 1964) - 44
* Slick Rick (January 14, 1965) - 44
* KRS-One (August 20, 1965) - 43
* Master P (April 29, 1967) - 42
* Bushwick Bill (December 8, 1966) - 42
* LL Cool J (January 14, 1968) - 41
* Birdman (1969) - 39-40
* Ice Cube (June 15, 1969) 39
* Diddy (November 4, 1969) - 39
* Jay-Z (December 4, 1969) 39
* Raekwon (January 12, 1970) 39
* Q-Tip (April 10, 1970) 39
* Redman (April 17, 1970) 39
* DJ Quik - (January 18, 1970) - 39
* Ghostface Killah (May 9, 1970) 39
* RZA (July 5, 1969) - 39
* Fat Joe (August 19, 1970) 38
* Scarface (November 9, 1970) 38
* DMX (December 18, 1970) 38
* Method Man (April 1, 1971) 38
* Snoop Dogg (October 20, 1971) 37
* Common (March 13, 1972) 37
* Busta Rhymes (May 20, 1972) 37
* Jermaine Dupri (September 23, 1972) - 36
* Kurupt (November 23, 1972) - 36
* Black Thought (October 3, 1972) 36
* Eminem (October 17, 1972) 36
* Bun B (March 19, 1973) 36
* Nas (September 14, 1973) 35
* Twista (November 27, 1973) - 35
* Trick Daddy (September 23, 1973) - 35
* Mos Def (December 11, 1973) 35
* Beanie Sigel (March 6, 1974) 35
* Andre 3000 (May 27, 1974) 35
* Nelly (November 2, 1974) - 34
* Xzibit (September 18, 1974) - 34
* Styles P (November 28, 1974) 34
* Big Boi (February 1, 1975) 34
* Jadakiss (May 27, 1975) 34
* 50 Cent (July 6, 1975) 33
* Talib Kweli (October 3, 1975) 33
* Rick Ross (January 28, 1976) 33
* Camron (February 4, 1976) 33
* Jim Jones (July 15, 1976) - 32
* Kanye West (June 8, 1977) 31
* Ludacris (September 11, 1977) 31
* Young Jeezy (October 12, 1977)- 31
* Fabolous (November 18, 1977) - 31

This list is not a complete list of every rapper to hit the mark. We're sure there's more.

"When my album drop...Bitches will buy it for the picture
And n*ggaz will buy it too and claim they got it for they sister" - Drake


Billboard reports:

Drake is such a hot artist that one of his albums is selling even though he didn't release it.

An unauthorized album, "The Girls Love Drake," which features selections from the Toronto rapper's mixtape "So Far Gone" and other tracks, was released May 28th by a label called Canadian Money Entertainment and distributed by the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) on iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon.

Drake's camp, which is still trying to clear the samples on "So Far Gone" and his two other mixtapes in hopes of selling them in stores, says it didn't authorize the release.

If it hadn't been disqualified on the grounds that it wasn't confirmed as being an official album, "The Girls Love Drake" would have debuted this week at No. 101 on the Billboard 200, NO. 16 on the Digital Albums chart and No. 1 on the Heatseekers tally. "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl" (credited to Young Money), two tracks on the mixtape that have previously charted, appear on this week's Hot Digital Songs chart thanks to downloads of "The Girls Love Drake." Additionally, "Best I Ever Had" jumps 60-18 on the Billboard 200, while "Every Girl" leaps 75-35, although chart experts predict they will both drop again once the unofficial album is no longer available.

After finding the album on iTunes, Drake's management sent a cease-and-desist notice to the retailer, which has since removed it. At press time, the album was still available on Rhapsody and Amazon, although Drake's manager Al Branch says he's having it removed from these retailers as well.

"This is a straight bootleg, a scandal. We are behind promoting records at radio, but haven't sold it," Al Branch, Drake's manager, tells Billboard.com. "iTunes position is that they are store and they stock everything. They have a waiver and as long as people sign it and are responsible for the product they submit, then they go for it."

Branch also says that Drake plans to file a lawsuit against Canadian Money Entertainment, which he says isn't in connection with Drake or Young Money, the Lil Wayne-owned label that Drake is affiliated with. Drake is currently the subject of a major label bidding war and is close to signing with Universal Motown.

Thousands beaten, raped in Irish reform schools By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press Writer 2 hrs 5 mins ago DUBLIN A fiercely debated, nine-year investigation into Ireland's Roman Catholic-run institutions says priests and nuns terrorized thousands of boys and girls in workhouse-style schools for decades and government inspectors failed to stop the chronic beatings, rapes and humiliation. High Court Justice Sean Ryan on Wednesday unveiled the 2,600-page final report of Ireland's Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse, which is based on testimony from thousands of former students and officials from more than 250 church-run institutions. More than 30,000 children deemed to be petty thieves, truants or from dysfunctional families a category that often included unmarried mothers were sent to Ireland's austere network of industrial schools, reformatories, orphanages and hostels from the 1930s until the last church-run facilities shut in the 1990s. The report found that molestation and rape were "endemic" in boys' facilities, chiefly run by the Christian Brothers order, and supervisors pursued policies that increased the danger. Girls supervised by orders of nuns, chiefly the Sisters of Mercy, suffered much less sexual abuse but frequent assaults and humiliation designed to make them feel worthless. "In some schools a high level of ritualized beating was routine. ... Girls were struck with implements designed to maximize pain and were struck on all parts of the body," the report said. "Personal and family denigration was widespread." Victims of the system have long demanded that the truth of their experiences be documented and made public, so that children in Ireland never endure such suffering again. But most leaders of religious orders have rejected the allegations as exaggerations and lies, and testified to the commission that any abuses were the responsibility of often long-dead individuals. Wednesday's five-volume report sides almost completely with the former students' accounts. It concludes that church officials always shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest amid a culture of self-serving secrecy. "A climate of fear, created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment, permeated most of the institutions and all those run for boys. Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from," the report concluded

Don't rub your eyes, you are seeing clearly. Introducing the "Doggy Washing Machine"! For $47 you won't have to fight or have a mess on your hands when you wash your precious pooch. 

The dying declaration of 36-year-old Kevin Thomas, manager of Rivoli Football Club in Spanish Town, St Catherine, has placed the man who fatally shot him behind bars for the next 25 years.

Ziggy Mills, labourer of Salt Pond Road, Spanish Town, who was reported to be a member of the Clansman Gang, was convicted of the murder and sentenced last week to life imprisonment.

Justice Donald McIntosh, in sentencing Mills, ordered that he should serve 25 years before he is eligible for parole.

A Home Circuit Court jury retired for more than an hour before returning the guilty verdict.

Thomas, who was also called 'Keegan', was shot and stabbed on October 6, 2005. Shortly before he died that same day at the Spanish Town Hospital, he told the police that it was "Ziggy from de la Vega City" who shot him.

He also told a policewoman, who was at the hospital, that he knew Mills and told her who Mills' mother was and where she lived.

The Crown relied on the dying declaration which Thomas gave to the police, naming the man whom he said shot him, to prove its case against Mills.

The medical evidence was that all three injuries were fatal.

Mills, in his defence, denied having anything to do with the murder.

This image provided by Suzanne Davis on Saturday, May 16, 2009 shows Fin Keheler, 11, of Sandy, Utah, attempting to break the world record for the numberof snails placed on the face for 10 seconds, during an attempt in Sandy Utah. Keheler is hoping to have the attempt verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

(AP Photo/Suzanne Davis)




to see the rest of the story click on the link below

Spoiler

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/world-record-Sandy2C-Utah/photo//090520/480/52d64a5bc0264fcbbee0926749ba66b7//s:/ap/20090521/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_snail_face

-- Edited by MZJ on Thursday 21st of May 2009 03:41:13 PM

NEW ULM, Minn. - Authorities nationwide were on the lookout Wednesday for a mother and her 13-year-old cancer-stricken son who fled after refusing the chemotherapy that doctors say could save the boy's life.

Colleen Hauser and her son, Daniel, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma, apparently left their southern Minnesota home sometime after a doctor's appointment and court-ordered X-ray on Monday showed his tumor had grown.

see rest of story below

Spoiler

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/20/20090520ForcedChemo20-ON.html

NEW YORK A business man accused of ordering an associate to take out his dentures at gunpoint conceded that he made the demand during an argument over money. But the man denied it was a theft, saying he paid for the dentures in the first place and also said no gun was involved.

The man, arrested on Monday on a charge of first-degree robbery, is due back in in court July 1.

"We yelled and we argued. ... But in the end, those teeth belonged to me," the man said.

Posted here

-- Edited by MZJ on Wednesday 20th of May 2009 09:22:13 PM

A 17-year-old boy accused of killing his mother last week intentionally strangled her to death and sexually abused her corpse before dumping her body in a trash can, according to a juvenile court document released Monday.

Johnson City Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Green ordered Codey Wayne Miller, 17, held at the Upper East Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center pending a June 5 status hearing, when she will hear motions in the case, including prosecutors request to transfer the teenager to adult Criminal Court for trial.

Miller is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of his mother, Sherry R. Cooper, 36, at her Lake Terrace housing development apartment on Thursday.

Assistant Public Defender Ivan Lilly, appointed to represent Miller, waived the teens detention hearing after telling Green that details from the homicide had not been released to news media or Millers family.

State law allows juvenile judges to grant media access to juvenile hearings on some cases, including murder, and Green granted a request from the Press. She also released documents that are public record in the case due to the charges involved, which allowed Miller's name to become public record. Most juvenile records are sealed by state law.

Christopher A. Johnson, 36, 1355 Breedlove Ave., Memphis, is also charged along with Miller. Hes being held on charges of felony murder and abuse of a corpse. Washington County Sessions Judge Robert Lincoln arraigned Johnson by video Monday morning and appointed attorney Jim Lonon to represent him.

If convicted as an adult, Miller faces life in prison as would Johnson. If his case remains in juvenile court and his case is handled there, Miller could only be held in custody until he is 19 years old.

Johnson is accused of watching Miller kill Cooper sometime on May 7. According to a court affidavit, Johnson did not intervene in the killing or contact authorities after it happened.

Police also wrote in the court document that Johnson retrieved a trash can from outside the residence and instructed the juvenile to place the victims body inside the trash can.

One or both of them put the can back outside, according to police, but Coopers body was not discovered until around 1:30 a.m. May 9.

When police responded to 2472 Mint Hill Road about 1:30 a.m. Saturday on a death investigation, Tony Hyder was sitting over top of Coopers body in the side yard of the apartment building crying, according to the police report. Hyder, 58, 446 S. Broadway St., was apparently Coopers boyfriend.

Investigators remained silent Monday about details of the killing, including what prompted them to charge Miller and Johnson with felony murder. Felony murder requires that the killing occurred during the commission of one of a list of specific crimes that include acts of terrorism, arson, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, kidnapping, aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect, aircraft piracy or discharging a b****.

Were not releasing that until we get the autopsy back, said Johnson City Police Lt. Steve Sherfey. He did confirm that Cooper suffered no trauma, no knife wounds and no gunshot wounds.

The autopsy has not been done. They should be doing that (Tuesday), he said. An investigator in the case will likely be present for that procedure, Sherfey said.

District Attorney General Tony Clark said earlier in the day that he planned to petition Johnson City Juvenile Court to transfer the boy to adult court for trial, and Assistant District Attorney General Kelly McCoy told Green the state will file that motion.

Johnson remains jailed on a $150,000 bond.

Addressing stakeholders during an airport forum at the facility yesterday, Sangster's Chief Operations Officer Vincent Miller told the gathering that uniformed police officers were just one of the many components that have been put in place to beef up security in the airport.

"Through technology and communication we now have instant notification to the police within seconds, if there is an incident," Miller told The Gleaner.

The new system is above the internationally required standard, which sees police response to emergencies set at five minutes.

According to Miller, some of the additional measures were put in place 24 hours after the incident in which 22-year-old Stephen Fray reportedly brandished a gun and forced his way past unarmed port security officers.

The family of Travis Saunders, a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier who went missing in February 2009, is still hoping for the best, despite some three months passing without any word from him.

Saunders, who was stationed in Moneague, St Ann, came to Kingston in February after being recruited as a member of the JDF party that would participate in the reception ceremony for the king and queen and Spain. However, he left his Kitson Town, St Catherine home en route the JDF's Up Park Camp base to rehearse but never arrived nor returned home.

Speaking with THE STAR recently, the soldier's mother, wishing only to be referred to as Mrs Saunders, said she has called his cellphone everyday since then, but only receives his voicemail.

"I know something is wrong with my son. This is not like him. His birthday passed, his son's birthday went and Mother's Day went and we still haven't heard from him," the mother said. "I am still hoping for the best though, I am still hoping he is alive."

The distraught lady said the mind-boggling thing is that six days after her son went missing she received a text message from his number stating: "Don't worry. I'm OK". However, when she called the number no one picked up.

Mrs Saunders said she is appealing to the public and anyone who may have any information regarding the whereabouts of her son to contact the JDF or the Spanish Town police.

In the meantime, the JDF said it has already convened a board of inquiry to look into the matter. A spokesperson at the base said the only detail that could be given at this time was that "investigations are ongoing".

The disappearance of a woman and $5 million in cash have sparked tension among thugs from Waterhouse and Wilton Gardens, more popularly known as 'Rema', both in St Andrew, police sources say.

According to reliable sources from the St Andrew South and West Kingston divisions, the men are at odds following a recent incident which left criminals from Waterhouse approximately $5 million poorer.

The men are said to have gone on a robbery spree whereby they got the cash.

 

sought safe keeping

However, getting wind that the cops were on to them, the men reportedly sought safe keeping for the money and brought it to a woman from 'Rema'.

The men were to return for the money at a later date. Sources say, however, that the woman fled the community with the money, leaving behind her family including two kids, a situation which now has residents worried.

"Di man dem do dem thing an come gi har di food fi lock and she run weh and lef har youth dem and har rest a family dem ... . Man affi a look out a dem eye ya now 'cause di man dem from Waterhouse seh dem waan dem money," a resident of Rema said.

"'Yuh cyaan ketch Kwako yu ketch him shirt ...' . A dem way deh man think nowadays, suh we haffi a look fi protect our people dem," a well respected thug in the area added.

Efforts to speak with the woman's relatives were unsuccesful as THE STAR was sternly warned not to do so.

Meanwhile, the police say they will be keeping a close watch on the situation and they have been attempting to find the woman and bring the criminals to justice.

Woman was shot in the face back in 2004, which disfigured her face and prevented her from breathing properly. 5 months ago, she was the first person in the U.S. to receive a face transplant. This week, she made her first appearance publicly since the procedure.

Connie Culp before and after the procedure.



Connie Culp before and after the procedure.

The following is a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on a report received by Prime Minister Bruce Golding about the landing at the Norman Manley International Airport of a private chartered aircraft and subsequent reports about a search of the aeroplane.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has received a written report from the police on their investigations into the circumstances surrounding the arrival, at the Norman Manley International Airport, of a private-chartered aircraft from Cuba on Thursday night, May 14.

The investigations have revealed the following:

1. Prior to the landing of the aircraft, security officials received information that a quantity of foreign currency was concealed in a secret compartment of the aircraft. The information did not include any reference to the identity of the passengers.

2. A search of the aircraft was conducted in the presence of the crew after it landed and after the passengers had disembarked and proceeded to immigration and customs at the General Aviation Centre (private wing) of the airport. No foreign currency was found on the aircraft.

3. The passengers were pro-cessed and departed the airport without incident or interruption.

4. During and continuing even after the processing of the passengers had been completed, information was circulated among members of the Customs Contra-band Enforcement Team (CET) who were not physically present at the General Aviation Centre where the aircraft had landed to the effect that:

(a) A former prime minister and a number of diplomats carrying diplomatic passports were among the passengers;

(b) a scan of diplomatic baggage suggested that it contained a large quantity of bank notes;

(c) the diplomats had objected to the baggage being opened and searched and had opted to re-board the aircraft and depart.

The police investigations have not been able to determine the source or origin of this information which has been proven to be erroneous.

5. The information was reported to a senior CET officer who was not present at the airport. He contacted a senior officer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions who, in turn, engaged the solicitor-general by conference call to seek guidance as to how the matter should be treated, given the purported diplomatic status of some of the passengers and baggage. Advice was given based on the information that was presented. By this time, the passengers and crew had been processed and had left the airport.

The report noted that the incident has revealed weaknesses in the established airport interdiction procedures, which require collaboration among all relevant authorities and establishes clear direction and a chain of command to ensure that information is properly evaluated and the appropriate course of action clearly defined. This is essential to ensure that security interventions are not occasioned by misinformation or mischief. The commissioner of police is taking action to reinforce these procedures and ensure compliance.

The police will be submitting a report to the director of public prosecutions for a determination of whether the authorities of the relevant agencies were influenced by public mischief and whether criminal or disciplinary proceedings should be instituted.

Police are looking for a New Zealand couple who disappeared after a bank mistakenly put $10 million into their account.

The couple, who ran a gas station in the northern city of Rotorua, applied to Westpac Bank for a NZ$10,000 ($6,000) overdraft and had 1000 times that amount paid into their account. The two then withdrew some of the money and disappeared, Detective Senior Sgt. David Harvey said.

Harvey said Interpol has been contacted for help, suggesting authorities believe they may have fled abroad with the cash.

Huan Di Zhang and Hui Gao are originally from China and owed money to creditors.

"We are currently conducting an investigation into the individuals that may have been involved in the withdrawal of that money," Harvey said.

Westpac Bank said in a statement it was "pursing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover the sum of money stolen," but declined further comment.

Massey University banking lecturer Claire Matthews said the "lucky" recipients likely would not get away with the cash.

"They've effectively, I guess, become thieves - but it is only going to be a matter of time" before they are found, she told the NewstalkZB radio network.

The pair would be hard pressed to argue they honestly believed they were entitled to such a huge sum of money, she added.

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE

Students of Ascot High School in Portmore who turned up a for Caribbean history exam had much more to think about after a clash between the police and gunmen ended up on the compound.

A third attack on the life of a man who is alleged to have expressed a keen interest in taking over the notorious St Catherine-based Clansman gang eventually led to the disturbance, THE STAR learnt.

A man was shot dead and an illegal firearm seized during the ordeal, which caused chaos at the institution.

Police say shortly after 8 a.m., three men travelling in a Suzuki Vitara went to 8West in Greater Portmore, where they shot and injured a man from the community.

The man was reportedly shot several times before escaping his attackers and running to the Greater Portmore Police Station.

A subsequent search for the man's attackers was launched and the men were spotted travelling in a motor car in front of the school. Further reports are that the men pulled guns and opened fire at the police, who returned the fire. This led to a running gun battle on the school premises.

 

scamper for cover

According to an alleged witness, as gunshots rang out, one of the gunmen ran into the staff room, forcing everyone there to scamper for cover.

When the gunfire had ended, Christopher Hemmings of De La Vega City in Spanish Town, St Catherine, was found dead and a Glock 9mm pistol reportedly taken from him. Hemmings is an alleged member of the Clansman gang.

Investigators say the man who was shot and injured in the initial attack has been trying to gain control of the Clansman gang since the incarceration of the present leader, Tesha Miller. He had been attacked twice prior to yesterday's incident.

"Based on our intelligence, this is the third time he has been attacked ... He is said to be trying to take over the gang, a thing which has not gone down well with the present leader," Inspector Clive Howell of the Area 5 police told THE STAR.

This attack, the police say, is the third on the man's life. Police sources say he was implicated in the 1996 murder of Corporal Philip Gordon, who was slain during a shoot-out with armed men at a Western Union office in Spanish Town. Another policeman was also injured in the incident.

He was arrested and charged in connection with the incident but went free after his defence lawyers challenged surveillance footage which the prosecution had presented as evidence.

Meanwhile, the shoot-out disrupted a scheduled Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Caribbean History examination, which was scheduled for 9 a.m.

Officials at the school say only students who were to sit the examination were present. They were reportedly given special consideration to sit the examination at a later date.

The Kingston Central police need the public's help in identifying the body of a man who was found at Orange Street, Kingston, on Thursday, May 14.

The body is of dark complexion, slim build and about 170 centimetres long. It was clad in a blue T-shirt with the word 'ECHO' written on the front and back and a pair of blue jeans pants.

Earlier reports were that about 5:40 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, citizens discovered the body and called the police. Investigators who went to the scene inspected the body and discovered that it had multiple stab wounds, the throat was slashed and the hands and feet were bound.

Anyone with information that can assist in identifying this man is being asked to call the Kingston Central CIB at 922-5076, or police emergency 119 numbers

Police constable Raymond Campbell, who is charged with the murder of his wife, Kerry Ann Brown-Campbell, appeared in the Home Circuit Court yesterday.

He was remanded until June 12 when a bail application will be made.

The Crown is alleging that Campbell fatally shot his wife to prevent her from testifying against him in a shooting with intent case.

Campbell, who was stationed at a police station in St James, is charged jointly with 26-year-old truck driver Greg Cameron for the murder. Cameron is on bail.

Campbell's wife went missing in August last year and the body has not been found.

He was also arrested and charged in January 2007 with shooting with intent and illegal possession of firearm.

He was accused of firing shots at some policemen in St James. He was freed of the charges last week after Supreme Court Judge Jennifer Straw said she did not believe the policemen's testimony.

Campbell is being represented by attorney-at-law Peter Champagnie.

Four men were shot, two fatally, by unknown assailants at the intersection of Westmoreland Road and Savanna Avenue, Independence City, Portmore, St Catherine, on Sunday night.

Dead are David Morrell, 21, of Henderson Drive, and 26-year-old Andrew Vernon of Arizona Avenue, both in Independence City. The injured men, ages 41 and 33, are also of addresses in Independence City.

Reports received by the Constabulary Communication Network are that about 11:20 p.m., the four were playing a game of cards at the intersection when a silver-coloured car drove up. The occupants of the vehicle alighted and opened gunfire. Morrell died on the spot. The other three were taken to hospital. One was treated and released.

 

critical condition

Vernon and another were admitted in critical condition; however, Vernon succumbed to his injuries about 5 a.m. yesterday morning.

Detectives from the St Catherine South Homicide Unit are investigating

Chanequa Campbell, left, Brittany Smith, right

A NewsOne Exclusive

Last weeks shooting of an alleged marijuana-dealer at Harvard has exposed the elite universitys long-standing underground drug trade to the harsh light of day.

Justin Cosby the 21-year-old victim of a May 18 murder believed to be an attempted robbery gone awry is said to have been selling drugs to students. Two Harvard seniors, both women, have been connected with the incident.

Brittany Smith, 22, is the girlfriend of alleged shooter Jabrai J. Copney, 20. Chanequa Campbell, 21, is alleged to be connected to both Cosby and Copney. The two other alleged assailants have yet to be found.

On an otherwise quiet campus, this violent drug-related crime and the alleged student involvement has publically bared what many at the college have been aware of for years:

Everyones like, What was this random guy doing on campus? Its because Harvard students are buying drugs, says a recent graduate, who requested anonymity. There are people on campus who are supporting this operation.

Black Female Student Singled Out

According to this graduate and others, Campbell was long rumored to be a part of that scene.

It was something that was whispered about on campus months before the shooting that she sold cocaine, ecstasy, hard drugs, says the source.

While Brittany Smith will still graduate in June, Chanequa Campbell, a sociology concentrator from Brooklyn who received National Merit Scholarship, as well as scholarships from The New York Times, Coca-Cola, and Goldman Sachs, has been banned from campus.

Campbell is suspected of being the link between Cosby, the victim and alleged marijuana dealer, and Copney, who has been charged with the shooting. Authorities also said someone gave Copney a Harvard access card, which allowed him to enter the Kirkland House dormitory, where the shooting took place.

Campbell states she wasnt involved in last weeks events and is being wrongfully linked to the murder. She denies selling drugs to students, and says that it was not her card that Copney used to enter the dorm. Campbell told the Boston Globe in a telephone interview: I do believe I am being singled out. . . . The honest answer to that is that Im black and Im poor and Im from New York and I walk a certain way and I keep my clothes a certain way. . . . Its something that labels me as different from everyone else.

This isnt the first time the university has been accused of racial profiling. Since the murder, black students have reported receiving extra scrutiny.

Lately Ive definitely been getting some interesting looks from white people, security guards and other security personnel, said Malcolm Rivers, a black Harvard student and classmate of the Campbell and Smith.

As a black man on campus, you understand that thats part of the territory.

Rivers went on to say that while black female students like Campbell and Smith might not be as overtly looked upon with suspicion, that they might face a different kind of stereotyping in the wake of the murder.

People are going to be like, These girls brought the hood with them, Rivers said.

Bringing The Streets To The Top Schools

Both Smith and Campbell are New York City natives, hailing from Harlem and Brooklyn respectively.

Campbell is an alumni of the Prep for Prep program, which takes students from tri-state area public schools and prepares them to attend elite private and boarding schools. The students in Prep are generally from poor families, and come from low-income neighborhoods in places like the Bronx and Brooklyn. After Prep for Prep, most of these students end up at the best colleges and universitiesif not Ivy League, then certainly first tier. Prep for Prep works to prepare students not just academically, but also mentally and emotionally for the adjustment in environment. But leaving behind past lives, especially the pervasive drug culture, sometimes proves problematic.

In these elite schools, there are organized activities that are not good. There are drugs and alcohol present. So its possible to continue whatever you were doing in the hood, or even pick it up if you werent exposed to it, says a source within Prep for Prep.

Sometimes its not even the case that its bringing the hood with you, so much as its you finding what you were exposed to in your neighborhood in a different environment, the source continues.

This Is Not The Wire

Indeed, students at Harvard who sought marijuana or, for those who could afford it, harder drugs like cocaine,  werent likely to run into any problems getting it. Students from all socioeconomic backgrounds , from athletes and elite social club members, to pre-law students and student newspaper reporters, have been known to indulge without too much concern for the consequences.

People thought, This is not The Wire. Guns are not going to come out. There arent going to be repercussions, says a current student, who also asked for anonymity.

But the events of last week brought home the stark reality of the consequences of welcoming illegal drugs into the ivy gates: a young life extinguished, potential prison time, reputations called into question, and an academic career cut short.

The dean of Harvard College, Evelynn Hammonds, sent a letter to the university community last week pledging to address the situation that led to the shooting.

I intend to work with student leaders and others to address the nature and risks of illicit drug use on campus, to underscore the importance of safety and security practices for the entire College community, and to examine the adequacy of existing policies relating to student life, she wrote.

With finals completed and this years commencement ceremonies only a week away, the effects of any efforts to reform the campus drug culture will likely remain to be seen until this fall.

Two men from Scott Town district, Greenvale, Manchester, were shot dead by unknown assailant/s in their community Sunday night.

Dead is Tyrone Kilburn, 22, and 17-year-old Bryan Smith.

Reports from the Constabualry Communication Network's liaison officer for Manchester are that about 10:30 p.m., residents heard explosions and summoned the police. Lawmen who responded, found the bodies with gunshot wounds, lying on the roadway. The crime scene was processed and the bodies removed to the morgue.

The Mandeville police are investigating

Two of Jamaica's most high-profile athletes Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and Asafa Powell will suit up to face off with American compatriots at the Reebok Grand Prix.

Both athletes despite battling injury earlier this season are in now in good condition and ready for the challenge. Powell, who pulled up with an ankle injury at Penn Relays on April 25, forcing him to miss the Super Grand Prix in Doha, was quick to dismiss any concerns regarding fitness.

"Everything is going smooth so far. I had an ankle injury, which I'd had for a while, but I'm back and I'm ready to run," he said at the press conference in New York yesterday.

 

fastest man

Powell' should start favourite, but will be challenged by two Americans, Darvis Patton and Travis Padgett, and the fastest man so far this season, Daniel Bailey of Antigua and Barbuda, who has clocked 9.99.

Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Winston Barnes, Yohan Blake and Steve Mullings are other Jamaicans listed for the 100m, which will be divided into two races.

Campbell-Brown, on the other hand, awaits another showdown with Lauryn Williams with whom she has shared two World Championships 100m titles in the past four years.

 

ready for the challenge

Campbell-Brown, who won 15 of 18 meetings between the two, is also ready for the challenge.

"Lauryn has always been a great competitor over the years, and one of my favourites, I must say. Whenever you are in a race, there are certain people you have to be ready for. Rivalries are good for the sport because they help you push each other," Campbell-Brown said at the press conference yesterday.

Tomorrow's race will be Campbell-Brown's second having been affected with a toe injury over the past weeks. She, however, warmed up at a small meet in Florida last weekend with a 10.81, backed by a 3.2 supporting wind.

Campbell-Brown, who said the injured toe is 'healing well', added, "I am staying positive and focused on the race this weekend. I will do my best and do my job.

Torri Edwards and Muna Lee, respectively, the fastest and fourth-fastest women of 2008, both faster than Campbell-Brown, are also in the field.

Aleen Bailey, Sheri-Ann Brooks and Schillonie Calvert are the other Jamaicans in the women's 100m field.

A policeman has found himself in big trouble with the law only two months before he is to retire from the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Special Sergeant Hurbert Richards, 58, the subofficer in charge of the Darling Street Police Station, was nabbed last Friday during a sting operation conducted by members of the anti-corruption branch.

Richards appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Mag-istrate's Court yesterday to answer to corruption charges and was offered $150,000 bail. He is to be tried on July 27.

Allegations are that money was collected for a vehicle which was seized.

Reports are that on the day in question, members of the Anti-Corruption Branch received reports that the officer had collected money and agreed to release the vehicle. He was subsequently held during a sting operation.