Staff WriterRawHTML:
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THIS WEEK’S SUMMARY
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WARD CONTINUES TALES OF POOR CONDITIONS, BLAMES POLICE FOR FIRE—08/22/09
A 15-year-old ward who testified at a commission inquiry concerning a fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Center in St. Ann in May 2009 said not all the girls received food at meal times because it sometimes ran out. This was mentioned to correctional officers. The ward said the sometimes the girls were only given water for supper. The same ward also blamed police for starting the fire.
JAMAICA ACHIEVES BEST PERFORMANCE EVER IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP—08/23/09
Winning a total of seven gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals, Jamaican athletes turned in the best performance in history at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin, Germany.
BOLT HONORED WITH PIECE OF BERLIN WALL—08/24/09
Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s champion sprinter, was honored by the city of Berlin with the gift of a piece of the original Berlin Wall weighing almost three tons. Bolt broke world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the World Championships and was presented with the segment of the wall at a small ceremony. The piece, which measures 12 feet high, will be delivered to his training camp in Jamaica.
JETBLUE TO FLY TWO NEW ROUTES TO JAMAICA—08/25/09
JetBlue Airways Corporation has asked for government approval to fly two new routes to Jamaica. JetBlue plans to begin service to Montego Bay from Boston on January 9, 2010, and from Orlando, Florida to Montego Bay on February 9, 2010. Additionally, the airline plans to increase service on its existing flights between Montego Bay and JFK airport in New York over the winter holidays.
NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM TO UNITE JAMAICANS—08/26/09
Introduced through the “Fresh Start Jamaica” initiative, the National Transformation Program (NTP) seeks to develop positive changes and renewal throughout Jamaica. Reverend Al Miller, NTP Director, says a fresh start is necessary to rebuild the country’s national image, which has been damaged by a small minority of citizens.
JAMAICAN COMPUTER HACKER IN CUSTODY—08/27/09
Philpott Martin, a 26-year-old computer programmer, has been arrested as the result of a cyber-crime investigation conducted over a two-year period. Martin was arrested at his home by the representatives of the Organized Crime Investigation Division and faces three counts of simple larceny and one count of conspiracy to defraud. Police in Jamaica seized J$600,000 from Martin, which is believed to be the proceeds of his recent criminal activities.
IMF WANTS BUDGET CUTS IN EXCHANGE FOR LOANS—08/27/09
The IMF has reportedly asked for major budget cuts in Jamaica as a precondition for granting loans to the country. Carolyn Atkinson, IMF spokesperson, would say only that discussions are ongoing between the IMF and Jamaican authorities and that these authorities are “designing the macro economic program.”
ROSS TO LAUNCH DANCEHALL ARTIST MAGAZEEN—08/28/09
Rick Ross, the founder of Maybach Music Group and a rap star, plans to launch his artist, Magazeen, to the dancehall community in Kingston. Magazeen, who is Jamaican-born, is the only dancehall musician signed to the Maybach label, which is involved in a joint venture through Def Jam. Magazeen wants to capitalize on his fusion of dancehall, hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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EMMY AWARD WINNER HAS JAMAICAN ROOTS—08/24/09
Josina Anderson, the daughter of Lloyd and Yasmin Anderson, won an Emmy for a story she wrote for television. Anderson lives in Denver, Colorado, but was born in Washington D.C. to Jamaican parents. She currently works for the Fox television affiliate in Denver, where she is a sports co-anchor, reporter, and producer.
JAMAICAN SEX OFFENDER JAILED IN UK—08/26/09
Andrew Rowe, a 36-year-old Jamaican national, should have been deported after his release from an 18-month jail term for an assault on a 14-year-old girl in South London in 2000. Instead, Rowe managed to stay in the UK after his release and subsequently attacked two 18-year-old women, one in 2005 and one in January 2009. He is now serving an indeterminate sentence in prison.
JAMAICAN CONSULATE IN TORONTO ATTACKED—08/27/09
An investigation by Canadian police has been launched concerning an attack on Jamaica’s Consulate in Toronto, which resulted in a fire. Officials stated that three individuals threw Molotov cocktails through a window of the Consulate’s garage and caused a fire that burned parts of an office van. No motive has yet been found for the attack.
WINNERS IN FLORIDA ESSAY CONTEST—08/28/09
Three students in South Florida won the 2009 Jamaica Independence Essay Competition in that state. Trevon Chambers, 15, Janice Colley, 9, and Deianeira Hoffenden, 8, were chosen from a group of 23 students who wrote on a range of topics related to the history and culture of Jamaica and the Diaspora. All three live in Miami.
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SPORTS
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FELIX WINS 200 METERS IN BERLIN—08/22/09
Allyson Felix, 23, is the first woman to win three gold medals in a sprint event at the world championships in Berlin, Germany. However, Felix told Veronica Campbell-Brown that she would “love to trade my three world championships for your gold” in the Olympics.
JAMAICAN WINS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S 4 X 100 METER RELAY TITLES—08/23/09
Jamaican athletes were the undisputed sprint champions in the world meet in Berlin, Germany, after winning both the men and women’s 4×100 meter relays. Usain Bolt, who broke world records in his individual 100-meter and 200-meter races, now has all three world and Olympic titles.
BOLT WANTS TO TRY THE LONG JUMP—08/27/09
Jamaican sprint champion Usain Bolt says he would like to try the long jump, causing some observers to note that, if he does, the world record of 8.95 meters could be endangered. Bolt “definitely” wants to try the long and believes he can be a good jumper. “I think I’d be good,” he said in a comment at the Weltklasse Golden League meet in Zurich, Switzerland.
BOLT AND POWELL TO RACE IN 100 METERS IN ZURICH—08/28/09
Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s Olympic and World Sprint Champion, will face his main competition against fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, former world record holder, in the 100-meters at the IAA Weltklasse Zurich Golden League meet. Bolt comes to the race fresh from his record-breaking performances in Berlin, Germany, at the World Championships.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Thou Shalt Not Bellyache!
There is no easy way to say it – being around some people can be downright depressing. To listen to them speak is like reading from a book of complaints. They are often joyless, hardly ever satisfied, and their perspective on life is so skewed that their cup is always half-empty, never half-full. To tell them a cheerful “Good Morning” is to be met with an attitude that says “What’s good about it?”, and to do them a favor is to be viewed with suspicion. Simply put, these people could wear out a saint.
At different times in their history, Israel was like that. In various portions of the Old Testament narratives we read of them “murmuring”, more accurately, “complaining” (e.g. Exodus 15:24; 16:2; 17:3, KJV). This despite obvious signs of God working miraculously in different situations on their behalf. According to the Psalmist, “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him [God] at the sea, even at the Red sea. . . . Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. . . . Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD” (106:7, 22, 24-25). Can you hear them? Murmuring had become so much a part of them that they no longer listened to the voice of the LORD. That’s dangerous ground to stand on.
The LORD was not amused. The narrative tells us, “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD”, so much so that “the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). Space limitation do not allow us to go fully into the verse, but it is worth nothing the LORD’s initial response to the complaining: “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD”. These are sobering words that we need to keep in mind the next time we are tempted to complain. For sure, things do not always go our way and at different times we have to face challenges, but let us not forget that God can and often use those situations for our benefit (Romans 8:28). Let us trust Him instead of complaining. He is very pleased with that.
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CREDITS/SOURCES
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The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.
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