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THIS WEEKS NEWS SUMMARY

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IVAN ON THE WAY TO JAMAICA– 10/09/04

Hurricane Ivan is on its way to Jamaica after battering Grenada. The hurricane is measured between a category four and five and is expected to cause major damage to the island. Reports from the Met office is that the Ivan has slowed down but is expected to arrive in the island later this evening or early tomorrow morning. Citizens are urged to heed the warnings and many have already being evacuated from flood prone areas…

JAMAICANS PREPARE FOR HURRICANE IVAN

All Jamaicans are bracing themselves for the pending deadly hurricane measured at a category four as it heads for the island. Supermarkets, hardware stores and many other businesses are flooded with people stocking up for the devastation expected by the hurricane. It is not certain if the hurricane hits how quickly things will return to normal. Some Jamaicans are still reeling from hurricane Gilbert that lashed the island on September 12, 1988. Airports, businesses, schools and other places have all closed their doors to the public although some schools, community centres and churches are being used as shelters…

MONEY CONFISCATED FROM DRUGS PUT TO USE

The government is continuing to use money confiscated from the drug trade to aid the security forces to fight crime and the drug trade. According to Dr. Phillips, the need to provide the necessary security technologies and equipment for the Police Force represents a major call on the country’s budgetary resources. The government’s argument is that it is unable to provide the necessary technology needed to fight crime and drug trade and the millions obtained from this source will be able to provide some much needed equipment…

IVAN KILLS 23 IN GRENADA AND HEADS FOR JAMAICA – 09/09/04

Grenada is the first Caribbean island to be devastated by Ivan the terrible, ninety percent of the island was destroyed and twenty 23 confirmed dead. Ivan also affected Barbados, but luckily for them only the communities near the cost were destroyed. The Grenadine prime minister was reporting about the damages to his island and said he was most concerned for the agricultural sector as it was the country main foreign exchange earner.

MEMORIES OF GILBERT

The community of Jungle and adjoining Craig Town where houses are made from aluminium zinc and board remembers hurricane Gilbert. They can only sit in hope, as they are unprepared for the impact that Ivan is expected to hit the island with. Visits from the media saw no signs of preparation for the hurricane, as little can be done to protect these shacks for the onslaught of Ivan the terrible…

RELIEF SYSTEMS READY FOR IVAN

All emergency services provided by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) say they are ready for Ivan and what it may bring. The Prime Minister says he has asked all principals for schools to have their schools available to communities as shelters. The Universities of the West Indies and Technology have suspended classes for the remainder of the week but staff members were asked to report to work to secure their various station. Dr. Barbara Carby of the ODPEM said that all parish disaster co-ordinators and emergency shelters have been put on alert…

MOEYC SPENDS MILLIONS ON SCHOOLS – 08/09/04

The Ministry of Education Youth and Culture (MOEYC) said it has spent millions on six schools in preparation for September opening of schools. The parishes to have benefited from repairs are St. Elizabeth, Hanover, and Westmoreland. The regional director expressed satisfaction that the most critical needs of the targeted schools were being met through the repair and maintenance programme…

JAMAICANS WARNED TO KEEP SAFE & HEALTHY

Jamaicans are being warned by the Ministry of Health to keep safe and healthy following the passage of hurricane Ivan. The Ministry warned persons to ensure that drinking water should be boiled and treated before being consumed. It suggested that water be treated with bleach, as follows:

… for every litre of water (1 quart), two drops of bleach should be added;

…for 20 litres of water (5 US gallons), add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach; and

… for 170 litres of water (45 US gallons), add 4 1/2 teaspoon of bleach.

COMMONWEALTH CALLS FOR UNITY IN THE WAKE OF IVAN

The Commonwealth Secretary head is calling on the other territories to assist the islands already hit by the hurricane and Jamaica preparing for the wreck to assist them in whatever way they can. Secretary Don McKinnon says he has seen the devastation already cause by Ivan in Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados and is expecting that Jamaica will fear no different. He said that the Commonwealth Secretariat in London is always concerned about their smaller member states and thus his call for assistance from other member territories and international organisations…

JAMAICAN MURDERER CAUGHT AFTER 8 YEARS – 07/09/04

A Jamaican who has been on the run for eight years has been caught and charged for the murder of his girlfriend in the state of Massachusetts, Springfield. The Jamaica was charged with the murder of 25 year old and mother of three Terri Yvonne-Cherie Thomas. Springfield Police Chief Paula Meara said James, who had been living in Kingston with a common-law wife, was on the US Marshals’ international “15 most wanted” list for the past year…

MINISTER OF SECURITY ADDRESSES PROBLEMS OF POLICE FORCE

The Minister of Security Dr. Peter Phillips has reported that his ministry is currently addressing the problems of the police force. He says the ministry is in the process of securing the necessary equipments needed to carry out their jobs. These concerns were made public by calls from police officials for more financial resources to acquire the much-needed equipment needed in the face of escalating crime…

OPPOSITION PLEADS FOR DOWNTOWN KINGSTON

Leader of the Opposition Edward Seaga pleads to the government to develop inner city and not just the city centre itself. Mr Seaga said the beautification of downtown Kingston was good in itself but much in the way of development needs to be done for the surrounding communities in the downtown area. In spite of criticisms, Mr. Seaga praised the high levels of achievement in sports and culture in Tivoli community, which is his own constituency and announced plans to improve the club…

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SPORTS

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MANNING CUP SEASON DELAYED BY IVAN – 10/09/04

Ivan the terrible has delayed the start of the Manning Cup season for secondary school boys. Schoolboy football was set to start on Saturday but will be postponed because of hurricane Ivan headed for Jamaica. If the hurricane hits, the start of the schoolboy season will be delayed indefinitely…

BOYZ GETS INCENTIVES TO WIN

For every World Cup qualifying match won by the Reggae Boyz, each player stands to earn US$2,000 bonus. Supreme Ventures announced this at Platinum Sponsorship press conference held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston. The sponsorship deal, worth $33 million over the next 18 months, is specially designed to provide incentives to the team members and covers matches won and drawn in the qualifying series leading to Germany 2006.

COMMENDATION FOR THE REGGAE BOYZ

The Reggae Boyz who pulled of their historic win over El Salvador has made history and have been given high praise by the nation. The historic 3-0 win brought commendation from all the top sport officials in the island and many said how professional the game was played. However, it is the wish of the island that the Boyz can keep up the good work and go on to qualify for the upcoming World Cup to be held in Japan 2006…

Jamaica defeats El Salvador 3-0
Sept. 08
With goals from Marlon King in the 3rd and 37th minute along with Mica Hyde in the 39th, The Reggae Boyz defeated El Salvador 3-0 in their CONCACAF World Cup semi-final qualifying game here at the Cuscatlan Stadium in El Salvador. The win puts Jamaica on 4 points and in second place behind the USA on 5 points in Zone A. Panama was unfortunate not to have defeated the USA who equalized in the 92nd minute also sits on 4 points but Jamaica have the better goal difference. El Salvador, bottom of the table with three points, was jeered off the field, although most of the 12,000 crowds at the Cuscutlan stadium left before the end. Jamaica’s Donovan Ricketts, Claude Davis (Craig Ziadie), Damion Stewart, Tyrone Marshall, Ricardo Gardner, James Lawrence, Micah Hyde, Theodore Whitmore, Damani Ralph, Ricardo Fuller (Andy Williams) and Marlon King (Jermaine Johnson) comprise the team…

More Sponsorship for the Boyz
Sept. 01
The President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Crenston Boxhill, was presented with a cheque for J$33 million from the CEO of Supreme Ventures, Brian George, at a press briefing at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston. The donation is an incentive scheme for the Reggae Boyz during the remainder of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying series and guarantees each player US$2,000 for each win and US$1,000 for a draw. The Boyz will earn a total of $2.4 million for each match that they win. Brian George said that they were proud to announce Supreme Ventures as Platinum Sponsors of the Reggae Boyz and that the contribution was a natural extension of what they have been doing over the years. The cash award becomes effective for the team’s next qualifying game against Panama at the National Stadium on Saturday September 4. The Boyz will then travel to San Salvador to face El Salvador on Wednesday September 8. On October 10 they play away to Panama, then host El Salvador before playing the USA on November 17

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