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THIS WEEKS NEWS SUMMARY
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$18 M IN FUNDING FOR AIR JAMAICA – 03/21/05
This week Minister of finance and planning Dr Omar Davies that confirmed that Air Jamaica had received an additional US$18 million in funding from First Global Bank and the former major shareholders, the Air Jamaica Acquisition Group. The new Air Jamaica board is expected to report to minister of finance and planning Dr Omar Davies by next weeks on the needs of the airline to meet maintenance standards set by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).

FOOD FOR THE POOR (FFP) OPEN FISHING VILLAGES – 03/21/05
Food For the Poor (FFP) has established two fishing villages in Pagee and Annotto Bay, St Mary, equipping them with boats, gear sheds, engines and other necessary fishing equipment. The new fishing villages are part of FFP’s ongoing commitment to its core mission – empowering the poorest of the poor to be independent and self-sufficient.

AIR JA FLIGHT SUSPENSION LEAVES VISITORS STRANDED – 03/22/05
Air Jamaica ‘s suspension of flights to Eastern Caribbean destinations last week left scores of passengers left stranded in Kingston. The airline, on Friday, suspended with immediate effect all flights to and from Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia until April 16. The suspension was attributed to Air Jamaica’s ‘new accelerated maintenance schedule’, a mandatory requirement by the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).

ZOO PROJECT TO BRING NEW “HOPE” – 03/22/05
The Kiwanis Club of New Kingston in collaboration with the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF) and the Ministry of Agriculture recently launched a $6 million dollar project to relocate the petting zoo. The project will begin in April and be completed in October. The goal of the project is that by year-end patrons and pets of the Hope Zoo will interact in a new and more comfortable environment in another section of the Hope Estates.

WEED OUT CORRUPT POLICE – 03/23/05
This week President and CEO of Scotiabank Jamaica William Clarke called on the new deputy police commissioner Mark Shields to be fearless and methodical in rooting out the corrupt elements in the force, as the first step in dealing with the deteriorating crime situation. He also called on citizens to support the police.

SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN WESTERN REGION – 03/23/05
Minister of Information, Senator Burchell Whiteman, announced this week that a school for special needs children in the western region will be constructed on the grounds of the Sam Sharpe Teachers College in Granville, St. James at cost of $64 million.

VENDORS IN SPANISH TOWN SERVED NOTICE – 03/24/05
This week the St. Catherine Parish Council has served notices on vendors illegally occupying the streets of the old capital giving them 14 days in which to move. Dr. Raymoth Notice, chairman of the Council and Mayor of Spanish Town, said the time has come for the law to take its course on the streets of the old capital. If the vendors do not move their goods, he said, they would be seized by the police.

AIRLINES SHOULD MERGE – 03/24/05
John Gilmore, a former Air Jamaica consultant said this week during a radio interview that “ Air Jamaica, BWIA and LIAT might be compounding their financial predicament if they continue pursuing restructuring on an individual basis and not as a unified entity”. He went to suggest that t the airlines should merge in an attempt to make them more viable.
EXTORTION IN SPANISH TOWN DECLINING – 03/25/05
This week the Spanish Town police confirmed that the occurrence of extortion in that town has been on the decline for several months now and they will be doing everything to keep it that way. Detective Divisional Inspector Derrick Champaigne in a statement said “Yes, the extortion is down but the police will not become complacent and we will still be working to discourage this illegal practice to let business people and others who are affected by extortion go about their lawful business without having to answer to the demands of criminal elements in court,”

MP, RICHARD AZAN, MAKES HOSPITAL DONATION– 03/25/05
Richard Azan a Member of Parliament for Northwest Clarendon made a donation of $50,000 to the Hospital Improvement Programme’s (HIP) tiling fund of the Percy Junor Public Hospital during a short ceremony at the hospital yesterday.

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SPORTS
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SPORTSMAN GEORGE PRESCOD IS DEAD – 03/21/05
Outstanding Jamaican sportsman George Prescod died yesterday morning. Prescod, honored with the Order of Distinction, OD, by the government of Jamaica for his contribution to sports, died at 6:00 a.m. As a player, Prescod, one the famous Prescod brothers, represented Kingston College (KC), Lucas and Jamaica at football, KC, Lucas and Jamaica Colts at cricket as a left-arm spin bowler. He captained Lucas in the Senior Cup cricket competition for a number of years, the Jamaica Colts against Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, and was also manager of both the national football and cricket teams.

CHAMPS KC, HOLMWOOD CELEBRATE 03/20/05
Kingston College (KC) won the boys’ crown, while Holmwood Technical won the girl’s crown at the 2005 VMBS Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which concluded at the National Stadium on Saturday night. The final points tally for Boys Champs: KC 198 points – St. Jago (143.5), Wolmer’s (143), Calabar (140), Jamaica College (101.5), Camperdown (70), Holmwood (69), Bridgeport (55), Herbert Morrison (51) and Mannings (47). The final points tally for Girls Champs: Holmwood 269 points – Vere (256) and St. Jago (196.5), Edwin Allen (192), Manchester (149), St. Andrew High (133), Wolmer’s (86.5), Alpha (81), Immaculate (62) and The Queens School (61).

JAMAIACA WIN CARIB BEER SERIES 03/23/05
Jamaica defeated the Leeward Islands by eight wickets to win the Carib Beer Challenge Trophy. Final score in the first five-day match in the history of the regional competition: Leeward Islands 180 and 442, Jamaica 372 and 252 for two.

CALABAR BEAT KC – 03/24/05
Avenging their champs loss Calabar beat KC by five-run in the Jamaica International Insurance Company (JIIC) Knockout cricket final at Melbourne Oval yesterday. The exciting match came down to the final oval and could have gone either way. It was Calabar’s first major schoolboy cricket title.