A 21-year-old St Catherine man has been charged by the police for allegedly using someone else’s account to spend over $1 million on online transactions also known as 'Kai,' a labourer of Tucker Road in Ewarton who is charged with unauthorized access to computer data Reports from the Spanish Town police are that between September and December 2024 Smith made a series of online transactions on the complainant's account A report was made to the police and an investigation was launched Smith was found to be the person behind the fraudulent transaction He was subsequently arrested and charged after a question-and-answer session in the presence of his attorney Smith is scheduled to appear in the St Catherine Parish Court on Friday Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. as the Pocket Rocket Foundation hosted its fourth annual Christmas treat in Ewarton Hundreds of children and families came out to the Bramwell Clarke Sports Complex for a day of fun which is the first of two planned Christmas treats by the foundation this year The next treat is scheduled for Boxing Day offered a delightful array of activities and treats for the children each child left with a gift package to include snacks and toys Olympic champion and chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation expressed her joy and enthusiasm for being able to host another treat for the children in Ewarton “It is always heart-warming to see the sheer joy these treats bring to the children; today is all about the little ones and we want them to have a fun-filled day and enjoy all the offerings we have here,” Fraser-Pryce said Children and parents alike enjoyed the festivities creating memorable moments and celebrating the yuletide season is dedicated to providing educational and developmental opportunities for youth in Jamaica The annual Christmas treats are just one of many ways the foundation continues to enrich lives and strengthen communities across the island These little ones take a photo with Olympic champion and chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce after collecting their gift bags founder and chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation is all smiles as she shares ice-cream for children at the Ewarton Christmas treat held on December 21 pauses for a photo ahead of handing out the gift items Copyright © 2025 Multimedia Jamaica Ltd Personnel assigned to the National Strategic Anti-Gang Division of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch have rescued a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Four Paths The child was reportedly at home when she was taken by persons who are known to her who occupies the house in which she was found were seen at the premises and were taken into custody The police say their identities are being withheld pending further investigation Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. Jamaica — A man was allegedly shot and killed by a policeman at an event in Ewarton The deceased has been identified as 34-year-old Vivian Francis the cop and Francis were attending an event held at the Ewarton Sports Complex when an argument developed between them about 10:10 pm and allegedly withdrew a knife from his waistband and stabbed at the policeman The cop pulled his service firearm and reportedly shouted “police drop the knife” Francis allegedly advanced at the policeman who opened fire Francis was later assisted to the Linstead Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries The incident has triggered an investigation by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) who is charged for the gunpoint robbery of a patron at a nightclub in Ewarton was remanded in the parish court on Friday Powell is charged with possession of a prohibited weapon The case was transferred to the Gun Court for mention on March 7 Allegations are that on the night of February 2 the complainant was at the club in Ewarton when he was held up at gunpoint and robbed of $15,000 by the accused who used the weapon to hit the man in his face when he resisted The matter was reported at the Ewarton Police Station and the accused was held at the scene of the robbery by the police He was searched and a Beretta pistol affixed with a magazine containing seven rounds of nine-millimetre cartridges was found in his possession The police said that Powell is wanted for a double murder in St Mary View the discussion thread. The man who robbed a patron at a nightclub in Ewarton St Catherine at gunpoint on Sunday night has been charged by the police the gun-toting thief allegedly assaulted him tearing his shirt and striking him with the firearm Swift action by the police led to Powell’s apprehension at the scene A search of his person revealed a Beretta pistol along with a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition He was arrested and the firearm was seized View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. was charged today after police discovered a quantity of ganja and uncustomed cigarettes at his establishment and possession of uncustomed goods is 42-year-old Wayne Douglas Reports from the Linstead police indicate that at about 1:15 a.m. officers were on patrol in the area when Douglas was seen at his bar with a group of men behaving in a manner that aroused their suspicion and two boxes of ‘Tradition’ brand cigarettes was found under the counter of the bar Douglas was arrested and taken into custody He is scheduled to appear before the St Catherine Parish Court on Wednesday View the discussion thread. A 23-year-old man is in police custody after he allegedly robbed a patron at a nightclub in Ewarton and used an illegal gun to hit his victim during the incident on Sunday night The accused is being held on suspicion of possession of a prohibited weapon unlawful wounding and malicious destruction of property the 66-year-old complainant was at Club Amazura on Main Street when he was held up and robbed of $17,000 by the suspect the complainant reportedly put up resistance and the suspect held him by the shirt and hit him in the face with a gun The complainant reportedly ran to the Ewarton Police Station and reported the matter Police personnel then accompanied him back to the scene where he pointed out the suspect When searched a Beretta pistol affixed with a magazine containing seven rounds of nine-millimetre cartridges was reportedly found on his person View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. A woman was shot dead and a man was injured after the car they were travelling in came under gunfire in Nutshell district The deceased has been identified as 37-year-old bartender Keneisha Bailey otherwise called ‘Finey,’ of Main Street in Ewarton in the parish Bailey was travelling in a motor car driven by the injured man occupants of a Toyota Voxy motor vehicle opened fire on the vehicle The vehicle was driven to the Linstead Hospital where Bailey succumbed to her injuries The man was admitted and later transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. The Independent Commission of Investigations is probing an incident in which a man and a woman were shot and injured at the Ewarton Police Station in St Catherine on Thursday night a member of the police team was reportedly collecting a statement from someone when a man who is said to be mentally ill barged into the building with a machete The man reportedly attacked the cop who took evasive action and fired one shot which hit the man and a woman who was in the reception area The injured persons were taken to hospital View the discussion thread. Eighteen children from Ewarton Primary School in St Catherine were earlier this month treated to full medical eye evaluation and refractive/optical evaluations through Viewpoint Ophthalmology and Dermatology The effort was coordinated through Deanall Barnes chairman of Ewarton Primary School; and staff of the school who identified students whose vision appeared to be of concern nine were identified as needing corrective eyewear with two others requiring referral for further evaluation and care The event was deemed a success by all involved and provided encouragement for the staging of similar future events Plans are currently being made for the same to be done at the Viewpoint May Pen location in Clarendon The decision was made to cater the outreach initiatives first towards students based on the number of primary-level students presenting with complaints at the point of their final exit examinations these issues could have been addressed earlier with a better prognosis/outcome The Viewpoint Ophthalmology team said it hoped that these events will bring this fact into focus and result in more emphasis being placed on early screening for visual problems in children View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. TOILING THROUGHOUT the COVID-19 lockdown to transform their Taste of Jamaica Authentic Tour into Taste of Jamaica Medicinal Herb Garden and Farm is now paying off handsomely for St Ann couple the farm was established mainly to tap into the lucrative tourism market but it is now being targeted in a big way by schools across Jamaica as they prepare their students for agriculture-related subjects but admits the response has been even better than anticipated Teachers are delighted that such a farm now exists as it now forms part of their learning and teaching experience recently took a group of bachelor of science students from the Portland-based college on a tour of Taste of Jamaica and said the students benefited greatly from the experience “The bachelor of science students from the College of Agriculture Science and Education visit the Taste of Jamaica Farm and Garden Tour when they have registered for the course medicinal horticulture,” she explained “The tour showcases most of Jamaica’s indigenous floral and fauna displaying over 50 species of medicinal herbs and teaches the students about the medicinal benefits and uses of each plant The students have benefited greatly from the tour,” Thissaverasingan said The 50 species mentioned by the lecturer include plants such as ram goat regular Well-known flowers such as Joseph’s coat and hibiscus are also there and are part of the throng of plants with medicinal value Elizabeth has described Taste of Jamaica as a “self-sufficient” farm with the aim of teaching people about the herbs we have in Jamaica and their uses Another class that visited the farm recently was the grade five group from Ewarton Primary School in St Catherine “Taste of Jamaica Farm caught our attention when we were searching for a location to visit on our grade five educational tour It seemed to be the perfect destination because they practise organic farming and we had just started ‘Ways of Growing Food’ a topic in our grade five curriculum,” said grade five teacher Miss Christie The students were introduced to the wide variety of medicinal plants on the farm and told their scientific and common names and their various uses They were also introduced to the use of animal manure in organic farming A practical component to the tour saw students planting several local plants They were later treated to a scrumptious lunch of jerk chicken and festivals “Our visit to the Taste of Jamaica Farm turned out to be an excellent trip which offered our students a wealth of information about our Jamaica medicinal plants and an authentic farming experience which will remain with them for a very long time,” the teacher concluded Elizabeth said Taste of Jamaica is targeting Jamaicans in general to discover the benefits of Jamaican medicinal herbs and organic farming “Our educational tours provide an immersive experience teaching visitors about the cultivation and uses of various herbs that are essential for health and wellness “The unique experience not only educates but also highlights the importance of sustainable farming practices,” she added View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page View the discussion thread. When Glenroy Brown took his 75-year-old mother to be vaccinated against COVID-19 last Friday he believed he had given her insurance against severe illness and death and had already started making arrangements for her to get the second jab But it was a criminal – and not the coronavirus – that eventually snuffed out her life was found in a pool of blood in her living room in Ewarton “When I spoke to my mother yesterday (September 5) I didn’t expect this wicked act,” said Mr Brown but I feel as if I am bearing all the pains for my other siblings.” As news of Brown’s death spread throughout the quiet rural community of Cotton Piece residents ignored the no-movement rule on a second consecutive day of lockdowns to visit the crime scene “The community is shaken badly by this murder,” Marlene Trowers told The Gleaner “I know her as ‘Anni B’ and I always see her working around the yard or inside the shop This really hit home deeply,” lamented Trowers Daughter-in-law Laura Brown recalled Anni B’s philanthropy in hosting treats for children “I can remember how she would be tending to her chickens or cleaning the land to plant crops,” she said Barrington Clarke had sounded an alarm when he discovered Brown’s body “Mi still frighten when mi see di body pon di floor,” Clarke told The Gleaner as she was mi good friend and now dem kill har.” Investigations are under way to ascertain the motive behind Brown’s murder The St Catherine North police have recorded a near 16 per cent decline in murders year-on-year twenty-six persons aged 65 and over were murdered in Jamaica Murders have declined by almost 16 per cent in the St Catherine North Police Division Sixty-five people were killed in the division as at August 28 twelve fewer than the 77 slain for the corresponding period in 2020 murders have risen 9.7 per cent from 852 in 2020 to 935 in 2021 rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. The St Catherine North Police say they are still gathering information on the fatal shooting of popular Ewarton businessman Nicholas Lyn who owned and operated Mikey Jerk Centre along the Ewarton main road was reportedly shot and killed by a licensed firearm holder at his business establishment at about 10:30 p.m The businessman’s killing sent shock waves throughout the community as family members friends and customers converged on the family home to express shock at the tragic circumstances under which he lost his life was distressed when The Gleaner visited the family home last Friday She was trying to come to terms with her son’s death as she pondered on the events that led to the shooting She was unable to comprehend what could have triggered such a brutal act against her only surviving offspring having lost her daughter just a year ago and another son “I don’t know what to say right now and to know that the one who dem sey kill him is like family to us Mickey butchered pigs for him all the time for his business,[I] can’t see what could be so difficult to talk about man to man,” she muttered as her voice faded a dispute that started at a nearby bar ended up at Mickey’s business place This led to him been shot in the upper body and his female worker also shot and injured in the same incident “I was inside preparing bammies when I heard the shots and I heard someone call the name of the person who shot my son,” said the grieving mother whose residence is situated at the rear of the business establishment “I stopped what I was doing and walked to the front of the business and saw Mickey curled up on the ground in front of his business place I know right away from looking at him that he was dead The distraught mother said she heard from customers who had witnessed the shooting that the shooter left Mickey lying on the ground and took the female employee The police’s Corporate Communications Unit told The Gleaner that the investigations are ongoing and they are still gathering information about the incident View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. the comedian-turned-entertainer gave back to his alma mater Through partnership with Western Sports and part proceeds from the event Polo Fi Days donated to the sports programme of the St Catherine-based high school and financial challenges prevented him from completing his studies he was a member of the football team and very involved in dance and drama He had always been known to make his schoolmates and teachers smile before bringing the talents to social media and gaining a large following he entered the music scene with hits such as Polo Fi Days and recent viral tune Thunda Deno’s unique blend of comedy and music has made him one of the most popular young artistes in Jamaica but I was not fortunate enough to have the resources to help me gain any momentum in that field So seeing now that I get a chance to be successful with my talent I just know it’s important to help develop the young talents at my old school who may have a dream to want to do great things I have an amazing relationship with the teachers there,” he told The Gleaner “It was one of the most heartfelt feelings in my career just to see the smile on the students’ faces as well as the love and support from the teachers .. it’s just amazing,” he continued The rising star also recalled his time at the institution “The most memorable thing from my school days but it wasn’t trouble that was dangerous to anyone We just use to make music and laugh on the corridors so I always had a lot of people around me,” he recalled The artiste presented the school with brand-new footballs Deno’s donation is a much-needed boost for the football programme which has struggled in recent years due to the lack of resources Deno stressed the importance of giving back to the communities that support you “It’s one of the most important thing in your career because the people you help are the people who help you to become that force within the industry so I’ll always support my community and fans worldwide,” he shared He also used the opportunity at Ewarton High to give encouraging words to the students “The most important thing I could have told them was just to stay focused You can be anything you want to be as long as you work hard he plans to keep focused on pushing his career so that he can continue to get involved in initiatives such as this just a lot of work planned and new music from myself I have a lot of shows internationally as well as new content with my partnership with Flow Jamaica.” aaliyah.cunningham@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. Community members and business owners in Ewarton where Russian company En+ Group International PJSC operates UC Rusal WINDALCO in Jamaica have expressed concern about the lingering uncertainty caused by the potential negative impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the local plant There are increasing concerns about job security among the scores of men employed to the company who are the sole breadwinners of their respective families have imposed punishing economic sanctions on Russia for its military invasion of South West Ukraine on February 24 It is believed that the penalties inflicted on Russia could have a significant impact on UC Rusal’s WINDALCO operations in Jamaica resulting in layoffs and a slowdown of daily operations Some have theorised that if the war continues the plant will be forced to close as USA may refuse to accept the shipping of alumina from Jamaica through their ports to other countries and corporations a former worker who spent 30 years at UC Rusal as a processing operator suggested that “a Russian-owned company enuh anything possible,” in response to the question of possible job cuts He said that there were periods when the company would shutter the plant for three days at a time to maintain the machines he expressed fears that they might shut down for good instead of reopening “Me nuh sure if them a go back to full-scale [operation] cause them haffi a watch wah gwan,” he said did not say if the management had made a decision on what their course of action would be has encouraged employees of WINDALCO to “stay calm” who had dialogue with company officials on Tuesday UC Rusal has asserted that it would not be adversely affected by the numerous sanctions against Russia “Having spoken to the company and having got the assurances from the company.. we would be in a position to make our plans to decide what we are going to do going forward and we can’t do that until we are told by management what are their plans going forward and their plans as we understand is that business remains the same,” said Morrison about the next course of action Senior Information and Public Affairs Officer at UC Rusal Monique Grange said the company could not comment on issues surrounding its future operations Despite the fact that business has been poor since the COVID-19 outbreak one taximan who operates the Ewarton to Linstead route explained that if UC Rusal went out of business it would have a severe impact on his business both cashiers at the Triple Star Service Station’s Mini Mart said the store receives significant support from the staff of WINDALCO Gray told The Gleaner that if WINDALCO closed its doors the revenue earned by the service station and mini mart would plunge View the discussion thread. Sitting to the sides of the concrete quadrangle of the Ewarton Primary School in St Catherine are 160 children some parents and onlookers preparing to witness a high-drama blitz play-off to determine the champion of the inaugural Ewarton Primary Championships The play-off is between Tahj Grannel from Ewarton Primary and Javony Green from Jericho Primary in St Catherine who were deadlocked on six points from six games in the Under-12 Open section of the tournament The table arrives placed in the cleared centre concrete space The air is pregnant with expectation as most people here have never witnessed the excitement of a sudden-death blitz play-off in chess The tournament director prepares the table and that decisive clock as the young chess gladiators take their seats The sudden death blitz in chess pits skill against skill under the axe of a ticking clock and the truth of the saying that time does not stand still is immortalised Each person gets five minutes to complete an entire game you can win on the board or win on the clock Grannel from Ewarton Primary School and Green from Jericho Primary are the two chess warriors for this contender-like drama They will play three blitz matches in this space to decide who will be crowned the first Ewarton Primary Chess champion Green is really not that far from home as both players are from St Catherine The two know each other and have competed in tournaments before Both are coached by NM Mikhail Solomon and though I know Green is full of surprises." The game begins and the swift moving hands of the two 12-year-old junior chess enthusiasts have the crowd mesmerised the hands and fingers moving from clock to pieces with such speed that those unfamiliar with the game are often unsure whose turn it is to play Match one: Grannel gets the spoils and goes into match 2 needing just one victory to claim the title like Green ended the tournament with a perfect score of six points from six games He pulls back game two and the score is one all It is only fitting for the sudden-death blitz to go down to game three Grannel holds his wits and captures game three and the title of the Ewarton Junior Championships Blitz play-offs are quite standard in chess now where organisers define that they need a single champion The 2012 World Championships last month was decided finally on a blitz play-off Other winners from the Ewarton Championships were: A six-way tie in the boys Under-10 between Tajae Smith First place with a perfect score in the all-girls section was Shwanalee Gordon June 23: R&D Chess Showdown and Invitational Tournament at the Immaculate Conception High School July 7 and 8: The St Jago Chess Open 2012 at the St Jago High School details and registration on website chess.stjago.com Email feedback, send in your games or upcoming tournaments to yourchessmate@yahoo.com and join the Facebook page chessmate Claire Clarke is a former Women's National Champion three-time Jamaica Women's team Chess Olympiad representative View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. PAULETTE SEWELL was among several residents of McGrath Road in Ewarton as the persistent rains which have been pelting the island since last week "The problem we are having is that the culvert is too small to control the amount of water that is coming it overflows into our house and our neighbours and we have lost a lot of things," Sewell told The Gleaner news team when we visited the community yesterday morning But while businessman Paul Wood's house constructed on a hill was not affected floodwaters ravaged his shop and washed away the connecting makeshift bridge to his home come off Ewarton main road and all the tributaries around so when we get heavy rains everything just come down on us," Wood lamented as he appealed for help to replace the bridge residing in another section of the community for 17 years indicated that while flooding was not new to the area the recent pounding was the worst she had ever experienced the water just come and wash out mi house and wet up me bed and all mi furniture," said the distressed single mother of two while Roselin Harris suffered a similar ordeal some minutes before nine o'clock Monday night the road was blocked entirely with debris and other things and other people help to push the vehicle over," she detailed Gifford attributed the first time flooding of their home since living in the community for 14 years to failure of the relevant authorities to maintain the drains "I came here and I see this gully (part of McGrath Gully) in a state so I get a tractor and clean it and automatically it full up back with stone all the stone from Mount Rosser wash down and full up back the gully Now I cannot afford to pay somebody to clean it," explained Harris told The Gleaner that expansion of the culvert built at a section of McGrath road and maintenance of the drains on the Ewarton main road and adjoining areas they underestimated the amount of water that would be coming down so it is inadequate to hold all the water .. if we can get some money to construct a longer and bigger drain that could help The drains on the main road also need to be maintained on an ongoing basis," said Jobson-Grant rural@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. A series of armed robberies in a Ewarton community in St Catherine has left one resident fearing for her life and that of her daughter’s The Price Lane resident recalled the horrifying evening when four masked perpetrators invaded what she used to call home Looking down the barrel of the invaders’ guns has created a feeling of uneasiness which has resulted in her eyeing other places to relocate “This is not a home anymore,” she told The Gleaner on Sunday afternoon the victim and her daughter had just driven into their yard after returning home from a quick stop down the road who returned to the gate to close it after driving in was pounced on by men who rushed onto their property with the intention to steal the vehicle the two had left the gate open as they had done many times before when travelling short distances within the community this trip was only seven minutes down the road but this time the robbers awaited their return Alicia described how fearful she felt being a woman alone at home especially with one of the shooters holding a gun to her daughter’s face The vehicle consisted of various documents pertaining to her work identification cards and monies belonging to her clients That the incident has perturbed her daughter who is preparing for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams This is especially so as since the incident “When it touch evening and it start to get dark you start to relive the entire incident again; it’s not a nice feeling,” said the mother explaining that her daughter has been showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder she is now concerned for her daughter’s mental health as she grapples with online studies “She’s not sleeping in the night Right now she is traumatised,” she said Having not returned to work since the incident the sales adviser is currently apprehensive to leave her daughter alone at home for online classes “I wouldn’t imagine leaving her here This is nowhere that I want to be,” she added She is now seeking justice for her daughter’s sake and also wishes for a sense of safety in the community which would benefit greatly from an increase in police patrols The incident was reported to the Ewarton Police Station This is not the first instance of robbery in the neighbourhood who informed The Gleaner anonymously about an incident in which gunmen robbed an elderly woman of over $500,000 at her under-construction home on Nugent Road A resident of McGrath Road also shared that she exhibited anxiety after witnessing her cousin being held at gunpoint at her home “I’ve lived here all my life and that’s something that has never happened before,” she exclaimed according to Superintendent Howard Chambers the commanding officer for St Catherine North there has been no other incident of this nature that has been reported to the police He described the crime as a “one-off incident,” adding that the neighbourhood is generally relatively calm and that no criminal trend has been observed He added that the armed robbery of the vehicle is under investigation asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. retired principal and wife of former custos of St Catherine headed a list of 62 persons honoured in the fields of community development Outgoing councillor for the Treadways division and former councillor for the Ewarton division were awarded in absentia for their contribution to community development three essential services and 30 churches were lauded for dedicated service to Ewarton and its environs The awardees were recognised by the Ewarton Community Development Action Committee at a function held in collaboration with the Department of Local Government and the Social Development Commission at the Bramwell Clarke Park and Sports Complex a graduate of St Joseph's Teachers' College has given more than 30 years of service to the education sector Her tenure at Ewarton Primary School in St Catherine began in 1961 and she later became the first female principal serving in that capacity from 1974 to 1988 "I am grateful to know that what we (she and husband) have done in Ewarton over the many and I am really grateful to all those who have worked hard to put this (awards ceremony) together," said Lewars who also served as principal for St Helen's Preparatory School in Linsetad Former athlete and head of the Physical Education Department at St Jago High School was lauded for her contribution to sports and community development She represented Jamaica in the CARIFTA Games held in Nassau she was a member of the 4x100 metres gold medal team The Dinthill Technical High School past student also copped four gold medals at the 1978 girls' championship I am very happy that my community has remembered me and some of the things that I've done for nation building," Lewin-Hawthorne told The Gleaner deputy superintendent of police in charge of community safety and security highlighted the importance of volunteerism "There are a few who sit on the periphery looking in and not saying what can I do to make me better or what can I do to make my country better We just have to have the will to do something," she encouraged View the discussion thread. Romaine Copeland has his eyes set on fulfilling his dream of becoming an artist or a computer programmer the unassuming youngster was a normal child attending Polly Ground Primary School in Ewarton "He stopped walking when he was eight," his mother "He started crying for his knees and I took him to Bustamante Hospital for Children and they took X-rays every time I took him there but they still didn't tell me what was wrong with him." she took him to the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre they gave me a letter to take back to Children's to do a surgery and the doctor told me that it don't make sense they do surgery because he was not going to walk again and they said they didn't see any fracture," a dejected Hamilton recounted Romaine would spend the next four years at home but Hamilton's desire was for him to go back to school and continue his education "He got a wheelchair and started going by the community centre out Ewarton where they teach slow learners and other children when he was 12 and then he stopped when he was 15 because the wheelchair broke," said Hamilton But things took a turn for the better last March "Some Canadian people came down and saw him and said they like him They went back up and in July they came back and gave him the motorised chair that he has now," added his mother the optimistic teen has been journeying from his home at Nugent Road in Ewarton as he continues his quest for a solid education at Little Faith Special Education Centre located in the Whitehouse housing scheme basically reading and remembering things because he had no memory as such when he came here," Pryce told The Gleaner It is for this reason his mother does not want her only child to miss a day at school; but not having an income poses a challenge for her to consistently fund his education will help me out and a young man from Canada paid his first school fee and I haven't paid for January term as yet but Mrs Pryce accepts him in her school," the thankful mother detailed she is desirous of creating her own employment and tissue because I know that in the area where I live it would work to give me a start to try something to be independent because I really don't want to depend totally on people and I don't want Romaine to stop going to school," she noted lauded his mother for the care meted out to him noting that soliciting funds to help with his schooling is one of his priorities so I ride my bike from Ewarton to Linstead to look sponsor to go to school My mother made a pan for me and I take it to Linstead to beg lunch money because I don't want to miss school either," he said proudly The 40-year-old single mother said she musters the courage to overcome life's challenges by her son's words "He said I mustn't worry myself about what I'm bearing now - no money and all that - because one day God is going to help him to achieve something that he can buy a house for me that I can relax," she said View the discussion thread. Minister of Transport and Mining Robert Montague said the Government is committed to saving the jobs of some 1,200 workers at the UC Rusal-owned Windalco plant in Ewarton In a statement to the House of Representatives yesterday Montague reminded his parlia-mentary colleagues that the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russian giant UC Rusal remained a threat to the local arm of the company Montague pointed out that the plant helped to sustain the livelihood of at least 10,000 dependents residents and business persons in communities close to the facility ï The Jamaican Government will intensify discussions with the US treasury to secure a waiver for Jamaica ï The Government will employ its best efforts to ensure that critical supplies ï Best efforts will also be made to engage and ensure the banking sector's support The Government has also taken steps to inform the banking sector of any issues or fears ï The Government is working with Jamaica Bauxite Institute and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. was attacked and stabbed by a gunman who made off with the clergyman’s gun The high drama occurred during a robbery near the pastor’s house in Ewarton Police sources said the incident happened about 8:15 pm when the pastor returned home and exited his vehicle accosted the pastor who held on to the robber’s weapon the gunman’s firearm fell and he pulled a pair of scissors and stabbed the pastor several times the pastor then pulled his firearm which also fell The gunman grabbed the pastor’s gun and fled leaving his homemade weapon behind The illegal firearm was handed over to the Ewarton police and the incident was reported The pastor was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries Police have since launched a manhunt for the gunman View the discussion thread. View the discussion thread. Businesses insecure with closure of bauxite plant business operators are fearing the worst after news broke this week that the bauxite plant in their community will be closed for at least a year by its Russian owner "It a go drop wi dung again," said Raymond Johns Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell told Parliament of UC Rusal's decision on Tuesday The company said tough world market conditions were the chief reason for the closure "I do not believe the company has applied all the efficiency standards that they had committed to do in the first place," he told Parliament The minister has vowed to review the lease and the people are hoping for good news "I hope Paulwell can do something," said Johns from mi nuh si dem give out nuh school voucher or anything like that Francis and Johns noted that workers account for most lunches cooked at their establishments daily "Dem wi pay yuh like every fortnight or so maybe you only sell five or 10 lunch a day," Johns said "Di taxi man dem start bawl already from dem hear (Tuesday night)," added Francis a taxi operator who plies the Ewarton to Linstead route agreed the closure would affect his income yuh know sey in di peak hours yuh can expec' a two or three load of passengers from the plant," he said "Even though you have nuff taxi on di road So yuh mus' understand how much people dat." Wilson said he was made redundant the last time the factory closed in 2009 Many of his passengers are former co-workers what I can earn in a day work out betta depending on how hard mi work." Residents say many of the workers are from other parishes like Manchester and St James They said there aren't many employment options outside of the factory But it's the food establishments they expect will be hardest hit had to let go of her two assistants because even 100 pounds a chicken I would sell in one day." Sometimes mi feel like mi waan give up," she moaned estimating that factory workers made up 95 per cent of her customers said he has only been in business for four months and already is faced with many decisions "The news is a shock to mi because mi neva expect them to close down so soon again I have to watch it and see what is going on," he said He said he also has had to cut back on the amount of meat he jerks since the layoffs said the closure would be a big loss for his business A man not going to give you his car to wash because he has to focus that money on other things," he reasoned He said he has two employees but fears if things are really bad some residents fear there will be an increase in criminal activity a trend they say played out the last time the factory closed "Crime come down since the factory reopened." Miss P was certain there would be bloodshed "You a go start walk over dead body up here," she said gloomily "People a go start kill people because when dem can't get no food fi eat daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. Jamaica – The St Catherine-based Ewarton Health Centre which is equipped to serve the mental health needs of young people This results from a collaboration among the Ministry of Health and Wellness the Government’s initiative – Child Protection Compact (CPC) and the Government of the United States (US) The facility is projected to strengthen the efforts to prosecute and convict child traffickers and to work with civil society to identify victims of child trafficking as well as providing trauma-informed care for child victims and to prevent child trafficking in all its forms Speaking at the official opening of the space on November 15 said it was “quite appropriate” to establish the $3.3-million centre in the “context of public health “The trauma and impact that human trafficking and abuse substance abuse and neglect have on our young people I applaud the fact that we are working together as a team It is important for us to see an experience like this as a positive model that we should emulate promote and expand,” Minister Tufton told the audience The renovated section replaces the area that was assigned at the Linstead Health Centre which afforded limited space and privacy to young clients and their families It is expected that the mental health team will now be able to schedule an additional number of appointments thus helping more young people to access therapy and tools in support of their mental wellness said the opening of “this beautiful” new space reflects “clear proof of the value and the benefits that come from our relationship that strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Jamaica” Deputy Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the centre is a “step in the right direction” because a safe and comforting space has been created for children and their families “Mental health concerns are real for Jamaican children and adolescents and ensuring easier access to services is critical UNICEF believes that improving the quality of services and making these services more accessible to those who need it the most