Mandeville could get airport

ST ANN GET MORE MONEY FOR ROADS

An additional $30 million is to be added to the road budget for the parish of St. Ann to fix parachol roads in the parish.

Desmond McKenzie, the minister of local government, called on the councillors to ensure that when the funds are disbursed for the roadworks, they can point to at least four roads where the people can feel proud that the work was done, and "the roads can stand up to the test of time".

The Minister said the money will be disbursed based on the recommendations of the technical team within the local government ministry.

Mandeville could get airport

The Government is exploring the feasibility of building an airport in Mandeville, Manchester, to meet aviation needs on the island's south coast.

"I have given instructions to the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) to look at Mandeville, because Mandeville is an area that is underserved," transport minister Robert Montague said.

He said that the necessary studies are being done to identify an ideal location.

In the meantime, the Minister said that a number of upgrades are being carried out at some of the country's aerodromes.

"We have put in pilot lounges and we have upgraded the security features and the general facilities. We have done that at the Tinson Pen Aerodrome (Kingston) and the Ken Jones Aerodrome in Port Antonio (Portland)," Montague said.

Work is also being undertaken at the Negril Aerodrome in Westmoreland to improve drainage.

"We were discussing with the operators of the Lionel Denshan Aerodrome (St Elizabeth) to do a one-off investment to upgrade that airport," the minister said.

STUDENTS APPOINTED WATER MONITORS

Twelve students from the Enid Bennett High School in Bog Walk, St Catherine have been appointed water monitors as part of the recently established Water IQ initiative (WIQI).

The initiative seeks to ensure that students develop proper water conservation strategies while simultaneously developing initiatives to raise awareness within the school.

Patrick Phillips, principal of the Enid Bennett High School, said that having students as part of the process will enable them to influence their peers as well as relatives at home to conserve water.

The appointment of these high school students come on the heels of a similar appointment of 12 students at the Rock Hall All-Age School in Red Hills, St Andrew, last week, where a rainwater harvesting infrastructure was also commissioned.

HANOVER MAN DROWNS AT HALF MOON BEACH

Charleston Wright, farmer of Prospect, Hanover is believed to have drowned at the Half Moon Beach in the parish on Saturday, October 12.

Reports from the Green Island Police are that about 11:30 a.m., Wright, 31, was in the water on a kayak when it capsized. It is reported that Wright subsequently encountered difficulties and drowned.

The Police were summoned and he was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Cops want Milo after double murder in Trelawny

Garfield Edwards, otherwise called 'Milo', of Freemans Hall in Trelawny, has been named as a person of interest in relation to the murder of two persons in the community.

Dead are 27-year-old Courtney Bailey, taxi operator and 50-year-old Sophia Bryan otherwise called 'Carol', both of Freemans Hall in Trelawny.

Reports are that about 10:30 a.m, Friday, residents found the bodies of the deceased in the bathroom of a one bedroom dwelling and summoned the police.

Apparently fearful of the possibility of residents taking matters in their own hands, the police have appealed to them to cooperate with law enforcement officers and to allow due process.