One Minute Reads: News from across Jamaica

St Thomas to see improved garbage collection

Residents of St Thomas can expect a boost in garbage collection following the receipt of four new tipper trucks by Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) Waste Management Limited.

Public Cleansing Manager, Nigel Gooden, said that the additional units will better enable the entity to maintain its schedule for removing garbage, particularly bulky waste.

"We have identified some bulky waste areas in Seaforth, Yallahs and in the Llandewey division, and we will be attending to those in the upcoming weeks," he told the monthly meeting of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation last week. Gordon said that the parish has been doing "fairly well with garbage collection" and backlogs are being addressed as quickly as possible. He warned against illegal dumping and implored persons to desist from taking garbage from their homes and placing it on the roadside.

Residents were urged to keep garbage properly containerised and call 876-754-7671 if collection is delayed.

MoBay mechanic held with illegal firearm

The St Andrew Central police have arrested and charged a 29-year-old St James mechanic with possession of a prohibited weapon and unauthorised possession of ammunition following an incident in Mona Commons, St Andrew last Saturday.

Reports from the Half-Way Tree police are that about 11:05 p.m., lawmen were on patrol in Mona Commons when they saw a group of men acting in a manner that aroused their suspicion. Upon approaching the men, Okeito Hibbert of East Loop road, Montego Bay, pulled something from his waistband and threw it under a car before running off. He was pursued and later apprehended by the lawmen. He was taken back to the area where the firearm was found with 10 rounds of ammunition. Hibbert was charged on view for the offences and placed in safe custody. His court date is being finalised.

Teen among four arrested after gun seizure

Three men and a teen have been charged with firearm offences by detectives attached to the St Catherine North Police Division.

The men have been identified as Jakeem Barrows, Danville Samuels, otherwise known as 'Ratty', and Geraldo Simpson. All the accused and the teen are from Crawle district, St Catherine. Reports from the lawmen are that on September 5, the lawmen conducted a targeted raid at Simpson's premises in Crawle district where a 9mm pistol and 11 9mm rounds of ammunition were found in a toilet tank in the house.

The men were arrested in relation to the seizure. They were officially charged with possession of prohibited weapon and unauthorised possession of ammunition last Friday after a question-and-answer session in the presence of their attorneys. A court date for the men and teen is being finalised.