SPANISH TOWN, ST CATHERINE:

Police Sergeant Dennis Arthurs of the Spanish Town Police Station was remanded when he appeared in the Spanish Town RM Court on corruption charges on Wednesday.

During his appearance, investigating officer Dennis James from the Anti-Corruption Branch told the court the sergeant was accused of collecting money totalling $150,000 from the complainant to release her boyfriend, Courtney Vassell, who had been charged with breaches of the firearm act and shooting with intent.

Detective James told the court that Vassell was arrested in November 2006 for allegedly engaging members of a police party in a shootout. He said that Arthurs, who was investigating the matter, collected $50,000 at the court in Kingston in February and another $50,000 at the Spanish Town Police Station in April 2007 and that he started to pressure the complainant for sex and more money.

The complainant gave a statement to the police and $50,000 in marked bills was given to her to conduct a sting operation. Arthurs was caught collecting the money in Spanish Town and taken into custody on suspicion on Saturday, May 3.

The lawman will return to court on May 21.

- Rasbert Turner

MANDEVILLE, MANCHESTER:

Northern Caribbean University (NCU) student, Odale Mulgrave, has been selected as one of two youth ambassadors to the United Nations.

Coordinated by the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports through its National Centre for Youth Development, the youth ambassador programme selects the nation's youth to carry out their required mandate at the national, regional, and Commonwealth levels. Having applied in 2007, the 23-year-old Mulgrave was chosen following a tedious selection process involving Jamaican youth aged 18-26 years old. He was appointed on January 9, 2008 and will serve for two years.

Mulgrave currently serves as liaison officer with the Constabulary Communication Network, is the vice-president for the Clarendon Youth Council, and is the president of the Para-Professional Counsellors Club at NCU.

- Contributed

MAY PEN, CLARENDON:

Four teachers from Glenmuir High School who have together contributed many years of experience to the growth of the institution were honoured last Saturday.

The occasion was well attended by several past students, including guest speaker, former Minister of Finance Dr Omar Davies, master of ceremonies Sydney Bartley, member of parliament for Central Clarendon, Hon Mike Henry and personnel from the teaching fraternity. Former Jamaica Teachers' Association president Hopeton Henry was also there to pay tribute to the veterans.

Retirees honoured were Veronica Thomas (29 years), Saranathan (10 years), Beryl Clarke (35 years) and Marjorie Henry (38 years).

- Dwight Nelson

S

MANDEVILLE, MANCHESTER:

Subrina Ward, a student at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, walked away the Manchester Festival Queen after a nail-biting elimination process.

The competition, held at the Cecil Charlton Hall last Saturday evening, had eight of the parish's finest young ladies vying to wear the Miss Manchester Festival Queen 2008 crown.

Marked by cultural, educational and entertaining performances from the contestants, the nearly standing room-only crowd showed their appreciation for the high quality of the show with almost unending applause and occasional standing ovations.

In her bid to take home the title, Ward performed in dance and song, a piece she wrote, entitled 'Where is Your African Pride?'. First and second runners-up were Tiffany Martin and Trudy-ann Dennis, respectively. Both are degree candidates at the Catholic College of Mandeville. A number of other contestants walk away with sectional prizes valued at several thousand dollars.

- Angelo Laurence

MANDEVILLE, MANCHESTER:

The Southern Region Health Authority (SHRA) had its sickle-cell unit cold storage facility expanded recently, thanks to the Courts furniture store in Mandeville.

The sickle-cell unit, headed by Dr Graham R. Serjeant, has been carrying out tests on the population to identify persons with the disorder. Sickle cell is a condition that causes the red blood cells to become defective and is most prevalent in black people.

It is inherited from the affected person's parents and so far there is no known cure for the condition.

Serjeant and his wife have been testing people in Manchester with the hope of identifying any particular trend as well to get early treatment. It is estimated that one in every 12 Afro-Americans suffers from the condition.

The incidence of sickle-cell disease in Jamaicans has been steadily increasing, particularly since the late 1980s.

Courts handed over a large stainless-steel refrigerator to the SHRA's sickle-cell unit on Brumalia Road in Mandeville on Wednesday.