BLACK RIVER, St. Elizabeth

The secretary/manager of the St. Elizabeth Parish Council, Opal Beharie, has said that the agency has donated $100,000 to the health department to assist in the anti-malaria campaign in the parish.

She made this disclosure at the monthly general meeting of the St. Elizabeth Parish Council on Thursday.

Councillor Hubert Baker of the Siloah division told the meeting that the money was inadequate. Cases of malaria have been identified in the Great Bay area in Treasure Beach. Speaking at the meeting, Chief Public Health Inspector, Lester Beharie, said that vector control which include fogging and oiling of stagnant water will be ongoing in a number of districts.

- Rayon Dyer

BUFF BAY, Portland

The Buff Bay Dental Clinic has been ordered closed by the Public Health Department, following complaints by the health staff of being forced to work under "difficult" conditions. The clinic, which treats 45 to 50 patients daily and serves as the only dental facility for Buff Bay and other adjoining communities, was closed following an inspection by a health department team which agreed that workers could no longer be subjected to the conditions that existed.

"Yes, the facility is now closed to the public indefinitely," said a source from the Parish Managers office, who asked not to be named. "It has been this way for several weeks now and nobody can say for sure when it will be reopened. It is estimated that it will take as much as $4 million to get things back on track."

The source added that a major problem area was the roofing, which has been leaking extensively and has caused a lot of damage to the clinic.

- Garwin Davis

CLARKE'S TOWN, Trelawny

Fire believed to be caused by an electrical short circuit destroyed a building housing a store in Clarke's Town, Trelawny, on Thursday. No one was injured in the incident.

Reports from the CCN's liaison officer for the parish are that about 4:30 a.m., residents saw fire coming from a section of the building and summoned the fire brigade. Two units from the Falmouth Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

Loss is estimated at $2 million. The building was not insured.

The Clarke's Town police are investigating.

DISCOVERY BAY, St. Ann

The National Works Agency (NWA) will be sending $13 million to repair 12 roads sections in St. Ann, under its routine maintenance hot mix patching programme. The four-week project is expected to get under way on Monday, February 12.

Manger of Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, said that roads to be patched include Bamboo to Brown's Town to Discovery Bay, Alexandria to Grennock Bridge, Golden Grove to Davis Park and Harmony Vale to Claremont.

Mr. Shaw says the contracts have been awarded to Melody Heavy Equipment and Construction Company and Tri-light Construction Limited. He said that the scheduled completion date is the second week on March. Motorists using these roadways during the road repairs should expect minor delays and obey the instruction of flag persons and posted warning signs.

- NWA release

KINGSTON

The police are seeking Benevuto May, who is a witness in a case now before the courts. His last known address is Wellington Street, Kingston 16. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this witness is being asked to contact Detective Sergeant Worrell Clacken of the Major Investigation Task Force at 922-5344, 967-3377 or 967-2353.

MANDEVILLE, Manchester

The Salvation Army-operated Hanbury Home for Children received a boast to its budget with a cash donation of over $50,000 by Brumalia House Hardware on Monday, February 5.

The donation was part of the hardware store's 'Hope Springs Eternal Campaign' launched in 2005 to raise funds for worthy institutions that provide needed service to the community. According to Managing Director of Brumalia House, Mr. Howard Chin, it gives him great pleasure to make the contribution to Hanbury Home and to other similar institutions.

- Angelo Laurence