iNews Briefs
Emergency landing at Owen Roberts
All roads around Cayman Islands Owen Roberts Airport were blocked last Thursday (18) afternoon as a cargo plane chartered by Cayman Airways made an emergency landing.
The plane landed safely with no injuries. No details have been provided as to the problem and reasons for the emergency landing at this time.
The blocking off of roads around the airport is normal practice when an emergency landing call is made.
O’Garro named first female commandant in Caribbean
Lieutenant Colonel Bobeth O’Garro, who has been the acting Commandant for the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps since 2008, has now been confirmed to that position.
This makes Lt. Colonel O’Garro the first female Commandant to lead a Corps in the Caribbean region.
Following the retirement of her predecessor Colonel Phillip Hyre, six years later O’Garro was appointed acting commandant, and held that post for the last five years.
Commandant O’Garro joined the Corps as a Deputy Commandant in 2002.
Lieutenant Wilston Bennett has taken up the post of Officer Commanding the Cayman Brac detachment. Lieutenant Bennett will be responsible for training and development of cadets and volunteers in the sister islands as well as having general management responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the detachment.
Lieutenant Bennett joins the Corps from a position as the dean of discipline at a prominent high school in Jamaica, with enrollment of over 2400 students in his care. He is a trained counselor and social worker by profession, having received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Counseling from the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville Jamaica.
A C.L.A.S.S. act to help Brac youngsters
Changing Lives And Setting Standards (C.L.A.S.S.) is an entertainment and recording group aimed primarily for the youth of Cayman Brac.
It has been formed to encourage young musicians on the island to build their own recording studio, while keeping youth on the Brac entertained and drug free.
C.L.A.S.S., as an entertainment group hosts parties for youth in a safe, drug and alcohol free environment and it promotes cleaner, safer parties.
C.L.A.S.S. also encourages local singers and entertainers to record and promote their own work.
C.L.A.S.S., as a recording group, hopes to release local music during the summer to help promote the talent on Cayman Brac.
C.L.A.S.S. aims to develop the first recording studio run by the youth for the youth and with so many local supporters that aim does not appear to be too far out of sight,” the group’s spokesperson said.
The group consists of MalcolmH (Malcolm Hurlston), DJ DaCon (David Conolly), TannaB (Tanner Scott) and R Bryan (Robert Bryan) with other occasional guests that contribute to the group, namely Tafari and Tushaun Young, K-Frass and Akito Lewis.
A turtle watch for Brac kids
The first Summer Sea Turtle Outings – a turtle watch for Cayman Brac kids, and headed up by Mrs Bonnie Scott-Edwards (working under direction from the Department of Environment’s Ms Janice Blumenthal), was held on Saturday July 13th.
The event, organised through the Cayman Brac Turtle Patrol group, enabled the kids to participate in an activity that has become a popular worldwide pastime.
Turtle watching is more than recreational; it is an important part of taking care of the environment and aiding in the preservation of a species. Some sea turtles are grazers, eating algae that grows on the sea floor in relatively shallow areas. If sea turtles are removed from these ecosystems, the algae could grow with fewer restrictions, which in turn could lead to the algae pushing other organisms out of their ecological niches. As with all species in the native environment, removing it will decrease the food supply for whatever eats that species, and increase the population of species that it feeds upon, either of which could throw off the balance of the ecosystem in which the species lives.
The next event will be held on Sunday July 28th.
DART and government are talking
Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, confirmed last week his government is talking with Dart Realty developer over the stalled ForCayman Investment Alliance.
The premier said he could not elaborate any further but said an announcement would be made soon.
Visitor fined for ammunition that fell from his suitcase
Richard Trout, 63, of Sugarland, Texas, USA, was fined on Thursday 11th July for possessing a magazine with 12 rounds of live .30 ammunition.
On Wednesday 10th July Trout boarded a Cayman Airways plane with his wife at Edward Bodden Airport in Little Cayman. He was returning home after a diving vacation.
As the ramp agent was loading luggage, he noticed a black metal object fall from a suitcase that was later found to belong to Trout. The object was found to be ammunition and Trout admitted he had guns at home in Texas where he hunts and does target shooting.
Trout explained the suitcase has a little pocket on the front with a zipper, and he didn’t realise there was ammunition in it as he rarely puts anything in it and hadn’t checked it.
The magistrate accepted his explanation but fined him $1,000.
Air Ambulance ready to fly
After the recent revelations by the Auditor General of the incomplete accounting that is open to abuse with the present system with air ambulance companies and an unlicensed local operator, a Cayman Airways pilot is in talks with Cayman’s health officials.
William Bodden, CEO of Cayman Islands MedEvac, says he has the necessary financial backing from investors to purchase planes for an air ambulance service.
Hon. Osbourne Bodden, Cayman Islands Health Minister confirmed that a meeting had been arranged and that there was potential interest in the concept.
Lonny Tibbetts, head of Cayman Islands National Insurance Company (CINICO), said officials had met with Mr. Bodden. He confirmed CINICO would be interested in using a properly licensed, local air ambulance service.
Sexual offenders’ registry under attack
Last week the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) confirmed they are investigating the Cayman Islands Sex Offender Registry that is posted on the social network website Facebook.
The sexual offenders’ registry is the work of Cayman’s number one activist, Sandra Catron.
Catron has said publicly that successive governments have ignored pleas to set up a government-managed registry and now that she has taken up the initiative “they” want to close her down.
She also said that as a result of several current rape cases in Cayman’s courts she could not remain silent on the matter.
“I must admit that this is the one time that I welcome the RCIPS to come and arrest me,” she told another media house.
Man pleads guilty of importing cocaine
Ithran Brackman Powell (27), from San Andres, Colombia, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (16) to importing approximately 12 pounds of cocaine into the Cayman Islands.
Although originally charged additionally with possession of cocaine with intent to supply, the crown said the guilty plea to importation only was acceptable.
The offence was discovered earlier this year at Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport.
Powell’s case was set for Monday, 9th September.
Gene Thompson admits to bending the rules
Health City Cayman Islands partner and local businessman, Gene Thompson, admitted last week that he has bent the rules when it comes to employing construction workers at the Dr. Devi Shetty 140-bed hospital in East End.
“You can come and work on my site without any police clearance. And we will not do random drug tests before you come to work or onsite,” he said.
174 Caymanians are being currently employed at the construction site.
