Clarendon eye D-Cup inter-zone round
Western Bureau:Clarendon College, held 0-0 by Edwin Allen High on Thursday, will face much tougher opposition in Lennon High in the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup Group H top-of-the-table clash today.Knowing that a point will give them top honours in and qualification to the inter-zone round, the Paul Davis-coached team will be bent on returning to their free-scoring ways against rival who are also keen on qualifying.Lennon will be mindful of the four points gap that separates them from the reigning champions and will be hunting maximum points.Clarendon’s 14 points from six matches, including two draws, makes them favourites entering the fixture while Lennon have ten points from five matches having logged three wins, one loss and a draw so far.The race for qualification is much tighter in Group E, where last year’s beaten finalists, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), are making life difficult for themselves with several sub-par performances including a 2-2 draw last time out against Maggotty.The Santa Cruz-based school (third in group with 12 points), trails both Lacovia and Munro (tied for first) on 13 points and cannot afford another slip up if they are to move into the second round.The clash between STETHS and Munro should be hot. When they last met, STETHS prevailed 1-0 at Alpart and now playing at home are expected to dominate.Overall, nine teams, depending on results could qualify for the inter-zone round after today’s matches.Today’s matchesSt James vs Cornwall CollegeMerlene Ottey vs Rusea’sHerbert Morrison vs Spot ValleyWilliam Knibb vs MuschettGodfrey Stewart vs Little LondonSTETHS vs MunroMaggotty vs NewellBB Coke vs LacoviaManchester vs Mile GullyWinston Jones vs DeCarteretCross Keys vs BelairSpalding vs BellefieldHolmwood vs KnoxAlston vs ChristianaLennon vs Clarendon CollegeKellits vs Edwin AllenMarcus Garvey vs York CastleBrowns Town vs Ocho RiosBrimmervale vs Annotto BayTacky vs St Mary TechIslington vs St. Mary HighCharlemont vs EwartonTacius Golding vs McGrathBog Walk vs DinthillTitchfield vs Port AntonioFair Prospect vs Buff BayGlenmuir vs Garvey MaceoDenbigh vs PorusOld Harbour vs Foga RoadKemps Hill vs Vere TechPaul Bogle vs SeaforthMorant Bay vs St. Thomas TechMatches kick off at 3:30 p.m.
The voter registration (VR) center at the student palaver hut on the campus of the St. Francis High School in Jacob Town, Paynesville, has been closed since last Saturday, February 11, when an officer of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) reportedly disrupted voter registration at the center. In the riot that ensued, a worker of the National Elections Commission (NEC) reportedly lost her personal belongings including a camera.Ms. Amelia Mavash, a NEC assigned staff at the center, told the Daily Observer that a man, who only identified himself as a LDEA officer, demanded that NEC staff register a handful of unidentified persons he brought to the center without questioning them on their eligibility to vote in Liberia.According to the NEC staffers, this happened while they were ‘very carefully’ trying to interrogate and ascertain the proper identities of the people the ‘LDEA officer’ wanted registered. “The man expressed his frustration on the grounds that we were particularly critical on certain groups of people, while questioning them to at least authenticate their true citizenship,” Mavash said.She explained that the LDEA officer blocked an interview that was being conducted with one man suspected of not being a Liberian citizen.“We were asking our questions so that the fellow in the queue could give us the right information about his citizenship and residency in Montserrado County District #2, when the LDEA man interrupted by shouting that NEC staffers are not allowed to ask too many questions when an individual comes to register,” said Ms. Mavash.Shortly following the altercation, the ‘LDEA officer,’ she said, “demanded that we register the people he queued, but we refused on grounds that none of them had presented a clear picture of their citizenship.” While this fuss was about to intensify, an immigration officer suspected that one of the fellows who attempted to register needed better screening, so the immigration officer ordered him out of the line to face further questioning. This action did not go down well with the ‘LDEA officer,’ who violently prevented the person from getting out of the queue.In the melee that ensued, some VR observers representing the Unity Party also joined the LDEA officer to disrupt the process, resulting in a free-for-all fight that ended the entire process in chaos.“My personal camera was destroyed and we nearly lost NEC’s VR equipment in the process,” Mavash claimed.The NEC staffers sought refuge that day in a tiny room at St. Francis High School in an attempt to safeguard themselves, as well as the VR documents and equipment.When contacted via telephone, the principal of the school, Winston Toe, said the VR process will not continue at his school if NEC cannot provide adequate security for the location and its personnel.“We too are afraid that the situation here may become chaotic one day if the right security measures are not put in place to curtail the improprieties,” Mr. Toe said.He described District #2 as “highly polarized with pockets of people who are divided either on tribal or religious lines,” and as such, he said, “not too many of the residents think before they act.”All efforts to contact the accused LDEA officer, the Immigration officer as well as the UP observers, did not materialize as they had all left the scene by the time reporters got there. No contact information was provided for them. But the DEA’s Public Information officer James Kpadeh told the Daily Observer via mobile phone that officers assigned at the VR centers, including agents of the LDEA, were there to coordinate joint security operations.“We are aware of our officers being assigned at the VR centers to monitor, but not interfere with or disrupt the process,” Kpadeh told the Daily Observer. Saturday’s incident at the St. Francis VR center was the second following another tussle that erupted nearly two weeks ago, which was handled by officers of the Liberia National Police.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
SOCU’s lead investigator’s resignation– as Jagdeo promises restructuring of SOCU under PPPThe recent shakeup at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) when at least two top officials vacated their jobs for various reasons could have implications for some of the current cases being investigated.This is according to SOCU Head, Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James, who in a brief interview with this publication noted that while the resignation of SOCU Deputy Head Sheronie James could affect some cases, legal advice on the way forward will be sought.“It might affect ongoing cases and I’ll have to get legal advice on that because as you know if she was giving evidence or had done an investigation and it is before the courts that might be a challenge. But I think the legal people will give us advice.”In the case of James, reports had indicated that she resigned after a local magistrate disqualified her as an expert witness based on her lack of qualifications. The case in question is the contempt trial of officials from the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry. But she is not the only one.On Thursday, British High Commissioner Greg Quinn had revealed that SOCU Advisor Sam Sittlington was fired by the United Kingdom Government with immediate effect. It had been revealed that Sittlington, who was on British payroll, set up a private investigative company in Guyana, something the High Commissioner noted, was a potential conflict of interest. When asked, James noted that the revelations came as a surprise to him.“Dr Sittlington, to the best of my recollection, was doing the work that he was doing. I was surprised that he had registered a company. But maybe only Dr Sittlington can answer why he did what he did,” James related.RestructureMeanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that should the People’s Progressive Party win office, the unit will be restructured to focus its investigations on narcotics and money laundering.During a press conference on Friday, Jagdeo zeroed in on the unit and criticised its focus on former Government officials rather than its original mandate.“You have to recall who set up SOCU and why. It was the People’s Progressive Party who set up SOCU, under the authority of the Commissioner of Police. And SOCU was set up to support the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) to go after drug dealers and money launderers.”“This Government, when it took office, converted SOCU into an assault unit against their political opponents. And SOCU had different reporting relationships then. This was an apparatus set up to harass PPP officials.”According to the PPP General Secretary, that will all change should his party be elected to office. He noted that for one, the Commissioner of Police will have full autonomy over the unit.“SOCU and the other places will return to their traditional role under the PPP. Not to harass political opponents, but to go after illicit money in the system, under the authority of the Police Commissioner, not under the authority of any politician,” he added.The parliamentary Opposition has long accused Government of using the unit to target PPP officials, a charge the Government has denied. This was even as former Government officials including Jagdeo were questioned at SOCU in cases like the allocation of the “Pradoville 2” lands.The tables were turned when Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson was flagged by the Public Procurement Commission for his role in sole-sourcing the new Demerara River bridge feasibility study. After much agitation from the Opposition, SOCU began investigating this case.But for some time, the Opposition criticised the fact that Minister Patterson was not summoned for questioning but was instead allowed to provide statements to SOCU, in contrast to the treatment meted out to former Government officials during the Pradoville 2 probe.After much pressure from the Opposition, SOCU did take the Minister in for questioning on November 19, 2018. The file has since been sent to the Guyana Police Force legal adviser.
“When you recall someone,” she said, “you have to state reasons, but you don’t have to lie.” The notice, which had 30 signatures, accuses Vasquez, who was elected to her first term in November 2005, of breaching her fiduciary responsibility to the city and ignoring the rules of decorum for City Council meetings. Vasquez said that she is not afraid of the recall because she has been very careful spending the city’s money and is very respectful of the democratic process. She surmised that recall effort is in retaliation to her being a strong proponent of a petition that would allow voters to decide on whether the city should eliminate the city’s fire department in favor of county services. She said she believes the recall attempt will backfire on those behind it because it is baseless. MONTEBELLO – Montebello Councilwoman Rosie Vasquez was served with a notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall her by a resident during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. Sally Torres, who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2005, presented the notice to the councilwoman during oral communications. “She has aggressively attacked and violated the free speech of the citizens of Montebello,” Torres said before handing the notice to the city clerk. As Torres left the podium, Vasquez called out, “You’re a liar.” She later apologized for that outburst. However, Vasquez said she will consult an attorney about handling the matter. The councilwoman has seven days to respond to the notice of intent. This is the second recall effort for the city this year. In April, Montebello Citizens for Honest Government delivered its own notice of intent to circulate a petition to the council majority of Mayor Norma Lopez-Reid, Bob Siccama and Bob Bagwell. The group said it was angry at the majority’s action in firing numerous department heads since its election in 2005 and was disturbed about the fire department issue. sandra.molina@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3028160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
“In order for producers to be comfortable enough to go back to drilling and growing, they need better clarity towards the ability to get global pricing for their products.”He says he expects the companies he watches to continue to be influenced by uncertainty regarding timelines for the construction of new Canadian pipelines, the duration of the Alberta production curtailment program, trade tensions between the U.S. and China and the status of oil sales from OPEC members Venezuela and Iran.The curtailment program was initiated by the NDP government with an aim to gradually phase it out through the year depending on how effectively it reduces storage levels. United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, elected Tuesday, is expected to continue with that plan.In a report, analysts at Tuder Pickering Holt & Co. said investors will be watching closely to see what companies will do with strong increases in first-quarter cash flow.Advertisement “When initial budgets were released in late Q4/early Q1, a number of producers took a cautious approach, laying out cash-flow-neutral budgets at US$50 per barrel WTI,” they said.“We expect questions to arise on whether the incremental cash flow will be put into the ground, incremental returns to shareholders via the dividend or buybacks, or headed straight for the balance sheet as the year progresses.”An RBC analysis forecasts higher prices for London-traded Brent and New York-traded WTI this year and next, adding that the average WTI-WCS differential is expected to fall to US$13.96 per barrel in 2019 and US$20.94 in 2020, down from US$26.44 in 2018.In a note, analyst Greg Pardy says cash flows in RBC’s large oil and gas coverage group are expected to increase by an estimated 28 percent this year and five percent next year if those forecasts hold true. CALGARY, A.B. – Lower discounts on western Canadian oil prices have swollen producer coffers in the first three months of the year, but analysts say they don’t expect to see big increases in drilling budgets as companies report results over the coming weeks.Cenovus Energy Inc. is set to unveil its first-quarter financial results on Wednesday, followed by fellow oilsands producers Husky Energy Inc. and Imperial Oil Ltd. at the end of next week.U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate spot prices averaged US$54.85 in the first quarter, seven percent less than in the last three months of 2018, according to data from RBC Dominion Securities.- Advertisement -But Edmonton Par light oil prices rose 55 percent to C$66.45 per barrel and Western Canadian Select bitumen blend jumped 121 percent to C$56.57 per barrel as the differential between Canadian and U.S. prices eased after Alberta imposed production cuts as of Jan. 1 designed to free up pipeline space.The higher realized prices will allow large Calgary-based oil companies to register huge quarter-over-quarter increases in profitability, but analyst Nick Lupick of AltaCorp Capital says they are more likely to use excess cash flow to pay down debt or buy back shares than to drive production increases.“The reality is if we drill more wells, but we don’t have the pipelines to get crude oil out of the basin, our return on that capital is going to drop precipitously as the differential widens. So it’s a very fine balance,” he said in an interview.Advertisement
Will Grigg celebrates scoring his first goal for the Northern Ireland 1 Will Grigg’s place in Northern Ireland’s 23-man Euro 2016 squad has been confirmed, but Liam Boyce, Billy McKay, Daniel Lafferty, Michael Smith and Ben Reeves have all been left out by manager Michael O’Neill.The announcement for the country’s first finals squad in 30 years was made at the Titanic Belfast museum on Saturday lunchtime, though the unlucky quintet were informed of their fate earlier this week and missed Friday’s 3-0 victory over Belarus despite being named in the 28-player group for that game.Grigg, whose 25 goals fired Wigan to the Sky Bet League One title, opened his international account in that triumph and has earned the nod over Wigan team-mate McKay and Boyce, despite the latter scoring 20 times for Ross County last term.Lee Hodson has been preferred to one-cap right-back Smith while fellow full-back Lafferty and midfielder Reeves have suffered after not featuring regularly for their Championship clubs.QPR’s Conor Washington has been included having scored twice in his three caps to date while Aaron Hughes, 36, will arrive in France with a century of international appearances should he feature in Slovakia next week.
160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! NEW YORK – Health officials around the globe are scrambling to do something about avian flu. But while governments try to keep the disease from mutating into a form that could cause widespread harm to humans, some officials are eager to remind people of the flu they are likely to actually catch – the less exotic variety found in workplaces and schools. “I think something that people should realize is that there have been no cases of bird flu in the U.S. thus far,” said Ruth Karron, a professor of international health at Johns Hopkins University. “And while government and international agencies are appropriately concerned, individual people should realize there’s a far greater chance of getting the regular old flu.” Karron talked about the flu season Monday, the day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated for flu shots to be made available to the general public. The agency had recommended limiting the shots to people in certain high-risk groups until that day. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 121 cases of avian flu reported in humans and more than 60 people have died since 2003. The lethal strain is difficult for humans to contract, but experts are watching its spread and development for fear it could mutate into a form that could pass easily between people and trigger a human flu pandemic. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWalnut’s Malik Khouzam voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week So how does the garden-variety flu compare? Each year, as much as 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, more than 200,000 are hospitalized from complications and as many as 36,000 die from the virus, according to the CDC. Dr. Mohammed Madjid, a cardiologist with the University of Texas at Houston and the Texas Heart Institute, estimates that thousands more die annually because the flu can trigger heart problems, especially in at-risk patients who have already suffered heart attacks. “The flu is a killer. I’m not even talking about avian flu. That’s one problem people have: They think the flu is a mild illness, but in susceptible people it can be deadly,” he said. There are two flu vaccines available: FluMist, a nasal spray suggested for healthy people between the ages of 5 and 49, and the flu shot, recommended for people 6 months and older. 
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWalnut’s Malik Khouzam voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week The fee hike, 8 percent for undergraduates, is part of a long-term funding agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The increase will raise systemwide fees to about $6,600, up nearly $500. The new total will be about $7,300, including various campus fees. Although they didn’t approve postponing fees, regents did pass an amendment saying the increases would be rescinded if more funding comes through. Earlier, students demonstrated their disgust with the hike by sporadically interrupting the meeting, chanting “Education not corporation!” and, at one point, humming a carnival theme while shouting at the board that their meeting amounted to a “three-ring circus.” UC administrators noted the fees are lower than other major institutions nationwide, and a third of the new fee revenue will be funneled into financial aid. Administrators also defended their agreement with the governor, noting it ended several years of deep cuts and brought predictability to budgeting. BERKELEY – University of California regents voted Wednesday to raise fees for the fifth straight year, although they promised to roll back the hikes if the Legislature provides more money. By a 17-2 vote, UC’s governing Board of Regents approved the 2006-07 budget after rejecting a proposal by House Speaker Fabian Nuez, D-Los Angeles, to put off the increase until January in an attempt to negotiate a better funding deal. “There’s a certain point in time where we have to say on student fees, enough is enough,” said Nuez, who is also regent. But other regents said while they would welcome more money, it was important to make the decision now to give students time to plan. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
“The participants made an effort to inspire and educate individuals, schools, communities, corporate South Africa and policymakers to consider the environment and the challenges that we face as a nation and indeed as a continent,” says Ella Bella Constantinides Leite, director of Miss Earth South Africa. (Image: Miss Earth South Africa)With a passion for people, planet and health, it is no surprise that Nozipho Magagula was announced as the 2016 Miss Earth South Africa at a gala dinner at Montecasino, that honoured the finalists and ambassadors for the environmental and community work done over this year.The 4th year Medicine student has been hard at work balancing her studies and responsibilities as a finalist and has proven that if you want something done, giving it to a busy person, is a good idea.Announced as the 2016 ambassador, she will go on to represent South Africa at the international Miss Earth event next month in the Philippines, as the focus turns to Eco Tourism.The gala evening was attended by Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom who has been an avid supporter of the community work done by the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme.This young woman is set for an exciting year of work and community engagement across the country and globe. Born in Atteridgeville, West of Pretoria, Magagula is determined to use the year that lies ahead as an opportunity to make an impact, not only on schools and communities, but within the medical sphere as well.She says her long term plan is to go into public health and family healthcare as these have a deep sense of community and the social impact that can be made is huge and she is resolute on using her love for medicine and her platform as Miss Earth South Africa 2016, to leave a legacy.Ella Bella Constantinides Leite, Director of the programme said; “It’s rewarding to see the growth and influence of the Miss Earth South Africa programme, over a period of more than twelve years.“We aim to continue to empower young women with the knowledge and platform to create a sustainable difference in our plight to combat the destruction of our natural heritage.”It has been an intense few months for the finalists who have been hard at work, with a mission to change the perception and understanding of waste through the 2016 campaign #WasteStopsWithME which was launched earlier this year with partners Pikitup and the City of Johannesburg.#WasteStopsWithME was executed through many different kinds of projects, campaigns and events.These young women met with pickers in their communities, the staff working at landfill sites and those that depend on sorting recyclables from landfills just to survive.The challenges we face on waste are immense and these young women took up the challenge and working closely with the Pikitup teams on the ground they moved across the breadth and width of this sprawling city of Johannesburg to talk to people, influence behaviour change and to start conversations and discussions with corporate partners and stakeholders alike.Finalists have been staying at the Tsogo Sun, Palazzo Hotel, in Johannesburg for the past week where they got to share their community work with an esteemed panel of judges, unpacking their commitment and hunger to leave green footprints in their cities across the country.Finalists were joined by the Tsogo Sun team in Diepsloot last week as they installed a Vegetable Tunnel with Nedbank, for student at Muzomuhle Primary School and did a clean-up around the school as part of their #WasteStopsWithME campaign.Ella Bella also said, “The finalists demonstrated clear leadership qualities, creative thinking, strength of mind and of character, and most importantly, a passion for making a sustainable difference in their communities.“The programme has been exciting and challenging and, whilst ensuring that these young women have made an impact on the communities around them, they have also delivered a service and compassion.“The participants made an effort to inspire and educate individuals, schools, communities, corporate South Africa and policymakers to consider the environment and the challenges that we face as a nation and indeed as a continent.”The evening was hosted by young up and coming South African comedian, Lihle Msimang, who added her comic flavour to the evening featuring an impressive guest list including UN dignitaries, South African actresses such as Kgomotso Christopher, Khabonina, Maps Maponyane and Yvonne Chaka amongst others.The group of winners included Jeanine Keet, as first runner up, second runner up Elne Coller, and third runner up Mireesha Narsai.The four winners are joined by their official ambassadors for the year, Mandisa Mqolombeni, Hasesha Naidu and Annie Kirsten.The organisation is endorsed by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Department of Tourism with Minister Molewa stating that; “Through your work locally and internationally, you continue to make our country proud.“I wish you success in the future and thank you for partnering with government and business, to make a better world.”Executive Director of Miss Earth South Africa, Catherine Constantinides said; “Climate Change will be the biggest challenge we face in our lifetimes, and it’s up to us to realize that we will be the catalysts for change that will push our countries towards a greener tomorrow.“Planting a tree might seem like a simple act, but in effect it’s about being part of a global movement to secure a future for the generations to come.”SA’s green girl goes home with a very special prize package including a fully paid for international trip to the Philippines next month where she will represent the country and the work of the organisation.The programme is proud to work throughout the year with Pikitup and the City of Johannesburg alongside Tsogo Sun, the official home and venue partner of Miss Earth South Africa, and strategic partners SAPPI and Newsclip Media Monitoring.
The Eternal FlameTucked deep within Chestnut Ridge Park, the Eternal Flame Falls EarthCache (GC10VMY) is a natural phenomenon – a natural gas leak underneath a waterfall that just happens to be burning.Thanks to Eric and Joe, a.k.a Szuchie and TWU, the natural gas leak under the waterfall is also a difficulty 1, terrain 3 EarthCache located in Western New York that geocachers can explore.The flame under the cascade of water embodies the spirit of nature that gives the spot an almost sacred feel. It is said that the combination of the falls and the natural gas leak is the only one of its kind on the planet, giving geocachers all the more reason to embark on an adventure to witness nature at its best.Szuchie and TWU’s inspiration for an EarthCache at this location was simply due to their amazement by what they saw when they first visited the park. Szuchie says, “From a caching standpoint – you don’t get too many things more fantastic than this.”According to the cache page, ‘upon entering the gorge and approaching the base of Eternal Flame Falls, cachers will notice a change in the ambient aroma.’ That aroma is methane, the natural gas that leaks from the cave, which lies at the base of the waterfalls. The natural gas can be lit to produce the flame.Hike up to the EarthCache siteThe 403 geocachers who logged a “Found it” have shared over 500 incredible images and written the most elaborate logs about their experience.One geocacher writes, “Wow – what an exceptional place and phenomenon. The Eternal Flame Falls came on my radar when I started checking caches by favorite points and I knew I really wanted to see this. Today was the day since LCSM and I were in the Buffalo area for the Cache-a-Day Challenge Finale. We continued here for our second goal of the day and it did not disappoint. Although the trail is well marked, we missed a turn (when we were distracted by another cache) and ended up on the Orange Trail which took us above the flame where we could see it but not reach it. We circled around, consulted the map at the kiosk, and redirected ourselves for the appropriate approach. I was especially delighted that there was still some water here in the falls despite the dry summer, as it is really the fire and water combination that is mesmerizing. Took our photos and observations, and headed back along the beautiful creek bed. Many thanks for this exceptional EarthCache – I guess there really is natural gas here in NYS! Brought a BBQ lighter but did not need to use it as the flames were already flickering away.”Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.Spring, summer, autumn or winter…the flame can be ignited year roundShare with your Friends:More SharePrint RelatedGeocaching Unlocks the Secrets of the Earth – Geocaching Weekly NewsletterJanuary 21, 2013In “Groundspeak’s Weekly Newsletter”Environmental initiatives of geocachingMarch 19, 2019In “News”Is this still Earth? — Rainbow’s End: Grand Prismatic Spring (GC1JY47) — Geocache of the WeekAugust 6, 2014In “Community”