Saturday morning in Ciceron. Both women – including a thirteen year old – appeared in court on Wednesday and have been remanded into custody. Francois says Police are also continuing their investigation into the gang land style shooting in Anse-la-Raye that left 56 year old Ramchand “Rambo” Adjodha dead and others nursing injuries. Thus far – four individuals remain in custody assisting with that investigation.

None of the people arrested and charged thus far have been granted bail for their role in the any of the recent murders. Police are also searching for forty-seven year old Matta Joseph wanted in connection with the slashing of a woman in Rodney Bay on Friday morning.

forward in tackling the issue. The meeting was held on Wednesday morning. Prime Minister King recently returned from a visit to the United Kingdom where he met with that country’s Attorney General. He also joined Saint Lucians living in the UK in celebration of the 30th Independence Anniversary of Saint Lucia that was observed in February.

he says are woefully inadequate and unable to deal with the current situation.  The Chairman of ONE identifies years of misplaced priorities and apathy for the plight of youth at risk for the current atmosphere of angst, animus, and enmity. The political figure is advocating the allocation of more resources for social programs targeted at depressed communities.    Police raided three main urban areas in Castries after a rapid spike in gun violence in the capital. While, ONE supports the police, Peter Alexander says the operation was too reactionary. He says the use of force is not a long term solution to an inherent social problem. Alexander says winning over the hearts and minds of the so called downtrodden is key in taking back the nation’s streets.

Alexander has called on the public to demand answers from elected officials. He says the warning signs of the past recent events cannot be ignored and the future of the entire nation is at stake.

Chastanet says tourism and health officials are grappling with a test that cannot be done fast enough to decide whether a cruise ship should be welcomed. The Tourism Minister says one of the biggest problems facing regional governments is what should be done when ships with passengers who have the H1N1 virus are scheduled to visit the islands. For now, Chastanet says the government has chosen to turn those ships away. But he says it is a situation that is not tenable – and could hurt the tourism industry.

On Friday - the Ministers and CEO’s will meet with Officials of the Port of Miami. The purpose of the meeting is to understand what protocols are in place to screen and test passengers before and during cruises. Participants are expected to present their findings to CARICOM. These will be used to formulate a single CARICOM position on dealing with potential H1N1 cases aboard cruise ships.

Alexander says the students were prepared adequately for the exam. She says all was in place to ensure a seamless exam process for the Grade 6 children. The students were tested in Math, English and General Paper.
Through Universal Secondary Education, all the students are guaranteed a place in one of the Island’s secondary schools.

Tourism Minister – Allen Chastanet says as government increases airlift into the Island, an efficient system of transportation must be made available to visitors.   Chastanet says the current system must change to reflect the evolving nature of Saint Lucia’s tourism.

The Permanent Secretary in the Transportation Ministry says air and sea port transportation is an essential component of the Island’s tourism industry. Alison Jean says the need for a developed, carefully managed system is of vital importance. She says this should be accompanied by the highest level of service for users.

Wednesday’s symposium included presentations by the Hotel and Tourism Association, the National Taxi Union, Ground Handlers and destination management companies. The outcome of Wednesday’s symposium will be presented to Government for possible inclusion in a new policy for air and sea port tourism transportation.

the disease - to mix the chemicals and sell them to TQFC – the other is for TQFC to continue purchasing the chemical from the NFTO. Ezechiel Joseph says the first option is the most practical – but the final decision is WIBDECO’s.

Leaf spot spraying was originally done by a company called Pest Management - an entity formed by all existing banana companies at the time including TQFC and SLBC. That company was responsible for services like leafspot spraying.

In the past year – Fair Trade – began making payroll for workers of Pest Management – and Pest Management no longer doing business with TQFC farmers. Last week, the Managing Director of TQFC accused the NFTO of trying to undermine his business.

It appears that farmers are the ones who stand to lose most. Joseph says for weeks, many TQFC farmers have not had their farms sprayed for leaf spot disease. He says the industry cannot handle an outbreak of this crop destroying disease. TQFC and NFTO are private entities, but Joseph says government was forced to intervene to protect the Island’s farmers.

for the Groovy Monarch competition is “Sugar.” Piper will perform as a member of the NG Soca Stage. The tent officially opened its 2009 season with “the Ultimate Soca Experience” show this past Saturday at Samaans Park. A number of other shows have been planned for the Calypso season. Piper says all Saint Lucians should support him and the artistes at NG.

Piper has also released a power soca song called “On De Road.” That song and “Sugar” have both been released to all radio stations.

The spectrum calypso tent will hold another tent night for the 2009 carnival season at the national cultural centre on Thursday night. Manager, Andrew Branford describes the fledging tent’s upcoming concert as a show within a show. He says the line up of artistes will be bolstered by the return of a seasoned campaigner.

The spectrum calypso tent will showcase a veteran performer who hails from the birthplace of the art form- Trinidad and Tobago. Brother Mudada from the vintage era of calypso is promising a set replete with classical numbers for the fans, purists and traditionalists of the musical genre. The spectrum calypso tent show is scheduled to start at 7 pm Thursday.