Local News

The Commissioner of Police in the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Mr. Keithly Benjamin, has expressed a high level of satisfaction following the recent Summer Festival Celebration.

Traffic personnel in the Royal Anguilla Police Force are being kept busy by an increasing number of vehicular accidents.

An innocent, defenseless twelve year old girl is brutally raped. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.” This tragedy and atrocity generated grief and outrage in the hearts of good people in Miami-Dade, Florida, in 1974, and Youth Crime Watch was birthed. North Miami Beach Senior High School was the birthplace, and students learned they could change their situation for the better by taking an active role in their school and community.

The August holiday week in Anguilla was a time of merriment not only for hundreds of Anguillians, but many tourists and other persons who poured into the island for the 2009 Summer Festival. They all converged on the Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre where various shows were held, on the streets for jam sessions, a colourful parade of troupes and the attendant series of exciting boat races.

A sobering thirteen crimes were reported for the period August 5 to 12, up from seven two weeks ago. The sharp increase in reported criminal activities resulted in ten arrests for the period.

The Anguilla High Court is to deliver judgment in the coming weeks in relation to the legal position surrounding the construction of the Dolphinarian at Sandy Point Beach, Blowing Point, by Dolphin Discovery. The trial, before Madam Justice Tana’Ania Small-Davis, took place during the week July 27- 30.

Much commendation with respect to the just-ended Summer Festival in Anguilla prefaced the Chief Minister’s Press Conference on Tuesday this week. “Thanks to the Carnival Committee and the Police for a job well done,” the Hon. Osbourne Fleming stated. “We want to thank [the Police] and all the security agencies for ensuring that law and order was observed and all the people of Anguilla who aided the process in making sure that there were no serious incidents.

The Sonic took home the trophy for first place for the 2009 National Bank of Anguilla Limited (NBA) Peter Perkins Memorial Boat Race. The Prize Giving Ceremony for the race was held on Wednesday August 12, at the NBA Boardroom. Market Research and Business Development Support Officer Deslyn Smith chaired the Ceremony and Contact Centre Supervisor Marlene Sasso distributed the prizes.

Senior Opposition Member in the Anguilla House of Assembly, Hubert Hughes, turned up late at his press conference on Tuesday this week, and thanked reporters for their tolerance in waiting for him.

Popular local band Exodus took home the coveted Road March title for this year’s Summer Festival. The title made them the most popular band of the year. Exodus nabbed the prestigious award during the Parade and ‘Street Jam’ segments of the Festival and was announced winners on Sunday August 9. The championship earned the band 5000 EC dollars.

The 2009 Summer Reading Programme organized by the Blowing Point Youth Development Centre came to an end on Friday July 31st. Centre Manager Ms. Jemima Francis described the programme as being a very successful one as students showed significant improvement in their reading and understanding skills.

The Anguilla Amateur Radio Society (AARS) is the recipient of a supply of equipment and training manuals from the Governor’s Office, valued at US$2,570.
In making the presentation on August 4, Governor Alistair Harrison commended the Society for its work.

LIME’s scorching hot Summer Promotion tagged ‘U R it’, continues to produce numerous instant and weekly winners as the word of the fantastic prize list continues to spread. The prize line-up appeals to every LIME customer and includes cash, BlackBerry Devices, digital cameras and vouchers for spa treatment at Cuisinart’s world famous Venus Spa.

Concern spread across Anguilla on Tuesday morning this week as fireman fought to put out a fire on the roof of the Segregation Unit of HM Prison, which housed ten prisoners at the time. The matter is being investigated with the suspicion being that the fire was deliberately caused.

A Thanksgiving Service for the life of Shaune Vorne Mussington, who died on J’ouvert Morning on August Monday, during the Summer Festival, will be held at the Christian Fellowship Church at Blowing Point on Saturday, August 15, commencing at 3..00 p.m.

As stated elsewhere in The Anguillian, the August week boat races in Anguilla attracted large crowds at the various sites and were a most popular component of the 2009 Summer Festival.

Five members of the Mutual Evaluation Mission from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) have completed a two week evaluation of Anguilla’s financial services risk management structure and capacity and compliance. Head of the Mission and team leader, Dawne Spicer from Trinidad & Tobago, spoke to members of the press about the visit.

The recently concluded Leeward Islands Calypso competition received a boost from NAGICO in the form of a donation which went towards honouring King Ellie Matt, one of the Leeward Island’s calypso pioneers.

The Anguilla Amateur Netball Association’s (AANA) Under 13 Netball team has benefitted from a donation from NAGICO Insurances. The funds for the team’s uniforms for the upcoming Under 13 Regional Netball Tournament were handed over recently and the team is set to leave on August 15th for the competition in Dominica.

Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, and Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Victor Banks, told reporters on Monday that the agreement which the Anguilla delegation signed in London last week with the Chinese Business Network (CBN) was for tourism promotion only. They gave the hasty explanation at the Chief Minister’s press conference in response to opposition charges and public fears that under the agreement local businesses would be at risk and eventually the island “would be swamped” by competing Chinese business investments.