iNews Briefs & Community Events
Community Events
MAY 6
Special Olympics Cayman Islands Football
Special Olympics Cayman Islands invites you to the 2015 Annual National Games and Week of Awareness. The next event is Wednesday (6 May) at 5:30pm at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex where athletes will compete in Football.
DEH Waste Pyramid School Essay and Poster Competition Exhibition
You’re invited to view the winning entries and all other submissions for the DEH Waste Pyramid School Essay and Poster Competition running now through May 6th at the George Town Public Library.
Year 7 & 8 Parents’ Consultative Evening
Clifton Hunter High School year 7 & 8 Parents’ Consultative Evening is Wednesday (6 May) in the performing arts building at 5pm.
NWS increases chance of development for system in Caribbean Sea
From: WAFB CBS BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) –
The National Weather Service has increased the chance of development of a system in the Caribbean Sea from low to medium.
Forecasters said a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms that extends across Cuba, southern Florida and the Bahamas now has a 40 percent chance of development over the next five days.
They added an area of low pressure is expected to form in the next day or two in association with the disturbance.
The NHC reported the low could gradually acquire sub-tropical characteristics as it slowly moves northward.
Sub-tropical storms are named the same as fully-tropical storms. If this system develops further, it would be named Ana.
Sub-tropical storms tend to be less intense than tropical storms. However, they generally have a broader area of circulation than fully-tropical storms and hurricanes. As a result, while less intense in terms of winds and storm surge threats, sub-tropical storms can produce impacts over a greater area.
WAFB’s First Alert Storm Team continues to closely watch the system, but reiterated that even if a sub-tropical (or tropical) system were to develop, it offers virtually no chance of becoming a threat to the Gulf of Mexico.
For more: http://www.wafb.com/story/28981962/nws-increases-chance-of-development-for-system-in-caribbean-sea
Cayman Islands Fabrinet beats Street 3Q forecasts
Fabrinet tops 3Q profit and revenue expectations
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) _ Fabrinet (FN) on Monday reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $10.8 million.
The George Town, Cayman Islands-based company said it had net income of 30 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and amortization costs, came to 36 cents per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 35 cents per share.
The company that assembles optical, electro-mechanical and electronic devices for other companies posted revenue of $189.5 million in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $185.3 million.
For the current quarter ending in June, Fabrinet expects its per-share earnings to range from 37 cents to 39 cents.
The company said it expects revenue in the range of $195 million to $199 million for the fiscal fourth quarter.
Fabrinet shares have climbed slightly more than 5 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $18.68, a fall of 14 percent in the last 12 months.
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FN at http://www.zacks.com/ap/FN
Launch of Complaints Office for Healthcare Caribbean Netherlands
The Complaints Office for Healthcare Caribbean Netherlands on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be launched on May 4th, 2015. Citizens may contact this Complaints Office with signals about the quality of care and also for questions about the possibilities for the treatment of complaints about the quality of care.
The Complaints Office is independent from healthcare providers and has been established by the Healthcare Inspectorate.
On each islands the Complaints Office is located in the RCN office.
Press release RCN, May 4, 2015
SOURCE & More: http://www.saba-news.com/launch-complaints-office-healthcare-caribbean-netherlands/
Cayman Islands bans Paraquat
The Cayman Islands government has banned the deadly herbicide Paraquat.
Paraquat has been responsible for the deaths of numerous dogs on the Islands.
A Customs Law update was made last week making it an offence to import Paraquat in any form.
Although importation is banned, it doesn’t mean there is none left on the Islands. People should therefore remain cautious when walking their pets.
St Vincent government website hacked by ISIS
By Whithfield Turner From Caribbean News Now
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent — Investigations are currently underway to determine how and by whom the St Vincent and the Grenadines government’s website was compromised over the weekend.
The website (www.gov.vc) was seemingly hacked by a group claiming to be Islamic State hackers.
The incident is said to have taken place sometime Sunday afternoon.
An image of an individual operating a machine gun from the back of a truck appeared with a “hacked by moroccanwolf – Islamic State” message.
A message that accused the United States and NATO of what it called “organized butchery” was also displayed.
The message charged both the US and NATO of supporting dictators as long as they are fulfilling US, EU and NATO interests in the region, as they did in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The website has since been taken offline.
At this time, the exact source of the attack is unclear.
The government was expected to make a statement on the matter.
This is the first such incident, purportedly by ISIS sympathizers, on a government website in the region.
For more: http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-St-Vincent-government-website-hacked-by-ISIS-25972.html
Long term residential mental health facility in Cayman Islands mooted
From The Daily Ephemera
Cayman Islands: The government Ministry of Health and private sector interests are working together to establish the only long-term residential mental health facility in the Cayman Islands.
At current there are no facilities that meet this criteria, patients needing care of this sort being shipped off, away from their families, to Jamaica or the United States, though this would definitely benefit ~30-40 individuals and would be expected to have a benefit for many others that are unaccounted.
Along with counseling, the facility is to provide vocational, social, and educational training as a means of encouraging patients to reach an independent lifestyle post-treatment. The talks over the project seem positive thus far, but the government does wish to have consultants assess the viability of the project before they move forward.
For more: https://thedailyephemera.com/2015/05/04/4-may-2015-cayman-islands-and-curacao/
Cayman Islands H&J participates in IATA training
Francine Bryce, Associate with Higgs & Johnson, Cayman Islands and Deputy Chair of the newly formed aviation practice group participated in the Aircraft Acquisition and Financing course given by the IATA Training and Development Institute in Miami from 21st to 24th April, 2015. The Firm’s participation was designed to ensure a high level of training and on-going interaction with, aircraft acquisition and finance related issues.
Mrs. Bryce noted that the course was 4 days of intensive classroom learning taught by one of the leading experts in Aerospace Finance Law, Dr. Donald Bunker. Topics covered included an introduction to the aircraft market environment and a background to air law; the commercial environment and the requirements and method of aircraft financing and leasing; the leasing aspects and various types of aircraft leasing arrangements; and review of the various legal documentation supporting a lease or acquisition of aircraft with the opportunity to examine certain key provisions.
Mrs. Bryce indicated that the course exceeded her expectations and she was “pleased that the aviation industry continues to regard Cayman as one of the most suitable SPV jurisdictions for aircraft financing and leasing transactions.” Mrs. Bryce went on to state that “this is indeed a feather in Cayman’s hat and is supported by Cayman’s high level of legal expertise and its sophisticated regulatory regime.”
Photo caption: Francine Bryce, (front row, second from the left) with other participants in the IATA training from Columbia, South Africa, Canada, New York, California and Chicago.
Justices enter Interstate dispute over Colorado marijuana law
By Tony Mauro, From Legal Times,
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked for the views of the Obama administration on a dispute between states over Colorado’s 2012 legalization of marijuana.
The action is a sign that the high court is interested in the dispute, which came to the justices through its so-called “original jurisdiction” over lawsuits between the states.
Then-Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt brought the case to the Supreme Court in December. Nebraska’s new attorney general Doug Peterson, who took office in January, has continued the litigation. Original-jurisdiction cases usually involve boundaries or water rights, but this case would air a major policy dispute over commerce in drugs.
“In our constitutional system, the federal government has pre-eminent authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, including commerce involving legal and illegal trafficking in drugs such as marijuana,” the states’ complaint asserts.
It continues, “Although states may exercise their police power in a manner which has an effect on drug policy and trafficking, a state may not establish its own policy that is directly counter to federal policy against trafficking in controlled substances or establish a state-sanctioned system for possession, production, licensing, and distribution of drugs.”
The lawsuit does not challenge the legalization of marijuana use in Colorado as such, focusing instead on the manufacture and sale of the drug across state lines. The U.S. Justice Department, while not endorsing the Colorado measure, has said it would not challenge the law unless it ends up damaging public safety and health.
In a response to the suit brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said the case should not have been filed in the high court.
“The plaintiff states’ attempt to selectively manipulate Colorado’s marijuana laws—leaving legalization intact but eliminating large swaths of state regulatory power—is a dangerous use of both the supremacy clause and the court’s original jurisdiction, and it is unlikely to redress the plaintiff states’ alleged injuries.”
Hit and run driver charged with manslaughter in Cayman Islands
A man was charged last Friday (1) with three offenses arising from the death of cyclist Donnie Ray Connor (59) on the Linford Pierson Highway in the early hours of Thursday, April 23rd.
Nicholas Patrick Tibbetts (24), an immigration officer, is charged with manslaughter, causing death by careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Tibbetts was bailed to appear in the Grand Court on Friday, May 8th.
The victim worked at the waterfront in George Town selling coconuts to tourists. He was found on the side of the road by another cyclist, who phoned 911.
Agency honors V.I. environmental leaders
By Peter Fulham From Virgin Islands Daily News Staff
Caribbean Solar Company, which installed the solar system for this village on St. John, has been awarded the Environmental Champion Award from the Environmental Protection Agency.
- THOMAS – The Environmental Protection Agency has honored two Virgin Islands organizations and one individual with its Environmental Champion Award, shining a light on achievements from nature conservation and clean energy leaders in the territory.
The winners hailed from all three islands: Caribbean Solar Company on St. John; The Nature Conservancy’s V.I. program; and Mario A. Francis of the Virgin Islands Urban and Community Forestry Council on St. Thomas.
In a statement issued last week, the EPA lauded the recipients for their efforts on behalf of the natural world: “These Virgin Islanders work tirelessly to protect human health and the environment, inspiring us all to strive for a more sustainable future.”
Caribbean Solar Company, which turns 3 years old in June and installs private solar energy systems, was started by Kevin Schnell and Maya Matthews-Sterling. After taking a break from island life to pursue their careers, the married couple decided to return to St. John in 2012 to start their own business. Schnell had worked in the solar energy industry in Austin, Texas, but he and his wife wanted to strike out on their own.
“We just recognized this opportunity to take our stateside training and everything we had been pursuing up there and bring that level of professionalism back to St. John,” he said.
However, the decision wasn’t easy, he said.
“We tried to figure out every reason why we shouldn’t do it before we went after it,” he said. “We had great jobs up there working for other people, but this was a real opportunity for us to go out on our own for the first time.”
The company installs solar panels primarily for residential clients, as well as for the operators of high-end vacation villas. It also handles the permitting process for its customers.
The other recipient organization, the Nature Conservancy’s Virgin Islands program, is a local arm of the well known American conservation charity. The group co-manages Magens Bay Beach along with the V.I. government and Magens Bay Authority. The Conservancy also operates Jack & Isaac’s Bay on St. Croix.
In its statement announcing the awards, the EPA cited the group’s work on coral reef preservation and its efforts to encourage seafood restaurants to purchase from suppliers who refrain from overfishing.
In 2009, the Conservancy started a program in the territory in which divers grow wild corals in a controlled setting before transplanting them to ailing reefs.
Aaron Hutchins, the director of the Conservancy’s USVI division, accepted the award on behalf his organization in New York. He explained that getting involved in environmental work was an intuitive step in a place like the Virgin Islands.
“At heart, I believe that we in the Virgin Islands are intimately linked with the quality of our environment for pretty much every aspect of our lives, from the economy to health quality to recreation,” he said.
Hutchins said that receiving an award in America’s largest city for work done on a tropical island made for a curious juxtaposition.
“It was nice to be recognized in the city of concrete, Manhattan,” Hutchins said. “You’re in the 30th floor of this high-rise federal building in lower Manhattan, and you look out the window, and it feels so foreign compared to what you see out of your window here.”
Mario A. Francis, the sole individual winner of the award, has been the chairman of the Urban and Community Forestry Council for 20 years. The council provides grants to businesses that want to plant and preserve trees. It also organizes tree planting events for volunteers.
In its acknowledgement of Francis, the EPA also pointed to his work with the Junior Gardening and Ecology Academy, an eight week program in which young children can learn kayaking, gardening, and other outdoor activities.
For more: http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/agency-honors-v-i-environmental-leaders-1.1875100
Ex-PayPal exec who went on Twitter tirade sues for defamation
By Marisa Kendall, From The Recorder
SAN FRANCISCO — A former PayPal Inc. executive is suing the company for defamation, claiming PayPal wrongly implied he was fired after attacking a colleague on Twitter.
Rakesh Agrawal, PayPal’s former director of strategy, took to the micro-blogging site in May 2014 to launch an obscenity filled and sometimes incoherent rant. The early morning tweets, which were quickly deleted, included messages calling PayPal’s global brand and communications officer a “piece of shit” and a “useless middle manager,” according to Business Insider. That afternoon, PayPal tweeted: “Rakesh Agrawal is no longer with the company. Treat everyone with respect. No excuses. PayPal has zero tolerance.”
Agrawal claims he resigned from PayPal the day before the company’s tweet.
“The statement above was reasonably understood by those who read it to mean that plaintiff had been fired by PayPal for misconduct and disrespect,” his lawyers wrote in the complaint filed Friday in Santa Clara County Superior Court. “This is false.”
Representatives from PayPal didn’t responded to messages seeking comment Monday.
Agrawal, who said he was at Jazz Fest in New Orleans at the time of his Twitter tirade, reportedly posted a picture of a resignation letter dated from several hours before his first questionable tweet. He also tweeted that the posts had been intended as private messages to a colleague, and had been distributed publicly by mistake because he was using a new phone.
Agrawal is represented by Timothy Broderick and Katrina Saleen of Palo Alto firm Broderick Saleen.
He is seeking punitive damages, claiming PayPal’s tweet caused him to lose out on income.
“The statements tended to expose plaintiff to hatred, contempt, ridicule, and shame and tended to discourage others from associating or dealing with plaintiff,” his lawyers wrote.
Agrawal worked for PayPal for about two months. Around the time he left, Agrawal launched reDesign Mobile, a platform that links professionals with consumers in need of a service.
