iNews Briefs
Apex to help implement smart metering in the Cayman Islands
From PennEnergy
Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. announced it has selected Apex CoVantage as its software and services provider to implement advanced metering infrastructure in the Cayman Islands, according to CUC’s official press release.
Apex is known for its meter replacement and network equipment installation services. It will provide its ProField enterprise resource planning software as well training, project management and back-office processes to CUC. Some of the back-office processes to be implemented for the smart metering initiative are socket photo and meter read accuracy analyses.
“We want to bring smart grid benefits to our customers in the safest and most efficient way possible,” said Sacha Tibbetts, manager of engineering and customer services at CUC. “Apex’s expertise in meter deployment best practices and unique technology makes this an ideal partnership.”
In October, Apex rolled out a return-on-investment calculator, which estimates a utility’s time and cost savings when using its ProField product to manage implementing smart metering technology, according to a company statement. Utilities or other users simply follow a three-step process to enter information regarding their project. The calculator will then provide a customized report.
Cayman Islands YCLA winner for 2014 is Kadi Merren-Pentney
The 2014 Young Caymanian Leadership Award went to 28 year old and mother to be Kadi Merren-Pentney.
It was a lavish affair at the black tie gala at the Ritz-Carlton where over 250 attendees saw PwC’s young certified public accountant beat the other finalists, Michael Lockwood, Katrina Jurn, Chevala Burke and Lydia Warren.
Merren-Pentney amongst many other duties to public service is a past president of the Kiwanis Club, has chaired many fundraising events and one of the leaders of the “Join In” recycling initiative. She is also co-owner of Tea Time Cayman.
Keynote speaker at the event was executed by American philanthropist Doc Hendley, the founder of Wine to Water charity.
Last year’s winner, Shomari Scott, gave the closing address.
The event was carried live by CITN/Cayman27.
Caymanians ages 20 to 35 are nominated for the YCLA award, which is in its 14th year.
Airbus defence and space doubles Caribbean VSAT capacity
From Maritime Satellite Communications
Airbus Defence and Space has reported that it has doubled its VSAT capacity in the Caribbean in preparation for increased traffic and activity in the region over the winter period.
The company says customers on the east coast of the US and in the Caribbean will be able to reach download speeds of up to 6 Mbps using its standard Pharostar VSAT terminal. The additional bandwidth is being delivered through a combination of multiple satellite spot beams.
“Almost every person is now coming onboard with their own personal devices wanting to stay in touch on Facebook and Skype, just as they do at home or in the office,” said Tore Morten Olsen, head of maritime satellite communications activities at Airbus Defence and Space.
“With this step we deliver a standardised, easy-to-install and use service, with the necessary high speed and voice quality to keep guests and the crew happy.”
Brett Fraser to lead four Cayman swimmers to Short Course World Championships
From Swim Swam
Two-time Olympian Brett Fraser will lead a team of four swimmers from the Cayman Island to the 2014 World Short Course Championships.
The meet will be held from December 3rd-7th in Doha, Qatar.
The full Cayman Islands team:
Brett Fraser,
Lara Butler
Lauren Hew
Geoffrey Butler
The Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association didn’t send anyone to the long course World Championships in 2013, but they did send a roster of 6 to this year’s Commonwealth Games as part of a 28-person all-sport team that is the biggest in the country’s history.
Of the four swimmers, only one (Lauren Hew) actually lives in the Cayman Islands. Brett Fraser lives and trains in the United States; Geoffrey Butler trains with Plymouth Leander in the UK, and Lara Butler trains with Loughborough also in the UK.
At the Commonwealth Games, Fraser was the country’s lone finalist. He finished 5th in the men’s 50 fly, and 13th in the men’s 50 free. Lauren Hew, though, showed some promise with a 14th-place swim in the semi-finals of the women’s 50 back, earning some valuable multi-round experience
For more: http://swimswam.com/brett-fraser-lead-four-cayman-swimmers-short-course-world-championships/
New Royal Caribbean cruise terminal in Port Canaveral delayed
From Royal Caribbean Blog
The new Cruise Terminal 1 in Port Canaveral will be delayed by more than a month due to construction problems on the terminal’s waterside area.
Florida Today is reporting that Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh says the new terminal will open December 27.
The change will force cruise ships originally slated to use the new terminal during November and December to shift to other cruise terminals.
Royal Caribbean was planning on using Cruise Terminal 1 for Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. In addition, Quantum of the Seas would be stopping in Port Canaveral as part of its Bahamas itinerary.
Reporter Dave Berman cites among the issues plaguing the construction site is it’s taking longer than expected to remove 90-foot-deep piles that are remnants from former cargo piers that were on the site.
After fishing line kills turtle Cayman Islands DOE offers divers tools
Last week divers discovered a lifeless Hawksbill turtle tangled in fishing line and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment has responded by offering tools for divers to use when removing tossed fishing line from the reef.
Discarded fishing line poses a danger to sea turtles and other marine life, and the DOE wants to help divers interested in making a difference by lending out scissors to cut the lines.
Here are the DOE guidelines for removing fishing line. http://www.doe.ky/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Fishing-line-cleanup-guidelines.jpg
Algeria oil cargo partially unloads in Venezuela, sails to St Eustatius
From Reuters
The tanker Carabobo carrying Algerian light crude to Venezuela has finished unloading at Jose terminal and has set sail to the Caribbean island of Saint Eustatius, where it will deliver the rest of its content, according to Reuters vessel tracking data and a document from state-run PDVSA.
Arrival of the Algerian crude cargo marked the first crude import made by the OPEC-member country, which in late 1990s bought condensates from Nigeria also to mix with its extra heavy production while its crude upgraders were built. Those purchases ceased in 2000.
The Singapore-flagged tanker, managed by a joint venture of PDVSA and PetroChina, delivered 700,000 barrels of Algerian Saharan Blend in Venezuela to be used as diluent for extra heavy crudes produced at the vast Orinoco belt, says PDVSA’s exports and imports report.
The vessel, with capacity of two million barrels, set sail on Friday to Statia terminal, operated by NuStar in Saint Eustatius. PDVSA has leased part of the facility since the beginning of 2014 for blending and storing operations.
For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/31/oil-venezuela-tanker-idUSL1N0SQ1DW20141031
Cayman Islands Government committee formed to execute EY civil service evaluation
The Cayman Islands government has named a Project Future Steering Committee to implement any Cabinet-approved changes from the Ernst & Young (EY) report that was produced to advise the government on the privatization, outsourcing and consolidation of public sector services.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson will chair the committee. Other members are:
Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose; Finance Ministry chief officer Ken Jefferson; the committee’s chief adviser [non-voting], Solicitor General Jacqueline Wilson or her representative, Portfolio of the Civil Service chief officer Gloria McField-Nixon, deputy governor’s strategic adviser Peter Gough, an appointee selected by the premier, a representative of the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association, two private sector representatives, including one person selected by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, and the government’s director of procurement and director of e-government (non-voting member).
The committee is expected to meet once a month or more, as is required.
WTM 2014: Caribbean targets ongoing UK growth in 2015
By Robin Searle From Travel Weekly
Caribbean tourism bosses are targeting growth in UK arrivals of between 4 and 5% in 2015 on the back of a strong first half of 2014.
Overall visitor numbers to the region were up 4.3% in the first six months of 2014, with UK arrivals up by 4.9% to 485,700.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization said it was “cautiously optimistic” that the trend would continue into 2015 when it expects further growth of 4-5%.
Speaking at the launch of the organisation’s first UK and European trends report at World Travel Market, director of marketing for UK and Europe Carol Hay said it was ‘realistic’ to target similar growth from the UK in 2015.
And she said a range of leisure agent training and fam trips would be bolstered by an increased focus on the MICE market to achieve that goal.
The CTO recently announced a revamped online training programme called Caribbean Travel Guru, and Hay said the organisation would be targeting around 50 agent sign-ups each month to add to the around 300 currently registered.
Hugh Riley, secretary general of the CTO, reiterated the status of the UK market to key destinations in the region.
But he insisted that growth in overall arrivals had to be matched by growth in expenditure.
He said: “Arrivals continue to be an important metric but you then have to ensure that the growth is profitable.
“We are happy to see arrivals increasing and staying consistent with global increases (of 4.6%), but we are also delighted to see the gap closing between arrivals and expenditure.”
Cayman Islands basket ball team did not go to play in Jamaica because of Chikungunya fear
The Cayman Islands John Gray Knights basket ball did not play their exhibition game in Jamaica this week due to concerns of the country’s Chikungunya outbreak.
The school’s Principal, Lyneth Monteith, said in an email:
“The decision was made in the interest of the health and safety of the contingent.”
She also said it is expected the trip will be rescheduled during the next mid-term break.
SOURCE: CITN
Mercedes, Ferrari and Volvo to debut Apple In-Car System, report says
From Mashable By Adario Strange
Apple’s promise to bring iOS to the automobile industry last year are finally coming to fruition, according to a report in the Financial Times that claims Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Ferrari will debut the system in March.
The official announcement will be made at next week’s Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, according to the paper’s report.
Just last month, screenshots of Apple’s iOS in the Car system showed up on the Internet. The images, taken from the iOS Simulator tool, showed off how the system will handle maps, highway safety warnings and routing functions.
In addition to mapping and directional features, the iOS in the Car system will also allow users to send hands-free text messages via iMessage, access Siri, play music from iTunes and make phone calls on the iPhone.
Despite Apple’s early enthusiasm regarding the system, the company hasn’t acknowledged the authenticity of January’s leaked screenshots and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.
Image: Flickr, Darron Fick
For more:
Cayman Islands man on status deception charges pleads Not Guilty
Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks (48) has pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of obtaining property by deception and has been given a trial date of June 1, 2015. The trial is expected to take two weeks.
Ebanks is accused of obtaining various sums of money between July 2012 and August 2013 ranging from $800 to $14,000 by falsely representing that the cash was required as payment for legitimate grants of Cayman status.
