Jason Santokee, 57, of Williamsville, pleaded guilty before magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine and was sent to jail for six months for possession of .29 grammes of cocaine.

He told the magistrate he is addicted to cocaine, after she reminded him he has 14 previous convictions for cocaine possession.

The prosecutor said that on Tuesday, at about 3.30 pm, police on mobile patrol at Ben Lomond Road, Williamsville, spotted Santokee walking. However, when he saw the vehicle, he made an about turn and began walking in the opposite direction. He was stopped and searched and police found on him a few rocks of cocaine.

Santokee pleaded with the police officers, “Give me a chance.” Antoine asked Santokee if he was addicted to cocaine and he replied, “Something so.” He then told the magistrate that he climbs coconut trees for vendors. “And I does use the cocaine to climb them tall coconut trees.

It is not an easy thing,” Santokee said. “But you have 14 previous convictions.

Have you tried to get help?” Antoine asked. Santokee persisted, “I does use it to climb them tall coconut trees.” Antoine ordered him to serve the sentence with hard labour and advised that upon completion, he should seek to enroll himself in a rehabilitation programme.

The IDB’s country representative for Trinidad and Tobago (TT), Tomás Bermudez, says “research and experience have proven that safeguards can anticipate and mitigate environmental and social risks effectively.

Therefore, focusing on increasing knowledge, capacity and implementation of environmental licensing and compliance is beneficial to the region.” Here in TT, the IDB is assisting with improving the existing wastewater management program and services in the Malabar and San Fernando catchments. The measures include support for the wastewater rehabilitation program and the implementation of institutional and policy reforms. Environmental agencies from across the Caribbean are expected to attend the event which, the IDB says, will be “an interactive event, providing opportunities for participants to share experiences and garner up-to-date information from partner agencies working in environmental policy, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Space Agency.” Regional and international experts will lead sessions during the two-day event, through which participants will increase their knowledge about best practices in environmental licensing and compliance.

The IDB says these sessions will focus on three priority areas for discussion: Meaningful stakeholder engagement – the IDB has recently summarised requirements and international good practice in a note on Meaningful Stakeholder Consultation, and is currently supporting training and capacity building in stakeholder engagement; Satellite and geographical data as a tool for environmental impact assessments and compliance processes; and Status of EIA legislation and regulation in the Caribbean region.

Participants will also be encouraged to utilise the virtual community of practice for environmental and social safeguards in the Caribbean.

“This community of practice, launched last year, is a communications platform where officials can share common interests in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental management and protection.” The IDB added that in 2016, approximately 40 high-level officials responsible for environmental and social safeguards from throughout the Caribbean came together in Kingston, Jamaica, to attend the first regional policy dialogue.

“These officials shared their experiences in environmental licensing and discussed common challenges of ensuring adequate enforcement measures.

The resulting conversations in Kingston showed that, in the Caribbean, country safeguard systems are diversely organised, yet despite their different institutional frameworks, the challenges they face are the same.” In addition to the regional policy dialogue, the IDB conducts other activities to strengthen national environmental and social safeguard systems of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including an online training program with courses on biodiversity, reviewing and approving environmental assessments, and meaningful stakeholder consultation

The visit came after the ministry received several reports of teacher walkouts and non-readiness at some schools.

In a media release, Garcia said it was important to see first hand some of the concerns stakeholders were having with schools.

He said, at the St. Phillip’s school some maintenance and restoration work need to be done and the ministry will be meeting with parents and teachers to discuss the way forward. He said the work needed at this school was slowed as the ministry had engaged in an assessment of the infrastructural strength of the building.

“Hockett Baptist was proved to be in a state of readiness for teaching and learning when school reopened on Monday with some fencing left over by the contractor who was on hand on Monday to complete and remove the material. “The material left on the compound did not affect the safety of staff or students.

“This school received a new perimeter fence, was painted, staff room air conditioned and new water tanks installed as a part of the Laventille/Morvant Initiative.” He said the ministry will continue to investigate all reports coming in and find the fastest resolution to avoid any breaks in teaching and learning time.

Then tomorrow at 8.30 pm, jazz and soul singer Tevin R Gall will be featured in The Look of Love, a show that will also feature songstress Nakita Gadsby.

Both artistes will be accompanied by a live jazz band comprising Reuel Williams on keyboard, Isaac Cozier on bass and Denzil Johnson on drums.

Evacuation orders took effect yesterday, principally in south Florida where Miami is expected to take a direct hit from the monster storm. Newsday found it difficult to contact Trinidadians in Miami where many calls went unanswered.

However, a Trinidadian who lives in Orlando, a city in central Florida, told Newsday she and her family were “hanging in there”.

Natasha Blackman, originally from Barataria, said she has gathered as many things as she could for her family ahead of Irma’s approach.

“We have three cases of water, other non perishable items, flashlights, coolers. We have packed our suitcases just in case we have to evacuate but for now we are staying calm. We don’t expect anything to happen until Saturday.” She said other family members, who live in south Miami, have already evacuated and have gone “north”.

Blackman said supermarkets have started running out of supplies.

“You are lucky if you can get bread and peanut butter and the stores have started putting up signs on their doors that they don’t have water, batteries, canned goods,” she said. She said a truck brought water for people yesterday afternoon but since she had already stocked up for her family she left it for those who were in need.

“We are just a family of three.

There are people with families of five and above who need it more than us.” Blackman, who has lived in Orlando for eight years, said while Irma was not her first hurricane, it was the first of this magnitude.

“We had Hurricane Matthew last year. Compared to what we are hearing and seeing going on with Irma, Matthew was very mild. We just had a lot of rain and wind but nothing to really cause any kind of damage.” Automated voice messages came on when Newsday placed calls to the TT Consulate in Miami.

Some nationals however were able to fly out of Florida ahead of the storm’s landfall. A Caribbean Airlines flight departed Ft Lauderdale and was due to arrive at Piarco at 11 pm yesterday.

A relative of one passenger said he had to drive from Miami to Ft Lauderdale as there were many cancellations at that airport.

In anticipation of Irma’s landfall in Florida this weekend, CAL yesterday announced the cancellation of 12 flights on Sunday originating in or departing from Port-of-Spain; Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica; Nassau in The Bahamas; Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando in Florida.

CAL said customers will be permitted to change or cancel their reservations without penalty once they have tickets issued before September 10, and must request refunds by September 17. Passengers who choose to change their reservations, must complete their travel by September 17.

Jose has been churning in the Atlantic closely on the heels of Irma which remains a monster category five storm. Irma devastated Barbuda as she rampaged through the Lesser Antilles and northern Caribbean on Wednesday, killing ten people, among them a twoyear- old in Barbuda.

Even as Prime Minister Gaston Browne pondered how to begin the reconstruction of the tiny island, came an updated forecast that Jose, which at 6 pm yesterday was still a strong category three hurricane, would strengthen to a “destructive category four system” placing Antigua and Barbuda under a hurricane watch once more.

“We are very worried about Hurricane Jose,” Browne declared according to a report by The Washington Post.

It was a change in tone for the prime minister, who, in an interview with Newsday yesterday morning, felt a measure of optimism that emergency authorities were prepared for a second hurricane.

He said then, relief efforts were being carried out at a satisfactory pace. Antiguans were advised to remain indoors and the authorities were prepared to evacuate Barbuda if necessary.

Initially, some left Barbuda voluntarily.

But with the approach of Jose, the government last evening issued an order for mandatory evacuation of the nearly 2,000 residents to Antigua. The islands are under a state of emergency.

“We had a voluntary evacuation that’s now been upgraded to a mandatory evacuation, according to the State of Emergency Act,” Browne told Newsday late yesterday.

“By tomorrow afternoon (today) we would have evacuated Barbuda.

Antiguans, he said, have been asked to once again “practise diligence and vigilance” as they did for Irma. Browne saw the rapid succession of three major hurricanes— Harvey, Irma and now Jose—as evidence of the effects of climate change.

“Climate change is real. The Caribbean has had to suffer the consequences while they, polluters, deny that it isn’t. So we are just hoping with the frequency of these storms and devastation those who are inclined will give reconsideration and there is a need for us to work together to face the real threats.” An initial forecast predicted Jose would hit by Sunday, but a 6 pm bulletin by the TT Meteorological Service said the hurricane would surge into an even more powerful storm between today and tomorrow, packing winds of 200 km per hour. Irma had sustained winds of 290 km per hour when she hit the island.

On Wednesday evening, Browne had described Barbuda as “barely habitable” with more than 90 per cent of its housing stock completely destroyed. The death of a child made the destruction even more devastating.

Browne gave a preliminary estimate of US$100 billion to reconstruct Barbuda.

“The relief effort is going very well. We will have a challenge in the actual rebuilding because preliminary reports of damage is in the area of approximately US$100 billion. That is going to be our challenge going forward,” Browne told Newsday earlier.

Trinidad and Tobago will provide a helicopter and crew for a week to help provide relief and aid for Barbuda, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) announced yesterday, indicating Government had communicated with the Browne administration.

“The Government has carefully considered the current difficult economic circumstances and despite these difficulties, because it recognises the responsibility of helping our Caricom neighbour in this time of disaster and need, it has agreed to provide this specific assistance,” the OPM said in release.

Sources within the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management revealed that, up until press time, issues of logistics and navigation were still being discussed among coordinators and crew members.

Jose is also expected to impact Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saba and St Eustatius which were placed on a tropical storm watch.

This was revealed by veterinary surgeon and temporary senator Dr Kriyaan Singh who, yesterday, urged pet owners to ensure that their pets were vaccinated.

The Canine Distemper Virus affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of the animal. The virus is fatal in many cases.

Speaking to Newsday during an interview, Singh said that it was horrifying to see the number of dogs dying over the last month as a result of the virus. He said that some that were brought into his clinic were not able to survive though they were given the vaccine.

He said the ones that survived had been previously vaccinated.

He said, in South Trinidad, dogs across different villages had already been afflicted by the virus.

“The disease is debilitating or fatal even with treatment at times,” Singh said. “Please, please ensure your dogs are all vaccinated as puppies and are still given their annual vaccine.” He added that it was the duty of pet owners to visit certified and registered veterinarians.

Singh believes that the virus may have entered the country from Venezuela. He said that some hunters and buyers smuggled dogs from Venezuela to Trinidad where there was an outbreak of the virus.

“To hunters and buyers of Venezuelan smuggled dogs,” Singh said.

“Please be reminded Canine distemper is also found in wild life and is prevalent in the mainland, especially Venezuela, where dog vaccines are now unavailable.” Singh said testing for canine distemper from nasal and ocular discharges were also available at many clinics as studies were currently being conducted on its prevalence.

He added, “Please, if you notice any heavy discharges from your dogs’ eyes or nose, coughing, weakness or, in-coordination, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation please take your dog to a vet immediately.” Singh said the disease affected certain species of wildlife as well as two raccoons were tested positive for the virus.

The Canine Distemper Virus is spread through the air and by direct or indirect contact with an infected animal. Pet owners should look out for symptoms of high fever, loss of appetite, watery discharge, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

When contacted president of the Hunters Association, Buddie Miller, said he was not aware of the outbreak but would now inform members of the association and take the necessary precautionary measures. He said the matter was of serious concern.

“These messages are fraudulent and are considered ‘phishing’,” BATT said on Wednesday.

Phishing is a type of identity theft. BATT reminded that cybercriminals create emails, texts, social media messages and pop-up windows that look legitimate.

These are then used to “try and trick you into sharing confidential information” such as PINs, passwords and account numbers.

“Once they have your information, they can use it to commit fraud and take your money.

The most familiar type of phishing scam is an email threatening consequences if you do not log in and take action immediately.” BATT took the opportunity to remind customers that banks will never send unsolicited messages asking for confidential information, such as passwords, PINs, Access Codes, credit card and account numbers.

BATT also advised that banks will never ask customers to validate or restore their account access through text, email or pop-up windows.

“If you have entered personal information after clicking on a link or suspect fraudulent behaviour, please call your bank immediately,” BATT advised.

“So far we have had a very successful first day,” said Darrion Narine the guild’s vice president on Tuesday.

“We had all the societies and clubs coming out in their numbers and students are very engaged and enjoying the village. We have a lot of games and free give-aways. One of the things we put forward as a guild this year is to showcase student entrepreneurs on campus as a way of showing our support to them.” Guild Fest 2017, hosted by the university, was successfully launched on Monday. The weeklong event brings together all the university’s clubs, island associations and societies to promote a different aspect of the campus community.

Among the various clubs was the UWI Entrepreneurial Society which is a student-run initiative which seeks to engage and motivate students to fuel their entrepreneurial spirit. Among the young business owners present was Meg’s Jewellery Creations by Meagan Smith and sister-duo Sarah and Sharlee Barkar, co-owners of Marie’s Online Boutique. Their business has been in existence for two years and they offer people who do not have the luxury of owning a credit card to purchase quality clothing, make-up and jewellery at affordable prices, with free delivery to UWI students.

This year being their first time at Guild Fest, 22-year-old Sarah who is pursuing a degree in Management Studies said, “This is a fantastic opportunity and it has expanded my business because a lot of people are now getting to see my sister and I, the faces behind the online boutique, as many people are sceptical to make online purchases, so we have definitely gained customers.” Exquisite Beauty by Zara had a lot of young women rushing to her booth as they offered spa services and gave women the chance to get their nails polished for free.

Trinidad Babe, another business specialising in all-natural handmade soaps, wine glasses and beer koozies, also attracted students.

Beast Body Supplements, created by 23-year-old personal trainer Villon Stanley, had an outstanding display of their supplements and clothing line. “My business aims at providing affordable supplements to anyone who wants to look and be healthy,” Stanley said.

“I also have a clothing line that has inspirational quotes on them to empower my clients.” Beast Body Supplements was created in 2015 by Stanley who is also pursuing a degree in Law.

The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts was also present to educate students on the technical vocational services they offer, from tiling and events management to learning about vegetarian cuisine.

These short courses sponsored by the ministry are all free.

The tents with the most interactive games were UWI’s Linguistics Society, Communication Studies Association, Economic Society and the National Trust, to name a few. Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter was also present.

“We came here to educate the student body on fostering appreciation for our natural heritage, build heritage and cultural heritage,” said Chenelle Spooner, communications officer at the National Trust. S pooner and Ashleigh Morris, heritage preservation research officer, had engaging activities for students to name local sites, while giving them the opportunity to join the National Trust on tours throughout the country.

The victory at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy meant Amazon Warriors were scheduled to play Trinbago Knight Riders in eliminator two last night at the same venue. The winner of last night’s match will face St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the final tomorrow at the Brian Lara Academy, from 9 pm.

Khan, an 18 year old Afghanistan spinner, took the first hattrick in the five-year history of CPL as Jamaica Tallawahs posted 168 for eight in their 20 overs.

The moment came for Khan in the 15th over of the match when Andre McCarthy (14), Jonathan Foo (duck) and Rovman Powell (duck) were all out bowled to the wily spinner. They all had their stumps rattled while playing forward as they misjudged the flight and spin. Khan ended with 3/32 in four overs, while Kumar Sangakkara was the top batsman for Tallawahs scoring 57.

In reply, 36-year-old Luke Ronchi of New Zealand struck 70 off 33 deliveries with five fours and five sixes to guide Amazon Wariors to 169/5 in 17.5 overs. Mahmudullah was the chief destroyer for Tallawahs grabbing 3/25 in four overs.

After the win Ronchi said, “It was nice, it is always nice to make runs. You want to help your team win games of cricket. If it’s batting, bowling or fielding whatever it is I think everybody wants to help their team win. It is nice to make some runs and get us closer to the title.”