Las Vegas Carnival is the one of the many carnivals that has grown in the United States. This year, the board of directors of the Las Vegas Latin Caribbean Festival Inc announced the Las Vegas Latin Caribbean Carnival parade of the bands will take place on October 28. The week-long event will headline Shurwayne Winchester from TT , Jamm Boyzz Band from the Caribbean country of St Eustatius, Atlanta Caribbean Caribbean Carnival Moko Jumbies with more entertainment to be added.

The parade is scheduled to run from 12 pm to 2 pm in the Arts District downtown Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Latin Caribbean Festival Inc was established in 2015 as a “cultural development, community organisation in the state of Nevada dedicated to promoting the contributions of the Latin, Caribbean and West Indian community to the progress and development of society through Carnival Weekend which is a celebration of our community’s heritage, music, food and arts in the city of Las Vegas,” a release said.

The week-long event starts during the last week and weekend of October during the Halloween season. The Vegas Carnival would, “feature an array of signature, exclusive cultural, empowering events shedding light on the community’s growth in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Events feature live musical performances, displays and showcase of arts, culture and food.” The release quoted Las Vegas’ Mayor Carolyn G Goodman as saying: “This festive occasion will highlight the significant and wonderful cultural contributions people from Latin America, the Caribbean and the West Indies greatly add to our Las Vegas community.” Its founder and president, Cindy Leonie Blackshire said the group was excited about this year’s parade of the bands as the response from the local community and outside was amazing.

Carnival Weekend Experience features a host of parties, international celebrities and award-winning Latin, Caribbean, West Indian recording artists and costume designers

All relatives know is that late Monday evening while at her aunt’s home at Techier Village, Point Fortin where she had been spending a week-long vacation, Tinniyah received a phone call (on a borrowed phone) after which she left the house telling them she was taking a walk outside.

Tinniyah has not been seen or heard from since. Checks with relatives and friends have so far proven futile. Speaking from his home at Lake View, La Fortune, Point Fortin yesterday, her distraught father Errol Rauseo pleaded with the public to help him locate his last child who, he said, will enter form four at Holy Name Convent, Point Fortin.

He described her as five feet, two inches tall and brown in complexion with shoulder length hair.

He said she was last seen wearing a black track pants with green stripes and a pair of slippers.

Anyone with information can contact 555, 999 or 800-TIPS or any police station.

This warning was sounded by a magistrate yesterday to a motorist in the San Fernando Magistrates’ court, who pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and also, exceeding the speed limit.

“The court has to ensure the public safety, and yours as well. Putting all that into the mix, you took quite a dangerous course,” Magistrate Natalie Diop told Nicholas “Rico” Mohammed, 25, who was arrested on Tuesday night along the northbound lane of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. Mohammed was fined a total of $8,000 for both offences.

The legal speed limit on the highway is 80 kilometres per hour and 65 kilometres per hour on secondary roads.

Brought in handcuffs into the courtroom, Diop read the charge that when a breathalyser test was done on Mohammed, it was revealed that the alcohol content in his breath was 75 microgrammes.

The second charge alleged that he exceeded the speed limit by 53 kilometres per hour.

The prosecutor, Sgt Chanardath Jhilmit, said it was at about 9.29 pm when WPC Rajpatie Mahabir who was on a speed-test exercise with other police along the highway, stopped Mohammed’s vehicle – TDJ 6786, in the vicinity of Corinth. She told him that he had exceed the legal limit of 80 kilometers per hour. The officer then detected, the prosecutor added, a strong scent of alcohol which emanated from Mohammed’s breath.

Asked why he opted to drive whilst drunk, especially a heavy goods vehicle and, to compound matters, was speeding, Mohammed told Diop that he had suffered a bout of frustration while at work that night. A mechanic by trade, he said that he had applied for a loan, but the bank turned down his application.

“I was trying to get over something in my personal life. I have been really stressed out.

So, after work I went out, had a few beers and when I was finished, I was just trying to get home safe and was unaware I was over the speed limit.” Before passing sentence, Diop told Mohammed, “In your attempt to get home safe, you acted in a manner that made you unsafe.

You are now worse off than you were last week, because you are now standing before the court as an accused.

Your duty is to keep yourself safe as well as others.” Diop fined him $6,000 on the drunk driving charge, failing which he will serve nine months in jail. For exceeding the speed limit, he was ordered to pay $2,000 or serve two months. He has four months to pay the fines.

Williams is expected to travel to Australia to be the recipient of an award from members of the International Women’s Police Association.

He will then travel to China to attend an INTERPOL conference for commissioners of police then proceed on a short vacation with loved ones.

Sources revealed that Phillip was also due to proceed on a three-month course in Washington which would have started in a few days’ time and Acting Deputy Commissioner Deodath Dulalchan would have acted as commissioner in the absence of Williams.

However, sources also revealed that Phillip and Acting Deputy Commissioner Earla Christopher, who was supposed to travel to Australia to attend a conference, were called to a meeting on Saturday and informed that they were not granted permission to leave the country.

It remained unclear why leave for the two officers was not granted.

As a result of the new development, Assistant Commissioner of Police Surujdean Persad will act as deputy commissioner of Police in charge of crime.

Efforts to contact both Williams and Phillip proved futile.

Phillip was reported to be in meetings with the Director or Public Prosecutions yesterday seeking direction in an investigation against former attorney general Anand Ramlogan.

Sources also revealed yesterday that, prior to proceeding on leave, Williams sent messages to several senior officers that they were transferred to various sections and branches.

This law also permits the Commissioner or a police superintendent to grant or cancel permission given to anyone to discharge fireworks.

The ministry reminded citizens to follow specific safety tips to ensure their use of fireworks do not cause accidents and injury.

These include keeping pets indoors if possible or ensuring their enclosure/kennel is comfortable and securely locked if pets are kept outside; make sure it is legal to use fireworks if your area; never light fireworks indoors or near dry grass; always have a bucket of water and/ or a fire extinguisher nearby, know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly; supervise children around fireworks at all times; stand several feet away from lit fireworks; if a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it, put it out with water and dispose of it and always read the directions and warning labels on fireworks.

The ministry said, if a device is not marked with the contents, direction and a warning label, do not light it.

“As long as you believe you can make a change for the better, it can be done,” Lungren said.

Lungren was the main speaker at yesterday’s launch of the Caribbean Security Forum 2017 at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. He said it took a wedding photographer, in recent years, to lobby for legislation in California to increase the penalties to 25 years for a felon after two convictions.

During a robbery, the photographer’s daughter was shot dead by a felon who had several convictions and had recently been released from jail. Lungren said that when the photographer engaged with lawmakers to increase the penalties for convicted felons, they literally questioned, “Who are you to come before us to tell us how to write law?” The photographer, he said, then went through the process in California and, despite opposition, he won.

That law, Lungren said, was one of the key elements that was helping to keep the crime rate down.

The Caribbean Security Forum is an initiative of the Global Business Leadership Forum and the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Services Industry which will be held on September 21 and 22 in Port of Spain.

“Our hope is that this forum would be one of the means to make that change (in TT),” Lungren said.

The forum, which is being organised by the business community to share ideas on how the current crime and security issues were affecting the TT society in general, will involve non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and faith-based organisations, among others.

The forum will tap into a number of local and international experts.

Their objective is to devise a plan that is workable for all stakeholders and could be implemented by all committed parties.

Prior to travelling, Lungren said, he took note of the US State Department’s status for American tourists in terms of safety and security in TT. It said, “critical” for crime. That was the highest level of concern by the US State Department, he said, noting that violent crime was a critical issue in this country.

Having worked to reform the criminal justice system in California when the state was experiencing escalating violent crime over a 25-year period, Lungren said changes had to be made in the way the criminal courts operated. He said aspects of the bail system were changed along with certain aspects in the definition of crime.

Lungren said, he was not suggesting that what was done in the US should be done in TT, however, some things could be adapted while other innovative measures could be taken to suit prevailing conditions.

In a statement, the association said the politicians described the detention as a ploy to distract attention away from the escalating murder rate, the Tobago ferry “fiasco” and the revocation of the appointment of the Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte .

The association said such accusations called into question the independence of the police service and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and undermine public confidence in the administration of justice .

“If it is the experience of those who operate within the corridors of power that the DPP and the police are susceptible to political influence, then the proper and constructive approach is to propose reforms which would insulate law enforcement officers from such interference in the exercise of their powers,” the association said .

The association cautioned members of the public to reserve comment until after a court of law has pronounced .

They also cautioned all concerned against using these events to inflame political passions .

“In that regard, seeking out the opinion of politicians, including the prime minister, on an ongoing criminal investigation can only serve, unhelpfully, to politicise the issue,” the association said .

He said our attainment of Independence saw us adopt national symbols as physical reminders of our identity, culture and our collective consciousness, and these symbols must be keenly respected.

“In this regard, I make a clarion call to protect our national flora and fauna, especially our national birds. One such beautiful symbol is the Scarlet Ibis in flight or nesting on the mangrove trees of the Caroni Swamp. There must be no compromise in our fight to protect the Scarlet Ibis.” His words came after three men recently appeared before a Chaguanas magistrate charged with poaching the national bird.

His Excellency also paid tribute to athletes who represent the nation.

“It is with great pride that I salute the remarkable achievements of all our Paralympians and our athletes, especially gold medalist, Akeem Stewart and the ‘never say die’ quartet 4×400 metres gold medalists at the World Championships in London, together with the astounding victory of the West Indies cricket team against England a few days ago.

“These athletes have all become our lightning rods in our social and human darkness. This imposing display of youth success and prowess on the international stage is a timeless and timely gift to a nation celebrating Independence.

Our athletes deserve nothing less than the best in good times and in bad times and our patriotism demands that we must never be fair-weathered supporters.” Carmona made a plug for disabled citizens as he hailed the population’s diversity.

“Here in Trinidad and Tobago, we celebrate our differences and we rejoice in diversity, simply because we understand that it is our differences that make us ‘Trinbago’.” He said that if we are all the same then the same disappointments, the same challenges and the same obstacles could devour us whole.

“We must enable each other and make our diversity our forte on the world stage.” He said that in the quest for real, genuine inclusiveness, we must be informed about the needs and aspirations of people less fortunate, particularly persons with disabilities.

“Individually and collectively, we must continually ask ourselves, how as a Nation will we be judged? Will we be judged by how we treat the strong and the powerful among us? No, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, we will be judged by how we treat and care for the weak, the disadvantaged, the marginalised and the voiceless.” Carmona said Independence is an apt time to renew the national watchwords, Discipline, Produc tion and Tolerance.

The president concluded by urging TT nationals to be ambassadors to the world of Trinbago values.

“We must continue to play a meaningful role in regional, hemispheric and world affairs so that our celebrated values of hospitality, tolerance and life-affirmation, forged in the march to Independence and beyond, are recognised, preserved and celebrated.”

In a release, Annisette said Duke sought to bring to the attention of the nation, the plight of the travelling public who use the seabridge between Trinidad and Tobago.

“While some may argue that his approach to bring attention to this contemptible situation was unorthodox, we in NATUC are of the view that when traditional methods are not working, it is time to resort to new and innovative solutions to deal with problems.” He continued, “NATUC shares the pain and distress of the people of Tobago who have been suffering immensely over the colossal failure of the government to address the seabridge issue in a meaningful way. NATUC therefore welcomes Mr Duke’s symbolic and courageous attempts to bring this despicable issue into the living room of every Trinbagonian.” He said NATUC will continue to raise issues that are affecting the well-being of citizens and in this particular case, the failure of the Government to sign the charter party agreement which has allowed citizens the services of the super-fast Galicia for a further period of two months.

“We trust that the people of Trinidad and Tobago would put aside party politics and deal with the real issues that are affecting the citizenry. Historically, party politics has caused a polarisation and a divide in our society and this has resulted in a poor state of affairs for Trinidad and Tobago.

We cannot continue to behave like the proverbial ostrich and pretend that these are only minor hiccups and that all is well.” Annisette further added, “All of us are painfully aware that Trinidad and Tobago is in a state of dysfunction and our institutions are failing to deliver the services that are required of them to ensure smooth governance for the citizens. The general public is fast losing faith in the government and these institutions to the county.” He said Watson Duke has demonstrated he has the testicular fortitude to commit to a cause, and to go the full distance to seek relief for the people of Tobago and by extension, all citizens of TT.

Carmona, a former judge, may have been attempting to be flashy, saving the best for last. But the error was obvious to anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the law. If a Cabinet is to comprise, at the barest minimum, a prime minister and an attorney general, and if it is for the prime minister to appoint that attorney general, then a prime minister must be in office first before an attorney general can be appointed.

This blooper resulted in a spectre the likes of which this country had never seen. The swearing-in ceremony for the two ministers had to take place a second time, this time behind the closed doors of the Office of the President.

It turns out that event was not such a rarity after all.

The circumstances surrounding the botched appointment of Robert Le Hunte last Thursday as Minister of Public Utilities do not have to be fully explained for us to apportion blame.

That blame must fall squarely on the arms of the State that are involved in the vetting and appointment of ministers.

To varying degrees all of them must take some share of responsibility: President Carmona, Prime Minister Rowley, Attorney General Al-Rawi, the Office of the Solicitor General, and Le Hunte himself.

The President may have no choice but to act on the advice of the Prime Minister when it comes to Cabinet appointments, but surely no president can be forced to make an invalid move. Does the Office of the President not take legal advice on matters before it, particularly appointments? Was this not the very heart of the recent Privy Council ruling which found the President to be accountable when it comes to the exercise of his power to appoint to various boards? Does the Office of the President – which in theory has at its disposal all of the Silk in the land – have adequate and independent legal counsel? Was that office able to conduct checks in relation to this appointment, unfettered? And while Rowley has attributed the whole fiasco to a “communications glitch,” where did that glitch occur? Did the Office of the Prime Minister, as well, conduct checks? Did the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor? The biggest mystery here is how this could have happened in the wake of the Marlene Mc Donald affair. It was essential that this appointment not have any irregularities.

It is, however, to the credit of the Office of the Prime Minister that once the matter was discovered it was disclosed. For it seems there were no other institutions upon which the public could have counted on to pick up on the matter.

How could a corporate citizen like Le Hunte, who comes from a background where due diligence is par for the course, miss this matter? A communication glitch is one thing, but a failure to assess the situation on his own terms is another.

In both instances, the new appointee is placed in a terrible position.

Either he is a part of a system that cannot get the most basic tasks right, or he has not been thorough enough when it comes to the very first thing he had to do as a minister: raise his hand and take the oath.

We call for the State to implement a far more rigorous process of ministerial appointment, whether through formal means or protocols at the Office of the Prime Minister, to prevent a recurrence of this embarrassing episode for all concerned.

Talented, courageous and meritorious individuals who come forward to serve the public should not be embarrassed like this