Police Seek Information in Teen Death

17-year-old Crystal St. Omer

Officers attached to the Major Crime Unit are appealing to persons who have information relating to the death of Crystal St. Omer to come forward with any information relating to her disappearance and circumstances leading to her death.

The 17 year old former student of the Castries Comprehensive School (CCSS), left home on Wednesday morning, August 22, to collect her CXC transcript from the school. She later went to the CSA Credit Union on the corner of Jeremie Street and Chaussee Road in Castries where she was last seen at approximately 12:30PM that same Wednesday. By Friday, the family were seeking help through social and mainstream media to find the young girl.

Ironically, as Saint Lucia joined the word in recognising Saturday 25 as Orange day, to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls, came the devastating news that Crystal’s body was found. It was reported that she was found lifeless and badly beaten in a remote area in Cap Estate at the northenmost end of the island.

Police has invited anyone with information that can assist in solving this crime to pass it on in person or by calling  456 3754. On Saturday they stressed that no one has been arrested and no suspects have been identified.

Police have further asked persons to refrain from sending bogus Black Berry Messenger (BBM) messages implicating persons to the case.

Earlier in the day a message making the rounds on BBM named a Gros Islet bus driver, who, it was claimed, was arrested by police as he was the last to be seem with the victim.

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Success for CDF Summer Arts Workshop

The Cultural Development Foundation’s Summer Arts Workshop has been dubbed a success by organizers. The workshops planned in partnership with communities from across the island, is geared towards participants aged 5 to 16 years.

Teachers coach participants through completion and public exhibition of work in a multitude of areas, to include drawing and painting, creative craft, music, martial arts, drama and dance.

The workshops which are extremely popular with the young participants attracted more than 270 young people from the various communities in which they were organized. This year’s workshops were held from July 18 to August 10 in the communities of Gros-Islet, laborite, Babonneau, Vieux-Fort and Castries. Classes ran Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm.

The programme for the Castries workshop culminated with an exhibition and awards ceremony at the National Cultural Centre on August 10 at 3pm.

Support to the workshops by sponsors such as

Eastern Caribbean Financial Holdings, Brydens, Super J IGA, JE Bergasse, and CARITAS helps participants hone their skills and showcase their creativity. What’s more, we believe the next generation of great Saint Lucian artists will emerge out of this programme, bolstering the vitality of our community for years to come. As such, the Cultural Development Foundation wishes to thank all sponsors of this year’s Summer Arts Workshop for their invaluable contribution to the program’s continued success.

Travel Agent Training Programmes

The Saint Lucia Tourist Board office in Canada is presently on the road with Transat Holidays as that tour operator launches its 2012-2013 Sun Destinations programme. The Transat Holidays National Training Academies for travel agents kicked off in Quebec on 20^th August and in Ontario on 21^st August, and they will run through to mid-September.  The Saint Lucia Tourist Board will participate in some of these launches to promote the UVF programme and Transat’s non-stop charters via Montreal and Toronto to Saint Lucia. Pictured here at the Saint Lucia booth during the grand Toronto Launch, are Saint Lucia’s Transat Holidays partners: Judy Duncan, Sunswept Resorts and Bay Gardens Resorts; Wendy Cole, Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa; Alison Theodore, SLTB Canada , Robert Smith, Sandals Resorts; Jacqueline Stubbs, Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort & Spa and Allison Ferguson, Rex Resorts.

Chef’s in School

The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) has established a new initiative aimed at educating and supporting students pursuing culinary and/or home economics studies in local Secondary and Tertiary Schools on the island. This initiative will involve a school visit by a Chef of the Saint Lucia Culinary Team to speak with students aspiring to careers in culinary arts.

Saint Lucia Culinary Team

The visiting Chef will share career highlights, past experiences and industry information with students and guide them in a practical preparation of a dish using local ingredients.  The experience, which will be conducted over a one hour period, is designed to raise the awareness of students about local cuisine and encourage students to use more local ingredients in the preparation of healthy meals.

The programme will commence in September 2012, upon the commencement of the new school year.

Prime Minister To Address Socialist International and Commonwealth Education Ministers Meetings

Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Kenny D. Anthony, leaves the island today to travel to Mauritius and South Africa. Dr. Anthony has been invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat to give the keynote address at a conference of Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony

From Mauritius, Dr. Anthony travels to nearby South Africa to attend the XXIV Congress of Socialist International, a grouping which comprises social democratic, labour and socialist political parties in over one hundred and fifty countries. The Congress is hosted by the African National Congress (ANC).Socialist International includes political parties such as the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party, several Commonwealth Caribbean political parties such as the People’s National Party of Jamaica, the Barbados Labour Party(BLP) and the Unity Labour Party(ULP) of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dr. Anthony was invited in his “capacity as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia to address the Congress as a keynote speaker.”

While the Commonwealth Secretariat will be meeting the expenses of his travel to Mauritius, Dr. Anthony will be meeting the cost of his stay in South Africa from his personal funds.

The Minister of Education Hon Robert K Lewis will also be attending the meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Education in Mauritius.

In his absence, Hon. Philip J. Pierre will act as Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Affairs, Planning and Social Security.

Heineken Green Synergy Semi-Finals This Sunday

Sixteen semi-finalists have been chosen, following two rounds of preliminary competition in the 2012 Heineken Green Synergy DJ Competition. On Friday August 17, the first round of competition hosted by MC Pringles was held before a mammoth crowd at the WLBL Car park in Vieux Fort where fourteen DJ’s vied for a spot in the semi-finals. This was the more intense of the two rounds, with well known DJ’s like Sly Eli, DJ Spy and Mega B participating. It also featured a showdown between two female DJ’s, a first for Heineken Green Synergy here. The match-up featured DJ Lovely, one of the first females to compete in the competition, making it to the finals last year and newcomer DJ Kissy. This was a clash which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.

Another intense moment last Friday was when newcomers Silver Mic and Atta had their encounter. However Silver Mic appeared to be going after last year’s winner Selecta Twis who was back-stage but stepped onto the stage when his name was called out by the Hot FM DJ. This sparked a flurry of talk about the two coming up against each other in the finals.

The second round of competition was held on Sunday August 19 at Pigeon Point where sixteen DJ’s were paired up for the event. The large crowd there witnessed a number of new comers who appeared to have fared better than a number of DJ’s who had competed in the event before. Thurum, Scratch and DJ Quaine were among the competing DJ’s on Sunday.

At the end of both rounds, a panel of three judges selected the top sixteen DJ’s based on the top scores, to go to the semi-finals.

The sixteen semi finalists who will compete this Sunday August 26 at the Ka Ka Bef in Vieux Fort are DJ Mega B, Sly Eli, DJ Spy, Thurum, DJ Lovely, DJ Flexx, Wizzle, DJ Atta, Stain, M -Style, DJ C-4, DJ Kissy, Omega, Silver Mic, DJ Liquid and DJ Smokey. The competing DJ’s will be paired and each DJ winning their round will qualify for the finals automatically. They will then come up against the reigning Heineken Green Synergy DJ Champion Selecta Twis on Sunday September 2, 2012 at Fond D’or, Dennery.

The Heineken Green Synergy DJ Competition is an annual summer long event now in its ninth year. This year the event is being promoted under the “Heineken H-Marks the spot” tag line. This year the event is being aired on DBS TV every Tuesday at 8 PM with repeats on Fridays and Sundays.

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Farmers Urged: Do Not Take The Law Into Your Own Hands

“Do not take the law into your own hands”, was the note of caution issued by Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, who was the feature speaker at the launch of the second phase of the Praedial Larceny Project held in Vieux-Fort on Wednesday August 22, 2012.

In his address, Prime Minister Anthony said that he identifies with the frustration that farmers feel when they are robbed of the benefits of their hard work. Dr. Anthony said,“When your crops or livestock are stolen, you often feel frustrated and angry. It is worse when the act is done by the same perpetrators, over and over again. Even more infuriating is the leniency of magistrates towards these persistent offenders. I know because I too, am a repeat victim. These are the moments when you feel the system can do nothing and then you proceed to take the law into your own hands. No matter how angry you may be, I urge you to resist the temptation to take the law into your hands. It is better for the law to suffer disrepute than for you to be its victim.”

Dr. Anthony reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the agricultural sector, citing the allocation of over twenty four million dollars this financial year into capital initiatives to improve agriculture, fisheries and food production.

He warned sympathizers of the perpetrators of Praedial Larceny not to condone the acts of those who prey on farmers as such acts pose a serious hindrance to the growth and development of the agricultural sector and the development of the island.

End.