Richards ready for her rivals
IT will be familiar territory for Edwin Allen High’s Class One thrower Fiona Richards when she lines up for her new school at next week’s ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships.The former Buff Bay High representative had to sit out last year’s meet due to the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association transfer rule for non-sixth form students. However, it should be back to winning ways for her at this year’s meet. The last time she competed at Champs, in 2015, she was a Class Two double champion capturing shot put and discus events. She is once again eyeing another double.Despite her good form going into Champs, all has not been smooth for her.”I had to miss training for more than four weeks in November due to severe chest pain and my coach and doctor told me to take a break but I am good now,” said Richards, who stated that she had to work overtime in training to get back to her best.Richards, who will also be competing in the javelin event, will renew rivalry with many of those athletes she defeated two years ago, including former St Elizabeth Technical athlete Sah Jay Stevens, who is now at St Jago, Hydel High’s Devia Brown, Avery Pryce of Vere Technical, and former St Andrew High student Gabrielle Bailey who is now at St Jago High.SEVERAL ISSUESThe talented Richards is looking forward to the rivalry once again, especially with Bailey, in the discus. Bailey has beaten her twice this season, at the Carifta Trials and Central Championships.”I lost at Carifta Trials because I had several issues and was not focused, but I am ready now to compete to give my school valuable points to win the championships once again,” she said.She added: “I like the atmosphere at Edwin Allen and also the reception I received when I first got there; this is really great encouragement for me.”
The police station in Karnplay is said to be in a very poor condition, with the entire roof and other parts of the building in serious disrepair, hindering the effective functioning of police officers assigned in the district of Gbehlay.The Daily Observer observed that rainfall compels officers to seek shelter elsewhere as the offices are flooded.The building, which has four offices, shows deep cracks on every side, with a big hole at the back of the building.“There is no bathroom in the entire building for either the officers or the inmates,” a police source said.Pointing at the small cell, the police source said, “We provide buckets for the inmates to ease themselves and we pay others to dispose of it.”The poor condition of the building is not healthy for the officers and inmates, residents interviewed told the Daily Observer.“Karnplay is too close to the Ivory Coast and therefore crimes should be expected, which suggests that the police detachment should be housed in a decent building,” they said.Karnplay is one of the semi- urban towns in Nimba and is close to the border with Ivory Coast. The police station also controls towns and villages within the two Gbehlay Geh Statutory districts.Karnplay remains one of the focal points of crime in Nimba County. Last year, two little girls mysteriously dissappeared after school and were later found on their farm road.Late last year, a man set his house ablaze, leaving four children to die in the blaze in a border town called Loguatuo.Recently, a man identified as Randolph Free attempted setting one of Nimba County’s yellow earth moving catepillars ablaze in a town called Gbehyee Vonwea.The man is currently detained at the police cell in Karnpaly awaiting trial, although he has pleaded for mercy saying, he did that out of furstration because his parents are very old and he did not have any place to live.Nearly all the police and immigration stations in Nimba County were built by the UNMIL Quick Impact Project, but with the poor status of the police station, many in the town are wondering whether the Liberian government is waiting for UNMIL’s departure before embarking on major and minor reconstruction. “Everyday people come here to take photographs of this building, but we see nothing happening,” a neighbor told the Daily Observer. A source at the Liberia National Police headquarters in Monrovia told the newspaper yesterday that the information will be looked into to ensure that immediate intervention is made to assist the police detachment in Karnplay.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
The Government of Liberia (GoL) and the Swedish Government have signed a US$3.2 million cooperation agreement to build the capacity of officers of the Liberian National Police (LNP) to fight crime and improve service delivery.The signing ceremony took place on Friday at the Zone Six Police Station in Brewerville, outside Monrovia.During the signing ceremony on Friday at the Zone Six Police Detail in Brewerville, outside Monrovia, Ambassador Lena Nordström said the project will also attend to basic crime investigation, crime scene investigation with a specific focus on crimes related to sexual and gender-based violence, and increase collaboration between the LNP and the Prosecution Service.She said the initiative is in support of the Swedish Government Development Cooperation Strategy with Liberia for the next four years (2016-2020) with approximately US$158 million.This strategy, she said, has three result areas including human security, pro-poor growth and democracy, gender equality and greater respect for human development.Amb. Nordström said Sweden has a feminist foreign policy that seeks to ensure gender equality and equal participation of men and women, adding, “It is a peace and security measure when women are given equal opportunity to be active voices in the security sector and also in the community.”She meanwhile called on the LNP to ensure that the security of all within the borders of Liberia is protected at all times since they have a strong leadership to take over the country’s security from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).“For the LNP to be successful in honoring its national duties,” Nordström said, “they have to allow the citizens to trust them.” She said when institutions are open and transparent, people trust them, stating that state institutions can only be strong if the people trust their ability to deliver services that can impact their lives.According to the female diplomat, the police cooperation project will address the issue of trust by building the LNP’s capacity in service delivery to Liberians and their foreign counterparts.For his part, Police Director Gregory Coleman said the agreement marks a very important milestone in pledging LNP’s commitment to raise the officers’ professional level to meet international standards, especially in the areas of crime scene investigation as well as sexual and gender-based violence, among others.Coleman said the bilateral development cooperation is aimed to generally enhance the professional skills of the LNP Crime Service Department in the areas of basics crime investigation as well as cooperation between the police and the prosecuting arm of the government.“The project is in no way an attempt to convey an impression of a lack of competency of personnel of the Crime Services Department, who have over the years performed and continue to perform a fantastic job in obtaining evidence from crime scenes leading to successful prosecution and conviction of perpetrators. As a result of the dynamism in all spheres of scientific investigations, there is room for continuous improvement, which the LNP is of no exception,” Coleman said.He expressed gratitude to the Swedish Government for the assistance to the LNP.He then assured Ambassador Nordström of LNP’s willingness to fully execute its obligation as stipulated in the Letter of Intent and also the bilateral agreement signed between police authorities representing both countries.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Senator Peter Sonpon ColemanIn a strongly worded statement, the Grand Kru County Legislative Caucus has blamed the appointment of a “political County Education Officer (CEO)” as a contributing factor to the poor performance of students in this year’s WAEC examinations .Addressing journalists recently at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia, Grand Kru County Senator Peter Sonpon Coleman said the recent poor performance by students from the county can be attributed to the appointment of a new CEO about eight months ago, and his (CEO) declaration to contest the representative position in District #2 in that county.“The political posture of the newly appointed CEO, Reverend Bloh Doyen, was raised by the Grand Kru County Legislative Caucus and the county administration to authorities of the Ministry of Education, and specifically Minister George K. Werner, who happens to hail from Grand Kru County,” Dr. Coleman said. He added that their appeal on several occasions to have the CEO replaced failed.Although CEO Doyen, according to Senator Coleman, has been dismissed, he said the county’s Legislative Caucus and the county administration consider the MOE’s action as belated and a “direct dereliction of duty” by the MOE authorities and a huge disservice to the people of Grand Kru County.“Had Minister Werner listened to our earnest appeals to relieve the CEO of his duties, our students would not have produced this disastrous result. No wonder why our education is considered a mess and the authorities of MOE are making a bad situation worse,” said Senator Coleman, who chairs the Senate Committee on Gender, Health, Social Welfare, Women and Children’s Affairs.The Grand Kru Legislative Caucus recalled that over the past three to four years, the performance of Grand Kru students in WAEC examinations has been poor due to very little attention by the MOE to that county.The caucus maintained that the appointment of incompetent CEOs and DEOs as well as unqualified instructors and lack of supervision by CEOs and DEOs of the school districts have been a very serious problem.“Unfortunately, it is an open secret that CEOs are accustomed to spending most of their time in Monrovia, while DEOs do not even reside in their school districts. As a result there has been this perennial lack of supervision of the schools. Additionally, many DEOs were retired and are yet to be replaced to make the system much more functional,” said Coleman.The caucus has, meanwhile, thanked the United States Peace Corps volunteers and the Nigerian volunteer teachers assigned in the county for their contribution to making the situation better, and assured them of collaborative efforts to improve the system.MOE director of communications, J. Maxim Blethan, when contacted promised that the ministry will address the situation “very soon.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
The Premier was invited to the event, but did not attend and has not responded to the group. [asset|aid=3155|format=mp3player|formatter=asset_bonus|title=29c8cf12ebd36202e2e0cb64655f7a8b-Sandra Hoffman – Paddle to the Premier 1_1_Pub.mp3] 

 The protest Sunday morning saw a group from the Peace region paddle along the Gorge Waterway from the Selkirk Waterfront to Victoria’s inner harbour. The protest at the B.C. Legislature, saw speeches from Sierra Club’s Susan Howett, Liz Logan, Roland Wilson, chief of the West Moberly First Nation and Green Party leader Jane Sterk. David Suzuki was scheduled to speak at the event, but was his plane was cancelled by fog. On Friday, Sandra Hoffman, co-ordinator for the Peace Valley Environmental Association, stated protestors now feel it’s time to take their message to the people in the southern part of the province.
Photo: Site C dam protestors started their trip to Victoria with a small rally in Fort St. John on Friday./Andrew Tylosky. Update – Other media now state the crowd was more like 300 or 400. The number provided to Energeticcity.ca came from event organizers.- Advertisement -Over 1,000 people joined the convoy from Northeastern BC to protest the Site C dam in Victoria. The Site C dam project is currently in Stage 3 – the environmental review – of a five step evaluation. According to the BC Hydro website, if the project passes the regulatory review phase, the dam is expected to be completed and generating electricity within 10 years.
160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! By City News Service Train service between Los Angeles and San Diego is on hold today because construction crews laying new double tracks in Santa Ana have the popular route blocked. Most Metrolink and Amtrak passenger service on the popular line, which has up to 60 trains pass each day, is suspended in central Orange County. Amtrak is running buses on its intercity routes for displaced passengers. Metrolink’s weekend trains from Los Angeles Union Station are only travelling as far south as the Anaheim station. In San Diego County, Saturday service on the Coaster line is not affected. No Coasters run Sundays. Rail officials are working on a $28 million project to lay parallel tracks on all 60 miles of line between Los Angeles and Laguna Niguel. The double tracks will mean an end to most delays for commuter and intercity trains on the line, and will mean less pollution and noise from idling trains that for decades have had to wait for clear tracks in central Orange County. 
OxyContin – the brand name for oxycodone – has been blamed for hundreds of deaths across the country. Its intended slow-release effect can be easily circumvented, and abuse has been high in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. Kentucky officials decided to pursue the lawsuit after the drug maker and three of its current or former executives pleaded guilty in May to misleading the public about the drug’s risk of addiction. They agreed to pay $634.5 million in fines for claiming the drug was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other medications. The plea agreement came two days after the company agreed to pay $19.5 million to 26 states and Washington, D.C., to settle complaints that it encouraged physicians to overprescribe the drug. The company said it accepted responsibility for “past misstatements” by company officials. “We do not believe, however, that those misstatement were responsible for individuals’ abuse of OxyContin,” the statement said. In 2006, 484 people died from drug overdoses in Kentucky, according to the state medical examiner’s annual report. It found that oxycodone was the chief cause in 16 percent of the deaths. The plaintiffs say abuse of prescription drugs including Oxycontin is so rampant in Pike County that the jail underwent a $5.6 million expansion in 2005 to deal with the problem. “It’s ironic that those who manufacture a drug that is meant to ease the pain of those suffering from debilitating diseases and who truly need it have in fact inflicted so much pain by being deceptive and greedy,” said Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! COURTS: Kentucky wants compensation for costs incurred by users of “hillbilly heroin.” By Samira Jafari THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky officials on Thursday sued the manufacturer of OxyContin, the prescription painkiller dubbed “hillbilly heroin,” because of widespread abuse in Appalachia. A lawsuit filed by Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo and Pike County officials demands millions in compensation from drug maker Purdue Pharma. “Make no mistake about it – this is war,” said Gary C. Johnson, the county’s outside counsel who is handling the case. The suit seeks reimbursement for costs incurred in drug-abuse programs, law enforcement and prescription payments through Medicaid and the Kentucky Pharmaceutical Assistance program. In a statement, Purdue Pharma officials said OxyContin’s packaging warns against the dangers of abusing the drug and that the company shouldn’t be held responsible for individuals do. Filed in Pike County Circuit Court, the lawsuit seeks class-action status for other “similarly situated” counties in the state. It seeks unspecified punitive damages and the creation of a court-monitored fund, financed by Purdue Pharma, that would pay for a program that would notify users of the risks of the drug and spur research on the effects of the drug, among other initiatives. 
Two young Donegal lads Conor O’Donnell a 6th year pupil at Rosses Community School, Dungloe and Kieran McDyre from Maas near Glenties will be competing in the World Surf Kayaking Championships in Brisbane, Australia in July.The two boys have been competing since they were 15 years old in the Irish and Northern Irish League and last year competed in the British Championships at Pembrokeshire in Wales as well as the European Surf Kayaking Championships at Mundaka in northern Spain.Conor picked up 2nd place in the junior high performance class and Kieran finished in 8th place in the men’s European final. If you would like to support the boys and have some fun at the same time come along to their Come & Try Kayaking days at Lough Gartan Churchill and Mountcharles pier over the next few weeks to raise funds for their trip which is supported by Rapid Kayaking, Annagry, Co.Donegal and the Gweebarra Canoe Club in which the two lads are members.More details on the come and try kayaking days at http://www.rapidkayaking.com/ DONEGAL TEENAGERS SET TO REPRESENT IRELAND AT WORLD SURF KAYAKING CHAMIONSHIPS IN AUSTRALIA was last modified: March 30th, 2013 by BrendaShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:ChurchillDONEGAL TEENAGERS SET TO REPRESENT IRELAND AT WORLD SURF KAYAKING CHAMIONSHIPS IN AUSTRALIAdungloegartanKayakingMaasWorld champs
A Donegal man has sent out an SOS to find the woman of his dreams whom he only knows by her first name!Raphoe man Edmund is desperately seeking Bridget!Edmund Meehan had been searching for a local woman since meeting her in Lisdoonvarna a year ago.He only knew her as Bridget and that she’s from Limerick but insisted they got on so well that he couldn’t get her out of his head. The 49-year-old haulage contractor from Raphoe met Bridget in the Matchmaker bar in the famous Clare town.They got on famously but through no fault of his own things didn’t work out on the night.Edmund made a number of trips back but last week took the unusual step of telling his story to the Limerick Leader newspaper.He did get one call back from a ‘Bridget.’ “I got a lot of calls and texts after the story appeared. I did meet a Bridget from Limerick, but it wasn’t her,” he rued.“I was travelling down to Lisdoonvarna last weekend and she phoned me. We made arrangements to meet up.“I hung about with her, got her a drink and had bit of craic with her and her friend,” said Edmund.But he only has eyes for his Bridget and Edmund hasn’t give up hope yet.“Somebody was saying she might have emigrated because she was unemployed. I haven’t given up,” said Edmund. Indeed, his phone has been hopping since he bravely contacted the Leader last week.He was asked to appear on the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE 2fm on Wednesday morning.“I’ve got a great response to it. I’ve got a lot of calls and texts from girls. I’ve phoned them back and had the craic with them.“One lady rang me saying she had a daughter she wanted me to meet up with. We must have been on the phone for an hour,” said Edmund. He has kept in contact with them all and some are keen to meet up but he doesn’t know about that. The one girl that this all started with is still out there. He spotted her across the crowded pub and went up to talk to her.“She was in the middle of the bar near the dance floor. I went over to her, asked her to dance and she said yes.“We had four or five dances, stopped for a drink and then went dancing again. We were getting on like a house on fire, ” said Edmund.He learned her name, that she was unemployed, studying a computer course and from Limerick.“I really like her and we just clicked. I thought she was a lovely, amazing girl with character and dignity. It was so natural. “I invited her to come up to Donegal and she said she would, ” said Edmund.However, his friend got a “little enthusiastic”, said something to her and “his sense of humour can be very misplaced”.“It was taken out of context and I apologised to her, ” said Edmund.But it was to no avail and Bridget returned home to Limerick that night. He drove the seven hours down again the next weekend and searched “every inch of every bar” but to no avail.“She is about 30 years of age. She has black hair, slim, average height, pale complexion and very sincere, caring sensitive eyes,” he said.Edmund is still looking for Bridget and if she is out there, he’s on 086 9875366.DONEGAL MAN IS DESPERATELY SEEKING HIS BRIDGET! was last modified: October 4th, 2013 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:BridgetEdmund MeehanLisdoonvarnaloveRaphoe
National Revaluation Programme Update: Revaluation of commercial and industrial properties in Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo County Council and Galway City Council Rating Authority areas has formally commenced following the making of Valuation Orders by the Commissioner of Valuation.See the Valuation Orders belowJohn O’Sullivan, Commissioner of Valuation, has made Valuation Orders today, 4th November, under section 19 of the Valuation Act 2001 as amended by section 7 of the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 for the rating authority areas of Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo County Councils and Galway City Council. These orders signal the formal commencement of the revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties for rating purposes in these rating authority areas. This is an important milestone in the revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland which is currently underway through a programme known as the National Revaluation Programme.All occupiers of rateable property in these rating authority areas should shortly receive a revaluation information form along with an explanatory letter and information leaflet. The form seeks information about the rateable property including its use and rental details, where it is rented. Occupiers are required to complete this form and return it to the Valuation Office. The information provided is critical to the revaluation process.The revaluations will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Valuation Acts 2001-2015 and are part of the national programme to modernise the rateable valuation of all commercial and industrial property in Ireland.The programme has already been concluded in the rating authority areas of Carlow, Cavan, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow County Councils, as well as the rating authority areas of Dublin City Council, Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council. Provision for a revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland was initially made under the Valuation Act of 2001. This legislation was amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, which improved and streamlined the process. Neither residential property nor agricultural lands are rateable and consequently will not be affected by the revaluation.The revaluation will take account of contemporary rental levels in the respective rating authority areas and will result in a more equitable distribution of commercial rates among ratepayers. A Valuation Manager has been appointed to assess the value of each rateable property and set a valuation in line with rental values in each respective rating authority area at the valuation date of 16th September 2019. It is envisaged that the new valuations will be published on 15th September 2021 and will become effective for rating purposes from 1st January 2022.A revaluation is necessary to bring more equity and transparency into the Local Authority rating system. Following revaluation, there is a much closer and more uniform relationship between contemporary rental values of property and their commercial rates liability. The revaluation will result in a redistribution of the commercial rates liability between ratepayers depending on the relative shift in the rental values of their properties in relation to each other.While an individual occupier’s rates liability may increase or decrease, the revaluation will not increase the overall commercial rates income of the Local Authority. The commercial rates income of each Local Authority undergoing revaluation will be capped in the year following a revaluation.VALUATION ORDERSVALUATION ORDERS FOR THE RATING AUTHORITY AREAS OF CLARE, DONEGAL, GALWAY, KERRY AND MAYO COUNTY COUNCILS AND GALWAY CITY COUNCIL I, John O’Sullivan, Commissioner of Valuation, hereby give notice that I have, on 4th November 2019, made valuation orders under section 19 of the Valuation Act 2001 as amended by section 7 of the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 for the rating authority areas of Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo County Councils and Galway City Council.Copies of the orders are available for inspection, until 15th September 2021, during normal office hours at the offices of the relevant rating authority, at the Valuation Office, Irish Life Centre, Abbey Street Lower, Dublin, D01 EX 90 and online at the Valuation Office website www.valoff.ieJohn O’SullivanCommissioner of ValuationORDUITHE LUACHÁLAORDUITHE LUACHÁLA DO LIMISTÉIR ÚDARÁIS RÁTÚCHÁIN CHOMHAIRLÍ CONTAE AN CHLÁIR, DHÚN NA NGALL, NA GAILLIMHE, CHIARRAÍ AGUS MHAIGH EO AGUS COMHAIRLE CATHRACH NA GAILLIMHE Déanaimse, John O’Sullivan, Coimisinéir Luachála, fógra a thabhairt leis seo á rá go bhfuil mé tar éis orduithe luachála a dhéanamh, ar an 4 Samhain 2019, faoi alt 19 den Acht Luachála 2001, arna leasú le halt 7 den Acht Luachála (Leasú) 2015, ar leith de údaráis rátúcháin Chomhairlí Contae an Chláir, Dhún na nGall, na Gaillimhe, Chiaraí, agus Mhaigh Eo agus Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe.Tá cóipeanna de an t-ordú ar fáil lena n-iniúchadh, go dtí 15 Meán Fómhair 2021, le linn gnáthuaire oifige in oifigí faoi seach an údarás rátála lena mbaineann, san Oifig Luachála, Ionad Irish Life, Sráid na Mainistreach Íochtarach, Baile Átha Cliath D01 EX90 agus ar líne ag láithreán gréasáin na hOifige Luachála, www.valoff.ieJohn O’SullivanCoimisinéir LuachálaRevaluation of commercial and industrial properties begins following Valuation Orders was last modified: November 7th, 2019 by Staff WriterShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)