Category Archives: headline

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Ngozi Nicholls is new Carnival Swimsuit Queen

A large audience was on hand on Wednesday night, 22nd December 2021,  to witness the crowning of the new St. Kitts & Nevis Carnival Swimsuit Queen, Ngozi Nicholls, who was sponsored by Next Generation Medical Laboratory.

It was a competition that many had been predicting would be closely fought and the results of the judges proved the public right after they declared a winner by the smallest of margins, just one (1) point.

To secure victory, Nicholls captured the imagination of the judges by winning the Best Interview segment and the Identical Swimwear Appearance. 

On her way to being crowned by the Minister of Culture and Carnival, Jonel Powell, Nicholls tallied 897 points, just one more than her First Runner-up, Shantara Hewlett, sponsored by National Bank.

The stage at the St. Kitts Marriott Recreational Center was on pageant fire, as each contestant took their turn in the spotlight to gain points in the Identical Wear, National Pride, Glitz & Glam, and Interview.

Shantara Hewlett, who placed First Runner-up with 896 points, also got the judges’ nod to earn top honours for Best National Pride and Glitz & Glam.

The Second Runner-up spot was occupied by Valencia Kelly, who amassed 775.5 points. She was sponsored by St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

The other two contestants were Ro-Danna Wilkins, sponsored by ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation, and Mikhalia Stephens, sponsored by Royal St. Kitts Hotel.

The next carnival event on the Calendar of Activities is the Soca Monarch Competition, on Thursday, 23rd December, at Carnival Village in Basseterre, starting at 8:00 p.m.

This is the 50th Anniversary of the St. Kitts & Nevis National Carnival, Sugar Mas, which is being celebrated under the theme, Fun, Vibe, Energy.

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WORLD VIEW: Omicron Hits Holidays, China Lockdown, Variant Not As Bad, Afghan Drought, More

Dec 23, 2021

The Associated Press

The Rundown

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Dave Fravel and his wife invited several relatives to their Cape Cod home for Christmas to share food, gifts and the togetherness they’ve longed for during the lonely days of the pandemic. They were also looking forward to a holiday sightseeing trip…Read More

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BEIJING (AP) — China is redoubling efforts to control new virus outbreaks with a lockdown of the 13 million residents of the northern city of Xi’an following a spike in coronavirus cases….Read More

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Two new British studies provide some early hints that the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the delta version….Read More

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HONG KONG (AP) — A monument at a Hong Kong university that was the best-known public remembrance of the Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil was removed early Thursday, wiping out the city’s last place of public commemoration of the bloody 1989…Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will hold a special session in just over two weeks to weigh challenges to two Biden administration policies covering vaccine requi…Read More

SANG-E-ATASH, Afghanistan (AP) — Fed by rain and snowmelt from mountains, this valley nestled among northwestern Afghanistan’s jagged peaks was once fertile. But the climate …Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Russia was working to subvert U.S. elections and sow discord among Americans, Congress directed the creation of an intelligence center to lead efforts to…Read More

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nations around the world are lurching into lockdown, steeling themselves for a brutal surge as the omicron variant spreads like wildfire. …Read More

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DR Human Smuggling Ring Smashed After Migrant Deaths

Five members of a human smuggling network that charged $20,000 per person are arrested in the Dominican Republic after being linked to the deaths of three of the 56 migrants killed in Mexico truck crash

  • The arrests took place Tuesday in the cities of Baní and Santo Domingo
  • The network reportedly helped smuggled three of the 56 Central American and Dominican migrants who were killed in a crash in Mexico on December 9 
  • The group charged migrants up to $22,000 to smuggle them from the Dominican Republic to the United States
  • A total of six Dominican nationals have been confirmed dead by Mexican and Dominican authorities
  • At least three were injured, but 11 who were in the tractor trailer at the time of the accident have been reported missing 
  • The truck was hauling over 160 migrants when it crashed into the side of a pedestrian bridge in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas 
  • At least 107 people were also injured in the accident 

By Adry Torres For Dailymail.com

Dominican Republic authorities have dismantled a criminal network that tried to smuggle three Dominican nationals who were among the 56 migrants killed in a US-bound truck when it crashed in Mexico, officials said.

Security forces launched simultaneous raids across the cities of Baní and Santo Domingo, the capital, on Tuesday, and arrested Guillermo Guzmán Marcano; Leonel Antonio Méndez Arias; Román Alberto Casalinovo Trinidad; Santo Francisco Vizcaíno Guerrero; and Jesús Antonio Martínez Díaz.

The network charged at least $20,000 per person and used the profits to splurge on real estate and luxury vehicles.

Each of the individuals was charged with ‘promoting, inducing and financing the illicit trafficking of persons,’ the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.

Prosecutors have requested 18 months of pretrial detention for each of the five defendants. They are expected to make their first court appearance before a judge Wednesday or Thursday.

Scene of the December 9 tractor trailer accident in Chiapas, Mexico, that claimed the lives of 56 migrants and injured 107 from tRepublic

Scene of the December 9 tractor trailer accident in Chiapas, Mexico, that claimed the lives of 56 migrants and injured 107 from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. On Tuesday, authorities in the Dominican Republic apprehended five members of a criminal group who reportedly arranged the smuggling of three Dominican nationals who died in the accident

Bodies in bodybags are placed on the side of the road after an accident outside the Chiapas City of Tuxtla Gutiérrez left 56 migrants dead on December 9

A Red Cross paramedic tends to a migrant who was injured in the truck accident that left 56 people dead and 107 injured in Mexico on December 9

A Red Cross paramedic tends to a migrant who was injured in the truck accident that left 56 people dead and 107 injured in Mexico on December 9

The smuggling ring, investigators found, trafficked Dominican residents from Santo Domingo to the United States.

The group set up migrants on flights from Santo Domingo to Guatemala, Panama and Mexico, among other countries, and then crammed them inside freight containers that were hauled across the Mexico-United States border.

A spokeswoman with the Ministry of the Interior confirmed to DailyMail.com that Mexican authorities have so far identified only six Dominican nationals who were killed.

However, media outlets have reported that as many as seven Dominicans died in the December 9 crash.

At least three were injured and seven others who were traveling in the cargo box have been reported missing.

The speeding tractor trailer crashed into the side of a pedestrian bridge on a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas and overturned, ejecting many of the migrants across the pavement while trapping others inside.

The tragic wreck left a total of 107 migrants with injuries.

The National Institute of Migration since October has offered migrants humanitarian visas in order to stop them from exposing themselves to the dangers of traveling in caravans. It awarded 17 visas last Tuesday.

A total of 15 Guatemalans, including three unaccompanied minors, one Colombian and one Dominican, were granted permanent resident cards to remain in Mexico instead of returning to their home countries.

A spokesperson with the National Institute of Migration told DailyMail.com that the three children are currently in custody of the National System for Integral Family Development.

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Caribbean Tourist Task Force: Be Safe and Healthy Over the Holidays

The Caribbean Tourism COVID-19 Task Force is urging Caribbean people to continue to protect themselves and the health and lives of those around them by practising sound health safety measures, while celebrating the spirit of the season.

The Task Force said that while it commended the overwhelming majority of Caribbean visitors and residents for their role in contributing to the region’s successful efforts to date to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is cautioning that “the coming weeks will be critical to the region’s ability to control the virus’ spread and its highly contagious variants which are spiking around the world.

“COVID-19 and the newest variant, omicron, can easily spread at large indoor gatherings and wherever people come in close contact when they are not protected. Face coverings, physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and avoiding large gatherings, particularly with unprotected individuals, should guide behaviours during the festive season,” the Task Force said.

It said that while those who are fully vaccinated have far greater protection against severe illness and death than those who are unvaccinated, the public is reminded that everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, can still catch and transmit the virus and should diligently adhere to health safety measures.

The Task Force reminded that the pandemic has forced residents to adapt and adjust the ways they gather and socialize, advising that the holiday season might be the biggest challenge yet. By remaining mindful of the highly infectious nature of coronavirus, residents are advised that they can still enjoy the holidays while protecting themselves and those they love.

“As we celebrate and reflect upon the meaning of the season, we must continue to be mindful that life is one of our most precious gifts and this holiday season, in particular, affords visitors and residents the opportunity to share that gift,” said the Caribbean Tourism COVID-19 Task Force, which was formed in March last year to coordinate efforts aimed at protecting tourism-related employees and visitors from COVID-19 and by extension helping to protect all residents.

Member organizations include the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

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Grenada: Bodies in Boat Believed a Failed Human Trafficking Attempt

Melissa Wong

Loop

 

A vessel which was found with bodies near Carriacou, Grenada on December 12.

The Commissioner of Police for Grenada says preliminary findings suggest the seven bodies found drifting in a boat in the vicinity of Carriacou may be a case of human trafficking gone horribly wrong.

Police Commissioner Edvin Martin during a Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) media conference today provided an update on the gruesome discovery which was made on December 12.

Martin says the seven corpses from the vessel were all male, with two believed to be teenagers. The vessel and its remains have been secured and currently are the subject of an ongoing investigation.

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Canada Expands Aid Programs to Fight Omicron, Says Worse Yet to Come

By

 

OTTAWA, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Canada will temporarily expand support programs to help people and businesses hit by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Ottawa said on Wednesday, warning people that worse was to come as the virus spreads.

Theresa Tam, the country’s chief public health officer, urged Canadians to take precautions, telling a briefing that “the situation can rapidly get out of hand anywhere.”

The highly-contagious Omicron variant has prompted several of Canada’s 10 provinces to reimpose restrictions. Quebec said on Wednesday that gatherings of people at private homes and restaurants would be cut to six from 10, starting on Sunday.

“I do not want to minimize … the fact that we are in for some even tougher times ahead. That is true and that is really hard,” said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Canada has 2,360 confirmed Omicron cases to date. Daily new coronavirus cases jumped to 11,300 on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, revealing that three of his staff and another three members of his security detail had tested positive, said he knew Canadians did not want to be facing another threat.

“We’re tired of COVID, we want it to just go away,” he said in the same briefing.

Quebec premier Francois Legault told reporters that daily cases of COVID-19 had more than trebled in a week.

“We don’t want this to swamp hospitals,” he said, predicting the next few weeks or so would represent a very tough test.

Quebec, along with Ontario and British Columbia, had already announced a range of restrictions, which business associations said would hit restaurants and bars. read more

Ottawa will temporarily expand programs designed to cover the costs of wages and rent until Feb. 12, which Freeland said should help businesses that have seen their capacity cut by 50% or more because of measures to curb COVID-19.

In October the government said it was winding down much of its pandemic-related support, citing the recovering economy and the success of vaccination efforts. read more

Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Paul Simao, Diane Craft and Sonya Hepinstall

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After Weeks Walking, Mexico Migrant Caravan Splits Up on Buses Headed North

By

MEXICO CITY, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Several hundred migrants that left southern Mexico in a caravan two months ago began boarding buses to northern Mexico on Wednesday, after reaching a deal with the Mexican government that will bring them closer to their dream of reaching the United States.

The caravan left the southern city of Tapachula near Mexico’s border with Guatemala in late October with some 3,000 people, but hundreds gave up the tough journey as they trekked on foot for weeks.

A smaller group, including toddlers, slowly made its way to Mexico City, where activist Irineo Mujica pressed government officials to provide visas and buses to bring the migrants further north.

“A new chapter is beginning, in which this caravan today will split up and dissolve so that each person can follow his dreams individually,” Mujica told cheering migrants at the shelter where they have camped out, in a video on social media.

A memo from the government’s Interior Ministry and National Migration Institute said they will bring migrants on buses to the northern cities of Hermosillo, Monterrey and Chihuahua, as well as Ciudad Juarez, just opposite Texas.

Migration officials in recent weeks also offered migrants buses out of Tapachula after thousands of arrivals overwhelmed the migration processing system there, leaving them stranded for months without jobs or lodging.

Many of the migrants in Mexico City, including Central Americans, Cubans and Haitians, said they saw the caravan as their only way to cross Mexico without risking deportation.

Henry Portillo, 23, said he joined the caravan to escape poverty in Honduras, where he has worked in farming since he was six years old and only learned to read and write as a teenager.

His wife, who made the trek with him, is due to soon give birth to a baby boy.

“My mission is the United States,” Portillo said. “I want him to study, and not be like me.”

Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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Omicron Less Severe Than Delta, Fewer Hospitals Stays, New Pfizer Drug Approved

South African study finds omicron may be significantly less severe

© Getty Images

A new South African study found the omicron variant could be significantly less severe than previous strains of the novel coronavirus.

The study found people with omicron infections had an 80 percent lower chance of being hospitalized, compared to other COVID-19 cases.

The researchers cautioned, though, that it is unclear to what extent omicron is intrinsically less severe than earlier strains, and to what extent the drop is due to more immunity in the population, from both prior infection and vaccination, than there was in earlier waves.

“It is difficult to disentangle the relative contribution of high levels of previous population immunity versus intrinsic lower virulence to the observed lower disease severity,” the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, states.

Still, the findings could provide some good news.

“New pre-print from South Africa suggests that, at least among those vaccinated and/or previously infected, Omicron is much less severe than Delta,” tweeted Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Will that hold true in the US with an older population? We’ll find out in the coming weeks.”

The South African study adds to earlier indications that omicron could be less severe, though researchers are still gathering data.

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Risk of hospital stay 40% lower with Omicron than Delta, UK data suggests

Researchers find those who test positive with new Covid variant up to 25% less likely to attend hospital at all

Ambulances outside hospital
The Imperial College outbreak modelling team analysed hospitalisations and vaccine records among all PCR-confirmed Covid cases in England between 1 and 14 December. Photograph: Tejas Sandhu/Sopa/Rex/Shutterstock

The Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to be milder, with a 20%-25% reduced chance of a hospital visit and at least a 40% lower risk of being admitted overnight, the first UK data of its kind has showed.

But as daily Covid cases topped 100,000 for the first time on Wednesday, experts warned that high transmissibility means the NHS is still at risk of being overwhelmed.

In what was described by scientists as a “qualified good news story”, two studies on Wednesday pointed to a lower risk of hospitalisation with Omicron.

An Imperial College outbreak modelling team led by Prof Neil Ferguson analysed hospitalisations and vaccine records among all PCR-confirmed Covid cases in England between 1 and 14 December. The dataset included 56,000 cases of Omicron and 269,000 cases of Delta.

Their report found that the risk of any attendance at hospital was 20% to 25% lower with Omicron versus Delta, and 40%-45% lower when the visit resulted in admission for at least one night. For the small percentage of people who had neither been previously infected with Covid nor vaccinated, the risk of hospitalisation was about 11% lower for Omicron versus Delta.

Ferguson said that while it was “good news”, the assessment did not substantially change Sage modelling pointing to 3,000 daily hospitalisations in England at the peak of the wave next month without restrictions beyond the plan B measures currently in place.

While the analysis shows evidence of “a moderate reduction” in the risk of hospitalisation associated with Omicron compared with Delta, Ferguson said, “this appears to be offset by the reduced efficacy of vaccines against infection with the Omicron variant”.

“Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron virus, there remains the potential for health services to face increasing demand if Omicron cases continue to grow at the rate that has been seen in recent weeks,” he added.

The Imperial study found that having had a previous Covid infection reduced the risk of hospitalisation from Omicron by about half compared with a first infection, the report adds.

Those hospitalised with Omicron had on average shorter stays – 0.22 days compared with 0.32 days for Delta – but more data is needed, particularly in older age groups among whom Omicron is currently less prevalent. It is too early to assess the risk of admission to intensive care and death, but the researchers say greater reductions in risk are possible.

A separate, preliminary analysis of Omicron cases in Scotland pointed to an even greater reduction in the risk of hospitalisation compared with Delta. Scientists on the Eave II study, using hospital data from 23 November to 19 December, concluded that the risk of hospitalisation may be 70% lower with Omicron than Delta.

Dr Jim McMenamin, the national Covid-19 incident director for Public Health Scotland, welcomed a “qualified good news story”, but said that it was “important we don’t get ahead of ourselves”.

The Scottish study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, is based on small numbers and most Omicron cases were in people aged 20 to 39, meaning researchers were unable to assess the severity of the disease in elderly people who are more vulnerable. The researchers logged 15 hospitalisations with Omicron, about a third of the 47 admissions that modelling suggested they should expect given the characteristics of those infected.

“The potentially serious impact of Omicron on a population cannot be underestimated. And a smaller proportion of a much greater number of cases that might ultimately require treatment can still mean a substantial number of people who may experience severe Covid infections that could lead to potential hospitalisation,” McMenamin said.

It came as the number of UK daily infections hit a record high of 106,122 despite previous signs that the wave was starting to plateau.

NHS England also said 301 Covid admissions were recorded by hospitals in London on 20 December, up 78% week on week and the highest number for a single day since 7 February.

At Westminster no decisions have yet been taken by ministers about what restrictions, if any, should be introduced after Christmas, with many Tory backbenchers and some cabinet ministers sceptical about the need for further action.

Contingency plans have been drawn up, but Downing Street sources insist these have not yet been put to ministers, and no further announcements are now expected before Christmas.

The shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, urged the government to provide certainty. “The risk to the NHS remains. Boris Johnson needs to explain why people and businesses in England aren’t being told what the coming weeks look like, when those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have clarity,” he said.

The Liberal Democrats’ health spokesperson, Daisy Cooper, accused the prime minister of subjecting the public in England to “a Christmas of confusion and consternation”. “Once again Boris Johnson has crossed his fingers, closed his eyes and hoped for the best,” she said.

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FDA authorizes Pfizer pill to treat COVID-19 in major advance

The Pfizer logo is displayed at the company's headquarters, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in New York City.

© Associated Press/Mark Lennihan

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized a new COVID-19 treatment from Pfizer, the first pill to treat the virus to become available.

The pill, known as Paxlovid, is seen as a major step forward in the fight against the virus. The fact it is a pill should make it more accessible and easier to take than previous treatments, which required injections. It has also shown very promising results in trials in reducing the worst outcomes from the virus, putting the country on the path to defanging COVID-19.

Trials have shown it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent in high-risk patients.

The drawback: Experts are warning that supply will be constrained in the short term, and they have called on the Biden administration to take actions like enlisting other manufacturers to help make it.

The company has said about 180,000 courses will be available this year. That is not a sufficient amount given there are more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 every day just in the U.S.

Another challenge: The treatment is intended to be started within five days of the onset of symptoms. Plentiful testing will be needed to ensure that people know that they have COVID-19, and can get results in time to be able to seek the treatment

 

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St. Kitts-Nevis Customs and Excise Department Extends Opening Hours for Christmas Season

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 22, 2021) — The Customs and Excise Department is extending its opening hours by one hour from Wednesday, 22 December, 2021.

 Mr. Roger Fyfield, Assistant Comptroller at the St. Kitts and Nevis Customs and Excise Department, made the disclosure citing that the extended hours are to facilitate the public with clearing goods and packages during the Christmas Season.

 “We will be extending our opening hours by one hour. Hence, the new opening hours would now be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until further notice,” he told the Department of Information on December 21, 2021.

The senior Customs officer used the opportunity to remind persons clearing goods or packages, that the process is now less complicated for those unable to clear their goods in person, since a key document used in the process is accessible online.

“The authorisation form is a document that could be found on our website www.skncustoms.com. It’s basically a document that you can complete if you get a package and you are unable to clear it for some reason.

“The form is very simple. You would follow it and complete it, and you would be giving another person permission to clear your package on your behalf,” he said.

According to Mr. Fyfield, persons utilising the online service would have to provide a valid government issued picture ID.

“It could be a photo copy. Once we identify who you are on the ID, that would suffice, and the person who you are asking to clear on your behalf, of course, they too would have to bring a picture ID of themselves so we could know who that person is…

“So if you are tied up or maybe over in St. Kitts or somewhere and you can’t make it to any of our stations to clear your cargo or your package…then you could complete the authorisation form and allow someone to collect it on your behalf,” he said.

 The authorisation form is applicable at all stations – The Courier in Charlestown, the Long Point Port, the Nevis Post Office in Charlestown, Parcel Post and the Vance W. Amory International Airport in Newcastle

 

 

For more news out of Nevis visit www.nia.gov.kn your window into Nevis.
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PM Harris, Others at Memorial Service for the Late Valentine James Grant

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — Governor General’s Deputy His Excellency Michael Morton, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Shawn Richards, and Minister of Tourism the Hon Lindsay Grant, Tuesday afternoon December 21 joined family of the late Mr Valentine James Grant at a thanksgiving service held to celebrate his life.

The late Mr Grant who was a well-established and well-known businessman in Cayon passed away on Monday December 13. The thanksgiving service in celebration of his wonderful life was held at the Bethesda/New Dawn Moravian Church in Cayon.

Prime Minister Harris and Deputy Prime Minister Richards were due to attend the official opening ceremony of the Sandy Point National Security and Judicial Complex at the same time the funeral was taking place. The Prime Minister however told the family: “But we could not let this occasion pass without coming to extend the condolences of the government generally, and our own personal condolences to the Grant family.”

They had been welcomed to the church by the Master of Ceremonies, Mr Cromwell Williams, a son of the late Mr Grant, who is also the Manager of Water Services Department. He informed those present that the two had a prearranged activity that they had to attend. The thanksgiving service was conducted by Rev Erwin R. R. Warner, and sermon delivered by Pastor Isilin V. Lewis.

According to the Prime Minister, he got to know about Mr Grant as a fine businessman in the five years he spent in the Cayon community as he attended Cayon High School. He noted that it was at Grant’s Bar that in the afternoons the students would go to get their lunches, while bus drivers plying the Basseterre-Tabernacle route would stop there to get gas.

“Throughout my own acquaintance with him I have come to respect him as a gentleman, and a shrewd businessman,” observed Dr Harris. “He always gave fatherly advice, and so it was comforting from time to time to go there.”

Later on in life he met Mr Grant’s wife Viola who was special to him as they forged a very strong bond. He said she was a businesswoman par excellence who had achieved what few women in St. Kitts and Nevis had achieved way back then, becoming the President of a major hotel. He pointed out that through thick and thin difficult periods that that operation had gone through, the only constant was the pace and the intervention of Mrs Viola Grant

He said: “She has my deepest respect, not just as a wife, as a mother, but also as a business lady, and someone who in some very difficult period of my own life has always been there for me and later extended to some of my siblings including Her Honour Donna Harris, who is here, and my sister Her Honour Janine Harris-Lake, who is the Registrar. She adopted them as part of her extended family.”

Commenting further on his connections with the Grant family, the Honourable Prime Minister stated that when he was in search of a Press Secretary, it was Viola’s loving daughter Ms Valencia Grant who came to the rescue. He noted she was a formidable force within the Office of the Prime Minister, producing like no other Press Secretary was able to produce.

“She (Valencia) was not just a Press Secretary, but disseminated things she was the creator and author of almost 99% that she would have produced on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister,” said Prime Minister Harris. “So, I want you Valencia to know my prayers are with the family in general, but with you and Mrs Grant more almost particularly.”

The Prime Minister described Mr Grant’s son, Mr Cromwell Williams, as ‘my good countryman’ and offered condolences to him and his wife and family. He also said that another son, Mr Chesley Hamilton, was his classmate at Cayon High School, concluding: “So, I have become entangled, if you will, in the entire family circle.”

The Prime Minister noted that in his final days Mr Grant had been at the Grange Health Facility in Ottley’s where he not only had several opportunities to meet, to relax, to contemplate, to reflect on life and what he had done towards the family’s successful life, but he had an opportunity to weigh in and to weigh what was important.

“I would believe that ultimately like each of us must come, he had come to the point to understand and appreciate when all is said and done, only what is done for God really matters,” said Dr Harris. “I hope that he took advantage of the opportunity to accept God, to accept His will, so that when death would finally come, he was ready to say ‘death where is thy sting? I am going on now to glory’.”

Tributes at the thanksgiving service in celebration of Mr Valentine James Grant’s life were made by his children including Ms Valencia Grant who presented the eulogy and personal tribute which she capped with a special solo. Others were Mr Cromwell Williams, and daughter Ms Dianne Hamilton. Scriptures were read by grandchildren Ms Hannah-Marie Williams, and Mr Zelmur James Hamilton. A choir made up of employees of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure paid tribute in song.

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