News Briefs

Cabbie in fatal Manchester crash granted bail

Mandeville, Manchester:

Taxi operator Kemar Fraser, who is facing charges of death by dangerous driving after an accident that claimed the life of 19-year-old Tajay Millard, was offered bail in the sum of $500,000 when he appeared in the Manchester Parish Court on Monday.

A stop order has also been placed on him, and he is to report to the Greater Portmore police weekly as a St Catherine resident.

According to reports, on November 29, both Fraser and Millard were travelling towards Mandeville on the Winston Jones Highway when Fraser allegedly proceeded to overtake a line of traffic.

Millard was reportedly hit from his motorcycle and dragged approximately 30 metres along the roadway.

He was rushed to Mandeville Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Fraser is scheduled to return to court on February 24, 2021.

NSWMA boss commits to garbage-free Christmas

National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Executive Director Audley Gordon has promised Jamaicans a “clean Christmas” as the agency works to clear a garbage collection backlog caused by heavy rains in November.

“Coming out of the rainy season, we did accumulate quite a bit of backlog, especially in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine, and parts of St Thomas. We have some real challenges,” he said.

With special operations carried out over the last two weekends, Gordon said that the agency has tackled 80 per cent of the backlog.

He said that the remaining garbage is expected to be picked up some time this week.

“We commit to a clean Christmas for Jamaica,” Gordon said at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

He added that the NSWMA would be deploying trucks to heavy vending areas and commercial centres during the holiday season to remove the excess garbage over the period.