The Residents of Point Fortin will have an opportunity to nominate persons for this year awards at the Annual Civic Reception and this will be the first in the history of the Point Fortin Borough Corporation that residents are asked to participate in the programme which was launched during Tuesday Statutory meeting.
Speaking to Southsidenewstt following the meeting, The Point Fortin Mayor, Kennedy Richards Jr. said, it is an excellent opportunity for the community to play a role in the nominations of persons for the awards ceremony as this was done only by the Point Fortin Borough Corporation in the past and they are now extending these nominations to the persons in the community. There are several categories of awards including Sport, Culture, Art, Business, Social Work and Education.
The Nomination Form is available at the Point Fortin Corporation to the community and the deadline for submission is July 3, 2020.

The Point Fortin Mayor Kennedy Richards Jr. has asked the Point Fortin Borough Corporation Chief Executive Officer Mrs Donna May Gabriel-Taylor to write the Water and Sewerage Authority to complain about the work done by the body in the Borough of Point Fortin.
During Tuesday Statutory meeting a very irate Mayor said that he was very concern about the Authority leaving a hole on the roadway after working on the water line in the Borough, which can cause a severe accident or can be fatal to residents and visitor in the area.
This was more evident as a vehicle went in a significant hole on volunteer Road, Point Fortin last Friday.
Southsidenewstt understands that the hole was repaired on Monday by the Water and Sewerage Authority.

We attempted to reach WASA but was unsuccessful.

An Anti-Crime exercise today in the Penal District has resulted in the arrest of twenty Venezuelan Nationals, including three children.

The Illegal Immigrants were arrested in a house in Morne Diablo and handed over to the Immigration Authority. They will also be charged for entering the country illegally.

An investigation is continuing to determining how the Venezuelans are to enter this country.

The exercise was spear headed by Snr. Superintendent Gomez Cooper.

A Point Fortin man is nursing burns about his face following a chemical attack by his common-law wife. According to a police report, the victim Gary Joseph 45 years old and a mason of New Lands, Point Fortin told the investigators, around 6.30 pm Saturday he and his common-law wife were walking along the main road in New Lands when they got into an argument, and she threw an acid substance on his face. He felt a burning sensation and was taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital by a person who was passing by. He was treated and transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital for further treatment. Police say an arrest is expected soon.

Turmoil continues in the La Brea Constituency of the People’s National Movement after a marathon screening session last night. The PNM failed to select a candidate for the upcoming General Election. This is the third time that the constituency has been looking for a suitable candidate after fourteen persons were rejected last evening.

The Point Fortin Mayor Kennedy Richards Jr. has publicly thanked Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd for their quick response to last Sunday tank failure in Tank Field in Point Fortin. The Tank erupted while it was undergoing an Engineered Hydro-test to assess the integrity of Tank. During this process the failure in the walls of the Tank occurred which caused the leaking oil and water mix last Sunday evening in the roadway and nearby Atlantic LNG Plant.

In a statement from the Mayor’s office, the Mayor said he was particularly pleased with the hiring of local Contractors to clean up and sanitize the area and for also employing some of our residents from the affected area in the clean up process. This approach of partnering with the community is highly commendable.

The statement also went on to say as a Council we salute Heritage for the distribution of hampers to all household in the fence line community. This was a most welcomed gesture and was highly appreciated by the Residents.

A 32 year old man of LP 29 Railway Ext Road, Sangre Grande has been detained by police for uttering forge documents when he applied for the position of a Municipal Police Constable via email. This morning the man was invited to the Municipal Police Training Academy located at Tagore Street, Gopaul Lands, Marabella for screening. While going through the screening process, he presented a certificate statement of results reflecting subjects in Mathematics (General – Grade (1), English (General – Grade (2), Social Studies (General – Grade (1), Principles of Business (General – Grade (1), and Human and Social Biology (General – Grade 2). An Officer conducting the screening found the documents to be questionable.

Upon further inspection of said certificate, an officer formed the opinion that it was not a genuine issued certificate from the Ministry of Education. The seal located at the bottom of the document which is usually embossed was affixed with what appeared to be glue and easily removable thus making the said certificate fraudulent, creating the offence of uttering forge documents contrary to sec 9 (1) of the forgery act chap 11:13. ASP. Belford was contacted, and officer’s from Fraud Squad Office in San Fernando subsequently arrived a short time later at the Municipal Training Academy. The suspect together with the said documents was handed over to the Police.

Police have arrested Twenty-four persons including three bar-owners and a bartender. They were detained by officers of the South Western Division during COVID-19 bar exercises conducted in the Penal and Siparia districts yesterday.

The exercises coordinated by Snr. Supt. Gomez-Cooper were conducted between 5:00 pm to midnight yesterday in the Penal and Siparia district.

During the first exercise, officers of the Penal Police Station, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and South Western Division Task Force (SWDTF) went to a bar at Laltoo Trace Junction, Penal where they found thirteen (13) persons inside the establishment.

The 45-year-old proprietor and 39-year-old bartender were also arrested for providing the amenity of seated dining at a restaurant and conducting the business of a bar during the specified period under Public Health Regulations, Legal Notice 18/2020.

Eleven patrons were arrested for gathering at a public place where the number of persons exceeded ten persons under the Public Health Regulations, Legal Notice 18/2020.

During the second exercise in the Siparia district, officers of the Siparia Police Station, CID and SWDTF proceeded to a bar located at Anthony Branch Trace, Syne Village, Siparia where they found 11 persons inside the establishment. 

Two proprietors, a 30-year-old and a 21-year-old, who was also acting as bartenders, were arrested for providing the amenity of seated dining at a restaurant and conducting the business of a bar during the specified period under Public Health Regulations, Legal Notice 18/2020.

The nine patrons were arrested as well for gathering at a public place where the number of persons exceeded ten persons under the Public Health Regulations, Legal Notice 18/2020.

Investigations are continuing. 

A Chatham man is nursing gunshot wounds to his face. According to information reaching Southsidenewstt shortly before 2:00 a.m. today, the victim 22 yrs old Travis Marchan was hunting in Belle-Vue, Chatham when he told investigators that he heard a loud explosion and felt a burning sensation to his face. He managed to make his way to his home.

The younger Marchan was taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital by a relative where he was treated and transferred to San Fernando General Hospital.

Police are yet to establish any motive for this incident. Point Fortin Police are continuing investigation.