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Man charged with wounding in St. George

Nationnews Desk
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Man charged with wounding in St. George

Update

Chad Widmark Cox, 32, of Drax Hall Hope, St. George, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes in the District ‘A’ Criminal Court No. 1 today.

Cox pleaded guilty to wounding Orvid Wilkinson on November 27, 2025, and was sentenced to six months at the Barbados Prison Service, Dodds.

*****

The Barbados Police Service has arrested and formally charged Chad Widmark Cox, 32, of Drax Hall Hope, St. George, for wounding Orvid Wilkinson on November 27.

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Five for the 59th

Ashada Joseph
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Five for the 59th

Five newborns were welcomed at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital yesterday up to press time as Barbados celebrated its 59th year of Independence and fourth as a republic.

The first, a girl named Azaiyah Maynard Alleyne, was delivered by 27-yearold Tiffany Maynard at 12:54 a.m., weighing seven pounds, 1.6 ounces.

The next arrival, a boy, was born to Tia Yearwood, 28, via emergency Caesarean section at 9:16 a.m. He weighed six pounds, ten ounces.

Both mother and baby were said to be doing well.

Thirty-year-old Krystal Clinton welcomed her bundle of joy, a girl, Kiandra Clinton, at 11:17 a.m., weighing six pounds, seven ounces Ryanna Pinder, 21, had the fourth Independence Day baby, and her third child, at 12:52 p.m. weighing six pounds, 12 ounces. She said the girl was due for delivery on December 10, but it appeared she had other plans.

Pinder said she had been hoping for a girl, while dad Troy Richards wanted a boy. However, both said they were happy with the arrival of their daughter and are yet to decide on a name.

Crystal Brathwaite, 34, gave birth to a boy, Cayden Collymore, at 1:03 p.m. weighing six pounds, ten ounces. She said his father could not be present for the birth as he was participating in the Independence Day Parade at Kensington Oval.

Staff nurse and widwife Jagwanttie Sawh said she was elated to be delivering the first baby, though this was not her first on an Independence Day or Christmas Day. (AJ)

UNAIDS urges Caribbean to overcome disruption to transform AIDS response

Nationnews Desk
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UNAIDS urges Caribbean to overcome disruption to transform AIDS response

UNAIDS Monday reaffirmed its commitment working with governments, civil society and people living with and most affected by HIV in the Caribbean region to help in building a resilient, people-centred HIV response that protects progress, strengthens community leadership, and ensures no one is left behind, even in the face of disruption.

In a message marking World AIDS Day, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, said it stands with governments, people living with and most affected by HIV, civil society and development partners to reaffirm “our shared commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat in the region by 2030.”

World AIDS Day is being observed under the theme “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” and UNAIDS said that it reflects the region’s progress and the urgent challenges threatening to reverse hard-won gains.

It said the climate crisis, high debt burdens, and slow economic growth are tightening fiscal space and constraining investments in health, education, and social protection.

“The Caribbean’s vulnerability is compounded by high dependence on external financing, which accounts for 66 per cent of HIV resources in 2024. As global health aid declines by an estimated 30–40 per cent, the region must guard against shrinking community services, widening inequalities, and emerging HIV prevention and treatment gaps.”

UNAIDS said furthermore, climate shocks, including Hurricane Melissa’s recent devastation across Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, have disrupted care, displaced families, and deepened vulnerabilities for people living with HIV.

It said many people are now rebuilding their lives while trying to stay connected to HIV treatment, prevention, and basic support services.

“These obstacles exacerbate the challenges in a region where despite increasing numbers of people living with HIV on treatment, nearly 30 per cent of them (90,000 people) are not in care and likely to present with advanced HIV disease and among those in care, many fall out of care and are not virally suppressed.

“Yet despite these pressures, the region continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and innovation. In close partnership with local communities, countries are sustaining hard-won gains and advancing the shared goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat. “

UNAIDS said that the Caribbean’s resilience is proven, but resilience alone cannot counter shrinking resources and mounting shocks from social, economic, environmental and health inequalities.

“We must strengthen health systems, scale community-led solutions, and guarantee uninterrupted access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. Ending AIDS by 2030 demands urgency, unity, and renewed commitment.”

UNAIDS said that as countries confront widening inequalities, service disruptions, and declining external financing, global solidarity becomes indispensable.

“No nation can close the remaining gaps in prevention, treatment, and protection of rights on its own. UNAIDS calls on the international community to stand with countries most affected by the epidemic, closing funding shortfalls, dismantling legal and social barriers, and fully resourcing community leadership at every level. This is essential for a sustainable and resilient HIV response. ”

It said it is also urging Caribbean leaders to advance on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 to end AIDS and embrace the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031 to be endorsed and presented to member states this month by deepening regional partnerships, strengthening health systems, safeguarding service continuity, and addressing stigma and discrimination.

“This includes expanding people-centered and rights-based access to prevention and treatment, and investing domestic resources in sustainable, community-led responses capable of withstanding future shocks,” UNAIDS added. (CMC)

Hardware store owner counts heavy losses after St George fire

Ashminnie Moonsammy
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Hardware store owner counts heavy losses after St George fire

The owner of Precision Electrical Sales & Services Inc. says he has lost everything after a fire destroyed the long-standing hardware and electrical business at Bridge Cot, St George, on Sunday night.

Derek Sargeant, who has operated the store for 22 years, visited the structure early Monday morning and confirmed that the damage runs into the millions.

This is a traumatic loss. Everything has been gone. We just brought in a lot of new stock… but everything is gone. This is gonna be over millions of dollars in loss.”

Sargeant said the business, which employed about ten people, was fully insured. While his separate electrical contracting operations will continue, he explained that the hardware arm – built over two decades – is totally gone.

He also expressed frustration over what he described as inferior products on the local market. Sargeant said he purchased a fireproof safe from a local supplier believing important documents and cash would survive the blaze.

 “When I went home last night, I was saying at least all my components and stuff would be in the safe, would be safe. When I got back here this morning, everything gone – cash, everything, documents, everything. I don’t think there is much I can do.”

He said the hardware store had built a loyal customer base across St George, St Thomas and even as far as St Lucy, known for carrying items not easily found elsewhere on the island. 

“I go away and buy a lot of stuff from outside and bring in, you know, a little different things,” he said.

Despite the devastation, Sargeant made it clear he intended to rebuild. “Yes, we’ll come back. We’ll probably come back stronger… same location. I’ll be back.”

Fire officials responded with four tenders on Sunday night. No injuries were reported, and investigations into the cause of the blaze are continuing. (AM)

Bostic’s focus on new awards

Antoinette Connell
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Bostic’s focus on new awards

Loyal son The Most Honourable Jeffrey Davidson Bostic was installed as the second President of Barbados in a ceremony marked by a call for Barbadians to renew their love for country and the revelation of President’s awards to give young people a helping hand.

On a day when the new Head of State was the focus of tributes, he, in his first Independence Day speech, flipped the attention to ordinary Barbadians – community-spirited figures from his nearby childhood neighbourhood of Chapman Lane, The City, his former school Combermere and those from the military who had a hand in shaping his future.

His installation at Kensington Oval formed part of the Independence And Republic Day Ceremonial Parade And National Awards Ceremony in which legendary cricketer Joel Garner, Governor of the Central Bank Dr Kevin Greenidge and Dr Kurt Anderson Lambert, financial expert and philanthropist, were conferred with the country’s highest honour, Order Of Freedom Of Barbados. A similar honorary designation also went to Professor Benedict Oramah, retired chairman of the African Export-Import Bank, for his strategic leadership in expanding trade and investment among member states of the bank.

Hundreds turned out to support

Bostic, dapper in a sky blue two-piece suit by local designer Rosca MacDonald, took the oath of office at 8:05 a.m., watched by specially invited overseas guests – His Majesty Abdullah II, King of Jordan; Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier Mark Phillips; retired Major Samuel Mbugua of Kenya, and retired Captain Errol Stewart of Jamaica – colleagues from his days at the world-renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne, Chief Justice The Most Honourable Leslie Haynes and President of the Senate The Most Honourable Reginald Farley joined hundreds at the Oval, online and on television for the occasion.

Two minutes after the oath, a cheer erupted for the declaration of President Bostic with the Mass Choir serenading with the classic Methodist hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness, a nod to his patriotic journey to the office.

“The Office of the President is my current destination, and I am immensely proud to serve my country at the highest level, but my focus this morning and throughout my tenure is the journey that brought me here – from Chapman Lane to State House.

“I stand before you today not as a son of privilege, but as a son shaped by this City, from modest beginnings to achievements I could scarcely have imagined; not as a man of rank, but as a man of duty; not as a politician, but as the son of our enduring republic,” President Bostic told the audience on a warm clear day interrupted only by a brief shower of rain.

He articulated the plan for each year: to present the twin awards of the Chapman Challenge; the Anchor Award to a mentor, and the Hillaby Award to the young challenger who overcame the odds.

“This is my promise to you: if you are willing to climb, we will provide the rope. From the Lane to Hillaby. The philosophy of this mission is simple. It is written in the very geography of our island. My own journey began on the flat, humble pavement of Chapman Lane. Our national motto for this mission

shall be: From the Lane to Hillaby,” he said.

The Head of State, with his 89-year-old visiting father Basil Antrobus present, expressed “deepest and dearest gratitude” to his family, including his children and grandchildren who “sacrificed and suffered the most on the many occasions when national duty required me to be absent from them, the ones who had to share me with the country we all love”.

His deep regret was that the “mortal architect of my journey”, his mother Sheila Marita Bostic, “the greatest domestic economist”, never saw him enter Parliament or State House.

“I can still hear your voice saying, ‘This is all I have to give you today so try and make it do’; or hear you during the late hours of the night saying, ‘Lord, what am I going to cook tomorrow?’ I know it was a struggle to get me through secondary school, but the resilience I now have, I found in you. You are not here but you are always with me and will be with me as I climb these new stairs,” Bostic said in reference to his mother.

Even so, he had an exhaustive list of those who helped him along the way, including the matriarch of the district Violet Brewster who was involved in both his church and community life, and who administered “the rod of correction” to him, the midwife, the first person to hold him.

There was also Orville Clarke “De Shoemekker”, who resoled his shoes each school year; teacher Kenneth Hinds who gave him free private lessons; barber Fred and community activist Reverend Chesterfield Morgan, caretaker of a club that offered opportunities in sports, arts and skills training, and for whom he made a pitch for the Emmerton Community Centre to be renamed.

Earlier, the President had conducted an inspection of the troops in a reversal of roles from his Cadet days at Combermere. He was generous in his praise of father figure, retired Colonel Deighton Maynard, and Major Patrick Skeete, sentiments extended to retired Brigadier Sir Rudyard Lewis, and Colonels Florence Gittens, Harold Blackman and Owen Springer, among others.

From his political life, he singled out former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, under whose leadership he entered elective politics in 2008 and eventually represented the City of Bridgetown from 2013 to 2022; Dame Billie Miller, who also once represented The City; and Mottley and members of her administration “for shepherding me through the years in Opposition and in Cabinet” when he was Minister of Health.

He also thanked former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and his administration for the “many engagements on and off the floor of Parliament”, as well as the Speakers and Clerk of Parliament. (AC)

BRA guidance for financiers

Shawn Cumberbatch
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BRA guidance for financiers

The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) has found that some local financial institutions are falling short of the procedural requirements needed to effectively share specific financial account information for tax purposes as the country has committed to external authorities.

As a result, the state agency has issued new instructions “to provide clarity to reporting Barbados financial institutions (RBFIs) on some of the main items that should be included in a procedures manual”.

The BRA is also advising RBFIs to adopt the best practices related to access to documentation, training and development of staff, and periodic evaluations.

This information was communicated in a guidance note on the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), with specific focus on procedural manual requirements. The information was circulated in October by the BRA’s Global Relations Unit.

In the recent guidance note, the BRA said: “The Global Relations Unit of the Authority, during the course of its compliance activities, desk-based and onsite audits related to the FATCA and the CRS, observed that several RBFIs either do not possess or lack sufficient documented internal procedural manuals to support the effective implementation of FATCA and CRS.

“Based on the findings, to date, the absence of such documentation has contributed to gaps in staff awareness and understanding among staff responsible for the implementation of automatic exchange of information regimes (AEOI).”

The BRA added: “In addition, in some cases, the Authority has identified significant implementation deficiencies, particularly following the departure or transfer of key personnel. These issues underscore the importance of maintaining clearly documented procedural manuals to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of FATCA and CRS compliance.

“Consequently, to guarantee the effective and consistent implementation of the AEOI regime, the Authority considers it essential and in line with international best practices that all RBFIs must have documented procedures.

“This expectation is both justified and essential, as it aids RBFIs in fulfilling their reporting and due diligence responsibilities under the AEOI legal framework, while also reducing the risk of non-compliance,” it noted.

Specific information

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s CRS is an international standard for the automatic exchange of financial account information for tax purposes.

Under the CRS, RBFIs “are required to obtain specific financial account information for residents of jurisdictions with which Barbados has agreed to exchange such information”.

This information is to be reported to the BRA “for exchange on an annual basis with the relevant reportable jurisdictions”.

Following a November 17, 2014, FATCA agreement with the US, Barbados agreed to automatically exchange information with the US Internal Revenue Service concerning financial accounts held by RBFI with respect to US reportable accounts. This information is to be reported to the BRA for exchange on an annual basis with the relevant reportable jurisdictions.

The BRA guidance note outlined 17 areas of “minimum content that should be included in each RBFI’s procedural manual for FATCA and CRS purposes”.

It is requiring that RBFIs have procedural manuals that include an overview of FATCA and CRS, including the applicable legal framework; process for extracting the data for FATCA and CRS reporting and the appropriate oversight and quality control mechanisms to ensure that the prescribed information is captured and the information is complete; policies prescribing the frequency and types of mandatory training for staff responsible for implementing the AEOI Standards in practice and the manner in which such training should be recorded; procedures to address any attempts to circumvent the requirements of CRS and FATCA; and frequency in which the manual should be reviewed and updated where appropriate, among other mandates.

The BRA also wants RBFIs to “ensure that all relevant personnel have access to the up-to-date documentation relating to FATCA and CRS, including the procedural manual and self-certification forms”.

“In addition, access to all relevant documentation relating to the implementation, compliance and maintenance of FATCA and CRS,” the Government agency said.

RBFIs are also being asked to “conduct mandatory training on at least an annual basis with employees involved in all steps of AEOI implementation including onboarding, document validation and compliance [and] such training should be recorded and logged for audit purposes”.

The BRA further called for an ongoing assessment of updates and guidance issued by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, the US IRS and the BRA “to ensure timely incorporation of relevant changes into the procedural documents”.

It said the process “should be recorded in the procedural document”. (SC)

Drakes says work ethic behind Pride’s Super50 Cup success

Nationnews Desk
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Drakes says work ethic behind Pride’s Super50 Cup success

 Head coach of the Barbados Pride, Vasbert Drakes has lauded his team’s work ethic after they captured the CG United Super50 Cup title in Trinidad on Saturday.

The Pride captured the US$100, 000 first prize with a dominant nine-wicket victory over the home side Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, to claim their first Super50 title since 2018.

Speaking to members of the media on Sunday, moments after touching down at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados, Drakes said the team’s preparations before and during the tournament was a major factor in their success.

“I’m happy for the group of players. I think they worked fantastically well during the preparation phase which started from May this year.

“Obviously, leaving Barbados we recognised that we had to prepare really well because going into Trinidad, certainly with the weather situation, we knew that we wouldn’t get the practice sessions that we wanted to, so as a group the guys worked really hard and I’m really happy for them,” Drakes said.

“Before the guys went onto the field yesterday [Saturday], they recognised that playing for Barbados is a privilege and an honour, but not a given. The guys recognised that once you have these colours they’re up for it.”

Drakes praised the leadership of captain Kyle Mayers, while pointing out that it had been a total team effort.

“The captain really led from the front, he led exceptionally well, and he was well supported by the whole group; Kraigg Brathwaite sharing his wisdom, Desmond Haynes, and then having the support of the BCA, this trophy means so much not only to the BCA but to the people in Barbados and I’m really happy for everyone,” he said. (CMC)

US lawmakers demand answers over Hegseth Venezuela boat strike claims

Nationnews Desk
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US lawmakers demand answers over Hegseth Venezuela boat strike claims

US lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration for answers about military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats, after a report alleged that a follow-up strike was ordered to kill survivors of an initial attack.

Republican-led committees overseeing the Pentagon have vowed to conduct “vigorous oversight” into the US boat strikes in the Caribbean, following the report.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that a US strike on a boat on 2 September left two survivors, but that a second attack was carried out to comply with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orders to “kill everybody” on board – raising fresh legality questions.

Hegseth decried the report as “fake news”.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said he believed his defence secretary “100%”.

In recent weeks, the US has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean and carried out a series of lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in international waters off Venezuela and Colombia, as part of what it calls an anti-narcotics operation.

More than 80 people have been killed since early September.

The Trump administration says it is acting in self-defence by destroying boats carrying illicit drugs to the US.

In its report on Friday, which has not been verified by the BBC, The Washington Post wrote that Secretary Hegseth “gave a spoken directive” to “kill everybody” on board one such vessel, and a Special Operations commander overseeing the operation “ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions”.

The Trump administration has sought to justify its operations in the Caribbean by saying it is in a non-international armed conflict with the alleged drug traffickers.

The rules of engagement in such armed conflicts – as set out in the Geneva Conventions – forbid the targeting of wounded participants, saying that those participants should instead be apprehended and cared for.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers appearing on US talk shows on Sunday said they supported congressional reviews of the boat strikes.

The leaders said they did not know whether The Washington Post’s report was true, but that attacking survivors of an initial missile strike presented major legal concerns.

“This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine on CBS Face the Nation.

Republican lawmaker Mike Turner acknowledged that Congress did not have information that the follow-up strike had happened.

“Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act,” Turner, a former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, told CBS.

The comments follow the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee’s announcement on Friday that it planned to conduct “vigorous oversight” on the strikes.

“The Committee is aware of recent news reports – and the Department of Defense’s initial response – regarding alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” the committee’s Republican chair, Senator Roger Wicker, and his Democrat counterpart, Senator Jack Reed, said in a statement.

“The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances,” they said.

The House Armed Services Committee followed suit, saying it was “taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question”.

In a post on X, Hegseth pushed back against accusations against him, calling them “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory”. He wrote that the series of strikes on boats were “lawful under both US and international law”.

“Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” he wrote.

On Sunday, talking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump defended his defence secretary, saying: “He said he did not say that. And I believe him 100%.”

Trump said the administration “will look into” the matter and added “I wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike”.

On Sunday, Venezuela’s National Assembly condemned the boat strikes and vowed to carry out a “rigorous and thorough investigation” into the accusations of a second attack that allegedly killed two survivors.

The Venezuelan government has accused the US of stoking tensions in the region, with the aim of toppling the government.

In his comments on Sunday, Trump confirmed he had recently spoken to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but would not comment further other than to say: “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”

The US is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is another relevant aspect of international law. However, the US military’s legal advisers have previously said that the US should “act in a manner consistent with its provisions”.

Under that convention, countries agree not to interfere with vessels operating in international waters. There are limited exceptions to this, which allow a state to seize a ship, such as a “hot pursuit” where a vessel is chased from a country’s waters into the high seas.

“Force can be used to stop a boat but generally this should be non-lethal measures,” Prof Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast recently told BBC Verify. (BBC News)

Sir Ruel: Music comes naturally for me

Nationnews Desk
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Sir Ruel: Music comes naturally for me

Music is life and the sky is the limit.

He is Chad Bowen, known by virtually everyone as Sir Ruel, a sweet-singing calypsonian from the House of Soca.

He credits the tent with shaping his musical prowess, and for that he expressed profound gratitude.

“I’ve reached the Pic O De Crop finals five times, and in 2024, I placed second with a selfpenned piece titled A Single Bullet, written in memory of my brother who lost his life to gun violence [last year],” Sir Ruel told the DAILY NATION from his home in Elephant and Castle, in South East London.

He vividly recalled when the phone rang and his cousin gave him the heart-wrenching news that his 32-year-old brother had been gunned down.

“My gran then confirmed it . . . I could hear her saying, ‘he is dead, he is dead, he is dead’. It was devastating. The feeling was awful . . . very, very painful and being so far away made it even more difficult.”

Conscious of the escalating gun violence, Sir Ruel said a concerted effort has to be made by those so quick to the draw to settle disputes differently.

Pointing to an angrier society, he suggested “talking it out or walking away, listening to music and approaching the situation in a calmer way”.

He deemed the taking of a life as selfish as the perpetrators are permanently destroying families.

Through all of his challenges, Sir Ruel said his go-to place of solace is always music.

“It has always been a natural part of who I am. I truly believe I was born with the gift,” he said.

He credits his mum with “encouraging and pushing” him in that direction because she knew it came naturally for him.

He has had the privilege of performing with the Barbados Police Service Band and the Festival Band, memories he cherishes.

His journey began with him using his sister’s skipping rope as a microphone and toilet-paper rolls as musical instruments.

At Christmas, while his brothers asked for video games, he requested musical instruments.

“As a family, we watched the Pic O De Crop calypso finals every year, and I remember saying that one day I wanted to be on that same stage with Red Plastic Bag and Mighty Gabby.”

In 2004, his mother signed him and his brother up for performing arts camp with the National Cultural Foundation. It was there he found the inspiration to enter NIFCA and the Junior Calypso Monarch Competition.

At age 14, he sang a song titled Go Light Your World, for which he was awarded a silver medal and the opportunity to perform at the gala.

“That performance was my major debut to the people of Barbados, and it was the moment I truly began making a name for myself.”

Five years later, Sir Ruel won the Junior Calypso Monarch crown, and for him it was a dream come true, especially having the opportunity to work with his idol, Red Plastic Bag.

“It was an outstanding moment in my career, he himself shed a tear when I became victorious in one of the biggest wins in that competition.”

The following year, the artiste created history by becoming the first Junior Monarch to advance to the Pic O De Crop calypso monarch finals, where he placed fourth, surpassing many seasoned performers, including former kings.

Throughout his 21 years as a professional musician, he has noted the growth of the music industry, generating more opportunities for young artists.

However, if there is one sour note for Sir Ruel, it is the feeling of being under-rated and not receiving enough opportunities to perform.

“Sometimes, I haven’t been paid what I believe I’m worth as a well-established artiste. It can be difficult to see people with less talent receive recognition and opportunities. I’m not saying I’m unhappy for them, but it can definitely affect how you feel,” he lamented.

Currently, the artiste is focusing on travelling and rebranding.

With the festive season in the air, Sir Ruel said: “ Christmas holds very special memories for me. Not having my brother, auntie, and granny around brings a sense of sadness, but it also reminds me to be grateful for the loved ones who are still here and the joy we continue to share.” (JB)

Dirty water making a mess of business

Maria Bradshaw
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Dirty water making a mess of business

A water leak which has been flowing for the past five months has been bringing discomfort to residents and businesses in the Reed Street, The City community.

Dadrina Emmanuel, who operates the Community Education Empowerment and Development (CEED) Centre and shopkeeper Delbra Marville say the situation was affecting their businesses in a very negative way.

Emmanuel recalled that the leak, which is in the section of the road in front of Marville’s shop, use to regularly occur over the years.

“It used to leak and then stop but for the past five months it has been leaking continuously,” she said, pointing out that she had reached out to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) several times.

“They came two weeks ago and marked out the area and said they were coming back but this has gotten worse,” she added.

Pointing to black water stains and moss on the door and the side of the CEED building, Emmanuel said the water was preventing her from operating as it was flowing outside her door, forcing clients to step into the water to gain access to the building.

For Marville, the situation had become even more dire. Accustomed to displaying produce and other goods in front of her shop, Marville said she could no longer do so. But even more distressing to her was that passing vehicles were splashing the muddy water into the shop and customers were either forced to jump over it or walk through it.

“People passing and getting splatter up and the dirty water splashing into the

shop. I does have to be mopping every minute. We does got people sliding down because there is a lot of moss caused by the water,” she cried, adding that because of the leak the gutter always has water in it.

The women said the situation had also become dangerous for the neighbourhood children who played in the street and even passersby who were forced to dash out of the road when vehicles were driving by.

Apart from the water leak, the residents said it had exposed the need for speed bumps through the one-way street.

“The vehicles does drive through here too fast,” Emmanuel said as she watched the vehicles speed through the dirty water unawares of the danger they had created.

This column has drawn the matter to the attention of the BWA’s marketing officer Yvette Harris-Griffith who said it would be investigated. It is understood that the leak was repaired yesterday. (MB)

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