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Gunman shot during police raid

One man was fatally shot, and a firearm seized during an early morning raid in St Elizabeth yesterday.

Reports are that, between 5 a.m. and 5:45 a.m., a team comprising members from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (CTOC) and the St Elizabeth Police Division conducted an operation in the Burnt Savannah community of Lacovia, targeting criminal suspects from Kingston who were believed to have been hiding there.

During the operation, while breaching the main target premises, a man pointed a firearm at the lawmen. A member of the team took defensive action and discharged his firearm, striking the suspect in the upper body. A Smith and Wesson .40 pistol, loaded with a magazine containing eight .40 calibre cartridges was recovered.

The man was promptly transported to the Black River Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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$2 million zinc removal project for St Thomas community

A total of $2 million is to be spent to remove zinc fences along Seaview Drive in St Thomas Eastern.

This is being provided for through the Urban Renewal and Development Branch of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

Seaview Drive is a critical road that leads to the Lyssons Fishing Village and Paul Bogle Training Centre.

Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Michelle Charles, made the announcement during her contribution to the 2023/24 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

"They have also approved a pocket park in Airy Castle at the cost of $2 million. Green spaces are important to us as a Government, and I must inform the nation that the Rudolf Elder Park will be upgraded very soon as well," she said.

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Roadway to be improved

More than 23 kilometres of road is set to be improved as part of the ongoing Essex Valley Agricultural Development Project in St Elizabeth.

Floyd Green, minister of agriculture, fisheries and mining, made the announcement during a tour of the project on November 10.

"This is the largest infrastructure project that the Government of Jamaica has done for agriculture and irrigation, and one of the critical components of the project is the improvement of the road network - over 23 kilometres in the project area is set to be improved," Green said.

The project is being funded through a grant of more than PS35 million from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund and administered by the Caribbean Development Bank.

It is spearheaded by the National Irrigation Commission and the Agro-Investment Corporation, with support from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the HEART/NSTA Trust.

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Teen charged with robbing cabbie

A 17-year-old student of a Kingston 5 address has been charged robbery with aggravation and conspiracy to robbery with aggravation following his involvement in the robbery of a taxi operator on August 5.

Reports from the police are that about 3:30 a.m., the taxi operator received a request from a passenger to be picked up and transported from South Camp Road to Half-Way Tree. On his arrival at the location, two females, who identified themselves as the callers, requested his help to put items in the trunk. While doing so, he was pounced upon by the teen and four men who were armed with handguns and machetes. They proceeded to inflict multiple chop wounds on his body, after which they robbed him of his motor car, cash, cell phone, and other personal items.

The man managed to escape further injury and reported the matter to the police. He was assisted to hospital, where he was treated. The teen was taken to the station by his parent on November 2 and was pointed out during an identification parade. He was subsequently charged on Tuesday. His court date is being finalised.