(CNS): While there is some concern that drug and alcohol abuse is becoming more prevalent, crime figures for Cayman Brac fell this year, the area commander, Chief Inspector Malcolm Kay (left), told residents this week in the last of the current round of RCIPS public meetings. In January through August this year 94 crimes were logged, ranging from assault to burglary, down from 119 crimes for the same period last year (147 for the whole of 2009). Kay speculated that the rise last year was a result of Hurricane Paloma in November 2008, which resulted in an influx of people to help with the clean-up operations. “I didn’t realize it was that amount,” said Bracker Arlen Reid. I’d like to see that go down.”

(CNS): Frustrations were mounting yesterday when literally hundreds of parents and students were forced to queue in the blazing sun in order to try and get uniforms for the new school year. Following a change in uniform for the new high school system but a delay in their delivery, there will not be enough to go round and parents had to take a chance on queuing up at both the John Gray Campus and the civic centre in Bodden Town yesterday in order to get the school clothes. Parents were also angry that education authorities were not keeping them informed about what was happening. Although the minister has apologized he said it is beyond government’s control. (Photo courtesy of News 27).

(Rap-Up.com): Fresh from a split from Amber Rose, Kanye West is back on the romantic playing field. Yeezy cozied up next to Nick Cannon’s ex-fiancé and Victoria’s Secret supermodel Selita Ebanks in a suite inside Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday (Sept. 1) to watch Andy Roddick play at the U.S. Open in Queens, New York City. The pair, rumoured to have been dating in the past, was all smiles as they sipped lime-spritzed club soda drinks, watching from seats positioned in front of “Gossip Girl” stars Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr, who shared a laugh with the happy couple.

(CNS):  As Gaston, the season’s seventh storm faded away this evening, Earl continued on towards the coast of North Carolina. At 8pm it was located some 160 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. While winds have dropped some to 110mph, Earl remains a large category two hurricane and it is moving at about 18mph. The NHC said a turn towards the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected on Friday.  The centre of Earl is forecast to pass near the North Carolina outer banks tonight and approach south-eastern New England by Friday night.

 (CNS):  The Department of Environment is hoping that a young dolphin spotted in the waters off Seven Mile Beach this morning is heading back to a family and is not permanently separated from its pod as it is very difficult for young dolphins to survive without family support. The juvenile dolphin was tracked by DoE officials before he took off again. Staff followed the dolphin by boat for several hours, but just after noon the dolphin swam off heading for deep water off North West Point. “We are all very optimistic that it will reunite with its pod,” said DoE Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie.  The MRCU mosquito plane made several turns around the island searching unsuccessfully for the family. (Photo by Niels Schulze-Gattermann)

(Jamaica Gleaner): The Government has moved to clear the air about its position on the local media in the wake of growing unease following recent comments by Prime Minister Bruce Golding. On Sunday, Golding used a political platform to suggest that sections of the media, and in particular The Gleaner, were working with other groups in pushing a propaganda line while ignoring the facts about the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips affair. The comment attracted immediate criticisms with the Media Association Jamaica Ltd and the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) expressing concern about the implications for media workers. Yesterday, minister with responsibility for information, Daryl Vaz, was adamant that the comments did not represent an attack on the media.

(Royal Gazette): Gerova Financial Group Ltd a speciality international reinsurance firm  is to shift its domicile to Bermuda from the Cayman Islands, after shareholders approved the move at an extraordinary general meeting. The group had already established a life reinsurance unit in Hamilton, Gerova Re, which has now received its licence from regulator the Bermuda Monetary Authority. "We are excited for our group parent to become a Bermuda company," said Lou Hensley, chief executive officer of Gerova Re. "We believe that Bermuda is one of the world's leading reinsurance centres, and is an attractive location in which to be based.

(CNS): The Cayman Islands government signed its twentieth tax agreement last month, this time with Mexico. The Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) was exchanged by courier and considered legally binding following signature on 28 August by Cayman’s premier, McKeeva Bush in his capacity as Minister of Finance and Ernesto Javier Cordero Arroyo, Minister of Finance and Public Credit for Mexico. Government officials said this latest agreement further strengthened Cayman’s international tax cooperation regime.

(CNS): Following earlier announcements that government is having trouble with uniform orders for the public schools, officials confirmed yesterday that further delays are now expected on some of the new school uniforms for the high schools. A limited supply of Year 12 Programme uniforms are available and parents will be allowed to buy two complete uniform sets as a temporary measure from today (Thursday) until the remainder of the order arrives. In the meantime, officials are issuing a dress code for students who don’t have a uniform for September only. Although the delay has not been explained, some parents angered by it have said officials simply did not order the new uniforms in time.

(CNS): The Auditor General’s Office has refused to comment on how many government ministries and statutory authorities made the 31 August deadline for submitting their financial accounts for the year end 2009/10. CNS called the office on Wednesday morning and a spokesperson for the new auditor general said he would be making no comment as it formed part of ongoing work, which the office had said it would not discuss. The spokesperson stated that the situation regarding government’s accounts would be revealed in the auditor general’s annual government report, which would be published in December. As a result CNS has now submitted an FOI request.

(CNS): A witness who told the police four days after the murder of Omar Samuels that he had seen one of the defendants quarrel with the dead man on the night he was killed revealed he could no longer recall most of the events recorded in his statement when he appeared in court today. Marcus Manderson, who is an inmate at HMP Northward, said he could only remember what happened later that night when he found Samuels and tied up his injured leg. In contradiction to his original statement, he told the court that the dead man had revealed the name of his killer before he died. Manderson said that Samuels told him “Martin” had shot him and taken his gun.

(CNS): Following its first meeting, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission has already begun the recruitment process for a new high court judge and the position will be advertised, according to the commission chair, Dan Scott. He said the creation of the JLSC began a new system of recruitment for the judiciary as its members, along with other appropriate people, would form the panel to find the new judge. Although the chief justice is expected to offer input, Scott confirmed he would no longer be solely responsible for finding senior judicial staff. Scott also said the commission was drawing up a code of conduct for the judiciary and the public would have access to complain directly to the JLSC regarding the conduct of judges and other senior public figures working in legal services. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)