(CNS): A 300lb turtle has been saved from the hands of poachers as a result of a phone call from a vigilant resident to government authorities. On Saturday afternoon (24 July) Department of Environment officers were alerted by 911 that someone had seen a turtle in the bushes on Sandhole Road in West Bay. Mark Orr, the DOE officer who was part of the rescue effort explained that when he got there he found a large Green Turtle tied up on her back in the grape trees about 30 or 40 feet of beach. He said she had crawled up and started her nesting before poachers had caught her.

(WSJ): Billionaire brothers Sam Wyly and Charles Wyly hid $550 million in trading profits by using an "elaborate sham system" of offshore entities, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Thursday. The civil suit, following a six-year probe, targets a pair of entrepreneurs in their mid-70s who amassed a fortune over more than four decades through ventures including Michaels arts and crafts stores. The SEC said the Wylys used sham trusts and subsidiaries in the Isle of Man and the Cayman Islands to avoid disclosure of their stakes and sales of stock in public companies where they were directors.

(CNS): Police have confirmed that they're investigating an armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver in West Bay. According to reports on News 27, an individual had called Gino's Pizza delivery service at around 10pm on Wednesday evening (28 July) but when the driver arrived at the home delivery address on Billie Manderson Drive, off Town Hall Road, three men appeared from behind the home with their faces covered, one armed with what appeared to be a knife or a screwdriver. They demanded money, but instead the driver gave them the four pizza boxes and two bottles of soda. The men took the pizza and soda, and then ran away. Police say the person who lives at the home was not aware of any delivery.

(CNS): While the tourist industry worldwide may still have some way to go before it recovers from the impact of the global recession, passenger arrivals in the Cayman Islands are at the 2010 halfway mark showing improvement on 2009. More passengers arrived on the islands both by air and by boat this year than last. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Tourism at the end of June well over 126,000 cruise passengers had visited Grand Cayman in the first six months of the year compared to last and over 30,000 more passengers had passed through Owen Roberts International Airport. 

(CNS): Local small business could soon benefit from a share of a European Union grant earmarked for UK and Dutch overseas territories. Although it is unclear exactly what for or how much Cayman may receive, the European Development Fund (EDF) has earmarked €15million for a regional programme to focus on strengthening the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s). Representatives from the Department of Commerce and Investment (DCI) and the Cayman Islands Small Business Association (CISBA) met with their regional counterparts in Tortola earlier this month to find a way to allocate the funds.

(CNS): With over five months of what is expected to be a very busy 2010 Atlantic Hurricane season the Shelter Operations Sub-Committee of Hazard Management Cayman Islands says it needs volunteer managers for the three East End hurricane shelters. Government officials said that previous experience in the role is not necessary. Training sessions for recruits will take place on Saturday, 14 August from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00pm at the East End Civic Centre.  Anyone interested in doing their bit to help the district through the season is asked to let the department k now by 10 August.

(CNS): With rates of seriously overweight children increasing locally the government is continuing in the fight against childhood obesity. The Ministry of Health has partnered with Cayman based non-governmental organisation, AMF Partners, to air a television programme that examines the problem of overweight kids. The programme focuses on how parents can get kids excited about family exercise time and how schools can be part of the solution by banishing unhealthy snack options and offering fun physical activities. This is the second show in a two part series which will air on Monday evening at 8pm (2 August) on Cayman27. 

(CNS): For the first time since its creation the local Health Service Authority has ended a financial year in the black. The chair of the HSA board revealed that the Cayman Islands hospital took in $2.3 million more in revenue than its operating costs for the financial year 2009/10 to 30 June, marking a significant turning point in the hospital’s financial difficulties. However, both Canover Watson and HSA Chief Executive Officer Lizette Yearwood were at pains to stress that the figure would have been $14.3 milllion if all of the patients treated at the hospital had paid their bills. Yearwood listed a catalogue of services and improvements that could be made at the HSA if the outstanding debt was repaid and reinvested into the facility.

(CNS): Local activist Sandra Catron has once again faced down the power of the state in a court of law and had another case against her thrown out. The former political candidate for Bodden Town and one time radio talk show host was facing charges of theft and damage to property, over a lease dispute but her case was dismissed by the chief magistrate after Catron’s no case submission. Although Catron is not a qualified lawyer this is the second time she has taken on crown counsel without representation and the second time that she has had the prosecution case against her overturned. Catron said she was absolutely delighted that finally her cases were all over.(Photo Dennie Warren Jr)

(CNS): According to information revealed by Inspector Anthony White of the RCIPS at a crime prevention seminar on Tuesday morning, Cayman Reef Resort and the Treasure Island are the condos that have been most frequently targeted by criminals this year. White told tourism stakeholders that the majority of burglaries were committed at properties where doors and windows were left unlocked. He also revealed that the area around Captain’s Bakery, Helen Drive and St. Matthews University residencies on the West Bay Road is where the highest number of robberies, have taken place in the Seven Mile Beach tourist corridor.

(CNS): David Cameron, prime minister of the UK’s Conservative-Liberal government, has offered his support for Dr Devi Shetty’s Cayman health city and, according to a release, has suggested that the UK could also benefit from the low cost model. Cameron and Shetty met in Bangalore today during the UK government’s high level visit to India, which has been overshadowed with news of a rift in the current collation Cabinet. During the visit, however, Vince Cable, Business Secretary and Liberal Democrat Cabinet representative, visited the hospitals that make up Dr. Shetty’s Narayana Hrudayalaya health complex with Cameron, where they both expressed their support.

(CNS): The country’s top police officer has said he does not believe “firearms in every household” are the answer to the problem of local crime. He said it was an oversimplified reaction as a result of fear in the community when the issue of crime was very complex. David Baines, the Commissioner of Police (CoP), said the more guns there were in any community the more people would get shot and killed and the scale of violence would be significantly higher. Speaking at a crime prevention seminar with representatives from the tourism industry this week, the commissioner said firearms in the home would lead to an increase of use by criminals as the presumption would be that everyone is armed, as is the case in the United States. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)