Location where cyclist was knocked down on Saturday, 10 January (CNS): A white vehicle collided with a pedal bike on Saturday morning, 10 January, but the driver did not stop and left the scene. According to the police, the incident happened around 6:20am, on the roundabout on Rex Crighton Boulevard (formerly the East West Arterial), in the vicinity of Chime Street. EMS attended the location and treated the cyclist, who had been knocked off his bicycle during the collision. He was later transported to the hospital for treatment for what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries. The matter is currently under investigation, and police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed it or seen a white vehicle travelling in the area at the time of the collision to contact 649-6254. The make and model of the vehicle are not known at this time, the police said, and did not indicate...

The Mosquito Research and Control Unit has new tools with which to fight Cayman’s mosquitoes: drones. Facebook

Recycling bales ready for shipment (file photo) (CNS): Deputy Opposition Leader Kenneth Bryan has filed a private member’s motion calling on the Cayman Islands Government to reduce the current import duty on recycling equipment, such as glass crushers, plastic shredders and balers, by 100%, which would be in line with the NCFC administration’s intention to address the Cayman Islands’ growing garbage problem by focusing on recycling. Bryan said the cut in duty would encourage entrepreneurs to get involved in the reuse-recycle business and help Cayman develop a green economic sector. During the last meeting of parliament, the minister responsible for waste, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, said the government intended to focus on the four Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle and recover) to tackle the garbage problem and extend the life of the landfill in George Town. The Cayman Islands produces around five times as much garbage per capita as the global average, but...

Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have confirmed that they have reached agreements to accept asylum-seekers from the US who cannot be returned to their countries of origin, while Guyana is reported to be nearing completion of a separate framework under which it would receive skilled migrants currently without legal status in the US who are unable or unwilling to return home. Facebook

(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has resumed its Food Hygiene Training sessions, which according to a release is part of its ongoing commitment to safeguarding public health and strengthening food safety standards across the Cayman Islands. The DEH said that this training is a mandatory requirement for all individuals employed in food preparation, handling and service industry. The sessions equip participants with sufficient knowledge to prevent food-borne illness caused by food-borne pathogens and other contaminants. After expiry, food handlers must renew their certification, which is valid for three years. Registration is now open for the Food Handler training sessions scheduled to be conducted over the next three months. They will take place from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Red Cross Building in George Town, on the top floor (upstairs) on the following dates: 12 and 19 January 2, 9, 16 and 23 February 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30...

Down Under Submarines was involved in a collision, days after the Compass reported on a previous incident involving the company. In this latest incident on 7 Jan., its submarine came up underneath and struck a 110-foot-long liveaboard dive boat, the Cayman Aggressor IV. The 64-foot-long, 65-ton submarine was diving on the Doc Poulson dive site, where the liveaboard yacht was already tied up to the mooring ball. Facebook

(CNS): On Sunday, the police arrested a 37-year-old George Town resident in relation to a burglary and two attempted burglaries that happened just last week at two George Town restaurants, and credited the high-quality CCTV footage supplied by the establishments for the speedy arrest. According to the RCIPS, on Monday, 5 January, a restaurant on North Church Street was broken into and a number of items were taken. On Wednesday, a man tried but failed to gain entry to a restaurant on Seafarers Way. However, he returned to the same restaurant the next day and successfully gained entry. He then ransacked the establishment and stole cash from the register and other items. The suspect has been arrested and formally charged with two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary in relation to three incidents: The accused is appearing in court tomorrow, Monday, 12 January. “We wish to commend...

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Cedric Everton Ellis (CNS): Cedric Everton Ellis has been given a twelve-year jail term for raping the 12-year-old daughter of a neighbour. The 54-year-old man pleaded guilty on the morning of his trial in September last year and has been on remand since then. However, for a variety of reasons, the case was adjourned multiple times before he was finally sentenced last month. After he raped the child, Ellis went on the run because, he claimed, he feared her stepfather was coming after him with a machete. Once apprehended, he initially denied the allegation of rape. He implied that he had attempted to sexually assault the girl but had not raped her, claiming that he had stopped when he had “come to his senses”. However, after several sessions with psychiatrists and counsellors, Ellis, who has learning difficulties and a low literacy level, finally admitted that he had raped the girl...

Endemic ghost orchid (CNS): The UK government has published a new policy document on how it plans to work with and support its overseas territories in their efforts to conserve, protect and restore nature in the face of growing challenges, including climate change, overdevelopment and exploitation. The British government said in the document that the “outlook for nature” in its territories, which are home to more than 90% of species connected to the UK, is “of grave concern”. Many of the UKOTs, including the Cayman Islands, are small, low-lying islands vulnerable to invasive species and climate change, which results in rising sea levels, warming oceans, changes in rainfall patterns, and more frequent, more intense storms. To meet the challenges, the territories need more support, and the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy sets out the goals the UK is committed to that will help place environmental resilience at the heart of decision-making....