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Ronald Lall, a 17-year-old resident of Third Street, Cummings Lodge, Georgetown, died on Friday following an accident at Eccles.

Police Headquarters said the accident occurred at about 18:05 hrs.

The accident involved motorcar PAJ 7247, driven by a 20-year-old Police Constable of Corentyne Berbice, and motorcycle CP 5320, driven by 17-year-old Sean Bourne of Lusignan Grass Field, East Coast Demerara. Lall was the pillion rider.

It was reported that Lall and Bourne were proceeding north along the western carriageway of Eccles Public Road, allegedly at a fast rate of speed in a ‘zig-zag’ manner in and out of lanes overtaking vehicles that were in front of him proceeding in the same direction.

As he overtook the motorcar PAJ 7247, which was proceeding north along the eastern lane of the road, the motorcyclist collided with the concrete median that separates the eastern and western carriageway of Eccles Public Road.

As a result, Bourne reportedly lost control of the motorcycle and he and Lall fell onto the road surface in front of the car.

The driver of the motorcar, upon seeing this, applied brakes to avoid a collision with them. Due to the short distance, he unavoidably drove over both the driver and pillion rider, causing them to receive injuries on their bodies.

Both Bourne and Lall were picked up in a conscious state by the driver of the car and public-spirited persons and rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Center. They were both seen and examined by a doctor on duty and Bourne was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was further seen and admitted as a patient for fractured ribs and abrasions about the body. His condition is regarded as critical.

Meanwhile, Lall was self-discharged by relatives from the hospital and transported via  Ambulance to the Woodlands Hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead by a doctor there.

His body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

The 20-year-old driver of the motorcar was escorted to the Providence Police Station where he was placed into custody, assisting with the investigation.

Further investigations are ongoing.

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Guyana Defence Force (GDF) athletes delivered impressive performances at the Ariza National Championship in Grenada, held at the Kirani James National Stadium over the weekend.

The GDF contingent showcased their talent and dedication, securing notable victories and podium finishes in various disciplines.

Senior Petty Officer Leslain Baird demonstrated his prowess in the javelin, achieving a commendable second place with a throw of 70.14 meters, narrowly missing out on gold.

On the track, Sergeant Akeem Stewart produced a stunning display of speed in the Men’s Invitational 100M, sprinting to victory in a blistering time of 10.59 seconds.

 Private Nicholas Daw was a dominant force in the middle-distance events, securing double gold medals.

He triumphed in the 400M with a time of 49.37 seconds and followed it up with another victory in the 800M, clocking 1:54.18.

Private Savanah Adams added to the medal haul, sprinting to second place in the Women’s 100M with a time of 12.07 seconds.

The GDF athletes’ success was partly attributed to the leadership and guidance of Athletics Head Coach Staff Sergeant Quinse Clarke, who played a crucial role in preparing the team for the championships.

In a statement, the GDF noted, “The performances of these athletes are a testament to their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence, proudly representing the Guyana Defence Force on the regional stage.”

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Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, have announced their squad for the upcoming Gold Cup preliminaries.

The squad was posted on Sunday evening on the Guyana Football Federation’s official page. The team is currently in Barbados.

The ‘home leg’ on March 21 will now be played at the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Technical Centre, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00h.

GFF cited logistical and playing condition evaluations for the move.

“After careful consultations, it was determined that relocating the match to Barbados was the best course of action,” stated GFF President Forde, while vowing future home games will be on Guyanese soil.

The Golden Jaguars face a daunting task against Guatemala, ranked ninth in CONCACAF and a Gold Cup mainstay. Guyana, ranked 19th, will need to overcome a history of recent defeats against their opponents.

After the Barbados clash, the teams will meet again in Guatemala on March 25.

The aggregate winner advances to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage.

Interim head coach Wayne Dover will lead the charge, and Marco Bonofiglio and Sam Cox will join as assistant coaches.

Golden Jaguars Squad:

Goalkeepers: Quilan Roberts, Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Akel Clarke

Defenders: Liam Gordon, Romaine Brackenridge, Leo Lovell, Jalen Jones, Colin Nelson, Reiss Greenidge, Jeremy Garrett, Curtez Kellman

Midfielders: Elliot Bonds, Nathan Moriah-Welch, Maliq Cadogan, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Nathan Ferguson, Daniel Wilson

Forwards: Omari Glasgow, Kelsey Benjamin, Osaze De Rosario, Enoch George, Liam Butts, Morgan Ferrier, Isaiah Jones

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Thousands of residents from several communities along the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) now have access to safe and reliable water with the commissioning of a $1.3 billion water treatment plant at Wales.

The facility, which can supply 9.5 liters of water daily, was on Sunday commissioned by President Dr Irfaan Ali. It is one of three new plants constructed in Region Three.

The project was undertaken by Mexican company, Hi-Pro Ecologicos with local input from S. Jagmohan Construction. It will serve 16,000 residents from several villages including Canal No.2, Toevlugt, Sisters Villages, Patenia, and Vriesland.

A section of the Wales water treatment plant (Photo: Ministry of Housing and Water/March 16, 2025)

Delivering the keynote address at the commissioning ceremony on Sunday, President Ali said by the end of this year, 90 per cent of the country’s population will have access to treated water.

“The story of development is before you… Every time there is improvement in infrastructure the value of the community increases as well as the country,” President Ali said.

Reflecting on investments being made, President Ali said with this project, the government has invested $400,000 in every household.

President Dr Irfaan Ali unveil the plague to commission the Wales Water treatment plant (Photo: Ministry of Housing and Water/March 16, 2025)

“Just five years ago, the story in these communities was how we are going to support our children to go to school… the story was about families going hungry and community going bankrupt.

“This is a story of hope versus hopelessness….This is a story about promises kept…a story of vision, respect,” he noted.

The Wales water treatment plant was designed according to international standards and has been in operation since February 22, 2025.

In his remarks, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal pointed out that the establishment of the facility is a testament to the government’s dedication of improving the livelihood of every citizen.

President Dr Irfaan Ali toured the new facility at Wales (Photo: Ministry of Housing and Water/March 16, 2025)

Access to treated water, Croal reminded the gathering, is a fundamental right for every individual.

“For far too long, communities have faced the challenge of accessing safe, reliable water.
“This state-of-the-art water treatment plant will not only provide cleaner water, but it will also enhance public health, reduce waterborne disease, and improve the overall quality of life,” Croal said.

The commissioning of the facility is part of the government’s vision of modernising the delivery of water across the country.

“We are aggressively expanding our national water infrastructure, increasing the access in both urban and rural communities and upgrading outdated systems to ensure sustainability,” Croal said.

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Plans are in the pipeline to build a new highway from the new Demerara Harbour Bridge to Wales on the West Bank of Demerara, according to President Dr Irfaan Ali.

As he addressed an event on Sunday, Dr. Ali said the project is currently in its planning stage.

“This weekend we were plotting the next phase of the new highway that will go from the new bridge and go all the way to Wales and then go all the way Del Conte road opening up tens of thousands of acres of lands for farmers, for housing, connecting Bartica, bringing the road back to Sand Hill taking it to Timehri,” President Ali said while speaking at an event in Wales.

The highway, he said, will add to the existing ones, allowing further connections while making access easier.

Additionally, President Ali said a new port will be constructed at Parika, East Bank Essequibo to “take off modern ferries” and export farmers’ produce.

“So that we can export directly from Parika to support our farmers to the Caribbean and further afield,” Dr Ali said.

Further, he noted that planning is underway for the establishment of a second power plant on the western side of the Demerara River.

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Three armed, masked men on Sunday morning stormed a camp at Arimu Backdam, Region Seven, and carted off with about $10 million worth of raw gold and an ATV.

The camp is owned by Rudra Johadan of R79 mining and construction.

In an interview with the News Room, Johadan said the incident took place around 09:30 hrs; it was captured on surveillance footage.

Johadan told the News Room that his employees had just finished their “wash down” when they were confronted by the bandits. One of the bandits, Johadan said, placed three of his employees to lay on the ground.

The other two bandits, he related, collected the raw gold.

The bandits then made their escape on an ATV, CL 3508, belonging to Johadan.

Johadan said two of his workers suffered minor injuries during the incident.

A report was made at the Bartica Police station. The ATV was subsequently recovered at the OKO Junction.

Johadan said he has been in the mining industry since 2016. This is the first robbery he has experienced.

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Shopping at Massy Stores paid off in a big way for Corencer  Mentore! As the grand prize winner of the 2024/5 Christmas Jackpot Promotion, she gets to drive away with a brand-new 2024 Nissan Qashqai Sense SUV. 

The promotion, which ran from November 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, offered customers an entry into the grand prize draw for every $5,000 spent at any Massy Stores location nationwide. 

Responding to the news with joy and excitement when contacted, Mentore, a long-time customer of  Massy Stores whose winning purchase was made at Massy Stores Providence, said, “As a mother of  four, winning this car means the world to my family. I’m truly grateful to Massy Stores for this  opportunity and to God for His many blessings.” 

Christpen Bobb-Semple, Assistant Vice President of Massy Stores Guyana, handed the keys to Mentore during a handover ceremony at the company’s Providence store on Wednesday. He remarked, “We are thrilled to reward Ms Mentore for her loyalty. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and  promotions like these are our way of giving back to the community.” 

In addition to the grand prize, the Christmas Jackpot Promotion awarded several other lucky customers with bi-weekly cash prizes of $100,000. Bobb-Semple noted that the winners were selected through  random draws from different stores, “ensuring fairness and transparency throughout the promotion.”  

The bi-weekly winners were Joash Joseph – Massy Stores Providence, Dianne Jhagdat – Massy Stores  Mega, Rajendra Ramkarran – Massy Stores Montrose, Gomattie Prashad – Massy Stores Vreed-en Hoop, Kevin Singh – Massy Stores Ruimveldt and Monique Sarius – Massy Stores Giftland. 

This is the third year in a row Massy Stores has held the Christmas Jackpot promotion. In 2023, Colin  Weeks was announced winner of a new 2022 Nissan X-Trail T32; while in 2024, Dr Yara Martinez Diaz  won a sleek MG ZS compact SUV. 

With the exciting 2024/5 promotion now concluded, Massy Stores Guyana remains dedicated to rewarding its customers and is excited to roll out even more thrilling promotions and innovative solutions in the near future. One of the key innovations that customers are currently enjoying is the  enhanced integration of Massy Stores Mega with the website shopmassystoresgy.com, which allows customers to shop online with ease. This development also provides a convenient alternative for overseas-based customers to shop for their families and have orders ready for pick-up at Massy Stores  Mega, offering a simpler option than shipping barrels. 

A self-check-out service is also available at Massy Stores Providence and Massy Stores Mega – the only supermarkets in Guyana to offer this kind of service. The self-check out service will soon be available  at the Giftland Mall branch (Massy Stores press release)

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The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has new leadership after Sheryl Hermonstine was recently elected President after the AAG held its overdue Annual General Meeting and Election of Officer Bearers on Sunday at the National Racquet Centre, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

In the election of President, Hermonstine secured five votes, while Dr. Ariane Mangar got one.

It is understood some clubs abstained from the voting process and that incumbent Aubrey Hutson, who was nominated for the top spot, was not present at the time of the elections.

According to AAG’s constitution, “all nominees not present at the AGM where elections are being held shall indicate their intention of being elected by a letter. This letter must be handed to the RETURNING OFFICER at the time of the Elections.”

Hermonstine served as First Vice President under Hutson and acted as President when Hutson was ‘suspended’ in 2023 after the embarrassing CARIFTA Games debacle.

The other elected officials are Mark Scott (First Vice President), Mayfield Taylor-Trim (Second Vice President), Dwayne Carter (Treasurer), and Niall Stanton (Assistant Treasurer).

The Committee Members are Dr. Ariane Mangar, Thelson Williams, Tyrone Smith, Osafo Dos Santos and Towanna McAlmont.

The new executive then re-appointed James Cole as General Secretary, and Kenisha Headley is now the assistant general secretary.

Attorney-at-Law Emily Dodson was the Returning Officer.

The elections followed numerous public spats which highlighted the troubles in Track and Field governance.

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Four Guyanese are among a crew of six people detained after 6.3 tonnes of cocaine was found on a Guyana-flagged vessel operating off the West African coast.

The vessel is named Solo.

The Ministry of Home Affairs reported that the ship was boarded following a request from the French authorities, and in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU).

A subsequent search of the vessel led to the discovery of 6.3 tonnes of cocaine packaged in bales. The vessel’s crew comprised one Colombian, one Dominican, and four Guyanese nationals. They have all been detained, and investigations are actively underway.

In a statement, the Minsitry of Home Affairs said, “The Government of Guyana reaffirms its commitment to strengthening international cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime, particularly narcotics trafficking.”

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A 32-year-old construction worker, who is accused of setting fire to a building was freed of the charge after the owner of the property refused to give evidence in the case.

Barrington Leung, called ‘Dinky’ of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was arrested on March 11. He was charged on March 13 after reportedly setting fire to a house belonging to Radah Ramanah.

Leung appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Diamond/Grove Magistrate Court. The matter was dismissed after the victim refused to give evidence.

The charge was laid under Section 141 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01.

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