Cooke awarded JAS Gold Medal

Former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke was yesterday given the Jamaica Agricultural Society Gold Medal award for his long and distinguished service to the agriculture sector.

A gold embedded plaque was presented to Cooke, who served as Governor General for 15 years by present Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and president of the JAS Norman Grant.

The ceremony was held at King's House.

Help being sought for fire victims

Social worker Jason McIntyre is appealing to companies and individuals to assist the more than 60 persons who were left homeless yesterday after a fire destroyed their homes on Alexander Road, Waltham Park in St Andrew.

No one was injured in the fire which affected 27 homes.

Yesterday, McIntyre urged companies to provide aid to the children and adults who were displaced by the blaze.

Fire units from the York Park, Half-Way Tree, Rollington Town and the Trench Town fire stations put out the blaze, which started at 2 a.m.

The cost of the damage is estimated at $14 million.

Address Hunts Bay lock-up - IACHR

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) yesterday urged the Government to address immediately the inhuman conditions of detention that it observed at the lock-up facility of the Hunts Bay Police Station.

This was one of several recommendations made, following a visit to observe the human rights situation in Jamaica, from December 1-5 at the invitation of the government.

During its visit the commission focused particular attention on the situation of citizen security in the country and on the human rights of women, children, and persons suffering discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.

In a release yesterday the IACHR said it observed an alarming level of violence in Jamaica that has affected all sectors of society for many years.