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Tropical Storm Watch issued for Barbados

Tropical Storm Dorian Advisory #4

Tropical Storm Dorian Advisory #4

Summary of 500 AM AST…0900 UTC…Information

Location: 11.0N 51.6W
About 555 miles (890 km) ESE of Barbados
Maximum Sustained Winds: 40 MPH (5 km/h)
Present movement: W or 280 degrees at 13 MPH (20 km/h)
Minimum Central Pressure: 1008 mb…29.77 inches

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The government of Barbados has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for
Barbados.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…

  • Barbados

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

Additional watches will likely be issued later today for portions
of the Windward and Leeward Islands. Elsewhere, interests in Puerto
Rico and Hispaniola should monitor the progress of Dorian.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor
products issued by your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK

At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Dorian was
located near latitude 11.0 North, longitude 51.6 West. Dorian is
moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h), and this motion is
expected to continue today, followed by a motion toward the
west-northwest on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track,
Dorian is expected to be near the central Lesser Antilles late
Monday or early Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher
gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours,
and Dorian could be near hurricane strength over the eastern
Caribbean Sea.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km)
from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL: Dorian is expected to produce total rain accumulations of
2 to 4 inches in portions of the Lesser Antilles, with possible
isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch
area by late Monday.

SURF: Swells generated by Dorian will be affecting portions of the
Lesser Antilles by late Monday. These swells could cause life-
threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult
products from your local weather office.

Tropical Storm Dorian Public Advisory #2

Tropical Storm Dorian

At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Dorian was
located near latitude 10.7 North, longitude 49.1 West. Dorian is
moving toward the west near 12 mph (19 km/h) and this general
motion is expected to continue tonight. A turn toward the
west-northwest is forecast on Sunday, and that motion is expected
to continue through Tuesday. On the forecast track, the tropical
cyclone is expected to be near the central Lesser Antilles on
Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph (65 km/h) with
higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next few
days, and Dorian could be near hurricane strength when it
approaches the central Lesser Antilles on Tuesday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km)
from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).


Tropical Storm Dorian Advisory Number 2
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052019
500 PM AST Sat Aug 24 2019

…DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO THE FOURTH TROPICAL STORM OF THE
2019 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON…

SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST…2100 UTC…INFORMATION

LOCATION…10.7N 49.1W
ABOUT 725 MI…1165 KM ESE OF BARBADOS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…40 MPH…65 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 280 DEGREES AT 12 MPH…19 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1008 MB…29.77 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Interests in the central and northern Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of Dorian.

Tobago Trekkers Win Investment

Tobago Trekkers

Tobago Trekkers Win Investment at the Animation Accelerator Pitch Competition

Eight teams of Caribbean animators and gaming practitioners pitched their animation concepts to international content buyers on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training.  The E-IDCOT Tobago Project with their Tobago Trekkers game won the top prize of $10,000 USD provided by the Caribbean Development Bank via the Cultural Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF). Caribbean animation content has now been positioned to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content to be shown on US networks.

The pitch sessions were held on the final day of the Animation and Gaming Accelerator training at the Government Plaza Complex on Friday 16th August 2019, hosted by Animae Caribe in collaboration with the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the University of Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM, CARIFESTA, FilmTT and the Global Services Promotion Programme.

The panel of judges that included industry content buyers, investors and producers saw eight pitches which were scored on their strength of concept, experience and the game or series ability to succeed on the international platform.  

The winning animation pitched was Tobago Trekkers delivered by the three-person team of the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago (E-IDCOT) Ltd.  The team which included Oshun Oya Trim, Terrence Murray and Carlton Lindow showed how their Tobago Trekkers concept had the scalability to develop into other areas such as merchandising and tourism.

Speaking about his experience judge Stephen Hodge – Managing Director of Toon Googles, a premier on-demand entertainment destination for children shared “I’ve been delightfully enlightened by the quality of animation and concepts and projects that I’ve seen out here.  And I definitely feel that quite a few of these have quite a bit of potential in the global market, so I’m excited to see how this further develops”

As part of the implementation of the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) Caribbean Export has been supporting the export services and the creative industry.  Animation has been identified for its huge potential for both the talent within the region in terms of content creation and the outsourcing of animation services to international production studios.

“We have seen that the region has the talent and the skills to develop a buoyant animation industry and so for us it’s about providing the opportunities or the platforms for this talent to be seen” informed Allyson Francis – Services Specialist at Caribbean Export.  “What has been encouraging to see is how each concept that was pitched included some level of cultural reference to the Caribbean be it folklore, mythical creatures for example”.

Kim Wright content buyer for Sesame Street Workshop and also a judge expressed that “It’s been great.  I’ve met some very talented animators here and it’s a very rewarding experience being of Jamaican descent, and to see the wealth of talented yet young animators in general from across the Caribbean is always refreshing and rewarding experience for me, especially students. I find that really great to meet students and to let them know that these opportunities exist to pitch to companies like Sesame Street Workshop and have their work seen internationally”.

Following the pitch sessions Ty Richardson, serial entrepreneur and investor announced that discussions had started to secure 200 hours of Caribbean content on US based Beacon TV.  Working with Camille Selvon Abrahams

Founder and Creative Director for Animae Caribe Festival, Richardson would be able to source Caribbean content to be aired on the US television network.  

“We definitely have some exciting stuff.  I’m excited to distribute, I’m excited to present.  The story lines ranged from far and wide, I love the direction some of these kids are going in and I love the fact we can even do a pilot channel with pilot, after pilot, after pilot.  We don’t have to have fully developed series or content and it gives everybody an opportunity to see their stuff on a screen and enjoy that moment in the sunlight”.  
The Agency supported seven animators from Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Guyana and will continue to support the animation industry at the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum scheduled for September 26-28th September in Germany.

Bakers Association meets the Minister

Bakers Association

Minister Rigobert meets with the new Bakers Association of St Lucia

Following the visits of the Ministers of Labour and Commerce in the past few months, the Minister of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development Hon. Dr. Gale T. C. Rigobert accepted an invitation to the Caribbean Grains Flour Mill in Vieux Fort on Tuesday 13th August 2019. The visit was part of sustainable development plans enacted by the company as it relates to the development of the baking industry. The Minister was accommodated by Mr. Noorani Azeez, Executive Director of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Authority, Mr. Kurt Harris, Dean of the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies at SALCC, and the Project Manager of the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Ms. Donnette Ishmael. The team took the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities led by members of the Caribbean Grains group, and meet with team members of the newly formed Bakers Association of St. Lucia to discuss plans for the development of the baking industry.

As a full-service milling company producing non-bleached flour from its main operations in Vieux Fort, over the past few years Caribbean Grains has worked closely with the relevant stakeholders in a bid to advance the current baking industry in Saint Lucia. Through collaborations with the resident college and local bakers alike, the company has endeavoured to create a greater synergy between the methods of baking and the needs of the market, so the standard of the industry would be expeditiously upgraded in every area. Through baker training initiatives locally and abroad, consultation on baker programmes through SALCC and assisting the development of the new Bakers’ Association, the industry has begun to see measured results. 

Minister Rigobert commended the efforts of the consortium present; Caribbean Grains, local bakers, representatives of SLHTA, SALCC and the Bakers’ Association of St. Lucia, on a well thought out plan for the sustainable advancement of the baking industry. Pledging her ministry’s full support as it relates to the development of educational components through Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, she articulated that success of any programme would rest on a collaborative approach of all key stakeholders. 

Minister Rigobert added, ‘We must forge forward as a unit to ensure the advancement of the baking industry of Saint Lucia, and consequently raise the standards of the industry as a whole. The collaboration among the various ministries and institutions is

not only necessary but commendable as new milestones are being achieved with each engagement”. 

Caribbean Grains Director of Sales and Marketing Mr. Decosta Pierre echoed the sentiments of the group and added, “Caribbean Grains is not simply in this business to produce and sell flour. Our mandate is to assist with the development of Saint Lucia baking industry through a collaborative effort with stakeholders and other persons of interest. We welcome the support of the various ministries especially the Ministry of Education as the driving force behind the training programmes at the SALCC and hope these programmes will be a success as envisioned.”Caribbean Grains will continue its dialogue with the various parties as the new bakers programme offered through the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College is set to commence in the upcoming academic year. More information on prerequisites for enrolment will be provided in a subsequent communication. For more information email marketing@caribbeangrains.com to discuss further.


Diesel price increased – 19th Aug, 2019

diesel

The Public is hereby notified that in keeping with changes in international oil prices and Government’s application of the modified market pass-through petroleum pricing mechanism, the retail price of gasoline and kerosene remains unchanged. The retail price of diesel, LPG 20, 22 and 100 lb cylinders has changed. The price changes take effect from Monday August 19, 2019:

  • Gasoline remains unchanged at $3.07 per litre or $13.95 per gallon
  • Kerosene remains unchanged at $1.93 per litre or $8.76 per gallon 
  • Diesel increased from $2.92 to $2.93 per litre or $13.27 to $13.32 per gallon
  • 20 Pound Cylinder (9.07 kg) decreased from $32.54 to $32.12 per cylinder 
  • 22 Pound Cylinder (9.98 kg) decreased from $36.08 to $35.61 per cylinder 
  • 100 Pound Cylinder (45.36kg) decreased from $206.54 to $204.42 per cylinder 

The Public is informed that the next adjustment of the retail price of fuel products will be on Monday September 9, 2019.

Invest Saint Lucia Supports Next Generation of Business Leaders

Next Generation of Business Leaders
ISL’s Communications and Marketing Assistant, Yves Peter mentoring youth on entrepreneurship.

 In keeping with its mandate to spur investment, Invest Saint Lucia has lent its support to a youth mentorship initiative organized by local company HR Wise.  Called the EDGE Youth Mentorship Program, the not-for-profit program is designed to equip young persons between the ages of 16 and 21, with the information and life skills required to manage their transition from the school environment into the workplace and develop into well rounded citizens.  

The EDGE annual 3-week summer workshop, followed by internship opportunities, serves as an induction program for young Saint Lucians about to enter the world of work and is designed to improve knowledge, clarify workplace expectations and build strong work ethic.  

The program covers topics such as career planning and development, communication, workplace etiquette, customer excellence, employment essentials, personal brand, interview skills, social media and attitude, entrepreneurship, among others.  

Speaking at the formal cheque presentation ceremony, Ms. Goretti J Paul, founder and Managing Director of HR Wise, expressed her deep gratitude for Invest Saint Lucia’s continued support and emphasized the value of this innovative exercise, “EDGE serves as a platform for responsible corporate citizens to work together and make a positive impact on the social transformation of our young persons.  This important group is key to the future success of our companies and by extension our country.”

Commenting on Invest Saint Lucia’s sponsorship, Marketing Officer Shirlyn Elliodore stated that “For Invest Saint Lucia, the program is a perfect platform to engage young persons on the benefits of youth entrepreneurship.  We see this program as a nursery for many young and aspiring business-oriented individuals to grow to appreciate entrepreneurship on a small and global scale as well as the intangible value of career-oriented mandates and goals. In addition, there is the added benefit of having access to a pool of job ready applicants but more importantly participating in engineering the overall success of Saint Lucia’s future business leaders.”

Sun Power Exceeds Expectations

Sun Power Exceeds Expectations

LUCELEC Sun Power Exceeds Expectations – A major part of LUCELEC’s (St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited) strategy to 2020 and beyond is transitioning towards adding renewable energy to our mix of generation.  The Company took a major step in that direction when, on April 9 last year, its 3-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Vieux-Fort came on line.

The overall goal is to use more indigenous renewable energy and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels (diesel).  The expectation was that the solar farm would generate approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) units of electricity per year and reduce the volume of fuel purchased by LUCELEC by 300 thousand gallons. 

The Sun Power plant has been in operation for just over a year and is meeting the expectations. As at the end of July this year, the solar farm had generated 9,095,250 kWh or units of electricity. That translates to about 468,296 gallons of fuel saved. Based on the average price of fuel over the period, that translates to approximately $3.61 million the Company has saved.

And because fuel is a cost that’s passed through to customers, it means these savings have been reflected in the price customers paid for electricity over the period.

LUCELEC Business Development Manager Victor Emmanuel says this bodes well for the company and its customers. 

“The output from the solar farm has been better than expected. It is always good when new technology delivers on expectations, especially after years of research and investment. We are very pleased our efforts in that regard are paying off.”

LUCELEC expects to build on the success of the solar farm with the installation of 7.5 MW/3 MWh of battery storage at the solar farm site at La Tourney.  The battery storage will meet 7.5 MW of load for about 20 minutes, which is equivalent to replacing one of the larger generator sets at the company’s Cul-de-Sac power plant for approximately 20 minutes.  The battery storage will also reduce the amount of spinning reserve on the diesel generators required to maintain system stability and reliability. And that will translate into more fuel (and customer) savings.

Preliminary work on the system design and the Request for Proposal (RFP) specifications for the battery storage project has started.  LUCELEC’s first bank of battery storage is expected to come on line in 2020. LUCELEC expects to have about 31 MW of renewable energy and 13 MW of storage on the system by the end of 2023 if all goes according to plan.

CDB wins top Industry Award

Industry Award for Geothermal Energy

CDB wins top industry award for driving geothermal energy development in Region

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is being lauded and awarded for its work advancing geothermal energy development in the Caribbean.

On July 17, the Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC) gave CDB’s Sustainable Energy Facility for the Eastern Caribbean (SEF) programme its top prize for Best Financing Programme at its GEOLAC Industry awards.

SEF, which is developed in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and executed by CDB was specifically recognised for the financing  which combines grant, contingently recoverable grant, and concessional loans resources coming through the IDB from Global Environmental Facility, Clean Technology Fund, and  the Green Climate Fund. SEF also utilises IDB and CDB resources. SEF is one of the programmes under the CDB GeoSmart Initiative. 

CDB Vice-President (Operations), Monica La Bennett noted that the small size and relative isolation of many of the CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) means that energy costs are high but the barriers to exploring geothermal and other indigenous energy potential are also enormous.

“The high cost of energy impacts competitiveness in many BMCs and makes the economies especially vulnerable to oil price swings. For some time now, Caribbean governments have been supporting the use of our natural resources like geothermal to produce cleaner, lower-cost energy. However, the availability of appropriate financing, particularly in the exploration and development stages when the costs can be relatively high has been a major challenge. We have prioritised mobilising low-cost and concessionary financing to help kick-start geothermal expansion in our BMCs and so are especially pleased that our efforts in this area have been recognised.”

CDB’s Head (acting) for Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency, Joseph Williams collected the award on behalf of the CDB along with Christiaan Gischler, Lead Energy Specialist and ‘lead architect’ for SEF at the IDB. The 6th GEOLAC, which was held in Santiago, Chile July 17-18, 2019, is the largest annual gathering of the regional geothermal market. Its awards highlight entities that are significantly advancing geothermal development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

CDB’s GeoSmart Initiative aims to reduce the financial, technical and institutional barriers to geothermal energy development in five Eastern Caribbean states – St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, St Lucia and Dominica. It also helps governments build capacity and strengthen institutions so they can be better equipped to implement and manage geothermal energy initiatives.

Spicemas 2019 – Make Carnival Safer

spicemas 2019

Helping to make Carnival Safer for Spicemas 2019

The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) wishes all citizens and visitors alike a safe, happy and enjoyable Spicemas 2019 Carnival Season; and affirms its commitment to ensuring the safety of all during this festive season.

Consequently, the RGPF is seeking the collaboration of the general public to realize this national goal and persons are encouraged to take every precaution to ensure that their own safety and the well-being of others are not compromised.

Consistent with this approach the RGPF advises the following:

Avoid unpleasant situations: 
• Drink responsibly – balance the consumption of alcohol and other intoxicating liquor with water; 
• Be wary of accepting drinks from others, even people you know; know who you are purchasing food from.
• Be constantly aware of the people around you; 
• Be observant when returning home at night; avoid accepting lifts from strangers or leaving shows/fetes with strangers or someone you just met; avoid hitchhikers.
• If traveling as a group in a private vehicle have a designated driver; ensure that you carry sufficient funds to return home, in the event that you are unable to do so via your designated driver.

Do not put your life or the life of others in danger: 
• Exercise restraint in the face of provocation; 
• Leave all offensive weapons at home – the knives, cutlasses, icepicks, ray bones, et cetera and any other thing made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, or intended for that use. 
• Secure licensed firearms, preferably at home or lodge at the nearest police station.

Avoid being a victim of theft: 
• Carry just the bare necessities, avoid large sums of cash, 
• Avoid wearing excessive jewelry; duly secure wallets, purses and mobile phones.
• Ensure homes and vehicles are properly locked and secured.

Road Safety: 
• Do not drive while under the influence of alcohol/drugs; 
• Drive to the conditions of the road – do not speed; 
• Refrain from committing regulatory breaches by obeying the traffic signs and officers directing traffic. 
• Do not sit atop DJ speaker boxes and the hood of vehicles as well as the side/ back trays.

Safety of Children and Elderly:
• Ensure children and the elderly left at home are properly supervised; 
• Do not leave flammable liquid, medication and matches within reach of children;
• Keep children in sight/close contact when outdoors; teach your child/children about the danger posed by strangers.

General Reminders:
• Selling or carrying of alcohol or other beverages in glass bottles in public places are prohibited and the sale of alcohol to minors is against the law. 
• It is also against the law to have open flames in public places.
• Carrying or using the national flag or symbols of Grenada or any other country in a derogatory manner is prohibited. 
• Refrain from portraying or wearing any costume in a manner likely to cause any ridicule or disrespect to any religion practiced in Grenada.
• Refrain from carrying or displaying any lewd or offensive signs, posters, placards or designs
• The use of aerosol spray; chain saws with or without blades; cow neck chains and reptiles – snakes, serpents, whether alive or dead are prohibited.

The RGPF is intensifying its operations to ensure public safety and security and will be implementing a zero tolerance approach to persons who are bent on breaking the law. This is necessary to ensure that Spicemas 2019 revelers, other citizens and visitors enjoy the festivities in an unencumbered and safe environment.

Tropical Weather Outlook | 8:00 PM 03/Aug/2019

Tropical Weather Outlook-8-00 PM 03-Aug-2019

A large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms located
several hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles is associated with
a tropical wave. Some slow development of this system is possible
over the next day or two as the disturbance moves west-northwestward
toward the Lesser Antilles. Upper-level winds are then expected to
become unfavorable for further development early next week.

  • Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent.
  • Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

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