Three-car pileup results in two women in hospital

Three vehicles were involved in a pile-up on Middle Road, Southampton on Saturday, with two women being taken to hospital with leg and neck injuries.

Police believe a Suzuki Vitara jeep was travelling west when the driver lost control of the vehicle while rounding a sharp bend in the road. The jeep struck the adjacent wall before rebounding into the middle of the road, sending it into the path of a Nissan Sentra and a Mitsubishi Lancer travelling in the opposite direction.

Festival of Lights winners announced

The ninth annual Charity Festival of Lights competition concluded over the weekend with Belco and BF&M announcing three winners from the different regional categories.

Mr. Edmund Faria and Family triumphed in the Eastern Division, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Pitman in the Central Division while Mr. Michael Jean-Jaques was victorious in the West.

The sponsors will now donate a total of $10,250 in cash prizes to charities nominated by the winners before the competition got underway. The 2004 contest was graced with a record number of participants, with over 50 entries registered Islandwide.

Post Office creates two new management posts

The Bermuda Post Office has announced a shake-up of its services resulting in the creation of two new divisions and the creation of a new post within the Post Office following a review.

The Operations Division, the Corporate Services Division, and the post of Coordinator of Sub Post Office Operations will all become effective as of January 1.

A new manager in the Corporate Services Division will oversee human resources, new business opportunities and growing philately. The new manager of the Operations Division will oversee the consolidation of core postal operations involving all incoming, processing, distribution and delivery activities for all classes of mail.

The Coordinator of Sub Post Offices Operations will coordinate the daily functions of the 14 Sub Post Offices and ensure effective communication links between the Sub Post Offices and Corporate Services.

Postmaster General George Outerbridge said the changes are key to promoting staff who are more customer focused and will allow the Post Office to implement operational improvements, provide a range of corporate services and improve the coordination of work throughout the island?s 14 Sub-Post Offices.

The Postmaster General said a review of the Letters and Parcels section is ongoing and should be complete by February.

Woman denies stealing $6,000 from employer

A US Airways employee who denied stealing nearly $6,000 from the airline and making fake airline tickets faces trial in Magistrates? Court next year.

Keisha Carmichael, 25, of Whaling Hill, Southampton, pleaded not guilty to stealing as a clerk in Magistrates Court yesterday. Carmichael is charged with ?sometime between March 28 and November 13, 2004 in St. George?s, being a clerk of US Airways corporation with intent to defraud, altered, omitted and created fraudulent documents namely flight tickets, using a US Airways system?.

Carmichael also denied a second charge, on the same dates: ?being a clerk of US Airways corporation, did steal $5,726.15, being the amount of a general deficiency property of US Airways Corporation?. Carmichael was bailed at $1,000 to appear for trial on March 21, 2005.

Man stole just to get in prison

A shoplifter who stole $13 worth of groceries begged to be sent to prison because he ?could use another three months? in a drug programme.

Brian Eugene Jones, 48, of Railway Trail, Southampton, pleaded guilty in Magistrates? Court yesterday to stealing two Slim Jim beef strips, chocolate, cashew nuts, chorizo sausage, pizza and Oreo cookies valued at $13 from Arnold?s Supermarket on St. John?s Road in Pembroke.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill said the store manager of Arnold?s supermarket saw Jones walk past him carrying items he had not paid for on November 10.

After a brief chase, the manager caught Jones and called the Police. ?He has convictions of the similar nature,? Ms Dill said. ?The most recent stealing.?

Jones said: ?I?m locked up right now for not paying a fine. It?s too early for me to be free from jail. I?m trying to save my own a**. The drug programme I am in is doing me good. It ends on January 8, but I could use another three months.?

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner sentenced Jones to ?six months imprisonment from today?s date,? and when Jones thanked him for it, he added: ?The cooking up there must be very good.?