Ship diverted after death of crew member

A death on board the CIC Splendour forced the 228-metre bulk carrier to stop in Bermuda last week.

The Panamanian registered boat arrived in St. George's after the deceased Filipino crew member, who is believed to have died from a heart attack, was transported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. The 40-year-old crew member was complaining of stomach pains prior to his death.

Wheat was aboard the carrier, which was coming from Galveston, Texas and bound for Haifa, Israel.

Cell phone ownership booming

There are no plans to develop number portability in Bermuda according to local cell phone providers.

On November 24, 2003 number portability was made possible in 100 metro cities the United States due to numerous customer requests, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

But an AT&T Wireless customer service representative said the move will not be followed in Bermuda. "All AT&T numbers begin in five, all Cellular One numbers begin in seven, and all Mobility numbers begin in two or three," he said. "We all own number ranges and there are no plans to change this.

The number of cell users is booming in Bermuda, however.

Acting Director of Telecommunications Bill Francis said over half of residents have cell phones.

"As of September, 2003, 37,873 cell phones where in use in Bermuda, over half of Bermuda's population," he said.

"Cellular One is the largest provider in Bermuda but Mobility are close behind. They are virtually identical as of September 2003."

Cellular One manager John Narraway said roughly 57 percent of Bermuda's population use cell phones but would not disclose how many customers Cellular One has.

AT&T's representative said that company has around 6,000 customers in Bermuda, he added.

Big Roi suffers minor damages

The man hoping to purchase the 207-foot yacht Big Roi yesterday shrugged off mechanical woes which forced the cancellation of a trip to the Azores.

Potential buyer Dendrick Taylor confirmed that the boat had suffered rudder damage three days into its journey.

"She is a well-built boat and has proven herself," Mr. Taylor said. "It is not uncommon for a ship to lose her rudder in high seas."

Mr. Taylor said the problem may have stemmed from a hydraulic line. He is hoping to convince Government to let him market the Island using Big Roi as the showpiece.

Mr. Taylor is planning to buy the $20-million boat. He hopes to entertain and reward travel agents who sell Bermuda vacations during the summer.

He said his company, First Ocean Marketing, has put his proposal to Tourism Minister Renee Webb but he has heard any feedback on the idea yet.

Big Roi left Bermuda on January 7 for the Azores but suffered mechanical difficulties 397 miles into its journey.

Gas attendant beaten with pipe

A gas station attendant was beaten with a pipe at Shell Warwick Gas Station on South Shore Road.

The attendant told Police that he was crouching down in the service area of the station when two men on a motorcycle entered the station.

The passenger got off the cycle, approached the attendant and began beating him with a pipe.

The driver of the cycle pushed the attendant to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him. The driver escaped but the passenger, a 39-year-old Sandys man, was arrested at the scene.

The attendant was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital were he was treated for his injuries and received six stitches.

The incident happened around 9.25 p.m. on Monday.

High speed chase in Pembroke

A man known to Police escaped on foot after a high-speed chase through Pembroke.

Police were on patrol at 1.15 a.m. yesterday on Mission Lane when they saw a car stopped on the road with the driver speaking with another man. Noticing the Police, the man ran away and the car drove off along Glebe Road and then onto Orchard Grove.

The Police followed the car reaching speeds up to 90 kilometres per hour.

The driver lost control on Mission Lane when his car hit a metal fencing pole which caused the car to stop with its front hanging over a ten-foot cliff.

The driver got out of the car and escaped on foot.

Woman accused of stealing over $7,000

A St. George's woman appeared before a Magistrate yesterday charged with stealing thousands of dollars from her workplace.

Vanessa Judy Tucker, 41, of Cut Road, was not required to plea to the charge of taking $7,771.51 from MEF Enterprises, in the City of Hamilton, as the matter is indictable and must be heard before the Supreme Court.

It was alleged the crime happened between May 30, 2000 and October 9, 2001.

Tucker, who did not have a lawyer, elected for a short form preliminary inquiry to be heard on Friday before Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

In the meantime, she was released on bail of $5,000 with one like surety.

Man charged with cocaine possession

A Warwick man charged with possession of cocaine with intent to supply tried to plead guilty to 'half' his charge in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Kenneth Leroy Wolffe, 48, of Camp Road, was alleged to have been found with an unspecified amount of the drug in Southampton on October 7, 2002.

Asked to plea, Wolffe said he was guilty of possessing cocaine but had not intended it for supply.

But Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said this plea was "unacceptable".

The matter was set down for mention on January 21 before Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

Wolffe, who is already serving time for another crime until February 28, was remanded in custody.