Over $18,000 raised for W. African appeal

The Bermuda Red Cross has raised a whopping $18,000 since August 2 for the West African Crises Appeal ? that?s $7,000 raised since Friday afternoon.

Director Ann Spencer-Arscott thanked the public for their generosity and said all funds raised would be sent to the British Red Cross.

?They will direct the funds to the appropriate Red Cross Society in the affected country, or take care of the purchasing and distribution of supplies needed,? she said.

Drought and locusts ravaged last year?s harvest in West Africa, leaving an estimated 3.6 million people in Niger and 1.6 million in neighbouring Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso short of food. The lives of tens of thousands of children are under threat of starvation.

Members of the public can donate funds directly into the following West Africa Crisis Appeal accounts:

Bank of Bermuda account: 701-19842;

Bank of Butterfield: 20-006-060-663859-200;

Capital G Bank: 35760

Donations can also be mailed directly to the Bermuda Red Cross, West Africa Crisis Appeal, Charleswood, 9 Berry Hill Road, Paget, DV 03.

Members of the public can also make donations over the telephone by calling The Bermuda Red Cross at 236-8253.

New pension rates effective August 1

New pension rates were announced by the Department of Social Insurance yesterday with a rate of $50.68 effective as of August 1.

The weekly pension has increased by $1.15.

The employee portion of the weekly rate is $25.34. The monthly rate is now $202.72 for a four-week month, with the employee portion starting at $101.36.

A five-week month contribution is $253.40 with the employee paying $126.70.

You can track the progress of your pension through Government?s Department of Social Insurance or with the web site www.socialinsurance.gov.bm.

Police investigate weekend car fire

Police are investigating a car fire at a Smith?s Parish property which caused a moderate amount of damage to a blue Mitsubishi Pajero on Sunday night.

The owner told Police he parked the vehicle outside his home around 8 p.m. but around 11 p.m. another occupant of the residence informed him that his vehicle was on fire. The vehicle suffered rear end damage due to the fire.

Thefts and break-ins

l A thief broke into a Tanglewood Road, Paget, residence and stole $440 between 12.15 and 6 a.m. Monday.

A multi-coloured purse with $440 cash inside and personal items were stolen.

Police are also investigating the theft of a Baldor industrial diesel generator from a construction site of a residence.

The complainant told Police that the theft happened at the Southampton residence between 1.30 a.m. last Wednesday and 12 noon on Monday.

A white, eight-foot-long, Bermuda-built punt was stolen in Warwick yesterday morning.

The complainant said that it was removed from the eastern end of Riddle?s Bay condos. The owner last saw the punt on Monday, June 27 in his yard.

Several DVDs were stolen from a White Sands Road, Warwick residence on Tuesday.

The complainant said that sometime between 1.30 and 8 a.m. that day a thief broke into the residence. Police are investigating the matter.

A thief broke into a Third Avenue, Warwick, residence and stole a black leather purse containing $80 and personal items on Monday. The complainant told Police that the thief gained access to her home sometime between midnight and 7 a.m.

A gallon of shampoo, black-handled shears, an RCA TV and a black Panasonic TV were stolen from Elaine?s Beauty Shop in Pembroke.

The complainant told Police that the thief broke into the shop sometime between 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Investigations into all these matters are underway.