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Government turns the sod to begin construction of a new five-story facility to house socially displaced persons.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services will allocate $5 million dollars for the first phase of construction in the capital that will host 180 persons.

The new facility will include parking, a hard-court, courtyard, green space and vegetable garden, among other features.

Government says, it will also serve as a refuge for deportees.

Minister Donna Cox says, the assessment Centre will be a new beginning for socially displaced persons and opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says, the new facility will join like facilities in other jurisdictions.

He says, one NGO is already on board with the plan.

He says, a public education campaign will be launched to bring awareness.

Minister Hinds says, the Social Development Ministry will reach out to persons on the streets encouraging them to come to the facility.

Two men are shot and killed in Chaguanas overnight.

So far they have been identified as Barry Boyce and man known only as, Jonsey so far.

Reports say the incident took place at Chrissie Terrace, Enterprise last night.

News Centre Five understands, the two men were walking along the roadway, when they were approached by armed assailants.

The gunmen fired several shots at them before escaping.

Residents heard the explosions and contacted the police.

Lawmen say, when they got to the scene the men were bleeding from gunshot wounds to their heads and upper body.

They died on the spot.

Investigations are continuing.

The Trinidad and Tobago police service has put the murder toll to date at 398.

Opposition MPS and United National Congress heads of Regional Corporations are lamenting the impact of the water woes being experienced by people in south and central Trinidad.

The situation is being described as a crisis as the opposition voices say the problem is now affecting school children.

They are even calling for the head of public utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales as they say taps run dry for sometimes weeks at a time.

One voice at the forefront is Member of Parliament for Couva south Rudranath Indarsingh.

MP Inndarsingh says, the ruling PNM continues to make promises to fix the problem, but fails to deliver.

He fears the actions that affected persons may take if WASA fails to deliver.

MP Indarsingh recalls the water riots of march 23rd, 1903.

St. Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen says the situation is putting a strain on already under resourced regional corporations.

They were all speaking at a specially convened media conference of the United National Congress yesterday.

Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales this morning said the UNC has no moral authority to talk about water.

He said the UNC has been disruptive.

The Minister of Public Utilities says, the water woes being experienced by people in the central and southern regions are nearing an end.

As of yesterday, Minister Gonzales said, Desalcott was operating at 90% capacity.

The Desalination Company of Trinidad and Tobago supplies 40 million gallons of water per day to the water, and sewerage authority, which redistributes it to hundreds of thousands of customers in the central and southern regions.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds tells people along the east coast to stay far away from cocaine, which washes ashore in their communities.

He says people should do what he would do if he stumbled upon cocaine.

Investigations are continuing into the murder of a 31 year old man and the intimidation of residents in some communities along the east coast.

Twenty-one million dollars worth of cocaine was discovered in Guayaguayare last month.

Minister Hinds yesterday said, the drug was unloaded from a vessel.

He said, some went to a private company where responsible people called the police.

The Minister said, not all of the merchandise went to the location and some civilians had access to other parts.

A prisoner is reportedly beaten to death while in custody.

He has been identified as Kerryn Jerome.

Reports say, the incident took place at the golden grove prison last night.

News Centre Five understands prison and police officers were called into quell the disturbance at the facility.

It is said; when officers arrived they found the body of Mr. Jerome

There were several bruises about his body.

He was taken to a nearby health facility where he was pronounced dead.

Investigations are continuing.

An off duty police officer trying to part a fight at a bar in Curepe was beaten.

The incident occurred last Saturday evening near Bobby’s Bar.

The officer was having a beer at the bar when he saw two Venezuelan nationals being disruptive.

The men were reportedly breaking bottles and shouting at each other.

In his bid to quell the disturbance the officer was wounded, and was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

Two suspects aged 30 and 31 years old were detained by the police.

Education Minister Dr. Nyan Gadsby Dolly says, school operations in areas where water was a problem were not disrupted.

Yesterday was the start of the new school term, and there was concern that water woes in parts of central and south Trinidad would have affected the schools.

Education Minister Gadsby Dolly says, a routine system was used to notify WASA of schools, which needed truck borne supplies of water.

She says, when there was issues with Desalcott the routine system kicked in electrical problems, at the desalination plant over the weekend led to a shutdown.

In a release yesterday the desalination company of Trinidad and Tobago said, it was operating at 85% production capacity or 34 million gallons per day.

A release from the Water and Sewerage Authority says, an electrical problem that developed at the facility over the past weekend, affected the water supply to customers in parts of central and south west Trinidad.

Some 250 thousands customers were said to be affected, among them schools which reopened yesterday.

WASA says, it will continue to supplement the supply shortfall by utilizing water, from the Caroni and Navet Water Treatment Plants, as well as the Point Fortin Desalination Plant, while also

ramping up its truck borne water service.

And WASA says, it was able to fulfill the needs of schools for the start of the new school term, which began yesterday.

Another call from the leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, Watson Duke for talks with the Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.

At a news conference yesterday Mr. Duke said, it is time for reconciliation in the interest of Tobago and Tobagonians.

He said, he has written to Mr. Augustine calling for talks.

Mr. Duke said, in his sixth open letter to Mr. Augustine, he is asking for a meeting.

He reminded Mr. Augustine that the principle aim is to better the lives of Tobagonians.

Mr. Duke said, it matters not what Mr. Augustine may have said about him in the past he forgives him.

In September 2022, Mr. Duke resigned as Deputy Chief Secretary after a public spat with Mr. Augustine over funds for a Tobago cultural group in New York.

Soon after, the entire THA executive resigned from the PDP and the Tobago people’s party was launched with Mr. Augustine as interim leader.

A robbery at the St Anns branch of the massy stores.

An undisclosed sum of money in U.S, Barbados, Canadian and Trinidad and Tobago currencies was taken.

The robbery is reported to have taken place yesterday morning.

Two female employees of the supermarket arrived for work at around 6:30am when five men accosted them.

One of the men had an assault rifle another carried a handgun.

They are said, to have ordered the women into the supermarket where one of them was tied up.

The other employee was taken into the office where she was hit several times.

She was ordered to open a safe and the money was taken.

The women’s cell phones were taken by the men before they fled the scene.

The workers were able to free themselves and the Belmont police were called.

The store remained closed for the day.

At a news conference yesterday opposition MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal referred to the incident.

He was also critical of the Independence Day toast to the nation, delivered by the Police Commissioner and the Prime Minister last Thursday.

Dr Moonilal said, yesterday the Commissioner and the Prime Minister’s optimism failed to inspire.

He called on the Commissioner to do better.