Police are investigating an alleged suicide at Salisbury.
 
According to police reports, 43-year old Bernadine Vidal was found in an unconscious state at her residence at Salisbury at 9.30am on Wednesday December 30th.
 
Police PRO, Sergeant Pelham Jno Baptiste, says Vidal was found face up on a bed with a greenish substance on her lip.
 
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Two individuals are assisting police in their investigations into the seizure of 190 kg of alleged cocaine.
 
The cocaine, with a street value of EC$5,730,000, was recovered following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Stockfarm Wednesday night.
 
Police PRO, Sergeant Pelham Jno Baptiste, has more details.
 
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​Parliamentary Representative for the Grand Bay Constituency Justina Charles says plans are underway to refurbish the Geneva playing field.
That playing field was severely damaged by TS Erika.
Charles says that there is also a significant amount of work to be done from Pichelin to Grand Bay.
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Parliamentary Representative for the Grand Bay Constituency Justina Charles

​There is mounting concerns that Dominica should take all necessary precaution as a deadly mosquito disease is nearing its shores.
The mosquito borne Zika virus is getting closer to Dominica with the neighbouring French island of Martinique becoming the latest Caribbean country to report confirmed cases.
That island is the 11th country in the region to confirm the disease.
Chief Environmental Health Officer Anthony Scotland says while the virus is very mild there could be serious effects for pregnant women.
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Chief Environmental Health Officer Anthony Scotland
Meantime, Environmental Health Officer Morrison McPherson says Dominica should not wait until the virus presents itself for the island to take caution.
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Environmental Health Officer Morrison McPherson
Zika is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
Severe illness requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
Symptoms of the Zika virus include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.

​Vehicular access to Trafalgar and Wotten Waven will recommence early January. That’s according to Public Works Minister Ian Pinard. The bridge connection Trafalgar to Wotten Waven was completely destroyed during the passage of Tropical Storm Erika in August this year.
As a result, a bailey bridge which was made available to Dominica by the government of Jamaica has been erected to resume vehicular access between the two communities. A contingent of 20 soldiers from the Jamaica defence force engineering regiment erected the bridge, which is said to be the largest Bailey bridge so far constructed on island covering a span of some 90ft.
Pinard says although the bridge has been constructed, the entry way of both villages need to be set up and this he says will be resolved by early January.
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Meantime, Pinard says vehicular access to Boetica and Delices has been restored. The two communities were cut off from the rest of Dominica when the bridge at the Boetica Gorge was washed away due to the passage of tropical storm Erika.
He commended the persons from those villages for their patience in getting access restored.
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Public Works Minister Ian Pinard

​The CIBC First Caribbean International bank Tuesday donated over $50,000 towards the reconstruction of a CALL house at the Sineku Primary School.
Students were displaced as a result of extensive damage to the classrooms during the passage of TS Erika.
According to a press release issued, the donation was accepted by Education Minister Petter St Jean and Permanent Secretary in that Ministry Marcella Powell.
St Jean commended the bank for allocating the resources towards the construction project which will accommodate the displaced students.
Manager of Retail Banking& Operations at CIBC First Caribbean Stephen Lander noted that corporate social responsibility is a major pillar of the bank’s strategic focus and that it is firmly committed to the education and advancement of Dominica’s youth.

​The Dominica Festivals Committee is blaming the passage of ‘Erika’, as the reason why a new Events Director was not appointed in 2015.
The position which was previously held by Trinidadian born Nathalie Clarke became vacant after she resigned in May 2014.
She took up that position in August 2010.
Products Promotions Manager at the DDA Kathleen Cuffy-Jno Jules says time and resources were being put into the rebuilding of the country post TS Erika. However, she says the process is ongoing in assigning a New Events Director in 2016.
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Meantime, she says preparations are at all-time high for the staging of Carnival 2016.
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Products Promotions Manager at the DDA Kathleen Cuffy-Jno Jules
And Carnival Promoter Val Cuffy announced the line-up of activities for Carnival 2016.
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Carnival Promoter Val Cuffy

​The Energy Ministry has ordered 17 gas stations across the country to shut off their pumps after tests showed they had been selling contaminated gas. And the Major Organized and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has been instructed to investigate further.
“They will be engaged to do further investigation in terms of illegal trading of petroleum products and to ensure that the law is properly enforced,” he said.
Samples of grades E10 90 and E10 87 fuel were taken from several service stations between December 22 and 24 and a contaminant known as gum was discovered. The 17 gas stations were not named.

​The arrests come as cities around the world heighten security measures ahead of large-scale New Year celebrations.
The arrests in Brussels were made during raids in suburbs including Molenbeek, which was used as a base by the 13 November Paris attackers.
The city's main fireworks display has been cancelled over the feared plot.

​Opposition Leader, Lennox Linton, says a letter written to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit asking for his resignation, is not something which will be treated as business as usual. He says they will be pushing this issue in the international community.
 
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The opposition issued the call for PM Skerrit to resign after another individual was recently arrested, in connectional with international crimes, while in possession of a Dominica Diplomatic Passport and Diplomatic Immunity.Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Nigerian Petroleum Resources Minister, was bestowed Dominican citizenship, and was also appointed as Dominica's Trade & Investment Commissioner in May 2015.Diezani Alison-Madueke is currently under investigation in the UK and in Nigeria, for alleged corruption while in office