 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am General Norville bringing you this brief on the pulse of our nation and highlights around the heart of St. Lucia. St. Lucia may not be in the direct path of Tropical Storm Isaac, but it is not all clear. Education officials are satisfied that a suitable solution has been found to the being filled comprehensive school dilemma. The government of St. Lucia has rallied with the citizenry in supporting the family of both of them, Shem Jean, and showcasing the world of opportunity under the sea. St. Lucia may not be in the direct path of the fifth storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, but it is not all clear. Both global and regional models are in agreement that the center of Tropical Storm Isaac will pass well north of St. Lucia on Thursday. However, the intensity of Tropical Storm Isaac will be felt. For this reason, the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations in consultation with Met Services and NEMO have decided to take precautionary measures to close all schools Thursday, 13 September 2018. An announcement will be made as it relates to the reopening of schools on Friday and persons are asked to listen for official announcements on the media. The ministry urges the public to stay informed and remain safe as we prepare for heavy rains associated with the weather system. More now on those expected rains. A rain ban associated with the Tropical Storm has begun affecting the lesser Antilles including St. Lucia. Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 50 to 100 mm on St. Lucia from Wednesday evening into early morning Friday, September 14, 2018. Tropical Storm force winds are not expected to affect St. Lucia during the passage of Isaac and it has not been deemed necessary to issue a Tropical Storm watch or warning for St. Lucia. This does not mean that residents should relax preparedness and mitigation measures as storms and hurricanes are unpredictable. Isaac, the status right now it is still at Tropical Storm intensity. Reconnaissance aircraft visited the system today and found that the system is getting a little less organized but it is still at Tropical Storm strength. They find that it is weakening. They expect that when it crosses the island chain it will still be at Tropical Storm intensity. Very early Wednesday morning a rain ban crossed associated with Isaac across the island chain and it did affect St. Lucia. During the day, the early morning into midday, conditions were partly cloudy to cloudy. There were showers in some areas. This conditions, partly cloudy conditions will persist until tonight. Tonight from about 8 o'clock, cloudiness will increase and rainfall we expect rainfall from the system. The peak rainfall we expect from about 2 am on Thursday to say about before midday on Friday. That is when we expect the peak rainfall from the system. We expect intermittent rain mixed with moderate to heavy showers. Therefore we are asking people to take all necessary precautions against flooding and landslides. The system as it moves will continue to weaken. By the time it reaches the longitude of the less Angeles it will be further, it will continue to lose strength. So by tomorrow the maximum sustained winds will be brought down from about 50 knots to about 45 knots. And the system will continue westward over the Caribbean Sea. Some coastal flooding is possible and sea swells between 3 and 4 meters generated by Isaac are expected along the west coast of St. Lucia on Thursday, September 13, 2018. Residents in areas prone to flooding and landslides advise to take the necessary precautions to safeguard livelihoods. You need to remain vigilant. You need to ensure that you have activated your plans. You need to ensure that you have what is required should there be any eventuality associated with the system. We also want to emphasize the point that these systems are unpredictable. We know that it's not a tropical storm, but there is no telling whether it will increase in speed or whether it will change direction. And so the important thing as we've always said is to make sure that you are prepared at all times. We do expect rainfall, as I said, from the system and so we ask persons who are in flood prone areas and also persons in landslide prone areas because we know that we have been fairly dry in the recent past to be extremely cautious, to be extremely vigilant and to make sure that all the systems, all the readiness systems, the preparedness actions are in place in advance of the passage of the system. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Martinique, Dominica and Guadalupe. Tropical storm watches are in effect for Montrath, St. Kitts and Nevis and Tigger, Sabre and St. Eustatius. As Isaac approaches, the Caribbean remembers well the devastation dealt by Hurricane Maria. In fact, Dominica, which fell the brunt of the Category 5 monster storm, is still recovering. Now less than a week to the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Dominica is on high alert. Maria struck on September 18, 2017. I have been advised and we have taken the decision and we have accepted the advice to suspend work for the public service on Thursday, 13 September. So there will be no work for public officers. And again, we would like to call on the private sector to follow in that same manner to have their employees stay home. I understand that there are essential services and those essential services will be at work. So people like myself will be at work. But the rest of us in the public service will ask to stay home and to ensure that we can secure ourselves, secure families and our properties. And we would like for the private sector to do the same. And this is why I think going forward, you know, we have to implement legislation that will authorize the NIPO and the cabinet to that one issue, one of the decisions I'm taking in regards to work, it would apply to every employee in the country. So these are things that we need to do in terms of disaster management going forward. And it's a recommendation we open that we can fulfill before the end of this year. According to Prime Minister Scarrett, a safety and security plan has been implemented in conjunction with the police force and the national emergency planning organization NIPO. Citizens are urged to follow the directives given by the security entities. Dominica's acting chief med officer, Marshall Alexander, provides some insight as to what is to be expected. Total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 6 inches with isolated higher monks in higher elevations across Dominica. This rainfall may cause life threatening flash flooding and landslides almost slides. Fiddle bands from the system has already begun affecting the island. Tropical storm conditions are expected on Dominica by early first day. Some coastal flooding is possible in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large waves up to 12 to 16 feet. Swells generated by Isaac will begin to affect the area by this afternoon. These swells are likely to cause life threatening surf and rip current conditions. A small craft warning, a high surf advisory and a flood warning will be in effect for Dominica as of 6 p.m. today. A World Bank assessment estimated damages and losses caused by Hurricane Maria at US$1.3 billion or 224% of Dominica's GDP. Back here at home, education officials are expressing satisfaction with a solution found to house incoming students of the Beanfield Comprehensive Secondary School. Chris Satney reports the institution had run into some difficulty in accommodating the new students and a compromise had to be reached to find a solution. The Beanfield Comprehensive had over the last year grown incapable of enrolling any new students, making parents of students who had chosen the school at the common entrance level very uncomfortable. Following much consultation, it was decided that an unused block of the V4 primary would be renovated to accommodate the students for the new academic year. Now refurbished, the once derelict block presently houses two Form I classes and one Form II class of the Beanfield Comprehensive. Though the block is being shared with classes of the V4 primary, Minister with Responsibility for Education, Honourable Dr. Gail Brigabat, is nonetheless happy for the cooperation of the two schools to help resolve the issue of space at the Beanfield Comprehensive. The extent to which stakeholders are willing to go to ensure that their children attend that school tells me that it is a school of choice, tells me that they have distinguished themselves as a secondary school in the south and clearly children aspire, children dream of attending that school, children wish to attend that school and that speaks volume. Principal of the Beanfield Comprehensive Stephen O'Geese In time, thanked parents and guardians for the level of interest, patience and the confidence they have shown in the institution and thanked the ministry for working with it to find a suitable solution to the issue. We've tried to do a very good job in terms of delivering quality education at the Beanfield Comprehensive secondary school and our parents would like us to continue the work. That is why they were very pleased that the ministry found a solution to the situation of the lack of space so that we can continue the work that we are doing at the Beanfield Comprehensive secondary school. And it was no easy task at all for the Re-Instituted Buildings Maintenance Unit headed by Alden Louis-Fernand as director of works. He says his team was up to the huge challenge of preparing this and other school structure ahead of the new academic year. In the Viewford Primary School, we have a brand new roof. The external walls have been touched up with paint, all plumbing works have been fixed, electrical installation, new ceilings in classrooms. We were able to accomplish renovations on 80 percent of schools island wide and though it was a late start with the renovation works, we were able to meet our goal. The Beanfield Comprehensive secondary school housed at the old TechVoc building in Viewford was opened in 2015 and was born out of a need to combine the two campuses of the Viewford Comprehensive into one institution. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, I am Chris Satney reporting. The government of St. Lucia has rallied with the citizenry in supporting the family of Botham-Chem-Ger. The 26-year-old was shot and killed in his apartment in Dallas, Texas by a white female police officer. The officer had entered Ger's apartment believing it was her own. According to an affidavit, the officer encountered Ger, thought him to be a burglar and fired her weapon. Botham-Chem-Ger was hit in the chest. The officer has been charged with manslaughter, however the district attorney has indicated that the charge can be revised upward upon completion of investigations. Ger's killing has shaken not just the nation of St. Lucia, but the wider Caribbean. Tuesday evening a vigil was held in his childhood community of Lacklery. More in this report. St. Lucia's unified in grief converged on the Lacklery Plainfield, an area frequented by Botham-Chem-Ger as child, to celebrate his life, his accomplishments and potential. Ger graduated from Hardin's College of Business Administration in Arkansas with a degree in finance in 2016, leading him to employment at Price Waterhouse Coopers in Dallas. By all accounts, Botham-Chem-Ger was well on his way to realizing his dreams when his life was cut short by an off-duty female police officer who shot him in his own apartment. This young man is part of all of us. He played here, he played rugby, he was involved in basketball, he did everything. You know, so... Thank you, St. Lucia, thank you so much. 26-year-old Botham-Ger was the son of Alison Ger, former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, and Bertram-Ger, stall supervisor at the Water and Sewage Company, Wasco. The Ger family has described the circumstances of Botham's death as an awful nightmare. The tragic incident has attracted global media attention with matriarch Alison Ger commanding the respect of all. Permanent secretary in the Department of Commerce, Titus Preville, served alongside Ministry Ger in the public service and says he is amazed by the remarkable strength she has demonstrated. She's a consummate, professional, and you could see it coming out in her responses, but I know she must be hurting. And I'm so proud of her that in spite of the personal anguish that she's going through, she's able to carry a message throughout the world on this matter that is carried out in a manner that depicts poise, reason, professionalism, and that in itself challenges the others to act in that manner, to act professionally and respond professionally. I have asked too many questions and I've been told that there are no answers yet. I'm looking forward to all of the powers that be to come up with the answers to make me more satisfied that they're doing what is in the best interest of getting justice for Botham. The entire nation is hoping that justice will prevail in the matter. Describing Botham Ger as an exemplary St. Lucian, Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shastney, speaking during a press conference in Dallas with the Zhe family, said St. Lucia is wrought by grief and anger. Sadness, knowing how close Allison and their family were to Botham. The other motion is one of anger, to think that a young man would be in his apartment and the possibility could be that somebody could come to his door and he ends up being dead. Prime Minister Shastney indicated that the Embassy of St. Lucia to the United States of America will do all within its power to assist the family. The organization of Eastern Caribbean states is also lending support and monitoring the situation. This is a matter of concern, not only to the government of St. Lucia but also to the leadership of the entire OECS and I would venture Carycom as well. So I would expect that as things develop we will see increasing attention being paid to this matter by the governments of the OECS and Carycom and they will be watching and advocating and insisting that justice is done on behalf of the family. Botham Shemzhe would have celebrated his 27th birthday on September 29th, 2018. From the Government Information Service I am Anisia Antoine reporting. This is Nation Week. Stay with us. During a severe storm, not all danger is from Mother Nature. Remind your children beforehand to stay close to you. Play only in safe areas and make sure they tell you immediately if someone attempts to molest them. Plan for emergencies. Plan for your children. In an effort to showcase careers within the dive trade, a career showcase for students of secondary schools within District 1 and 2 is being held here as part of the 2018 edition of Dive Fest. The St. Lucia Divers Association and the St. Lucia Tourism Authority have endorsed the event. Dive Fest embraces dive enthusiasts of old-skill levels and highlights why exploring St. Lucia's underwater marine life is a must-do for visitors and locals. The diving industry is one of the many forces which drives the tourism market in St. Lucia. Dive St. Lucia, in collaboration with the St. Lucia Tourism Authority, organized a career tour for students of the Barbono Secondary School at the ongoing Dive Fest at the Windjammer Land in Villabitch Resort. Diving in St. Lucia is something we're encouraging more youngsters to get into. It's a fantastic career. It pays well. It allows them the opportunity to travel a lot. Right now I can list at least 20 solutions that I know were school instructors who started here and they're all over the world from England to Turks and Caicos. So what we're trying to say to these youngsters is you can be a lawyer, you can be a doctor, you can be all of these things. You can be a reporter or a cameraman. But diving can encompass all. So we're trying to encourage the youngsters to look at non-traditional stuff and especially now that there are so many hotels and tourism is a big thing in St. Lucia. We're trying to encourage more solutions to get into it. The Dive Fest is a week-long event full of boat and shore dives, party courses and photographic competitions. The 2016 winner of the Dive Fest was on hand and encouraged other students to seize every opportunity to learn about diving. I find St. Lucia one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. It is an island and an industry that has nowhere else but to expand. It's got one of the most beautiful coral reef systems in the world. And the one thing I love about St. Lucia is that everybody is always so welcoming and all the dive operators, everybody do a great job at protecting the reefs. As part of the ongoing St. Lucia showcase, travel agents and journalists will get a chance to experience Dive Fest first hand. The Fest commenced on Monday, September 8th and will culminate on Saturday, September 15th. From the Government Information Service, I am Anise Antoine reporting. The Chinese Embassy has made a donation to the National Emergency Management Organization's Relief Supplies effort. The handing over was done Wednesday by the Embassy's property manager. Even though we are far from together, but we are connected by our heart. If you suffer something, we feel we also suffer because we are brothers. We are the same kind of situation in terms of development. The St. Lucia in the Caribbean islands is a very disastrous prone country. You have earthquake just now, just a previous day, several days ago. You have a hurricane. You have a flood. And also you have land slide, kind of that. So, it's very difficult for a single institution, even a single country, to deal with that. You should seek all, you should welcome support. You should encourage support from all sides so that you can facilitate your effort. The Department of Forestry is in the process of upgrading the island's mini zoo. Assistant Chief Forestry Officer Alwyn Donnelly said while those mini zoo aids Government's wildlife management efforts, the recent expansion will also help improve Forestry Officer's knowledge of native species. He spoke to the works on this week's Agriculture on the Move program. What we were seeking to do is to upscale our awareness, particularly our native species, with some of the animals that we could keep in that confined space, but to create a more open space for them and to upgrade the facilities that we have there. So, we came up with this nice term in terms of the Wildlife Conservation and Education Center. So, as part of that entire effort. So, we've had some construction to facilitate that going on and what you see there is really that effort to manage also the captive element of it. Pius Haynes, the Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer, said the new conservation center has a dual purpose. The two main focus of the upgraded zoo is conservation and education. When we live in an environment, in an ecosystem where you have all these different hierarchy of organisms and they all play the role, integrally in conditioning the environment and also performing specific functions that will enable this environment to be resilient and to help us cope and so on. So, I'd like to encourage our fellow Sen lotions to preserve our wildlife, to conserve them, to protect them and to seek to learn more about them. The Mini Zoo is part of a scenic tour that includes the Union Nature Trail or Forest Hike where visitors can view a numbered species native to St. Lucia in both wild and captive habitats. You can hear more of the discussion Thursday when agriculture on the move is on NTN. And as we leave you this important reminder, the St. Lucia Med Services and the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, have indicated that St. Lucia is expected to get some heavy rainfall on Thursday, September 13 into Friday, September 14, 2018. While St. Lucia is not under tropical storm watch or warning, the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, in consultation with Met Services and NEMO, have decided to take precautionary measures and wished to inform that all schools will be closed on Thursday, September 13, 2018. An announcement will be made as it relates to the reopening of schools on Friday and persons are asked to listen for official announcements on the media. All persons are asked to stay informed and remain safe as we prepare for heavy rains associated with the weather system. That's Nation Beat. Join us next time as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. I am General Norvel.