The Anguilla Electricity Company Limited ANGLEC has adjusted its Fuel Surcharge from 31 cents per kilowatt hour to 25 cents per kilowatt hour on May 1st. A release from the company says that although fuel prices continue to be volatile with signs of a pending increase, they have remained lower than its current rates on average. The release said accordingly, a decision was taken to reduce the cost to consumers. The latest adjustment translates to savings for customers. ANGLEC said “even though fuel prices continue to fluctuate and may increase in the near future, we have chosen to pass any savings on the current prices to consumers”. The electricity company said it will continue to absorb a portion of the current fuel costs. ANGLEC said “throughout all rate adjustments, we encourage our customers to employ energy conservation methods and to be proactive in all matters regarding their energy bills”. According to the ANGLEC release all adjustments to the Fuel Surcharge are applied in accordance with the Electricity Rates and Charges Regulations. It said the current rate of 0.25 cents is below that prescribed under the legislation.

The UWI Alumni Association – Anguilla Chapter has announced an extension of the timeline for nominations for the 2019 UWI Alumni Awards. Members of the public now have until 15th May to nominate UWI Graduates from or residing on Anguilla, for the Association’s Pelican, Apex, Pinnacle or Zenith Awards. The Pelican Award is the highest that a UWI Alumni Association Chapter may bestow, and is awarded to a Graduate who has excelled in his/her chosen field. The Apex Award is presented to Alumni who have made outstanding contributions in Medicine, Law, Education, Youth Development, Business Development/Administration, or Social Work, Social Development. The Pinnacle Award is bestowed on Alumni who have given exceptional service in Anguilla, Regional or International affairs, while the Zenith Award is presented those graduates who have given exceptional service in support of the advancement and continued excellence of The UWI. The Awards will be presented at the 2019 UWI Alumni Awards and the Julian R. Harrigan Fundraiser on 22nd June. President Ms. Yvette Wallace says these awards seek to recognize the achievements and contributions of fellow UWI Alumni and we look forward to celebrating with them.

The Department of Agriculture and the National Farmer’s Association are holding their Agricultural and Agro Industrial exhibition today Friday 3rd May. The exhibition will take place from 10:00am on the grounds of the department of Agriculture. The general public is invited to come and see and learn ways in which they can feed themselves using simple none expensive techniques. On display and for sale will be fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, fruit trees, seeds and seedlings. There will also be well a stocked bar and lots of food and bouncing castle for the children. Organizers say it will be an Agriculture exhibition with a difference and are encouraging persons not to miss it.

Anguilla’s National Anti-Violence Committee - PAVE is drafting a concept for the establishment of a national programme to support parents. The committee will continue to seek the input of stakeholders to inform this programme. PAVE’s chairperson and Community Services Planner in the Ministry of Social Development, Mrs. Hyacinth Bradley says “as we move on from the celebrations of the Easter season, and embrace the month of May when we intensify our national celebrations and reflect on our achievements as a free and resilient people, PAVE is urging all to continue to speak on and build on a vision of peace. She said efforts to sustain peace must be community-led and nationally owned. PAVE believes that by working collaboratively to build and support national peacebuilding efforts, we can all gain a deeper understanding of our own power to create and maintain peaceful communities as we focus interventions on crime prevention, social justice, and reintegration. From this month 2019, the PAVE committee will partner with various media to share a series of positive messages. PAVE will also soon launch a ‘Peace in Action’ campaign where individuals and organisations will be encouraged to engage in and share activities that promote peaceful coexistence of peoples within their schools, places of work and communities.

Radio Anguilla has launched its new website. The site went live as of Wednesday 1st May. It offers viewers a range of information including Radio Anguilla’s local news, staff profiles, and programming. The new and improved site compliments Radio Anguilla’s Facebook page and live streaming. The launch of the website forms part of activities celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the radio station. To log on to the website just go to www.radioaxa.com.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre are monitoring a weather system near The Bahamas one month before the 2019 official hurricane season is slated to begin. The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 and lasts until November 30, but that’s only the most likely time that Atlantic storms will develop. Forecasters also caution that tropical cyclones — which, depending on wind strength, include depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes — can flare up at any point. So far, experts are thinking this year could see a slight decline in the number of hurricanes from last year, but another thing forecasters also like to stress is that it only takes one. The weather system near The Bahamas that’s being monitored by the National Hurricane Center has loaded moisture into South Florida’s atmosphere and dumped rain across the region, but its chances of becoming a tropical depression decreased a little today. The trough of low pressure that has been producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity is only being given a 10 percent chance of formation over the next five days. It’s down from a 20 percent chance of formation earlier this week when the system became the first of 2019 to lead to the hurricane center’s periodic tropical weather outlooks. If it becomes a named system it will be called Andrea.