Lae

The 10 vehicles were handed over to the Royal PNG Constabulary, Correctional Services and Magisterial Services at Lae Top Town.

Top town came to a standstill as a colourful parade was hosted this morning to commemorate the occasion.

Under the leadership of the Lae MP, John Rosso, the vehicles were purchased to assist in the improvement of law and order in the city.

Rosso, who could not make the event, nominated a member of the Lae City Authority Board, George Gware, to speak on his behalf.

Of the recently announced three new cases, Morobe Provincial Health Authority CEO, Dr Kipas Binga, said one of them was ‘quite sick’ whilst the other two were asymptomatic.

Compounded with other medical conditions, his state worsened.

“It was not a straightforward COVID-19 case,” said Dr Binga.

The girl, believed to be seven years of age, was in their makeshift haus kuk when the crane overturned next door and crashed through the Lae Biscuit compound and onto the roof of the haus kuk, allegedly landing on her back.

Delos St resident, Priscilla James, said the shocked child managed to crawl out through a space in the debris.

Under the Lae City Authority-Buimo CIS Rehabilitation Program, inmates are engaged to clean up and beautify the city.

On Monday (July 13) morning, low risk inmates from the Buimo CS facility in Lae were in their working gear, cleaning up the Eriku Roundabout and Lae Show Roundabout - Bumbu Road areas.

The Lae MP noted good progress under the Lae City Authority-Buimo CIS Rehabilitation Program.

This initiative of the Lae City Authority, working with the PNG-Australia partnership and the Westpac bank, will assist families, mainly widows and mothers, who have lost their only form of income through the COVID-19 pandemic.

These women would be identified by ward councillors from the 6 wards of Lae Urban and 17 wards of Ahi LLG to be part of this program.

Lae MP, John Rosso, said this program will be for six months, starting July, with Westpac bank opening bank accounts and conducting financial literacy training for participants.

While Port Moresby, East New Britain and Eastern Highlands were following the state of emergency protocol, it was business as usual in PNG’s second largest city.

This newsroom received reports that buses were overloaded with passengers while social distancing was far from the agenda as people crowded the sidewalks or waited in line at the bank.

However, by 4pm this afternoon, some form of order was brought about when police officers made sure commuters adhered to social distancing while 25-seater buses were not permitted to carry more than 15 passengers.

The billboards feature winning drawings from a poster competition run during a World Environment Day event hosted by WGJV in June 2019.

Primary school students from Bowali, Amba, Butibam, Huonville, St Martin and Milfordhaven displayed their best drawings on the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ and resulted in winning posters picked by a panel of judges.

The drawings were turned into billboards and placed around Lae City.

Em i tok pasin bilong stilim nating graun em i kamap bikpela long Lae na nau Minista i laik lukluk long en.

“Mipela bai lukluk long Lae long sekim ol stilman bilong graun. Bai mipela sekim ol fail bilong ol, mipela bai lukluk long olgeta pak o ples bilong stap malolo na ol narapela hap bilong gavman long Lae. Em bai namba wan wok mi bai wokim long kisim bek ol samting bilong gavman long wei bilong lo,” Rosso i mekim dispela toktok long taim em i kisim opis long Tunde dispela wik.

At about 1.30pm on Friday, the unit, whilst on routine patrol, came across three men acting suspiciously.

When the Mobile Squad unit stopped to check on them, all three made a dash for it. The MS13 members pursued on foot and apprehended one of them.

The suspect, from Eastern Highlands, had in his possession a homemade gun, two live bullets and a hood. Upon questioning, he revealed that he and the other two were planning to carry out an armed hold up on vehicles travelling the highway.

A fight started on Wednesday afternoon but was stopped by Police.

However, it started up again yesterday morning and broke out onto the Highway, making the road unsafe for the travelling public.

“The fight started from men and women who turned rowdy after consuming homebrew,” reported police.

“The fighting is between people from Simbu and Southern Highlands.

“Three-Mile Police Station Commander, Senior Constable Sam Topurua, supported by Special Response Unit 102 and Rural Response Unit under the PPC Morobe, have told the people there will be no mediation.