Tourism Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin makes Boston visit

Constructive visit: Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin with State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry.Constructive visit: Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin with State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry.Haiti's Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin visited Boston and Brockton on Wednesday, June 3 as part of a national tour aimed at boosting the tourism trade in Haiti from the United States. Mrs. Villedrouin, accompanied by a team of tourism officials and hoteliers, made a presentation to a room of Haitian American activists at the Thorny Lea Country Club in Brockton on Wednesday evening. In her remarks, Villedrouin pointed to significant progress in the numbers of visitors to Haiti over the last two years, with an 11 percent increase posted between 2013-2014 seasons. Her visit to Boston comes at an auspicious time, as JetBlue prepares to launch its first-ever direct flights between Boston and Port-au-Prince on June 17. The new gateway has been hailed as a milestone moment for travel and commerce between Boston and Haiti. Earlier in the day, Minister Villedrouin was a guest of honor at the Massachusetts State House, where State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry met with her in the Senate Reading Room.

Bad news for Lamothe's presidential bid: Judicial ruling rejects his candidacy

A judicial panel in Haiti has recommended that former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe be barred from running for president. The panel said late Tuesday that Lamothe failed to receive a government document certifying that he handled public funds appropriately while prime minister from 2012 until late last year. An adviser to Lamothe, Salim Succar, called the decision "erroneous" and said Wednesday they would appeal.

Man faces prison time for smuggling Haitians- including US deportees

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A Haitian man is facing U.S. prison time after pleading guilty to illegally smuggling migrants aboard a boat from the Bahamas. Veronel Charles faces between three and 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in August in Fort Pierce federal court. Charles pleaded guilty to two alien smuggling counts last week.

Cheap motorbikes bring opportunity —but safety hazard— to streets

PORT-AU-PRINCE— Joseph-Marc Carel knows the danger of ferrying passengers on his small motorbike, sometimes two at a time, as tides of the buzzing vehicles cut through the chaotic Haitian capital. He has a prosthetic leg to prove it. Carel would like to find a job that's safer than driving a two-wheeled taxi in Port-au-Prince, but he knows he's unlikely to find one that pays anything close to the $50 a week he can earn with his battered motorbike.

Teen killed while riding bicycle; family hopes for Haiti burial

A 18-year-old Dorchester teenager was struck and killed while riding his bicycle along Talbot Avenue last Tuesday. The unlicensed driver whom authorities say caused the fatal collision— and then fled the scene on foot— was ordered held on high bail after his arraignment in Dorchester Court. The victim was identified as Fritz Philogene, a Haitian-born student at West Roxbury Academy who was riding his bike near the intersection with Norwell Street just after 10 p.m. when the incident took place. Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said that the responsible driver was Gregory McCoy, 27. McCoy was reportedly driving a friend’s white Cadillac on Norwell Street when he struck a silver BMW driven by a 33-year-old Dorchester man. Both cars then careened through the Talbot Street intersection, where Philogene was struck and suffered fatal injuries.

Milton school walks to support Haiti-Micha project

The St. Mary of the Hills School community came together on May 18 for the fourth annual "Walk for Haiti." The event drew around 150 people, 20 of which were former SMH students and alumnae. The walk consisted of a new 5 mile route around the town of Milton. The money raised from the walk went directly to The Haiti-Micah Project. The Haiti-Micah Project is celebrating it's 10th anniversary since beginning the foundation. Haiti-Micah supports the poor children in Haiti whom are in severe need of clean water, medical attention, food, and shelter. This need increased immensely after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Since the founders (Thalia Etienne, Jacob Martens, and Janelle Saint Eloi) of the Walk for Haiti have all now graduated from St. Mary's and moved on to private high schools, the walk is now run by SMH's National Junior Honor Society with faculty advisors Mrs. Alexia Etienne and Mrs. Pam Vasta. This year St. Mary's raised $3,000 to support children in Haiti.

Beyonce visits Haiti to see progress made since 2010 quake

Pop queen Beyonce has paid a visit to Haiti to look at the progress made since an earthquake devastated the country five years ago. Haiti U.N. mission spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe said Saturday that Beyonce also was able to "meet some of the people who were affected by'' by the 2010 disaster in the impoverished Caribbean country.

Former-PM Lamothe submits papers to run for president

Former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has submitted papers to run for president shortly before the election office's deadline, after repeatedly saying he had no plans to seek Haiti's top political position. A few hundred supporters of Lamothe, who resigned under pressure late last year amid a political standoff with the last Parliament, chanted and cheered as he arrived by motorcade late Wednesday at an electoral office in the capital. Some supporters of other presidential hopefuls filing their candidacy papers also gathered outside the gates.

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