MONTEGO BAY, St James — A murder accused who has been described as being under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time he allegedly committed the crime will go before the Circuit Court for trial on September 16.

During Wednesday’s hearing to determine whether or not Daniel Jones has a case to answer, defence attorney Chumu Paris argued that his client did not discharge the firearm. However, presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton ruled that Jones should face trial.

Jones is charged with the murder of 24-year-old Shacqkim “Teeno” Lindsay of Shanty Town, Paradise Norwood, in St James. However, his lawyer told the court the fatal shot was fired by another man.

“The gun was taken from one of the assailants who was in pursuit of a robbery. The accused had been drinking rum all night, two victims were robbed of cellphones when shots were fired and Jones ran… At the time of the incident, he did not encourage the commission of the murder,” Paris argued.

The clerk of court had a strong rebuttal.

“This accused was not armed with a weapon, but if you read the question-and-answer statement you would have seen that this accused spoke to the fact that they [Jones, Tippy, and a man named Jay] were in the gully drinking rum and using ecstasy and molly. He said he gave the gun to the mad man, and the man brought it up to a section up there… All three of them went up there; the intention was to rob, and the gun was always present,” she said.

“I will submit that this statement is an exculpatory statement and the Crown has a duty at the appropriate time to admit it into evidence. In these circumstances, the Crown is relying on joint enterprise common design… He robbed the man of his phone. He took a wallet from this other young man, who appears to be about 16… The gun came into play and that was when Tippy fired the shot,” the clerk added.

The clerk maintained that Jones supported and encouraged the offence and suggested that the case should be transferred to the St James Circuit Court.

In her remarks, presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce stated that it is clear from the statement that robbery with aggravation was on the mind of the defendant.

“He came there high on rum, molly and ecstasy, which a jury might find to be Dutch courage to carry out a robbery later that morning. He went home with the gun, gave it to someone else, and then decided to speak with the police,” Grant-Pryce said.

The judge noted that she lacks the authority to prevent the case from proceeding to the Supreme Court. She explained that the matter at hand falls under the jurisdiction of a jury trial.

She then ruled that the matter be committed to the Circuit Court for trial on September 16. Jones was remanded in custody until then.

According to the police, Lindsay was killed near the gully bus stop in St James around 4:00 am on January 5.

Residents reportedly heard explosions and alerted the police.

When the cops arrived, Lindsay was found lying on his back with gunshot wounds to his upper body.

He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to court records, Jones was apprehended in Rose Heights two weeks later; he was among one of three men spotted on a roof. The police were alerted and a chase ensued. Jones ran and brandished a gun that had fallen from his pocket. The police recognised him as a person of interest in a murder that occurred near the gully bus stop. He then volunteered to tell the police what transpired.

Making the bed — especially after washing and drying my sheets — is my least favorite part of housework. I put it off as long as possible, then often let my bedding sit in the dryer for hours, sometimes days, after the cycle has completed. As a surprise to no one, it’s a wrinkled mess when I take them out of the machine.

After hours of labor, I make the bed, and it still lacks allure. The sheets are clean, but they don’t look smooth or call my name in a way that hotel beds seem to. I’m not the type to break out an iron, so I accepted that I’d never have the perfect, wrinkle-free bed I enjoy on vacation. That is until I came across a video on Instagram showing me that it’s possible.

In this video, Annalora Vanderbeek (@annivanderbeek) shares her hack for achieving wrinkle-free sheets without touching an iron or steamer. She mixes a recipe of vodka, water, vinegar, and fabric conditioner, and sprays her sheets with it before smoothing it out and letting it dry. I already had all the ingredients at home and couldn’t wait to give it a try.

The measurements were unclear, but after watching her video several times, I eyeballed it and came up with this: In a spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled water, a half cup of vinegar, and a quarter cup of vodka. Vanderbeek shares that the vinegar will help “relax the fibers in your bedding” while the vodka will keep linens fresh.

“A lot of theaters use vodka to deodorize the costumes — it’s a natural deodorizer, and it dries down without a smell,” she says in the video. Even the Denver Center for the Performing Arts swears by a vodka refresh for its costume department when they can’t perform a proper machine wash.

As an optional step, Vanderbeek says you can add a tablespoon of conditioner (or, in my case, three pumps) to help “pack a punch in the de-wrinkling.” Vanderbeek used The Laundress Fabric Conditioner but says any type of conditioner (hair or fabric) can work — just be sure that whatever you use is colorless to avoid staining your sheets.

I shook my old Dollar Store spray bottle to mix the contents, and it took a while for the conditioner to break down. I got to work with a cloudy, slightly sudsy mixture with still a few conditioner lumps floating at the top.

I tried the spray on the expensive linen sheet set by The Citizenry I invested in, which is meant to look lived-in, but as I’ve experienced, there’s a difference between “lived-in” and messy. I worked one section at a time, spraying the sheets until the surface was damp but not soaked. I stretched the fabric with one hand while I spritzed with the other, then smoothed out the surface with the palm of my hand.

In less than five minutes, all the wrinkles and fold marks had been released from half of my bed. I proceeded to de-wrinkle the other side, and voilá, my bed-making skills have leveled up to Hilton status — all because of this liquid wonder. I can’t believe how this homemade recipe made my luxury sheets feel infinitely more luxurious.

The spray smelled nothing like vodka, though I initially got a whiff of vinegar. Once it dried, though, there wasn’t any kind of lingering scent, not even from my conditioner. I’ll definitely be keeping a bottle of this on my nightstand and have even ordered a cuter option from Amazon. 

I may consider adding a few drops of essential oils or scented linen spray to make my sheets smell better, but the concoction (even with some simple eyeballing) was easy and quick to make, didn’t require a trip to the store, and worked surprisingly well.

Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon, offers an unforgettable journey through vast, echoing landscapes and towering cliffs.

This desert in Jordan is not just a natural wonder but a historical tapestry, with petroglyphs and inscriptions that date back thousands of years.

Its unique terrain has attracted filmmakers, adventurers, and those seeking solitude under its expansive skies.

Planning your trek through Wadi Rum is essential due to extreme temperatures and scarce water.

It’s wise and respectful to hire a local Bedouin guide for safety and to discover hidden spots.

Pack essentials like water, sunscreen, hats, and walking shoes.

Light packing is recommended to navigate the desert’s challenges comfortably while ensuring you’re prepared for the journey.

Experiencing Bedouin hospitality is essential in Wadi Rum.

These indigenous people, in harmony with the desert for centuries, offer a unique stay in their camps.

Travelers can enjoy traditional meals under the stars and hear stories passed through generations.

It’s a deep dive into human history and nature, connecting visitors with the ancient ways of life.

After sunset, Wadi Rum transforms into one of the world’s most spectacular planetariums.

The absence of light pollution reveals constellations and galaxies sprawling across the night sky.

It’s a perfect time for photography enthusiasts or anyone who appreciates the quieter moments in life.

Lying on soft sands while gazing upwards offers a profound sense of peace and insignificance in the universe’s vastness.

Wadi Rum’s landscapes are canvases for ancient civilizations, with rocks showcasing petroglyphs and inscriptions that narrate long-forgotten tales.

These artworks offer insights into early human life and beliefs.

Guided tours decode these ancestral messages, providing an educational journey into the past.

Beyond breathtaking views, Wadi Rum invites deep exploration of its majestic terrains and introspection within oneself.

Sampling bourbon at a local whiskey festival.

I live in a typical American town, far from Kentucky, in a state with a surprisingly active whiskey scene. There are local whiskey clubs, a rotating lineup of whiskey-themed dinners at community restaurants and plenty of dedicated retailers that select high-quality single barrels for their patrons. There are multiple Facebook groups dedicated solely to local whiskey happenings. Lines form in the wee hours of the morning for well-publicized single barrel releases and there are, ahem…,strong rumors of an active local gray market that’s always open for business.

If you live in the U.S. and can relate to this story, you’re not alone. The United States has embraced whiskey culture in a way that seemed unfathomable at the turn of the century. The domestic whiskey market has always followed a cyclical boom-bust pattern during its history, yet these feel like unprecedented times. What makes this current market boom different? The internet—and social media in particular—not only connects us with others around the globe, but it makes it much easier to tie local communities together like never before. In my local online and in-person communities, I see photos and discussions about all kinds of American whiskey, including bourbon, rye and American single malt among others.

Ask an American whiskey drinker what they’re into and most of the time, they’ll keep it simple and say “I like bourbon”. This is a gross oversimplification of the likely, more complicated answer: “I drink bourbon—both rye-based and wheated, as well as rye. I’ve also tried and enjoyed wheat whiskies and straight malt whiskies a few times.” While accurate, it doesn’t exactly flow off the tongue.

Today’s whiskey consumer is familiar with the two most important legal requirements used to categorize American whiskey. Regardless of the grains used, most categories of American whiskey must be aged in brand-new, charred oak. The real distinction, however, comes down to the grains used in the whiskey’s production. Whiskey must be created from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn or rye to be called “bourbon” or “rye” whiskey, respectively. That same 51% major grain requirement can also apply to malt whiskey (not to be confused with single malt) and wheat whiskey.

At first glance, these designations give the impression that different categories result in clearly defined flavor profiles. In reality, though, most styles of American whiskey mash bills lie on a broad spectrum of grain proportions and consequently, a continuum of flavors that makes it impossible to pigeonhole each style into a single flavor set.

For example, the most in-demand bourbons made at the Buffalo Trace distillery (including Eagle Rare, Stagg, and E.H. Taylor) use their “Mashbill No. 1”—a low-rye mash bill that’s strongly rumored to contain less than 10% rye. By comparison, Four Roses “B” mash bill contains 35% rye, well above the generally accepted “high-rye” threshold of 20%.

Speaking of Four Roses, the distillery recently announced two new mash bills that illustrate the wide dynamics of bourbon perfectly. The first new mash bill is comprised of 52% corn, 43% rye and 5% malted barley—a whiskey made with almost as much rye in the recipe as there is corn. The second mash bill is made from 85% corn, 10% rye and 5% malted barley. Four Roses uses several different yeast strains, but assuming all other production factors are the same, these two whiskies will likely taste very different despite both bourbons being made at the same exact distillery.

Expressions made from a blend of multiple whiskey styles are becoming more and more common as distilleries emphasize flavor over convention. Here are a few examples of bottles that have no classic categorization, but have made waves over the last few years.

High West Bourye

This list wouldn’t be complete without first mentioning High West Bourye, one of the earliest examples of modern whiskey made from a blend of straight bourbon and straight rye whiskies. The source whiskies have changed over the last decade, but the premise is always a combination of well-aged bourbons and ryes.

The 2024 edition is comprised of several whiskies, each aged at least 10 years. The components include straight rye whiskey from mash bills of 95% rye, 5% malted barley and 80% rye, 20% malted barley. These are blended together with straight bourbon whiskey from mash bills of 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley as well as 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten

Wild Turkey is no stranger to blending bourbon and rye together, though it hasn’t always been on purpose. In 2010, a distillery employee mistakenly blended bourbon and rye stocks together. Making the best of a bad situation, the whiskey was released with the title Forgiven, a nod to making the best of an honest mistake.

A few years ago, the distillery took a more deliberate approach to this blend of whiskey styles with the release of Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten. Unforgotten is made from 13-year-old bourbon blended with 8 and 9-year-old rye. This blend was then finished in rye casks in Wild Turkey’s historic Warehouse B and bottled at 105 proof.

Wyoming Whiskey Outryder

Wyoming Whiskey’s Outryder takes a unique approach to marketing by leaning heavily into its status as a whiskey that doesn’t fit neatly into one category. The name Outryder helps further illustrate a unique approach that results in a “best of both worlds” flavor profile. Wyoming Whiskey describes this expression as a blend of “an almost Rye Whiskey and a High Rye Bourbon,” bottled at 100 proof. It’s the distillery’s first foray into the use of rye whiskey in any capacity.

Redwood Empire Lost Monarch

Sonoma county’s Redwood Empire burst on the scene in the 2020s with expressions like Emerald Giant and Pipe Dream. Their bourbon and rye blend, Lost Monarch, is named after the 321-ft tall coastal Redwood tree of the same name. Lost Monarch is “a blend of 3 to 14-year-old Bourbon and 3 to 14-year-old Rye Whiskey.” The whiskey components are 55% rye from a mash bill of 94% rye, 5% malted barley, 1% wheat and 45% bourbon from a mash bill of 74% corn, 20% rye, 4.5% malted barley, 1.5% wheat. Lost Monarch is the only whiskey in this list that incorporates wheat in the blend, albeit in trace amounts.

As distillers continue to push the boundaries of blending, it will be interesting to see what combinations are brought to market. Perhaps we’ll see a blend of wheated bourbon and straight wheat whiskey. How does the popularity of straight malt whiskey impact future projects? What about the bourgeoning American single malt space? Today’s whiskey consumer continues to demonstrate a willingness to branch out and try new things. If a distillery has a new or experimental blend in mind, now is the right time to test the market.

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