The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is reporting that 57 priority one schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa have been fully repaired. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Kasan Troupe, made the disclosure during a post-Cabinet press briefing, held at Jamaica House on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is to receive an official report from the school where a student was denied the opportunity to use the restroom. Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, made the disclosure during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday at Jamaica House.
Jamaica’s primary regional referral facility, the 579-bed University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), is urging the public to seek alternative care as a massive patient influx has overwhelmed its emergency services. The hospital, in a release on Wednesday, advised the public that it is “currently experiencing patient volumes beyond its normal capacity”.
At least one organisation representing the interests of children has taken issue with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ comment about students “learning closer to nature” under trees as the new academic year began, less than a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of the island. Speaking at Tuesday’s launch of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee, Holness cited media reports of children attending classes under trees because their school in western Jamaica had not yet been repaired.
At least one organisation representing the interests of children has taken issue with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ comment about students “learning closer to nature” under trees as the new academic year began, less than a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of the island. Speaking at Tuesday’s launch of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee, Holness cited media reports of children attending classes under trees because their school in western Jamaica had not yet been repaired.
A man has been hospitalised after he was shot repeatedly by gunmen in Gordon Pen, Spanish Town, St Catherine last night. Reports are that about 9:50 p.m., the man was walking in the community when a car drove up and a group of men armed with guns exited the vehicle. The men opened fire, hitting the 26-year-old mason in the shoulder and back. He managed to run away from the scene, while his attackers drove away. The matter was reported to the Spanish Town police, who have launched an investigation. - Rasbert Turner
More than 100 students in western Jamaica who were affected by Hurricane Melissa have received a boost to their education, as the Usain Bolt Foundation has donated nearly $10 million to several schools to assist with expenses for the 2026/27 academic year. The students, who are from Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth, were successful in their Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations and will receive assistance towards school fees and other expenses throughout the academic year.
A former missionary with an Ohio-based ministry pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges that he sexually abused two boys in Haiti, reaching an agreement with prosecutors that could lead to a prison sentence of at least 25 years. Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio — who told police in 2019 he had molested more than 30 boys in Haiti and four children in Ohio — entered the plea before Judge Donald C. Nugent in federal court in Cleveland.
Two men were shot and killed by the police in Watson Grove, Portmore, St Catherine on Tuesday, and an illegal gun was seized. The deceased have been identified by the police as 26-year-old Javaughn Newell of Tarus Drive, Watson Grove, and a man known by the alias ‘Brandon’ of an area called Gulf in Gregory Park, Portmore. The police report that about 5:20 a.m., an intelligence-driven operation was conducted at Tarus Road in Watson Grove, Gregory Park.
Two policemen and a policewoman were shot and injured, and a man was shot and killed during an alleged gunfight early this morning in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, St James. The dead man has been identified as 29-year-old Romario ‘Jerry’ Brown, who the police say was wanted for murder and shootings.
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The Supreme Court has imposed an injunction that temporarily blocks the country’s environment regulatory authority from evicting at least 40 people from the Jacob Taylor Beach lands in Duncans, Trelawny. Justice Andrea Thomas granted the injunction on Tuesday at the end of an application by attorneys for four of the 40 residents. The application forms part of a lawsuit they have filed seeking judicial review of a move by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) last month to serve them with eviction notices.
A suspected gangster and contract killer, who the police have linked to a string of murders and other violent crimes across several parishes, was killed during an alleged confrontation with cops on the weekend. Neco Dixon, 25, was shot several times after he reportedly pulled a firearm from his waistband and pointed it at cops who were pursuing him in the Eight Miles area of Bull Bay, St Andrew, on Saturday. One firearm and several rounds of ammunition were reportedly seized.
Planning is under way for the construction of a new maximum-security correctional facility, with the government having identified a site and established a committee to advance the project. The development comes as Jamaica moves to modernise its correctional system, with Ministry of National Security and Peace State Minister Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn outlining a raft of measures on Monday aimed at improving security, rehabilitation and the reintegration of inmates.
Nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa battered St Hilda’s Diocesan High School in Brown’s Town, St Ann, leaving an estimated $40 million in damage, the institution has been forced to delay the full reopening of its boarding facility for the new academic year. In social media posts over the weekend ahead of Monday’s reopening of schools, the administration advised that “boarders will remain at home until further notice”.
WESTERN BUREAU: While the Burnt Savannah Primary in St Elizabeth opened its doors on Monday, only grade six students were accommodated as the school is still reeling from the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. The school has been forced into a hybrid mode with the students from grades one to five attending classes online as two key classroom blocks remain incomplete despite promises that they would have been ready to accommodate all 335 students.
It is never right, even to think that we are always right. It is therefore always right to humble ourselves and apologise whenever we find ourselves in the wrong, not that we are always wrong! Neighbours who admit when they are wrong and apologise show emotional maturity rather than weakness. Are you, or do you have, such a neighbour? Let’s get to work!
WESTERN BUREAU: National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang has indicated that the plan to build a new police station in Granville, St James, is now back on track. According to Chang, additional property has been acquired for the building of the police station, and the Government is now moving towards the design and construction phases.
The St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC), through its Civic Affairs and Community Relations Committee, recently honoured two of the parish’s centenarians. Ilsa Maud Hinds and Olga Guillermina Small-Williams were recognised on August 10 and August 21, respectively, for reaching the milestone of 100 years. Hinds, who lives in Faith’s Pen, Moneague, was born on March 15, 1925, while Small-Williams, who resides in Salem, Runaway Bay, was born on November 8, 1925. Both women attributed their longevity to their strong Christian faith and belief in God.
Seeking to narrow the achievement gap between boys and girls, Port Antonio Primary has introduced all-boys classes and tailored learning programmes as part of a broader effort to improve outcomes among male students. The initiative comes as the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information moves to implement targeted interventions to address the continued underperformance of boys within the education system. Starting this academic year, the school in eastern Portland has introduced two co-educational classes and two all-boys classes at the Grade Six level.
Four years after Jamaica implemented the Disabilities Act, structural and communication barriers continue to hamper members of the disabled community, according to inclusion advocate Alister McLean. McLean said inconsistencies in public infrastructure remain a major concern, particularly for wheelchair users who face difficulty accessing sidewalks.
While several schools across Jamaica, particularly in Region 4, are beginning the new academic year on a shift system as they continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, Maud McLeod High School is celebrating a milestone of its own: a return to single-shift schooling.
Four years after Jamaica implemented the Disabilities Act, structural and communication barriers continue to hamper members of the disabled community, according to inclusion advocate Alister McLean. McLean said inconsistencies in public infrastructure remain a major concern, particularly for wheelchair users who face difficulty accessing sidewalks.
More than 400 students across Jamaica have received scholarships, bursaries, and grants as credit unions commit over $20 million to education, reaffirming their founding principle of ‘People Helping People’ and their unwavering belief that investing in young Jamaicans is investing in the nation’s future.
WESTERN BUREAU: Students at Carisbrook Primary School in St Elizabeth returned to classes on Monday despite ongoing construction work at the institution, as principal Patrick Malcolm insisted that they had already lost too much learning time. “We’re tired of being behind, and so we’re here,” said Malcolm, who enthusiastically welcomed students and parents on the first day of the new academic year.