Jamaica Observer
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Judge Horace Mitchell hailed as respectful, fair-minded
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth - Parish Court Judge Horace Mitchell was yesterday hailed by members of the Bar as fair-minded, even-tempered, and respectful to all.Mitchell reportedly died at hospital yesterday from complications associated ...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Steve Llamb dies
Steve Llamb, the man who was practically raised by Gordon "Butch" Stewart and eventually rose to become manager of the late tourism and business mogul's three villas, died yesterday in Florida, USA.Llamb, who was from Discovery Bay, St...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 06:30:02 GMT DJ Bambino comes to Fyah 105 FM
Top-flight disc jockey Bambino has been appointed programmes director of Fyah 105 FM and is leading a renaissance of the radio station that hooked many Jamaicans with its all-music format when it was launched eight years ago."The Fyah f...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Access denied!
Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry said that she and her team faced obstruction at Four Paths Police Station in Clarendon when they went there to probe an allegation that 19-year-old Rastafarian Nzinga King had been forcibly trimmed...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT National PTA joins vaccine push
THE National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) has committed to coordinating with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to host a number of sessions to update parents on the school vaccination programme and to pro...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Don't forget the disabled
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Arthritic, blind, and wheelchair bound, three residents of Granville who yesterday got vaccinated against COVID-19 are pleading for the Government to ensure that disabled Jamaicans can also get their jabs. "Go fo...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 06:30:01 GMT The State vs Klansman
Last-ditch efforts are being made to secure an attorney to represent Andre "Blackman" Bryan, the reputed leader of one side of the St Catherine-based Klansman gang.Bryan is the only one of the 32 alleged members of the gang without leg...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Know where your meat is coming from!
THE Veterinary Services Division (VSD) is reminding Jamaicans to purchase meat from licensed butchers only, a call it said comes in the interest of public safety and to encourage responsibility among consumers to make wise and healthy f...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT 29 street lights repaired in St Elizabeth
TWENTY-NINE street lights have been repaired across St Elizabeth by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) for the July to August period.JPS parish manager for St Elizabeth David Lewis made the disclosure while addressing the monthly ...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT This Day in History - September 17
Today is the 260th day of 2021. There are 105 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT2004: Mexico's President Vicente Fox and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sign a free trade agreement to ease Mexico's reliance on the US whil...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Care packages to be shipped to J'can students in Cuba
SENATOR Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, announced yesterday that 100 care packages and more than 150 suitcases containing personal items will be collected from the ministry for shipment to Jamaican s...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Study: Childhood obesity accelerated during pandemic
NEW YORK, United States (AP) - A new study ties the novel coronavirus pandemic to an "alarming" increase in obesity in US children and teenagers. Childhood obesity has been increasing for decades, but the new work suggests an accelerati...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Can kids be harmed wearing masks to protect against COVID?
There is no scientific evidence showing masks cause harm to kids' health despite baseless claims suggesting otherwise.The claims are circulating on social media and elsewhere just as virus outbreaks are hitting many reopened US schools,...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Regional tourism partners seek inclusive and collaborative rebuilding
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - The future of the Caribbean tourism industry will be discussed on September 27 when leading public and private sector stakeholders participate in a high-level virtual conference on the regional tourism secto...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Troja residents plead for police station
TROJA, St Catherine - It has been three years since over $8 million was spent on restoring the Troja Police Station in north-eastern St Catherine. Today, the structure is partially covered by bush providing a home for stray dogs.Frustra...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT PAHO bolsters Jamaica's COVID-19 testing capacity
THE Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has bolstered the National Public Health Laboratory's COVID-19 testing capacity with the donation of 30,000 antigen test kits and six new antigen test readers.PAHO, in a release, said the late...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Chambers happy no-movement days cut
The Westmoreland and Montego Bay chambers of commerce and industry have welcomed Government's decision to bring a halt to no-movement days on weekdays and the changes to curfew hours."I think it is a win-win, whereby persons will have m...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT 40 more beds for COVID-19 patients in Clarendon
MAY PEN, Clarendon - There are now 40 more hospital beds available to COVID-19 patients in Clarendon. This was made possible through a donation, on Wednesday, of a US$850,000-field hospital from the American Government, whose local repr...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Despair!
OCHO RIOS, St Ann - It was almost too much for 24-year-old Akeba Martin to bear. In the early hours of Wednesday morning dogs found their way into her chicken coop and slaughtered 50 of the 178 birds, whose eggs she had planned to sell ...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Stay home until you are vaccinated!
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC) - The Antigua and Barbuda Government has given a September 20 deadline for all unvaccinated public sector workers to show proof of having been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.A policy document released ...
Fri, Sep 17, 2021 07:01:00 GMT France calls killing of Islamic State leader big victory
PARIS, France (AP) - The leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) died of wounds from a drone strike that hit him on a motorcycle last month in southern Mali, in a French-led operation involving back-up from US, EU, Mali...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:20:01 GMT Police commissioner laments light sentences for serious crimes
Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson has called for a conversation to be had about possibly giving Jamaica's laws more teeth to discourage reoffenders and potential offenders, as he lamented what he called light sentenc...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Four shortlisted for SVF 'Supreme Hero' prize
The Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF), the outreach arm of gaming group Supreme Ventures Limited, has shortlisted four entities for the top prize in the first staging of its Supreme Heroes programme.The programme, which began in 2020, ...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Weekday lockdowns out
PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is moving towards fewer curfew hours and away from frequent adjustments to the lockdown measures, as these are not a long-term answer to the COVID-19 crisis."We are now moving away from ...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Some Jamaicans support Green's decision to step down as minister after viral video
SOME Jamaicans yesterday endorsed Member of Parliament Floyd Green's decision to resign from the Cabinet after he was seen in a video with several others breaching COVID-19 safety protocols allegedly during a no-movement day.The individ...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT 'I was wrong'
FLOYD Green's meteoric rise in Government came to a halt yesterday following a Moët Champagne party on Tuesday that left thousands of citizens outraged.As the criticisms of the Andrew Holness-led Administration, and Green, the then min...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT The rise and fall of Floyd Green
YESTERDAY'S resignation of Floyd Obrian Green from the post of minister of agriculture and fisheries marked another chapter in what has already been a life in the limelight for the 39-year-old.Green burst onto the national political sce...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Mischief!
Minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Robert Morgan was forced to take to the media yesterday to rubbish the content of a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation which he was allegedly involved in."It ha...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Education minister summons Merl Grove stakeholders to meeting tomorrow
EDUCATION Minister Fayval Williams has summoned embittered Merl Grove High School stakeholders to a meeting tomorrow to discuss the issues that have marred the smooth reopening of school and triggered the suspension of Principal Dr Marj...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT This Day in History - September 16
Today is the 259th day of 2021. There are 106 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT1994: A federal court jury in Anchorage, Alaska, orders Exxon Corp to pay US$5 billion in punitive damages to Alaskan fishermen and natives for the Mar...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Jabari's struggle
It has been over a week since online classes have resumed for the new school year, but nine-year-old Jabari Fogo has been absent due to not having an electronic device. His mother, 30-year-old Nicola Clarke, told the Jamaica Observer t...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Mixed views from central Jamaica school leaders on new academic year
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - There has been mixed views from the leaders of five schools in Manchester and St Elizabeth following the start of another academic year online.The continued surge in COVID-19 cases halted plans for the resumptio...
Thu, Sep 16, 2021 07:01:00 GMT No problem
Several funeral directors across the island have moved to allay fears of a pile-up of bodies because of the spike in COVID-19-related deaths, the restrictions on burials, and the frequent no-movement days which have been implemented si...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Gov't senator has fixed-term contracts in his crosshairs
Veteran trade unionist and Government Senator Kavan Gayle says to help tackle the problem of employers using fixed-term contracts to exploit workers, and even fire them unfairly, he will be proposing amendments to the law to make it il...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 06:20:01 GMT PM expected to speak on no-movement measure today
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is likely to announce additional measures in the country's response to the current spike in COVID-19 cases when the House of Representatives resumes this afternoon.It is not clear whether he will respond t...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Let Jamaica's system work first
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says the country's internal systems should be allowed to work before any thought of an independent investigation into whether the medical oxygen shortage that hit hospitals in August wa...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Councillor appeals for cops' help after more bloodletting in Clarendon
MAY PEN, Clarendon - Councillor Winston Maragh (Jamaica Labour Party, Rocky Point Division) is asking the police to maintain a strong presence in that area following a flare-up of gun violence in the southern section of the parish. His ...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Transport group launching vaccine education campaign today
The organisation representing public transport owners and drivers says it will be launching a major COVID-19 vaccine education campaign today aimed at influencing more of its members to take the jab, given low uptake in the sector.Accor...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT It's just dead wrong
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Respected mortician Calvin Lyn says untrained funeral home operators are not properly handling the remains of COVID-19 victims, transporting them, in some instances, in public passenger vehicles."It is being rep...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT NSWMA dreaming of 100 garbage trucks but will gladly accept 50
EVEN if there is a budgetary allocation for garbage trucks at this time, it is not likely to be sufficient to meet the billions of dollars required for the 100 trucks the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is seeking, say...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 06:30:02 GMT Pfizer setback
Jamaicans who are now due their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will have to wait at least another two to three weeks until supplies arrive from the United States, the health and wellness ministry announced yesterday.Accordin...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Rastas get the jab
OCHO RIOS, St Ann - Three Rastafarians were among hundreds of Jamaicans who turned up at the Turtle River Park vaccination site in this resort town yesterday, giving an indication that not all members of the faith share its traditional ...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Alexandria residents irked by lock-up fire
OCHO RIOS, St Ann - Some residents in Alexandria and surrounding communities are fuming after prisoners allegedly used fire to destroy a cell at Alexandria Police Station in St Ann on Monday evening. "This is just terrible because in th...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Visa applicant should expect long processing times
Dear Mr Brown,I have been waiting for a decision regarding my visitor's visa application since last year. It is very frustrating. I heard that the Canadian borders are now open. When should I expect a response? Should I apply again? Any...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 08:50:01 GMT PHOTO: Caring gesture
Dorothy Forbes (centre) is presented with a month's supply of food, sanitiser and personal care products from Sean Paul Foundation representative Steve "Urchin" Wilson (left) and Food For the Poor Executive Director Kivette Silvera, at ...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 08:40:01 GMT This Day in History - September 15
Today is the 258th day of 2021. There are 107 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT1935: The Nuremberg laws are passed, making discrimination against Jews part of Germany's national policy and making the swastika the official symbol o...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Additional US$5.2m in COVID-19 assistance from USA
Jamaica is to receive an additional US$5.2 million in COVID-19 assistance from the American Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)."The US$5.2 million in funding will advance vaccination and st...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Uber rolls out COVID-19 safety measures
IN an effort to solidify its role in overcoming the current pandemic, the popular ride-share app Uber introduced a number of COVID-19 safety measures for its lessor partners and users to utilise and keep safe while moving. In a release,...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT COVID-19 patients are seeking care too late, says medical director
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC) - Grenada's Acting Director of Medical Services Dr Tyhiesia Donald says most of the COVID-19-related deaths at the general hospital in his country are as a result of infected persons seeking hospital care at t...
Wed, Sep 15, 2021 07:01:00 GMT Jamaica to get more vaccines this week
MINISTER of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton says that more COVID-19 vaccines are expected in the island this week."We will see vaccines coming in every few weeks or, at least, every month going into the new year," he said, not...