FEELING FORSAKEN WESTERN BUREAU: The arrest of a Troy resident in connection with the mob killing of convicted sex offender Delroy Coke has reignited anger among residents who say the justice system failed to protect their community long before this week’s violence. Among Thursday’s protesters was Kay*, whose now-14-year-old son was sexually assaulted by Coke when he was seven years old. The police have confirmed that Coke was convicted in that case and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.
St Johns Road mourns three men killed in Trelawny crash The black buntings hanging across St Johns Road on the outskirts of Spanish Town fluttered gently in the breeze on Thursday, but they could not soften the grief that has settled over the close-knit St Catherine community. Behind gates draped in black, mothers, relatives, and lifelong friends are struggling to accept that what began as another routine pre-dawn work trip ended in unimaginable tragedy last Friday, leaving three families shattered and an entire community grieving.
MBCC fashion lecturer stitches together 35 years of excellence WESTERN BUREAU: Ann Marie Brown-Burgess, the fashion designing course lecturer at the Montego Bay Community College (MBCC) in St James, was recently presented with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) 2026 Golden Torch Award in recognition of her 35 years of service to education. Brown-Burgess was one of 144 educators awarded on July 1 at a ceremony at the AC Hotel in New Kingston. The award is presented to teachers who have had at least 35 years of service in the teaching profession.
Calabar promised water relief next week WESTERN BUREAU: The water woes that have been plaguing the Calabar community near Duncans, Trelawny, could be alleviated in the coming week as Councillor Fabian Davis says plans are in place to bring the commodity to residents. “Beginning next week, we will embark on the trucking of water into the district. We will also establish water stations, where we will place 1,000-gallon tanks,” Davis told The Gleaner earlier this week.
Crown defends Ninjaman convictions The Crown on Thursday urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the convictions and sentences of dancehall entertainer Desmond ‘Ninjaman’ Ballentine and his co-accused, arguing that there was compelling evidence that they acted together to murder Ricardo Johnson. Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Kathy Ann Pyke told the court that the trial judge was correct in refusing to withdraw the case from the jury as the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable jury, properly directed, could convict.
US-based philanthropist looks to transform St James Parish Library WESTERN BUREAU: Convinced that education remains one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against crime and poverty, Jamaica-born academic and philanthropist Dr Janice Johnson Dias has decided to invest in literacy and girls’ leadership. Johnson Dias, founder and president of the United States-based GrassROOTS Community Foundation, has developed a five-year plan to transform the St James Parish Library into a modern learning hub while mentoring girls from Flankers.
Region One schools urged not to block students from external exams Western Bureau: School administrators in the 45 high schools across the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s Region One are being urged to avoid the practice of preventing students whose abilities they doubt from sitting external examinations. In recent years, school authorities have been accused of blocking students deemed weak from sitting external examinations as a way of protecting their institutions’ image and boosting pass rates.
Family milestone As Steve Mitchell fought back tears inside the National Arena on Sunday, he knew he was witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The 50-year-old had just collected his master’s degree with Distinction and was preparing to watch his 21-year-old twin sons receive their associate degrees, completing a graduation day the family never saw coming.
Where ‘failures’ flourish Graduates turning the page at Edith Dalton James High School, an institution known for “working with the lowest performing students from PEP”, as acknowledged by principal Dr Orlando Worges, are contending that retention at the primary level should not readily replace the intervention structure operating across the island’s secondary schools. “They shouldn’t be kept back,” said 19-year-old Justin Wallace, who graduated in 2024 as deputy head boy while establishing, in grade 11, the Male Empowerment Association to promote positive masculinity.
Meade defends hurricane cash delay Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Dr Rocky Meade has offered an explanation for why the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) spent only two per cent of the $1.44 billion in cash donations received to assist victims of Hurricane Melissa more than six months after the Category 5 storm devastated the western belt of the country.