‘Day of reckoning’ Declaring that no act of violence will go unanswered, Pastor Adolphus Smith yesterday warned that there will be “a day of reckoning” as he addressed mourners at the funeral of slain Denham Town shopkeeper Kerrio ‘Boyu’ Pinnock. “All those who believe they are going to get away with their ungodly deeds and their dirty deeds, they better think again,” he said. “For the Bible says that every knee shall bow and everyone will have to answer to God for what they have done.”
A prayer for Anna A Trelawny mother who gave birth six months ago to a baby with Trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome, has come forward to share aspects of the family’s journey with the child, who is currently hospitalised. Babies affected by Patau syndrome have a low life expectancy, with up to 95 per cent dying within the first year. However, for six-month-old Anna-Olivia Gardener, there are high hopes that she will be a blessed exception and go on to live a life as close to normal as possible.
Dental surgeons grit teeth over classification delay The Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) is blaming systemic “inertia” for the protracted delay in correcting an anomaly affecting registered dental surgeons. The union, as part of its efforts to press the ministries of health and wellness and finance to bring action to the signed agreement, has issued a notice of industrial action.
New appeal for Jamaicans to help hurricane-impacted students return to school St Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation Chairman Donna Parchment Brown has issued a call for Jamaicans, individuals and organisations to come forward and assist students who have not returned to school since Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.
JHTA chapter aids St Ann’s Widow’s Mite The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Ocho Rios Runaway Bay Chapter continued its decades-long support of the Mustard Seeds Widow’s Mite facility in St Ann with a donation of $150,000 on Friday. The donation followed the handover of a cheque to Adult and Teen Challenge in February, and marked the JHTA’s commitment to continue its charitable contribution to the wider community. Hurricane Melissa had forced the postponement of the annual children’s treat and cheque donation to the two institutions, which is normally held in December.
Tangled and dangerous Five months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the danger hasn’t passed. It’s hanging – literally – over nearly every road, sidewalk, and gate in Westmoreland, especially in the capital. What used to be a routine drive remains a gamble as low-hanging wires now snake along roadways and sidewalks, turning everyday movement into a split-second calculation between safety and disaster. One wrong move, one unseen cable, and the outcome could be catastrophic.
FULL CIRCLE WESTERN BUREAU: From a little girl growing up in Kingston to one of daytime television’s most influential producers, Talia Parkinson-Jones has built a career shaping stories, steering culture, and helping to define what millions of viewers see each day. Now, after more than two decades behind the scenes of American television, the Jamaica-born executive director and producer at NBC is stepping into her own spotlight, her journey, forged through grit and vision, coming full circle.
No solo rebuild The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is warning that Jamaica’s recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa will rise or fall on a single factor: Government, private interests, citizens and international partners all pull their weight in a united, national push. Utilities have largely returned in western parishes devastated by the monster storm last October, but more than 90,000 households remain displaced or are living in gutted structures.
Midnight flood swamps Portland homes as rains create chaos A night of relentless rain and thunder left sections of northeastern Jamaica reeling, as swollen waterways burst their bounds and sent murky floodwaters rushing into homes, reigniting fears ahead of the looming hurricane season. The Meteorological Service of Jamaica had forecast unstable weather conditions across the region, warning of persistent rainfall through late Sunday into Monday. But for residents of eastern Portland, the weather’s true force came suddenly and without mercy late Friday night.