SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE OPEN WESTERN BUREAU: At 62, Herman Jackson no longer goes to bed expecting a peaceful night’s sleep. When rain begins falling in Westgreen, he reaches for his water boots, checks the weather on his phone, and prepares to run. One year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of Montego Bay, St James, Jackson remains gripped by fear, his nights haunted by memories of the floodwaters that swallowed his community on October 28, 2025. “I can’t afford to go and sleep,” he told The Gleaner. “I’m very, very scared.”
Civil service boss hits back at PM’s sabotage claims Accusations by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness that unnamed public sector workers are trying to sabotage government policies and programmes have drawn the ire of the president of the Jamaica Civil Service Association, Techa Clarke-Griffiths. Clarke-Griffiths said such “blanket statements” would only serve to dampen the morale of public sector staff, and she urged the prime minister to present evidence in such cases so the issue can be dealt with according to policy.
Tough going for Flagaman farmers WESTERN BUREAU: A year after Hurricane Melissa devastated their farms, several farmers in Flagaman, St Elizabeth are still struggling to resume pre-storm cultivation levels, hampered by a lack of financing, agricultural inputs, and reliable markets needed to rebuild their livelihoods. St Elizabeth, the island’s breadbasket parish, suffered extensive damage during the Category 5 storm, which destroyed crops and infrastructure, disrupting production even as it damaged homes and other assets.
Black River market vendors in limbo WESTERN BUREAU: As Hurricane Melissa approached the island a year ago, Francis Bartlett and fellow vendors in the Black River Market in St Elizabeth purchased extra stock, in case fields were wiped out and produce became scarce. That gamble yielded no good results, as their stalls were destroyed. Bartlett recalled that the Category 5 system wiped out the business she had spent years building.
Western schools looking ahead with optimism WESTERN BUREAU: A year ago, the educational sector in western Jamaica was paralysed by the force of Hurricane Melissa, which ripped off roofs, sent older buildings crumbling and did irreparable damage to school supplies and equipment. While educators have been finding creative ways to keep many of the institutions functional, the damage requires not only physical repairs but also emotional and psychological recovery, especially for children still taking lessons in less-than-ideal conditions.
FREEZE ORDER - Economist urges routine cost-cutting exercise as Gov’t tightens purse strings An economist has suggested that the Government should make identifying cost-saving measures a routine exercise, regardless of how much revenue it collects. The suggestion follows a new set of directives from the Government instructing public-sector entities to put on hold the acquisition of assets and entering into new lease arrangements. Public-sector entities have also been instructed to pause hotel retreats, as they were put on notice that a directive on annual end-of-year activities “will be issued”.
Eyes on reparations as King visits Caribbean The CARICOM Reparations Commission has labelled November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, as the “reparations CHOGM”, insisting that the issue must take top priority. “The region is mobilised, the governments are mobilised, so there is no way to describe this CHOGM meeting other than the reparations CHOGM. That is what it is,” Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the commission, said at a press conference last week. “We are going to make sure that that is what it is,” he stressed.
Goffe: $100,000 fine does not fit Rio Cobre damage Attorney-at-law Dr Marcus Goffe has welcomed Monday’s court ruling against bauxite company UC Rusal over a 2019 pollution incident in the Rio Cobre, while arguing that the $100,000 fine imposed falls far short of reflecting the damage caused. His comments came after Senior Parish Court Judge Desiree Alleyne ruled that a case was made out against the company. The prosecution of the case was initially led by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and was taken over and completed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
JP defends role in Pathways defendant’s caution statement A Justice of the Peace (JP) has rejected suggestions that he failed to adequately perform his duties while witnessing a caution statement and question-and-answer session involving murder accused Andre Ruddock. The JP, who witnessed the proceedings alongside another colleague, maintained that he was competent to advise Ruddock of his rights and ensured that the statement was given voluntarily.
Int’l swimmer lends support to local beach rights campaign WESTERN BUREAU: Internationally acclaimed marathon swimmer Eva Buzo completed a 30-kilometre swim along the coastline from Trelawny to St James on Sunday to highlight the ongoing movement surrounding beach access rights in Jamaica. Buzo swam from the Half Moon Bay in Falmouth, Trelawny, to the One Man Beach in Montego Bay, St James, over a 10-hour period as part of the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement’s (JaBBEM) Swim for Rights Jamaica campaign.