BIKES TO THE RESCUE In the best of times, the drive to Halls Delight in the hills of rural St Andrew is not for the faint of heart. Now, three weeks after Hurricane Melissa dumped several inches of rain on the picturesque community, turning already poor roads into...
SBAJ SOUNDS SOS Charging that the Government is moving too slowly while hundreds of livelihoods hang in the balance, the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) is calling on the Government to provide immediate direct grants of $300,000 to $500,000 for small...
JPS CEO: Full underground power grid too costly for Jamaica While the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa has intensified calls for underground electricity infrastructure, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) CEO Hugh Grant says the cost and complexity mean only targeted areas are likely to benefit...
NCU head requests urgent help for tertiary students severely affected by Melissa Professor Lincoln Edwards, president of Northern Caribbean University (NCU), is urging the Government to prioritise assistance for tertiary students following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The World Bank estimates that the Category 5...
‘Latty survived the hurricane, but not the mud’ On his 68th birthday, Roderick ‘Latty’ Brissett felt only a little feverish. By the fourth day, the man who seldom got sick slipped away, taken by leptospirosis after the storm. Brissett ran every morning. Even as a sexagenarian, he woke before...
‘We will come up short’ Hurricane Melissa has left widespread destruction across St Catherine North Eastern, with farmers reporting millions of dollars in losses, particularly within the small-scale livestock and poultry sector. The hardest hit are broiler and layer...
ECONOMY IN SHAMBLES From roadside eateries to boutique beachfront guesthouses and attractions, small business operators across St Elizabeth are counting millions in losses following the passage of Hurricane Melissa nearly a month ago. Despite significant damage,...
BATTERED, WIPED OUT With Hurricane Melissa bearing down on Jamaica, Debbie-Ann Dixon devised a plan to save over 500 pounds of “fit” plantains on her sizeable farm in Elderslie, a community located in northwestern St Elizabeth. The plantains were valued at close to $...
‘Mi seven youth broke mi heart’ Two seniors who once had thriving culinary establishments at separate locations in the Hurricane Melissa-ravaged parish of St Elizabeth ponder their next move, living a reality that is as heartbreaking as it is revealing. In their old age, they...
HOUSELESS TEACHERS Wayne Coley had only seconds to decide whether to stay or run. The 31-year veteran teacher at Frome Technical High School watched as his kitchen door flew open – twice – before the bedroom door did the same. The house, already shaking under...