Lead Stories

Travis Fisher, the son of 60-year-old fisherman Vincent Fisher, recalls losing his father during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28.
December 9, 2025 by Corey Robinson

Deadly determination

As Hurricane Melissa pummelled Smithfield in Westmoreland, 50-year-old Vincent Fisher worked frantically to protect his concrete home. He tried to clear a fallen tree, secure shattered windows, and…
Students make the most of their temporary classroom, learning and laughing under the guidance of Elaine Morgan.
December 9, 2025 by Janet Silvera

Learning triumphs over disaster

WESTERN BUREAU: When Hurricane Melissa ripped the roof off Dumfries Primary and left children wandering aimlessly across Lima, St James, veteran teacher Elaine Morgan refused to let the storm steal…
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (left) interacting with Deputy Superintendent Joel Hamilton (right), project manager at the Services Branch, and other cops during a tour of the facilities.
December 9, 2025 by Mickalia Kington

DIGNITY MATTERS

WESTERN BUREAU: Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has renewed his call for dignity to be placed at the centre of Jamaica’s hurricane recovery efforts, urging that assistance to affected residents be…
Gary Allen, head of the Media Association Jamaica.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

‘Absolutely not’

Senior figures within Jamaica’s media landscape have strongly rejected a call from a government lawmaker to reinstate criminal libel, arguing that such a move would roll back hard-won press freedoms…
Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie.
December 9, 2025 by Albert Ferguson

McKenzie: New building code coming next fiscal year

WESTERN BUREAU: Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie has said that the country’s new building code, which has been in gestation for nearly two decades, is scheduled for…
Mullings
December 9, 2025 by Sashana Small

Local contractors want integration in container home solutions

As the Jamaican Government prepares to purchase thousands of container homes as a rapid response to the housing stock devastated by Hurricane Melissa, Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of…
Mark Jackson, a resident of Tavern, St Andrew, highlights the dangerous erosion caused by the swollen Hope River.
December 9, 2025 by Corey Robinson

Hope River fears

Residents of Kintyre and Tavern in St Andrew say they are “running out of ground” after Hurricane Melissa’s fierce rains chewed deeper into the Hope River’s banks, exposing foundations, toppling…
Marvin Clowson, principal of Ocho Rios High School
December 9, 2025 by Carl Gilchrist

Ocho Rios High School welcomes 100 visiting students

Principal of Ocho Rios High School, Marvin Clowson, says while the school is accommodating students displaced by Hurricane Melissa, it will not be processing transfer requests at this time. Ocho Rios…
Wayne Wheatley, displaced by Storm Gustav, stands proudly outside his home in West Albion, St Thomas.
December 9, 2025 by Corey Robinson

Gustav survivors adjust to life in West Albion

In West Albion – where several Hope River survivors were resettled after Hurricane Gustav – residents say they are no longer sitting ducks on the riverbank, but the relocation has brought its own set…