News

A Trelawny yam farmer making preparations to take his produce to the market.
28 Oct, 2026 0

Trelawny yam farmers still struggling to rebound

WESTERN BUREAU: Hurricane Melissa decimated vast acreages of yam fields in southern Trelawny last October, leaving many families facing an uncertain future. A year later, they have come to appreciate…
Sections of St Hilda’s Diocesan High School damaged by Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island in October 2025.
28 Oct, 2026 0

Future of St Hilda’s Georgian-style building in focus as repairs continue

The National Education Trust (NET) says it has spent just over $82 million repairing the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa at St Hilda’s Diocesan High School in Brown’s Town, St Ann, but uncertainty…
Francita Renford.
28 Oct, 2026 0

Portland mother still waiting for help

A year after Hurricane Melissa destroyed her home in eastern Portland, Francita Renford says she is still waiting for government assistance while struggling to support two children, including a son…
A view inside the Claremont Market shows food stalls and sections of the roof damaged by Hurricane Melissa.
28 Oct, 2026 0

Claremont Market still waiting on roof repairs

In April, The Gleaner reported that six months after Hurricane Melissa damaged the Claremont Market in southeast St Ann, repairs had not begun, leaving the facility without a roof. Another six months…
Pepper Primary School in St Elizabeth, following extensive restoration works undertaken by the National Education Trust, after the institution sustained significant damage during Hurricane Melissa.
28 Oct, 2026 0

NET completes hurricane repairs at two schools

The National Education Trust (NET) has completed restoration works at Bamboo Primary School in St Ann and Pepper Primary School in St Elizabeth, restoring facilities damaged by Hurricane Melissa and…
A boy in Albert Town, Trelawny receives a checkup by a St John Ambulance Jamaica medical volunteer in this November 2025 photo as Hurricane Melissa survivors of the rural community attempt to reassemble their lives following the hurricane’s landfall on O
28 Oct, 2026 0

JN Foundation helping communities move from relief to resilience

When Hurricane Melissa ripped through mainly western Jamaica on October 28, 2025, Richard Ruddock lost both his home and the small Westmoreland cookshop that supported his family. Months later, a…
Andre and Christine Dacosta on their cycling journey.
28 Oct, 2026 0

Pedaling for a purpose - Bronx couple takes on 575-mile ride to support Jamaican alma mater

When Andre and Christine DaCosta conceived the idea of riding the Empire State Trail, which runs from Niagara Falls to New York City, what began as a fun trip quickly evolved into a fundraising effort…
Senator Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investments and Commerce.
28 Oct, 2026 0

JPs urged to help hurricane-affected entrepreneurs access gov’t recovery grant programme

Justices of the Peace (JPs) are being urged to assist in verifying the identities and business histories of informal business operators affected by Hurricane Melissa, to help them access the…
The St Catherine Parish Court in Spanish Town.
28 Oct, 2026 0

More delay in UC Rusal 2021 fish kill case, postponed to March 2027

The trial into the 2021 fish kill case against bauxite company UC Rusal for alleged environmental breaches involving the discharge of effluent into the Rio Cobre in St Catherine failed to get under…