Lead Stories

Taneka Gardner, who was one of three persons who lost their lives that night.
Published 1 hour ago Tanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter

GARDNER'S DAD WANTS DEATH PENALTY

Septimus Gardner never doubted that Andre Ruddock would be found guilty of murdering his daughter, Taneka, but said he wished hanging was still an option, as he believes death is the punishment the convicted killer deserved. “A life sentence is the right way, but mi only sorry say dem caa resume back hanging,” he said, when asked what sentence he was hoping for his daughter’s killer.

Read more
Merl Grove High teachers staging a silent protest at the St Andrew-based girls’ school on Monday.
10 Nov, 2026 0

Merl Grove teachers revolt over principal’s leadership style

Merl Grove High School Chairman David Hall is warning that prolonged tensions at the St Andrew institution could undermine students’ success, as he calls on the Ministry of Education to urgently…
Courtney Wynter, president of the Jamaica Association of Chairmen for Secondary Institutions.
10 Nov, 2026 0

JACSI moves to rein in school chairmen overstepping roles

Some school board chairmen are crossing the line from governance into the day-to-day management of schools, Jamaica Association of Chairmen for Secondary Institutions (JACSI) President Courtney Wynter…
Dr Carey Wallace, executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), delivering the keynote address during the Rondel Village Resort and Spa’s 40th anniversary celebration in Negril, Westmoreland, on Saturday.
10 Nov, 2026 0

Jamaica too blessed not to be a developed country, says TEF boss

WESTERN BUREAU: The potential earnings from Jamaica’s tourism sector by 2036 must translate into wealth for all Jamaicans, not just those directly involved in the sector, says Dr Carey Wallace,…
Leonard Francis(right), CEO of the National Environment and Planning Agency, chats with (from left) Environment Minister Matthew Samuda; co-chairs of the Iguana Specialist Group Dr Stesha Pasachink and Dr Daniel Ariano-Sanchez; Joey Brown, of the Hope Zoo
10 Nov, 2026 0

Fight for survival continues as J’can iguana recovery reaches 1,000

International conservation experts and local partners will gather in Hellshire Hills, St Catherine, on Saturday to release the 1,000th Jamaican rock iguana raised at Hope Zoo to be returned to the…
Kadian Myers-Brown, president of the Black River chapter of the St Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce.
10 Nov, 2026 0

Insurance shortfalls, financial losses crippling St Bess business recovery

WESTERN BUREAU: Crippling financial losses, inadequate insurance coverage and mounting borrowing costs are threatening the survival of several businesses across St Elizabeth, leaving some operators…
Rushelle Gordon, a nonverbal schizophrenia patient of Hendon, Norwood in St James, who has been missing since November 5, 2026.
10 Nov, 2026 0

Family searches for mental health patient Rushelle Gordon

WESTERN BUREAU: The family of 36-year-old Rushelle Gordon, of Hendon, Norwood, in St James, is seeking the public’s assistance to find her after she went missing in Montego Bay last Thursday. Joycelin…
Students at The Queen’s School in St Andrew participating in a swimming class in the school’s pool last month.
09 Nov, 2026 0

Sink or swim? - Schools take the plunge to build water confidence, literacy, as more J’cans urged to embrace skill

Despite being surrounded by water, most Jamaicans cannot swim – a national reality that swim teacher Georgina Boland sees reflected yearly in the intake of students at The Queen’s School in St Andrew,…
Georgina Boland conducting a swimming lesson at The Queen’s School in St Andrew last month.
09 Nov, 2026 0

Schools tread water as swimming costs rise

Although it would be ideal for every school to have a pool, Major Desmon Brown, president of the Calabar Old Boys’ Association, believes the undertaking would be far too expensive. “I am also the…
Four-year-old Jerome Harris practising swimming techniques with 18-year-old instructor Devaughn Esson at the SailFish Swim Academy in St James in March.
09 Nov, 2026 0

Western swimmers making waves despite limited pools, coaching gaps

WESTERN BUREAU: A shortage of qualified coaches and limited access to competition-standard facilities have not diminished the ambitions of western Jamaica’s swimming fraternity, which is determined to…