The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) began clearing debris from Independence Park in Black River, St. Elizabeth, on Monday (January 12). This was noted by Executive Director at the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, at a press briefing held at the agency’s Half-Way Tree Road headquarters in Kingston, on January 12. Mr. Gordon explained that the park was used as a...

The Westmoreland Public Health Department is reporting a reduction in mosquito indices across the parish. Chief Public Health Inspector, Steve Morris, told JIS News that the decline follows weeks of aggressive fogging and community interventions. “At the end of November, we were at [approximately] 11 per cent, and our Breteau index was at 26 per cent. The last assessment we...

Two community water filtration facilities were recently commissioned in Westmoreland to improve access to potable water in communities that have faced long-standing challenges. The initiative was undertaken through a partnership involving GlobalMedic, community partner Rosa Young, and the Westmoreland Public Health Department. Health Promotion and Education Officer at the Westmoreland Public Health Department, Gerald Miller, told JIS News that the...

Laws governing safety on the nation’s roads are not designed to punish but rather to protect, says Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Court Administration Division (CAD), Tricia Cameron-Anglin. “Traffic laws… protect the pedestrian walking to school or work. They protect the vendor crossing the road. They protect the farmer transporting goods. They protect the taxi driver, the bus driver,...

With Earthquake Awareness Week now under way, citizens are being reminded that having an emergency kit is always essential, as earthquakes can occur without warning. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, Scientific Officer at the Earthquake Unit (EQU), Karleen Black, said that a well-prepared hurricane kit also serves as an effective earthquake kit and should be kept ready year-round....

The rehabilitation of ex-offenders and the reintegration of involuntarily returned migrants (IRM) will be the focus of the 10th staging of the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) Best Practice Symposium on Social and Community Renewal. The symposium, rescheduled from November 2025 due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa, will now be held on January 27 and 28 at The Jamaica...

Ten of the 87 officially designated emergency shelters remain open in St. Elizabeth, nearly three months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Acting Parish Disaster Coordinator at the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Rasha Lloyd, provided details at the Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation & Safety Committee meeting at the Corporation on January 12, in Santa Cruz. She stated that the 10...