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Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sports, Portia Simpson-Miller is to meet with parish development and community development committees, beginning next month. At these meetings, the Minister will be briefed about the work being undertaken by the committees. She will also give details about what is being done by the Ministry and Parish Councils to promote Local Government Reform....

Pepsi Cola (Jamaica) Limited says significant savings in operational costs have been realized since its investment of some $360 million worth of machinery and equipment at its Spanish Town Road plant last July. In a recent interview, Regional Plant Manager of Pepsi Cola Limited, Alfred Campbell, said that since the acquisition of a CO2 plant, savings of some US$250,000 to...

Several departments within the Ministry of Water and Housing have been relocated to The Towers, 25 Dominica Drive, Kingston 5. The departments affected in the relocation exercise are Social Services, Housing Fund, Finance and Accounts (Main Accounts), Legal Service, Mortgage, Internal and External Audit, Land Administration, Technical Services and Housing Solutions. This relocation is a continuation of the Ministry's rationalization...

Hundreds of persons filled the St. Aidans Church in Leeds for a Thanksgiving Service to commemorate the life of long standing Councillor and community stalwart, Jamaican born Norma Dell Hutchinson. Remembered as an outstanding trade unionist, Councillor and community activist, Councillor Hutchinson, who died on February 7, was eulogised by Member of Parliament for Leeds North East, Fabian Hamilton, as...

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed yesterday (February 16) between the Government and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) will save the Government $5 billion in expenditure on wages in the 2004/05 budget, and will be a major reason for no big tax package in the upcoming budget. This was disclosed today by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr....

Citrus farmers in Clarendon are being encouraged to join the replanting process to reduce the impact of the tristeza virus on local stock. Alfred Barrett, Assistant Programme Manager at the Citrus Protection Agency in the Ministry of Agriculture told some 40 farmers in Clarendon that a survey done in 1999 to determine the effect of the virus on citrus trees,...

Jamaican-born Reverend Veronica Palmer was named one of three District Superintendents of the Greater New Jersey Methodist Conference. Rev. Palmer, Pastor of Trinity Church in Highland Park, New Jersey, will oversee the Raritan Valley District which has approximately 110,000 parishioners. Rev. Palmer was born in Braeton, St. Catherine, and attended Braeton Primary School and Stratford High School. Discussing plans with...

The new business model currently being developed by the HEART Trust/NTA in pursuit of its mandate to equip Jamaica with a world-class workforce was discussed at a public forum held on Wednesday, February 11 at the Port Antonio marina. The forum was designed to explain the new model to stakeholders in the parish to enable them to fully understand the...

When Annette McIntosh took several of her handmade stuffed dolls to a Devon House craft fair in Kingston, she was elated to sell them all. That was 21 years ago. Today, Annette and her sister, Yvette are producing a variety of dolls and other craft items at their home in Almond Hill, St. Catherine. Annette says it was her mother,...

When Nurse Sonia Bent was honoured by the New York health care system for her superior treatment of a police officer, who was injured during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, no one was more surprised than her. Not because she did not deserve the honour, but the hard working and dedicated nurse sees offering quality care as just...

A Bill, which seeks to establish the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), was passed in the Senate on Friday (Feb.13). Leader of Government Business and Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman, who piloted the Bill, explained that CROSQ was designed as an inter governmental organization with the purpose of expediting the harmonization of standards, metrology, technical...

The CARICOM initiative aimed at brokering a peaceful solution to the current political crisis in Haiti received a boost on Friday (Feb.13) with a strong statement of support from the United States (U.S.) Government, the Government of Canada, as well as the Organization of American States (OAS). These sentiments were reflected in a joint statement, which was issued following a...