Modular container homes, aimed at providing rapid, affordable, and durable housing, have begun arriving on the island, says Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Robert Montague. The Minister, who has responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, said the units will address the urgent shelter needs following the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa. He...

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is proposing the development of a disaster response manual to guide agencies and improve coordination during emergencies. The manual is intended to strengthen preparedness, improve logistics and streamline response efforts for future disasters. “We need a manual, a quick reference guide, so we don’t need to be asking questions when we should be...

Senior Instructor at the HEART College of Construction Services, Shalimar Blair, is urging builders and homeowners to take advantage of free construction training offered by the HEART/NSTA Trust, aimed at strengthening building resilience across the island. He was speaking during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, held as part of the national ‘Strap Up Jamaica’ campaign led by...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced that the country has officially entered the reconstruction phase of the Hurricane Melissa disaster response. Dr. Holness noted that this transition was supported by the near-completion of utility restoration, a rebounding agricultural sector, and lower-than-expected inflation. “For electricity, I can say that we are 98 per cent recovered [and] for...

United States (US)-based organisation Right Now For Jamaica (RNFJ), recently established in Maryland, will host its inaugural Fundraiser Gala Dinner and Concert on March 28. The event is billed as an elegant evening celebrating culture, purpose, and philanthropy. Slated for the Royal Ballroom in Bowie, Maryland, just outside Washington DC, the gala is poised to bring together members of the...

The Government is driving the modernisation of public markets as part of a broader initiative to upgrade aging infrastructure and stimulate local economic activity across the island. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, emphasised the critical need to upgrade long-standing market facilities during the contract signing and ground-breaking ceremony for the Alexandria Market in St. Ann...

A united wave of community action and government collaboration culminated in a successful clean-up at the St Ann Infirmary on Saturday, February 28. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the initiative united national and local agencies in a concentrated effort to restore a safe, comfortable living environment for the infirmary’s 71 residents who had been temporarily...