The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will be constructing three new state-of-the-art fire stations in the parishes of St. Thomas, St. Mary and St. James in 2020/21, under the Fire Safety and Protection Programme. In addition, four fire stations in Black River; Falmouth; Ocho Rios and St. Ann’s Bay are to be renovated during the year. Details were...

Approximately 180,000 rural residents will be provided with water solutions in the 2020/21 legislative year. This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, who delivered the Throne Speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Tuesday (February 11) under the theme ‘Towards a Decade of Growth to Anchor Our Peace and Prosperity.’ He said the...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced plans to construct a fire station to serve the hilly communities of southern Trelawny. He said that the process to build the new facility will commence in the 2020/2021 financial year, which gets under way on April 1. The Minister was speaking at the handover of a home...

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will be ramping up earthquake preparedness activities across the island in collaboration with various stakeholders. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the disclosure at the official handover of a home for an indigent resident in Stettin, South Trelawny, on January 29. The move is in the wake of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake...

The St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, through the Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee, conducted an earthquake simulation exercise at the Sandy Bank Primary School, in Treasure Beach, on Friday (January 31). The exercise, which formed part of the parish’s ongoing 2020 earthquake awareness activities, tested the institution’s responsiveness to the natural disaster, to include the alarm system, the safe...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, handed over two houses to persons in Trelawny on January 29, under the Government’s Indigent Housing Programme. Beverly Barnett of Penn Road in Stettin, and Vernice and Lloyd Dell of Martha Brae were presented with the keys to their houses, at separate ceremonies in each community. Units have been constructed...

On Tuesday January 28, 2020 at 2:10 pm, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred in the Cuba region at a depth of 10km/6 miles 19.3 Degrees North and 78.8 Degrees West which impacted the entire Island. Based on all available data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre the Tsunami threat period has passed. Students from several schools in western Jamaica were...