The St. Thomas Municipal Corporation says assessments are underway across the parish to ascertain the extent of the impact of Tropical Storm Rafael, which passed near Jamaica on Tuesday (November 5). Chief Engineering Officer, Odel Felix, told JIS News that landslides were reported in remote areas of Cedar Valley, Trinity Ville and Bath. He said a Municipal Corporation team is...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting that four shelters across the island are currently open, consequent on the passage of Tropical Storm Rafael. Speaking with JIS News on Tuesday (November 5), ODPEM’s Acting Director General, Richard Thompson, said two shelters have been opened in Clarendon, at Rocky Point, and the Drop-In Centre in May Pen....

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has received approximately $10 million in irrigation infrastructure support and farming supplies to boost agricultural resilience in Hounslow, St. Elizabeth. The donation, which was handed over by GraceKennedy (GK) Foods at the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) Hounslow pump house on November 1, included $6.2 million to purchase a generator and more than $3...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is urging continued vigilance as Cyclone #18 continues developing and Jamaica remains under a Tropical Storm Warning. “I am asking everyone to take due care, and to heed the Advisories being published. I also want to assure everyone that the Government has taken the necessary measures to secure lives and...

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is encouraging participation in its upcoming webinar, focusing on the Electricity Disaster Fund (EDF), in the wake of concerns in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which impacted the island on July 3. Scheduled for November 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the session aims to educate consumers, stakeholders in the power sector and...

Voters in the Morant Bay and Aenon Town Divisions in St. Thomas and Clarendon, respectively, will head to the polls on November 22 to elect new Councillors. This follows the deaths of former Morant Bay Councillor, Rohan “Washy” Bryan, on May 1, and former Aenon Town Councillor, Marjorie McLeod, on September 1. The announcement was made today (October 30), during...

Several Clarendon farmers have benefited from $1.5 million worth of agricultural inputs from the Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited (JBML). The items, which include farm tools, protective gear, productivity enhancers, insecticides, pesticides and spraying tools, were handed over by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) parish office in Clarendon on Tuesday...