Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (right) speaks with residents following a tour of the Gregory Park area in St. Catherine, today (August 19). Some 11 houses were firebombed recently, leaving more than 40 persons homeless. Looking on is Member of Parliament for St. Catherine East Central, Hon. Alando Terrelonge (left). The National Solid Waste Management...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most. Hon. Sir Patrick Allen is calling on Officer Cadets, who have completed the Initial Officers’ Training Programme (IOTP), to carry out their duties with integrity. Speaking at the Initial Officers’ Training Programme Commissioning Parade held on Friday (August 18) at Up Park Camp, St. Andrew, the Governor-General said that as leaders, their mission must extend...

The 37 Haitians who landed in Portland in July will continue to receive the highest level of support while the legal process for asylum continues, says Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang. The Minister, who visited with the Haitians at a facility in Robins Bay, St. Mary, on Monday (August 14), said that through collaborative efforts involving several...

Persons served by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) office in St. Ann, which was officially opened on Friday (August 11), have welcomed its relocation. The office was relocated from the St. Ann’s Bay post office to 8 Park Avenue and has been open since August 8. Steer Town resident, Charmaine Williams, told JIS News that’s she is pleased...

The St. James Police division has embarked on a comprehensive 14-day operation targeting criminals in the parish. The security operation, which was launched on Tuesday (August 8), has been bearing fruit with the recovery of four illegal guns in Salt Spring on Thursday (August 10). Seized were three high-powered rifles and a handgun. One of the rifles is identified as...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is urging persons not to leave cooking unattended, in order to prevent fires. JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that within recent years, “cooking left unattended” has been among the causes of fires across the island. He pointed out that the JFB has had cases where persons fall asleep while cooking. Mr. Beckford noted...

One hundred members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) were presented with the Medal of Honour for General Service, during the Armed Forces Day presentation ceremony at Up Park Camp in Kingston, today (July 31). The medals were presented by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, and Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, the Most Hon. Andrew...

Persons 18 years and older are being encouraged to join the senior division of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) to contribute to the development of young people. Regiment Commander for the Northern Regiment of the JCCF, Lieutenant Col. Nicholas Taylor, told JIS News that the organisation regularly receives applications for volunteers but welcomes more. “Quite a number of adults...

State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith, is touting the cadet force as a valuable institution for character development and is encouraging more young persons to join. She noted that there are more than 4,500 cadets in 125 secondary schools in Jamaica. “The cadet programme provides for them invaluable life skills, instils discipline, teamwork, resilience,...