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Prime Minister Bruce Golding, says the Church has a critical role to play in holding a community together, amidst the constant changes that have been taking place throughout the world, some of which have eroded the principles under which communities existed. He emphasised that "the things that hold a community together are not things that will exist or happen organically....

The Accompong Maroons in St. Elizabeth were recently encouraged by speakers addressing their 271st anniversary peace treaty celebration, to preserve their victory over the British and use it as a motivation for nation building. "There are certain defining moments in every nation's history that helped to create the current atmosphere that everyone enjoy. And that peace treaty which was signed...

Earthquake Awareness Month activities for St. Mary were officially launched at a function held at the St. Mary Parish Library in Port Maria on Wednesday (Jan. 7). The event, staged by the St. Mary Parish Council, was attended by a number of persons representing government and non-government organizations in the parish, and featured cultural presentations by students of Oracabessa, Islington,...

Government has finalized plans for the funeral services of the 14 persons who lost their lives in the December 19, Rio Grande Valley tragedy in Portland. Minister of State for Project Implementation in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz, says autopsies have been completed for all 14 victims and the funeral dates have been finalized. (See attached document)...

The Honourable Olivia "Babsy" Grange, Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, has called on the Social Development Commission (SDC) to do more to increase its contact with the 785 communities across Jamaica. Minister Grange's exhortation to the SDC came as she addressed a meeting of the board of directors and senior management of the agency yesterday (Thursday, 8th January...

Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has urged Jamaicans to place greater emphasis on earthquake preparedness by becoming better informed, and more involved in the precautionary process. "I appeal to my fellow Jamaicans to participate in the activities planned for this commemorative week and avail themselves of all the necessary information that will aid in securing their own lives and properties in...

With immediate effect, nineteen senior officers and consultants of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and its tax related agencies have been re-deployed to give momentum to the Ministry's efforts to reform the Government's tax administration programme. Financial Secretary, Sharon Crooks has announced that effective Monday, January 12, the proposed Domestic Tax Administration Project will be activated and...

The public transportation system in four rural towns is to see immediate restructuring with colour coding to be effected for public passenger vehicles, and parishes assigned coloured licensed plates. According to Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Henry, the towns of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, May Pen and Santa Cruz offers a different perspective of the social structure of the...

In an effort to encourage representatives of Government agencies to attend monthly meetings of the St. Thomas Parish Council, Mayor of Morant Bay, Hanif Brown, said he is considering videotaping them for cable television. Speaking at the Council meeting held on Thursday (January 8), Mayor Brown said the footage would be shown on cable television to highlight the work of...

Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Bertel Moore has called on the National Water Commission (NWC) to provide designated loading bays for its trucks, as water is being illegally sourced for their operations, from the parish's few functioning fire hydrants. Speaking at the Westmoreland Parish Council meeting on Thursday (January 8), he noted that the serious problem of the absence of adequate fire...

Public Education Manager at the Access to Information (ATI) Unit, Tricia Cameron-Anglin, is appealing to secondary school teachers to encourage more of their students to participate in its National Essay Competition. In an interview with JIS News, she said that the essay competition would be an empowering experience for students as it would heighten their understanding of the importance and...

Children's Advocate, Mary Clarke, has said that Jamaicans need to be more nurturing in order to reduce the incidences of violence and criminal activities in the country. "Research has shown that many of the persons, who are involved in violence and other criminal activities, did not receive the requisite love and nurturing to make them productive citizens in adulthood. A...