With support from the National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP), the Clarendon-based Kemps Hill High School registered a 32 per cent improvement in English Language, in the 2025 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination. The NSLIP, aimed at improving Mathematics and English Language in high schools, was instituted by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information to deal...

Small business owners in St. Thomas, are heaping praises on the parish’s Economic Village, a new initiative being spearheaded by the Social Development Commission (SDC). Launched in September, the village was staged for the second time on December 19, bringing together local economic initiatives and agencies, for a full day of activity on the grounds of the SDC in Springfield....

At 92 years old, veteran Sergeant, Peter Xavier Williams also called ‘Poppy Man’ remains firmly grounded in service, discipline and faith. Born in 1933, in Long Road, St. Mary, Mr. Williams’ life story spans wartime Jamaica, the formation of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), and decades of national service that has continued well beyond his years in uniform. He recalls...

Schools in western Jamaica are on a path to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, with repair works progressing across several institutions. Minister of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said that the objective is to reopen all hurricane-affected schools in January. She outlined the extensive coordination required to complete assessments, secure funding,...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is looking to adapt the KOBAN-Brazil community policing as a model for strengthening police-citizen relations in the fight against crime in Jamaica. Practised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Japanese-style community policing system focuses on small, accessible police posts for community interaction. The objective is to build trust and collaboration between law enforcement and local communities....

The love for farming and irrigation access have been cited by farmers on the Parnassus Agro-Park in Clarendon as reasons they returned to their fields after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa on October 28. The Parnassus Agro-Park falls under the Southern Plains Agricultural Development (SPAD) Project, which utilises former sugar lands for agricultural production in Clarendon and St. Catherine....

Sales are picking up for vendors at the popular Border food stop, following Government’s intervention to reconstruct the stalls that were flattened during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The popular roadside eatery, located on the St. Elizabeth-Westmoreland boundary, is well known for local favourites such as fish, bammy and festival. The rebuilding of the cluster of 44 shops was made...

Blondie Edwards’ journey has been shaped by personal loss and serious health challenges that resulted in the amputation of her left leg in 2022. Prior to her illness, the Lionel Town, Clarendon resident lived an extremely active life and often rode motorcycles, drove, worked and managed daily tasks independently. Ms. Edwards tells JIS News that illness and stress changed her...

Young people in St. Thomas are being empowered to embrace their civic responsibilities through a project launched by Miss St. Thomas Festival Queen 2025, Fiona DaCosta. The project, launched on International Human Rights Day (December 10) at the Anglican Church Hall in Morant Bay, is titled ‘Know Yuh Rights: Embrace Yuh Civic Responsibilities’. Addressing the event, Ms. DaCosta said the...