More individuals and entities are seeking information and advice on how best they can treat with persons with disabilities since the Disabilities Act came into effect over a year ago. Executive Director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks, tells JIS News that persons have been reaching out to the organisation and requesting sensitisation sessions....

With schools closed for the summer, parents and guardians are being reminded to pay greater attention to their children’s safety. This urging comes from General Pediatrician and President of the Pediatric Association of Jamaica (PAJ), Dr. Curtis Pryce, who tells JIS News that children are particularly vulnerable to abuse during this period and encourages well-thinking Jamaicans to report suspected cases....

Callel Thomas, a resident of Stanton Housing Scheme in Spring Garden, St. Thomas, on Tuesday (August 8), received the keys to her new single unit home, which was constructed by trainees of the Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency (HEART/NSTA) Trust. Ms. Thomas, who lost her house in a fire, recalled that in the aftermath she cried, but...

Newly appointed Executive Director for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Lenford Salmon, says he wants to see more investments in culture. He notes that the sector contributes to Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) as much as any other. “There’s a job to be done to convince those with the purse strings to invest more in culture. We have to...

Teachers, parents and students of the St. Catherine-based Garden Hill Primary and Infant School are still celebrating the success of the small, rural institution in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP). Over 80 per cent of the 15 students who sat PEP were placed at their high school of choice. Eleven have been placed at traditional high schools, with boys outperforming...

For many Jamaicans living abroad, the country’s Independence Day is just another day. However, for 70-year-old Judy Jackson, a Registered Nurse Practitioner with a heart deeply rooted in her homeland, that historic day of August 6, 1962, is etched in her memory and continues to shape her life and inspire her to overcome challenges with unwavering determination. Recounting her childhood...

Colette Fairclough-Thorpe, a mother of two, has volunteered her time to provide assistance and support to families at risk or in need. She was commissioned as a Parent Mentor by the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) in 2017, following the completion of 10 training modules over several weeks. Mrs. Fairclough-Thorpe, who spoke to JIS News at a parent-training and information...

A name change, perhaps, did the trick for this year’s Festival Song winner ‘Slashe’, the artist formerly known as ‘Iceman’. His song, ‘Best in the World’ took the top prize of $3 million, beating out an impressive field of 11 entries, including ‘Mr. Festival,’ seven-time winner of the competition, Eric Donaldson. The 2023 Festival Song winner, who entered the competition...

The Festival Song Competition, a traditional and long-standing feature since 1966, stands as a vibrant expression of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Conceived to create an original musical form that would encapsulate the spirit of Jamaica and celebrate the nation's sovereignty, the competition provides a platform for local musicians to showcase their talent and contribute to the preservation of Jamaican...