Senior Minister of the Webster Memorial United Church, Rev. Astor Carlyle, has come of age as a minister. Having attained 21 years of ordination to the sacrament of the Word and Ministry, he has left an indelible mark on the lives he has touched along his journey. In his early years at the Mount Olivet United Church in Manchester, Rev....

Undoubtedly, Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage is widely celebrated, with various artforms passed down throughout generations that demonstrate the essence of what it means to be truly Jamaican. Among these artforms is storytelling, one of the oldest forms of communication, which is defined as the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. Storytelling has been...

Helping persons in her community is a way of life for Olive Parkins-Smith, who has been serving the Diaspora in Canada over several years. Born in Jamaica, she migrated to Canada in 1975 where she began giving back and assisting her fellow Jamaicans. Mrs. Parkins-Smith said her service to community began at the tender age of 18 years when she...

Seprod Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Richard Rohan Pandohie, describes the bestowal of a national award on him this year as “a truly proud and unexpected moment for me”. Mr. Pandohie was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for contribution to the Manufacturing Sector. Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, made...

Growing up, Winsome Vanhorne Christie, had the desire to become a teacher, so much so that the trees, benches and veranda rails at her home in Hanover were frequently transformed into very attentive students. Like many children who seldom stick to one ambition, she also explored the idea of being a nurse. “I liked the way they dressed, their caps,...

Members of the Disabled Community should have easier access to buildings and other amenities with the introduction of an Accessibility Checklist, under the Disabilities Act of 2014. This checklist is designed to identify architectural and communication barriers encountered by persons with disabilities in private and public facilities. It is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guideline and Chapter...

There was a time when the dream of almost every little Jamaican girl was to grow up and become a teacher, and while the minds of many changed over time, one little girl did all she could to make that dream a reality. Born and raised in Sawyers, Trelawny, Patience Deloris Williams recalls that her father was a farmer and...

Ivy May Elta Hill has spent her life working for the upliftment of her Nannyville Gardens and wider St. Andrew South Eastern community. She tells JIS News that, as a child, she was influenced to do community work by my grandmother, whom she would accompany to visit neighbours who needed assistance. “She was an active community worker. She was also...

Seventy-nine-year-old George Samuel Johnson is a man of strength and determination, who has dedicated most of his life to the growth and development of the tourism sector in St. James. The retired tourism stalwart, who served the industry for 53 years, was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) for his stellar contribution. He was...