分类： society

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has unveiled its comprehensive strategy to achieve near-complete electrification by spring’s end, targeting the nation’s most isolated communities across four western parishes. The utility provider’s latest announcement identifies specific localities in St James, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, and Hanover scheduled to receive grid connection before March 31.

This development follows JPS’s successful February initiative that reduced the number of powerless households to under 9,000—representing just 1% of their total customer base. The upcoming phase promises to restore electricity to approximately 5,000 additional customers, marking a significant milestone in Jamaica’s infrastructure recovery efforts.

The company acknowledges substantial technical challenges ahead, with crews preparing to navigate extremely rocky terrain where conventional machinery cannot operate. Pole installation in these remote areas requires specialized techniques that may prolong the process, but JPS maintains unwavering commitment to completing the task.

Corporate communications emphasize that some households within targeted communities might experience delayed restoration due to property-specific issues. Customers whose buildings suffered structural damage or flooding during recent hurricanes are advised to commission certified electricians for safety inspections before reconnection.

JPS anticipates approximately 3,000 customers will remain without power after March, with another restoration list scheduled for publication in April. The current initiative covers numerous communities including Huntley and Kemshot in St James; extensive areas of Westmoreland from Alma to York Mountain; multiple districts in St Elizabeth from Allen Crescent to Zeena Way; and the Haughton Grove to Miles Town corridor in Hanover.

Jamaica’s global musical prestige stands in stark contrast to its domestic failure to secure royalties for the very creators behind its cultural exports. This systemic breakdown in intellectual property enforcement was laid bare during a parliamentary committee hearing reviewing the National Culture and Creative Economy Policy.

Evon Mullings, General Manager of the Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS), delivered a sobering assessment to lawmakers, revealing that weak integration between copyright regulations and local permitting systems has created massive revenue leakage. While Jamaica hosts over 16,000 events annually according to official data, less than one-third obtain proper music licensing, leaving performers and producers uncompensated.

The core issue centers on public performance rights—the legal framework requiring venues and event organizers to pay fees when playing recorded music. This encompasses hotels, bars, restaurants, and live events that commercially benefit from Jamaica’s musical heritage. Mullings identified the events sector as particularly problematic, with inconsistent enforcement across parishes and no legal mechanism for police to require copyright permits during event approvals.

“The police currently are unable to direct event organisers to have the JAMMS and the JACAP permits. They cannot bond them, they cannot compel them,” Mullings testified, noting that enforcement only becomes possible during events—a dangerous and inefficient approach.

The hearing also exposed secondary gaps in performers’ rights, where Jamaican vocalists and musicians lack equivalent royalty entitlements compared to international counterparts. This legal deficiency has trapped millions of dollars in foreign royalties that cannot be repatriated due to absent reciprocal arrangements.

In response, Culture Minister Olivia Grange signaled impending reforms, including a proposed one-stop permit system that would integrate municipalities, police, and copyright organizations. The ministry also acknowledged the need for public education among small promoters who remain unaware of royalty requirements.

The parliamentary session concluded with recognition that Jamaica’s creative economy cannot reach its potential without structural reforms that properly value musical intellectual property.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — An inspirational mentorship relationship born from the University of Technology’s Alumni Mentorship Programme has transcended conventional boundaries, resulting in an extraordinary literary collaboration. Sandrina Davis, honored as Mentor of the Year 2025, and her protégé Jinel Gordon, named Mentee of the Year 2025, have jointly authored “The Ripple Effect: 5 Keys to Making a Difference that Lasts,” scheduled for public release on Sunday, March 15.

Their partnership, initially structured through institutional pairing, has flourished into a profound shared expedition exploring leadership dynamics, purposeful living, and sustainable community impact. Their collaborative journey provides tangible evidence of the transformative potential inherent in deliberate mentorship relationships.

The forthcoming publication delineates five actionable principles for creating enduring positive influence: selecting empathy above sympathy, enabling empowerment without causing embarrassment, practicing attentive listening prior to action, cultivating authentic connections through genuine care, and adopting mentorship as a catalyst for legacy expansion.

Davis contributes insights drawn from her extensive leadership tenure and community service throughout Jamaica, covering the initial four principles. Gordon completes the conceptual framework by articulating the fifth key regarding mentorship’s multiplicative legacy effect, thereby symbolically closing the narrative circle.

“This manuscript transcends theoretical discourse,” Davis emphasized. “It constitutes empirical demonstration of outcomes achievable when individuals place faith in one another’s potential.”

Gordon characterized her participation as fundamentally transformative, noting: “Mentorship profoundly influenced not merely my professional objectives but my core self-conception. Collaborative authorship embodies the synergistic possibilities when dedicated guidance converges with unwavering commitment.”

The official book launch will serve as a ceremonial recognition of mentorship’s value, leadership development, and the cumulative power of consistent, purposeful engagement.
“The Ripple Effect” extends an impassioned appeal to Jamaican citizens, academic communities, corporate professionals, family figures, and organizational leaders to acknowledge that genuine influence originates not from formal positions but from deliberate intentionality.

Hundreds of Jamaican motorists converged on St Catherine Parish Court Wednesday for a special Traffic Ticket Public Day initiative, experiencing dramatically different outcomes in their attempts to resolve longstanding violations. The Court Administration Division (CAD) launched this unprecedented event to tackle a staggering backlog of approximately 200,000 outstanding traffic tickets dating back to 2018.

According to Kadiesh Jarrett-Fletcher, CAD’s director of client services, communications and information, the massive accumulation resulted partly from systemic technical failures. “There was a period where the system malfunctioned, causing paid tickets to remain visible in the system,” Jarrett-Fletcher explained. “This technical glitch made courts cautious about issuing warrants, recognizing that many motorists had indeed settled their fines despite system errors.”

The initiative employed a time-slot system to manage crowds, with officials anticipating resolution of over 10,000 tickets serving approximately 4,000 individuals. By 5:00 PM, the court had processed 4,571 tickets, with another 5,346 scheduled for night court proceedings.

Motorists reported sharply contrasting experiences. Prince, attending to resolve a 2021 violation, described “pure rigmarole and foolishness” as he was shuffled between courtrooms. Dyonnelle, attempting to settle a 2019 speeding ticket, found the back-and-forth between courtrooms “exhausting” despite pre-registration.

However, Andre Miller from Old Harbour reported a “seamless” process that resulted in a $9,000 fine for failure to keep left. Taxi operator Cowando Nodle praised the “smooth transition” and reasonable fines for his uniform violation summons, calling the initiative “encouraging” for motorists.

CAD officials deemed the event successful enough to consider expanding the initiative to other parishes. “We’re analyzing data to determine where we implement this next,” Jarrett-Fletcher stated, highlighting the program’s potential to address Jamaica’s nationwide traffic ticket backlog.

A tragic incident at Ocho Rios High School in St. Ann, Jamaica, has culminated in the death of a 16-year-old student, Devonie Shearer, following an alleged physical confrontation with a fellow pupil on Wednesday afternoon. The young victim, residing on Buckfield Road, succumbed to severe injuries sustained during the altercation, despite being rushed to a medical facility for treatment.

According to preliminary reports from local authorities, the incident involved a violent exchange between the two male students. During the confrontation, the accused individual reportedly utilized a metal chair as a weapon, striking Shearer in the back of his head. The force of the impact caused critical injuries that ultimately proved fatal.

In a subsequent development, the family of the alleged perpetrator facilitated his surrender to law enforcement officials. The accused student is currently in police custody as investigations into the precise circumstances surrounding the altercation continue. This case has reignited discussions concerning youth violence and safety protocols within educational institutions across Jamaica, prompting calls for renewed preventive measures and conflict resolution strategies in school environments.

Jamaica’s Education Minister, Senator Dana Morris-Dixon, has made an urgent visit to Ocho Rios High School in St Ann following a tragic incident that resulted in the death of a student. The minister, accompanied by St Ann North Eastern Member of Parliament Matthew Samuda, arrived at the institution to address the devastating aftermath of a physical altercation between students.

The visit includes scheduled meetings with school administrators and the grieving parents of 16-year-old Devonie Shearer, who tragically lost his life after sustaining severe head injuries during the incident. Preliminary medical reports from St Ann’s Bay Hospital indicate the teenager suffered a fatal blunt trauma fracture to his skull, allegedly caused by being struck with a metal chair during the confrontation with another student on Wednesday.

Authorities have confirmed that the student allegedly responsible for the assault is currently in police custody as investigations continue. While initial reports suggest the conflict began outside school premises, the violent escalation occurred within the school environment, raising serious concerns about student safety protocols and conflict resolution mechanisms within educational institutions.

The education ministry’s direct involvement underscores the gravity of the incident and the government’s commitment to addressing school violence. This tragedy has sparked renewed discussions about safety measures in Jamaican schools and appropriate interventions to prevent similar occurrences in the future.