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  • Crumbling roads, flooding push Oakland Crescent residents to breaking point

    Crumbling roads, flooding push Oakland Crescent residents to breaking point

    For nearly two decades, residents of Oakland Crescent and surrounding neighborhoods in St Andrew South Western have navigated crumbling, flood-prone roads — and their patience has finally run out. The community is issuing an urgent, desperate plea to Jamaica’s National Works Agency (NWA) to intervene immediately, after years of stalled repairs under a national infrastructure initiative have left daily life all but unmanageable for locals.

    What makes the current crisis particularly acute, residents explain, is that even light rainfall turns the community’s main thoroughfare into a rushing makeshift river, thanks to an undersized, chronically clogged drain upstream that overflows with every storm. When floodwaters surge, they carry discarded household appliances, rotting dead animal carcasses and old mattresses downstream along the damaged road, leaving behind debris, foul odors and even more potholes that worsen the street’s decay.

    One long-term resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recalled that the road’s decline dates back at least to 2004, when Category 4 Hurricane Ivan tore through Jamaica, destroying the original road surface. While state crews have carried out patchwork repairs over the years, those temporary fixes never last, he said, and the road always reverts to its dangerous, impassable state within a short time.

    Beyond the flooding, the deeply pockmarked, uneven road has disrupted nearly every part of daily life for residents. Vehicle owners struggle to navigate the craters, taxi drivers refuse to enter the neighborhood, and essential service vehicles including garbage trucks and emergency vehicles are blocked from accessing most streets. Locals are forced to haul their household trash half a mile uphill to the main road for collection, visitors have no choice but to park on overcrowded sidewalks, and even construction supply trucks can’t reach properties to carry out home repairs. For the Bible Apostolic Church based in the community, the crisis has kept worshippers away: many congregants now refuse to travel to the church, instead parking at distant neighboring churches or skipping services entirely.

    Resident Kerry-Ann, who joked that the persistent flood pools on the road are big enough to turn into a fish pond, said locals held out real hope for change earlier this year when workers from China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) arrived to repair neighborhood sidewalks. CHEC is the primary contractor for the Jamaican government’s $45-billion SPARK (Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network) programme, a national initiative managed by the NWA designed to rehabilitate Jamaica’s crumbling road network, upgrading both local community streets and major national highways to improve safety and accessibility across the island.

    But that hope quickly faded. Months after sidewalk work wrapped up, full road repairs have not started, and the road’s condition has only deteriorated. “When you take taxi, they don’t want to come on this road. When people are coming to you, they cannot access you. You have to drive on the sidewalk,” Kerry-Ann explained. “And then the main issue is the gully, when rain falls, all the water comes right down on this road. Everything floods out. It’s terrible.”

    Fellow resident Harrison said that while he understands the project is part of a larger infrastructure programme, the community can no longer wait for work to resume. “We want the road now, we really want it. Vehicles can barely enter my yard. I see my neighbour doing construction and the truck that’s carrying the material cannot make it inside the yard. It’s almost like the tyre was about to burst. We‘re asking the authorities to start the work now,” he said.

    Area Member of Parliament Dr. Angela Brown Burke, of the People’s National Party, told the Jamaica Observer she has repeatedly pushed the NWA for answers after the project stalled. After residents began raising alarms about worsening flooding and road conditions once preliminary work began, Brown Burke said she sent multiple formal inquiries to the NWA but has never received a formal response.

    “I was glad to see the road started because I know just how much persons in that area were looking forward to the work being completed,” Brown Burke said. “Several months later, they are nowhere because they basically abandoned the work as far as I am concerned; totally stopped the work and we cannot get a proper update.”

    Brown Burke criticized the government’s approach to the stalled project, saying officials appear to treat public infrastructure work as an arbitrary backyard project rather than a core responsibility to impacting residents’ daily lives and livelihoods. “It’s totally unacceptable,” she stressed. As of press time, repeated attempts by the Jamaica Observer to reach the NWA for comment on the stalled project and residents’ complaints have been unsuccessful.

  • Heat on former UHWI chairman

    Heat on former UHWI chairman

    A routine Tuesday meeting of Jamaica’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) devolved into a fiery, courtroom-style interrogation Tuesday, as two ruling-party Members of Parliament pressed former University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Board Chairman Wayne Chai Chong over the institution’s controversial 2023 international chief executive officer search that ultimately led to the board’s dissolution.

    Government MPs Zavia Mayne, who also serves as a State Minister in the Ministry of Finance, and Heroy Clarke spent hours challenging Chai Chong’s version of events, casting doubt on whether the full dissolved board had actually signed off on critical steps of the hiring process. The interrogation revisited the governance tensions that roiled the prominent public hospital last year, reopening one of the most divisive episodes in the institution’s recent history.

    The failed permanent CEO search, which concluded in the collapse of Chai Chong’s board in late 2023, sparked widespread accusations of ministerial interference, systemic dysfunction, and a total breakdown of institutional governance at the facility. Throughout the tense sitting, the two lawmakers repeatedly pushed back on Chai Chong’s claims, particularly surrounding the level of unified board support for the top overseas candidate and key decisions made during the hiring process.

    Clarke led the aggressive line of questioning around travel costs for the preferred candidate, repeatedly demanding clarity on whether the board had formally approved the airfare and associated expenses to bring the applicant to Jamaica for final interviews. “Did you authorise, did you instruct, did you ask, did you recommend anyone on the board to pay the travelling amount to the person that came from wherever you said she came from?” Clarke asked.

    Chai Chong pushed back against claims of unilateral decision-making, insisting every step of the process had received full board approval. He explained that the board had made the final in-person due diligence a mandatory step for the candidate, who resided outside Jamaica, making the travel arrangement a necessary part of the process. “The board indicated that it wanted to see the individual and complete final due diligence with that individual, and that individual lives overseas so that final due diligence is necessary to be conducted,” Chai Chong said.

    Tensions rose further when Clarke questioned whether the full board was actually aligned behind the international recruitment effort. Chai Chong rejected suggestions he had acted outside of board authority, stressing that the entire search followed formal protocols and was managed by a professional third-party recruitment firm with deep experience in Jamaican public sector hiring.

    He told the committee that the board had identified hiring a permanent CEO as an immediate top priority when it took office, responding to ongoing operational and governance challenges that had left the hospital without stable leadership. “Certainly, as a board, the person that is most important to us is the CEO who we will hold accountable for the performance of the institution. You needed to have someone in place who is permanent, who is conducting the activities and the goals of the institution,” Chai Chong said.

    The board determined the critical leadership role could not be filled through internal promotions, Chai Chong explained, leading it to greenlight an international search conducted by a well-regarded recruitment firm with a track record of work for the Jamaican government and other major national institutions. According to Chai Chong, the process drew more than 90 applicants from across Jamaica and abroad, including candidates from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and other Caribbean nations.

    He also disclosed that the board secured private sector support to top up the successful candidate’s salary, after receiving advice that existing public sector compensation caps would not attract a high-caliber executive capable of turning around the struggling hospital.

    Confrontation flared again when Clarke pressed Chai Chong to recall the exact amount spent on the preferred candidate’s travel, pressing the former chairman after he repeatedly stated he could not remember the specific figure. “You can’t recall? But you know it’s a she, and you can’t recall the money that was paid over to the she, and you were a part of the board at that time, and you were the chairman?” Clarke asked pointedly. After Chai Chong stuck by his claim of not recalling the amount, Clarke openly questioned his credibility, saying, “You know, I came in here this morning and I looked at your face and I said, ‘Here is an honest man’. But then you take all that away from me just now.”

    Mayne also raised questions about the board’s decision to shortlist an overseas candidate who had already reached the standard retirement age, an issue that emerged during the hearing. Chai Chong responded that the retirement age question was not raised during the early stages of the search, but after the board sought clarification, members concluded it was not a barrier to moving forward with the candidate.

    The PAC sitting also revealed new details about why the recruitment ultimately failed. Chai Chong disclosed that the preferred candidate ultimately refused to sign the employment contract over concerns about the hospital’s existing internal reporting structure. The candidate demanded a guarantee that the senior director of clinical services would report directly to the CEO, a condition the board could not resolve before the contract was finalized. “The candidate indicated that the most important person for them to be able to achieve the objectives of the institution was the senior director of clinical services and in their experience in the other organisations that she was in charge of, that person needed to report to the CEO position. So she felt that unless she could be guaranteed by the board that we were able to resolve that position and that situation, she would not be able to effect her duties,” Chai Chong said.

    The hearing then shifted to the dispute that led to the board’s collapse, with opposition MP Christopher Brown, who represents St Mary South Eastern, asking Chai Chong about claims that the Minister of Health intervened to overrule the board’s decision on an acting CEO appointment after the international search fell through.

    Chai Chong confirmed that he resigned from his post because he believed the board’s institutional authority had been irreparably undermined. “Well, I felt that if the board had taken a decision, which is one of the most critical decisions that a board has to make as to the position of the CEO, and if that decision was being overturned, then in essence the board was being told that it had no power, and I was not willing to continue serving where decisions of the board could be overturned without any kind of consultation with the board,” he said.

    Mayne pushed back directly on Chai Chong’s account, denying that the minister had interfered in the process and suggesting the former chairman resigned only after the minister publicly labeled the board dysfunctional. “It is very unusual. I want to put it to you, Mr Chong, that the minister did no such thing and that you are upset because the minister described you as being dysfunctional,” Mayne argued.

    Chai Chong rejected that claim, noting that the description of the board as dysfunctional came after his resignation, so it could not have been the motivation for his departure. “Well, I believe the description of dysfunction took place long after I resigned. So, in that situation, your assertion that I did so because my board was being described as dysfunctional would not be correct,” he said.

  • Fathers who cook for mothers a huge success

    Fathers who cook for mothers a huge success

    On Mother’s Day Sunday, the 10th iteration of Lodge Portmore’s beloved annual ‘Fathers Who Cook for Mothers’ charity gathering unfolded at Ham Stables in St Catherine, drawing widespread acclaim as a resounding community success.

    This decade-old Mother’s Day tradition doubles as a fundraising initiative, and this year’s event directed all proceeds toward covering operational costs for Clifton Basic School, a local primary education institution serving the St Catherine region. Roughly 700 community members turned out to support the cause, and they left fully satisfied after sampling an extensive spread of flavorful, expertly prepared dishes crafted by the participating fathers. Attendees also enjoyed lively entertainment throughout the day from performer Dwight Richards.

    Several standout moments marked the celebration, including a gift presentation where Leighton McKnight awarded a set of custom pillows to Phyllis Scott, with Courts Brand Ambassador Suthania Henry on hand to share in the joyful occasion. In a highlight of the culinary portion of the day, McKnight also took charge of preparing a large, hearty pot of soup for the gathered crowd, showcasing the hands-on spirit that defines the annual gathering.

  • Social media shield

    Social media shield

    Jamaica is set to embark on a comprehensive, research-backed effort to develop potential age-based regulations for children’s social media use, addressing growing public health concerns about the platform’s harmful impacts on young people’s mental wellbeing. Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton outlined the initiative Tuesday during his 2026-27 Sectoral Debate address to Jamaica’s House of Representatives.

    The full scope of the two-year project falls under the government’s Community Arranged Response Efforts (CARE) Agenda, a $500-million initiative dedicated to addressing pressing family and community health challenges across the island. Beyond social media regulation, the agenda will also tackle other critical public health priorities: a rapidly aging national population, declining fertility rates, and unmet needs in women’s health.

    “We will examine the threats and opportunities for new and emerging policies to support holistic health, to protect the vulnerable and enhance quality and longevity of life,” Tufton told lawmakers. “We will start with our CARE Agenda to highlight and influence critical determinants of better family and community health.”

    Turning to the specific crisis of unregulated youth social media access, Tufton called on Parliament to first acknowledge the role lawmakers themselves play in amplifying toxic online content. “In this House we encourage it at times. We go on some of these programmes, we promote some of the toxicity that is being promulgated; the hate, the vitriol and, unknowingly, maybe… we’re doing harm not just to ourselves but to those we’re trying to provide leadership for,” he said.

    Tufton stressed that the time for inaction has passed, noting that Jamaica currently lacks any coordinated national response to what he frames as a growing public health threat. The first step in the government’s roadmap will be a national study to capture public perceptions of social media regulation for minors. Once that research is complete, the administration will move to develop a formal policy framework, weighing regulatory options and engaging a broad range of key stakeholders—including parents, educators, youth representatives, and major social media platform providers.

    “The time has come to use research-based policy formulation to determine age-based regulation, platform accountability, national digital health guidelines, school-based digital wellness education, expanded youth mental health services, public awareness campaigns for caregivers, and a national surveillance system to track usage patterns and mental health outcomes,” Tufton said. “We will translate these evidence-based findings into a clear policy framework… to ensure that any measures introduced are balanced, practical, and in the best interest of our children.”

    Citing recent national data, Tufton underscored the urgency of action: social media usage is widespread across Jamaica, with more than 1 million users on Instagram and roughly 1.6 million on Facebook as of late 2025, with usage highest among the 25 to 34 age demographic. While the minister acknowledged that social media has delivered tangible benefits—revolutionizing communication, expanding professional networks, and creating new entrepreneurship opportunities—he emphasized that it has also triggered measurable social and psychological harm, particularly for young Jamaicans.

    Local data shows 64% of children aged 0 to 14 report negative impacts on their mental health from social media use, while 47% of 15 to 19 year-old adolescents report similar harms. The risk grows with usage: children spending more than three hours daily on social media are twice as likely to experience mental health challenges. Across the broader Caribbean region, rates of cyberbullying, non-consensual explicit messaging, emotional distress, and suicidal ideation linked to social media have risen sharply, cementing the issue’s status as a regional public health crisis rather than a purely technological concern.

    Jamaica’s push for regulation aligns with a growing global trend of government intervention to protect minors online. Multiple countries have already implemented formal age restrictions: Australia requires users to be at least 16, while Denmark, France, and Indonesia have set a minimum age of 15. Other nations including Spain, Greece, Norway, and Austria are currently evaluating similar policies. Broader regulatory regimes, such as the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, already mandate that platforms remove addictive design features like infinite scrolling and autoplay, enforce age verification, and actively monitor harmful content, with steep financial penalties for companies that fail to comply.

    Right now, however, Tufton described Jamaica’s current social media landscape as a “free-for-all”. Recent 2025-2026 local research confirms a strong causal link between heavy social media use and rising rates of anxiety, depression, and digital addiction, with young people and professional content creators disproportionately affected.

    Jamaicans under 24 spend an average of six hours per day on social media—double the average three hours for senior citizens and two hours more than the average for adults. For full-time content creators, the harms are even more pronounced: 42% report clinical anxiety, 38% experience depressive symptoms including persistent low mood and irritability, and 47% suffer from burnout driven by constant pressure to maintain an engaging online persona and secure income through content output.

    Tufton also highlighted the cultural harm of unregulated social media in Jamaica: 36% of local content creators produce material centered on physical altercations, while 29% engage in aggressive online behavior, contributing to a national cultural shift toward normalized vulgarity and harmful content.

    To move the entire CARE Agenda forward, the Ministry of Health and Wellness will open a call for proposals on June 15, 2026, inviting civil society and research organizations across Jamaica to partner in the initiative to address these growing societal risks.

  • Land title boost

    Land title boost

    On Tuesday, Jamaica and South Korea officially kicked off a transformative multimillion-dollar initiative designed to modernize Jamaica’s outdated land administration system, cutting red tape to help thousands of Jamaicans secure formal titles for the land they occupy and work on.

    At the launch ceremony held at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew, Jamaica’s Minister of Land Titling and Settlements Robert Montague revealed that just 55 percent of all land parcels across Jamaica currently hold formal, registered titles. He framed the project as a catalyst for nationwide prosperity, noting, “You should all have your names entered in the titles book. If you do that, prosperity will run from Morant Point to Negril Point.”

    Jamaican Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness outlined the core motivations driving the collaboration, highlighting a suite of expected benefits that extend beyond streamlined titling: expanded financial access for citizens and the government, increased systemic transparency, reduced interfamily land disputes, and a more inclusive formal economy. For decades, Holness explained, Jamaicans have grappled with a land administration process that is slow, opaque, and prohibitively difficult to navigate. “We are determined to change that. We are building a system that is faster, more accurate, more accessible, and more responsive to citizens, investors, planners, and communities,” he said.

    Holness emphasized that formal land titling creates cascading economic benefits across all segments of society: working families can access mortgage loans to build or improve homes, smallholder farmers can use their land as collateral for agricultural investment, and outside investors can pursue development projects with clear legal certainty. Drawing on South Korea’s own successful land reform history, he noted that in the 1950s, South Korea overhauled its agricultural land tenure system, eliminating absentee landlordism and transferring ownership to active cultivating farmers. Jamaica now seeks to build a similar equitable, effective framework to resolve a long-standing national gap: thousands of Jamaicans have lived, worked, and raised families on the same plots of land for decades, some more than 50 years, without any formal proof of ownership.

    “This gap between possession and title is not a bureaucratic inconvenience only, it is a barrier to finance, security, to inheritance, and to the formal economy. A land title is more than a document, it is a platform for opportunity. This project is about building that platform at scale,” Holness added.

    Officially named the Land Administration Capacity Enhancement Project, the initiative is a three-party collaboration between Jamaica’s National Land Agency (NLA), the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), which is providing a $9 million grant to support the work. The project’s central goal is to accelerate Jamaica’s land registration rate by upgrading both the sector’s digital infrastructure and workforce expertise. It will roll out in three sequential phases over the coming decade.

    The first phase, running from 2026 to 2027, will lay institutional groundwork for the new Land Administration Innovation Centre (LAIC), which will be based at 84 Hanover Street. This phase will focus on building the centre’s capacity to deliver specialized training for future land administration professionals through intensive, hands-on preparation courses. From 2028 to 2029, the second phase will expand the LAIC into a fully functional national training hub, offering specialized technical courses, field-based practical training, instruction in geographic information systems, advanced data management, and ongoing trainer development. Beginning in 2030, the NLA will take full operational control of the LAIC, with continued targeted technical support from South Korea under a train-the-trainer model designed to embed long-term expertise within Jamaica. Myoengso Eo, President and CEO of the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation, emphasized that robust land administration is a foundational pillar of national development. “[It] serves as the foundation for the development of roads, railways, airports, urban planning, tax, etc. Korea has achieved a rapid economic growth based on effective land management,” he explained.

    Project organizers outline a broad range of expected outcomes from the initiative: faster land registration processes, legally secure property ownership, increased public revenue from land-related taxes and fees, more orderly national development, creation of skilled local jobs, and accessible digital land services for all users. Joongkeun Oh, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Jamaica, framed the project as a testament to the two countries’ deep collaborative partnership. “Providing this foundation for economic self-reliance remains a testament to the sincerity of our collaboration,” he said.

    Oh added that the combination of new digital infrastructure and a trained local workforce will empower Jamaica to systematically leverage its land resources to advance two key national goals: achieving greater food self-sufficiency, and generating the critical geospatial data energy companies need to design efficient, modernized national energy grids. He also confirmed that South Korea, in partnership with the United States, stands ready to support Jamaica by facilitating consultations with major international financial institutions including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank to unlock additional financing for the project’s implementation. “We are prepared to collaborate closely in exploring practical financing and implementation strategies for this advanced system integration,” he said.

    Across all stakeholder discussions, the project is consistently framed as a partnership built for long-term Jamaican self-reliance, designed to drive sustainable national progress by strengthening local public institutions, building domestic expertise, and establishing a resilient, inclusive land administration system for decades to come.

  • Young Voices Engage Reparatory Justice as ABRSC Essay Competition Closes

    Young Voices Engage Reparatory Justice as ABRSC Essay Competition Closes

    The Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission (ABRSC) has formally concluded its landmark youth-focused essay competition, drawing nearly 20 original submissions from motivated secondary, college, and university students across the twin-island nation. Designed to spark critical dialogue around a pressing issue of regional historical and social importance, the competition centered on the theme “Reparatory Justice: Reflection and Projection,” which challenged participating students to explore the core meaning, ongoing relevance, and future trajectory of reparatory justice both within Antigua and Barbuda and across the broader Caribbean community.

    This initiative is one of many ongoing efforts by the ABRSC to advance its core mission: expanding public education, driving advocacy for reparations, and centering youth voices in conversations about historical justice. Commission leaders have expressed sincere encouragement over both the volume of participation and the depth of engagement young people demonstrated for a topic that shapes modern discussions of equity, national development, cultural identity, and redress for historical harms. All participants earned high praise from the ABRSC for investing the time to conduct independent research, reflect deeply on their own perspectives, and articulate thoughtful arguments around this complex social issue.

    At present, all submitted essays are undergoing evaluation by a diverse panel of judges assembled to ensure a fair and comprehensive review. The panel brings together cross-sector expertise, including academic researchers, long-time reparatory justice advocates, published writers, and creative practitioners. The ABRSC has noted that this broad, multidisciplinary makeup of the judging panel guarantees that all submissions will receive a balanced, thoughtful assessment that accounts for multiple perspectives on the topic.

    Per the competition timeline, winners will be officially announced on May 22, 2026, timed to align with commemorations of African Liberation Day, which is marked globally on May 25. A formal prize-giving ceremony to honor top-performing participants will follow one week later, scheduled for May 29, 2026.

    In closing, the ABRSC extended gratitude to all students who submitted entries, as well as to the educators and educational institutions that supported student participation and encouraged young people to engage with the topic. The commission reaffirmed its long-term commitment to building broader public awareness of reparatory justice, creating more accessible opportunities for public engagement, and cultivating inclusive spaces where young people can contribute their unique perspectives to this ongoing national and regional conversation.

  • Footballer Charles plans to transfer to new college in Kansas

    Footballer Charles plans to transfer to new college in Kansas

    A rising talent in international women’s football, Shania Charles from Saint Lucia, is set to take the next step in both her athletic and academic journey at Hesston College, a small liberal arts institution located in central Kansas. The experienced defensive player will make the move from Allen Community College, where she has spent the past two years competing and studying, and is scheduled to begin her tenure at the Kansas-based campus in the fall of 2026 while pursuing her undergraduate degree.

    Hesston College, which boasts a tight-knit student body of just over 400 enrollees, fields its sports teams under two national collegiate athletic bodies: the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The program has already shown impressive momentum in its young NAIA history – last season, in the Larks’ first year competing as an NAIA member, the women’s football squad fought their way all the way to the CAC championship match, marking one of the most successful debut seasons in the program’s recent history.

    Known as a versatile and battle-tested defender, Charles brings a wealth of on-pitch leadership experience to the Larks, where she will join the squad’s mission to “Defend The Nest” when she steps onto campus next year. During her time at Allen Community College, where she played for the Lady Red Devils, Charles earned the honor of serving as team captain in her final season. That year, she put up solid offensive numbers alongside her defensive duties, netting two goals and notching three assists while anchoring the team’s backline. Beyond the pitch, Charles has also established a strong track record of student leadership engagement at her current institution.

    In her sophomore year at Allen Community College, Charles held the presidency of both the campus Student Senate and the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She also took a lead organizing role in the college’s annual World Food Fair, building connections across the diverse campus community. A healthcare-focused student, Charles was a core member of a student team that took home first place at a statewide collegiate competition for their impactful mental health awareness campaign targeted at local amateur and youth athletes.

  • Dominica announces under-23 team for regional 3×3 basketball tournament

    Dominica announces under-23 team for regional 3×3 basketball tournament

    The Dominica Amateur Basketball Association (DABA) has formally announced its four-person national Under-23 3×3 roster set to compete at the upcoming ANOCES U23 3×3 Basketball Championship, taking place this weekend in the British Virgin Islands. The two-day tournament, scheduled for May 16 and 17, 2026, will be hosted at the territory’s Multipurpose Sports Complex, bringing together top young 3×3 talent from 10 Caribbean nations and territories, including Antigua, St. Kitts, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and host BVI.

    Dominica’s selected squad features two players from the PSC Falcons club: Karim Daniel and Yawani Regis, alongside Andel Olivacee of 767 Sports Club and Rene Williams from the BAA Sharks. Veteran basketball coach Yannick Regis will lead the team as head of delegation and on-court strategist, while Dominican referee Yehudi John will also join the event as an official representative, selected to officiate matches throughout the tournament.

    Beyond competitive play, the trip includes key professional development opportunities for Dominica’s basketball community. Head Coach Regis is scheduled to take part in a regional coaching symposium, focused on boosting coaching education standards and spreading modern basketball expertise across the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Referee John will participate in a specialized regional officiating training program, designed to elevate refereeing standards both in Dominica and across neighboring regional associations.

    In an official press statement, DABA emphasized that this multi-person delegation reflects the organization’s sustained, holistic commitment to growing basketball in the island nation. Unlike many delegations that only send competing athletes, Dominica’s inclusion of a coach and referee in professional development programs aligns with its long-term strategic plan to build sustainable basketball success from the grassroots up. DABA extended formal congratulations to all selected members, noting their spots on the delegation are a direct reflection of years of consistent dedication, hard work, and contributions to growing the sport at the local level.

    The association also publicly thanked the Dominica Olympic Committee for its critical financial sponsorship of the team’s trip. DABA officials noted that the Olympic Committee’s long-running investment in youth sport and athlete development has consistently created pathways for Dominican basketball stakeholders to gain valuable high-level experience competing and learning at regional and international events.

    Additional recognition was extended to tournament organizers and regional basketball governing bodies for creating the platform that allows Caribbean young athletes to showcase their skills and gain exposure in the fast-growing 3×3 format, which has gained significant global traction since its Olympic debut in 2020. For DABA, the tournament is a key milestone in its broader strategic vision to return Dominica to a prominent competitive position in Caribbean basketball, while creating sustained opportunities for the next generation of players, coaches, and officials to grow.

    To close the announcement, DABA called on the Dominican public and local basketball community to rally behind the delegation as it represents the island nation, widely known as the Nature Isle, on the regional competitive stage. The association closed with its official rallying cry: “Dominica Back on the Regional Stage — Stepping onto the International Stage.”

  • SGU joins Global Biodiversity Alliance

    SGU joins Global Biodiversity Alliance

    In a formal ceremony held at Guyana’s State House, St George’s University (SGU) has formally been inducted as the newest non-governmental member of the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA), with Guyana’s President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali presenting the official membership certificate to the institution. SGU’s admission to the alliance, which has already been formally confirmed by the GBA Secretariat, builds on a deepening collaborative partnership between the Grenada-based university and the Government of Guyana rooted in the Georgetown Declaration, a landmark global framework dedicated to halting and reversing global biodiversity loss through the advancement of sustainable, science-centered solutions.

    As a non-governmental institutional member, SGU now joins a rapidly expanding international coalition that brings together national governments, research institutions, and civil society organizations. All members of the alliance work in coordinated alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect vulnerable ecosystems and speed up progress toward shared global biodiversity targets.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Marios Loukas, SGU President and Dean of the School of Medicine, highlighted the institution’s core strength in bridging academic disciplines to tackle pressing, complex global challenges. “Through the Global Biodiversity Alliance, we are expanding our ability to contribute actionable research and foster the kind of collaboration needed to drive measurable progress,” Loukas said, noting that membership opens new avenues for two-way learning and knowledge exchange between SGU scholars and a global network of leading conservation experts.

    Founded as a voluntary, inclusive multi-stakeholder platform, GBA was created to advance open knowledge sharing, scalable conservation financing, and coordinated collective action to protect global biodiversity. The alliance unites stakeholders from every sector—from government and academia to private industry and nonprofits—to accelerate the on-the-ground implementation of global biodiversity goals and advance inclusive, nature-positive sustainable development.

    GBA Secretariat representatives have emphasized that academic institutional partners are foundational to advancing the alliance’s core mission. Collaboration with universities, they note, strengthens global research capacity, expands cross-border knowledge exchange, and improves the delivery of effective conservation outcomes. Pradeepa Bholanath, Senior Director of Climate Change and REDD+ at Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources and a leading figure at the GBA Secretariat, welcomed SGU’s membership in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome St George’s University to the Global Biodiversity Alliance as a valued non-governmental member,” Bholanath said. “Through this collaboration, SGU will contribute to a dynamic platform dedicated to halting and reversing biodiversity loss, and we look forward to engaging the University in upcoming initiatives that support the Alliance’s shared global priorities.”

    As a GBA member, SGU will participate in a range of collaborative initiatives focused on advancing evidence-based conservation solutions, expanding interdisciplinary biodiversity research, and building global conservation capacity across under-resourced regions. The university’s entry into the alliance aligns with its long-standing institutional mission to address transboundary global challenges through integrated education, innovative research, and cross-sector partnership. The move also solidifies SGU’s growing role as a global leader in advancing the interconnected goals of global public health and environmental stewardship.

    Reaffirming the institution’s commitment to the alliance’s mission, Loukas added: “This partnership creates new opportunities for SGU to both contribute to and learn from a global network of experts and institutions. We are committed to applying our expertise in ways that strengthen capacity, expand knowledge, and support impactful, science-driven initiatives across regions.”

  • Hippolyte takes top spot on quiet collegiate track weekend

    Hippolyte takes top spot on quiet collegiate track weekend

    As most American collegiate track and field programs entered a quiet transitional period this past weekend — with some student-athletes wrapping up their academic careers via commencement and others fine-tuning their preparations for upcoming championship events — a small group of Saint Lucian competitors turned in standout performances across multiple meets around the United States.

    One of the most notable results came from Western Illinois University senior Mya Hippolyte, who claimed gold in the women’s 100-meter dash at the Huskie Classic. Crossing the finish line in 11.88 seconds, Hippolyte not only secured the win but also set a new personal season best. A 1.3 m/s tailwind aided her run, which marks her fastest 100m time since she clocked 11.71 seconds at the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships.

    Over at Washburn University, Kereser Augustin logged two strong 400-meter races across two separate meets in three days. Competing first at the Wichita State Shocker Open, Augustin took second place on the podium with a time of 55.66 seconds. Just a few days later, she traveled to the Pittsburg State Almost Last Chance Meet, where she added a fifth-place finish to her weekend resume with a time of 55.81 seconds.

    Lewis University sprinter Cagini Pilgrim also turned in a pair of solid results at the St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite. In the men’s 200-meter dash, Pilgrim clocked 21.46 seconds to earn a second-place finish. He also advanced to the 100-meter final, where he crossed the line in fourth place with a 10.59-second run after posting a 10.62-second time in the preliminary rounds. His final 100m time marks his second-fastest wind-legal result of the 2026 outdoor season.

    Beyond on-track results, two more Saint Lucian student-athletes celebrated major academic milestones over the weekend. Naya Jules, the current holder of Saint Lucia’s national women’s pole vault record, graduated from Garden City College with an associate degree. Miguel Charlery similarly crossed the commencement stage to collect his bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg University.

    The 2026 outdoor collegiate track postseason is set to kick off this week, with the first major championship action kicking off Thursday, May 14, at the junior college Division I Outdoor Championships hosted by New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico. Jules is set to compete in three events and is widely considered a legitimate medal contender heading into the meet: she ranks inside the national top 10 in both the javelin throw and heptathlon, and sits 15th in the pole vault rankings.

    For four-year NCAA Division I, II and III programs, conference championship tournaments will kick off this coming weekend, with more than a dozen Saint Lucian athletes expected to compete for coveted spots in their respective division’s national championship meets in the weeks ahead.