标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A high-stakes court appearance in Grenada took an unexpected turn Wednesday, when a Canadian national accused of smuggling hundreds of thousands of Eastern Caribbean dollars worth of cannabis used his time before the judge to highlight a pressing, unsanitary issue in the country’s main correctional facility: a widespread bed bug infestation at His Majesty’s Prison.

Twenty-three-year-old Semand Vivan Shammo Aljndo has remained in pre-trial remand at the facility since March, after courts ruled he posed a significant flight risk ahead of his trial. During his latest scheduled court hearing, Aljndo chose to bypass standard legal procedure and directly raise his complaints about the parasitic infestation to the sitting judge, formally requesting an immediate transfer to a different holding cell away from the bed bug outbreak.

In response to the defendant’s direct appeal, the judge directed Aljndo to coordinate the request through his appointed legal defense counsel, attorney Michael Archibald, to move the transfer request through official administrative channels at the prison. The case of the drug importation charge remains ongoing, with no updates yet on whether Aljndo’s request for a new cell will be approved by prison officials.

A fresh uncontrolled bush fire erupted along Utility Drive in Antigua on Tuesday, billowing thick columns of dark smoke into the sky that were visible for miles across the surrounding area, triggering immediate alarm from local residents and passing drivers. As of press time, emergency officials had not yet released full details on the size of the blaze or confirmed whether any residential properties, public facilities, or critical infrastructure were in the fire’s active path or at imminent risk of damage. Local emergency management teams have been deployed to contain the spread of the fire, which continues to burn across unmanaged bushland in the area as crews work to gain control of the blaze. For the past several weeks, Antigua has faced a elevated risk of fast-moving wildfires, with sustained dry conditions and frequent strong gusty winds creating the perfect kindling that has already sparked multiple large grass and bush fires across the island. In an official advisory, authorities have urged all residents living near the Utility Drive area and motorists traveling along nearby routes to remain extra vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel near the fire zone, and follow any emergency instructions issued by first responders. Conditions remain dynamic, with updates on containment and threat levels expected to be released as more information becomes available.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is in mourning this week after one of its frontline workers, Okeen Lightfoot, lost his life in a devastating traffic accident that unfolded on All Saints Road Tuesday morning. The dedicated sanitation employee was struck by a passing motor vehicle while he was completing his routine roadside work duties, leaving a community of colleagues and local residents reeling from the sudden loss.

Within hours of the incident, NSWMA issued an official condolence statement honoring Lightfoot’s service and remembering his time with the agency. “We extend our deepest heartfelt condolences on the tragic passing of our colleague, Okeen Lightfoot,” the organization wrote in the release. “All of our prayers and thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow teammates during this unimaginably difficult time.”

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through both the NSWMA workforce and the broader local community. Longstanding concerns over the safety of roadside employees, who often work close to moving traffic to keep public spaces clean and functional, have been reignited in the wake of Lightfoot’s death. Many safety advocates and community members are now reiterating urgent calls for all motorists to exercise increased care and attention when traveling near zones where workers are operating along roadways.

Earlier on the same day of the accident, Jamaica’s Health Minister Michael Joseph traveled to the site of the collision to assess the situation. During his visit, the minister echoed the growing calls for heightened road vigilance, urging all drivers across the country to embrace greater responsibility behind the wheel to prevent similar preventable tragedies from occurring in the future.

A groundbreaking community survey focused on families supporting autistic individuals in Antigua and Barbuda has uncovered widespread, unmet demand for expanded autism resources, specialized parenting training, accessible mental health care, and age-inclusive developmental education, according to data published this week by local health advocacy groups. The research, released in advance of a free community retreat taking place May 17 at the island nation’s Multipurpose Cultural Centre, is a joint effort between the Antigua and Barbuda Holistic Coalition Inc., the Center for the Holistic Advancement of Therapeutic Services (CHATS), the Directorate of Gender Affairs, and the Mill Reef Fund.

The survey gathered responses from 100 parents and primary caregivers of autistic people across the country, producing stark data on the gap between existing services and community needs. Ninety-three percent of respondents confirmed they were actively seeking more information about available autism support resources, while 88 percent reported a desire for hands-on, practical parenting skills tailored to raising an autistic child. Mental health support for caregivers and autistic individuals emerged as a top priority, with 62 percent of participants identifying this service area as a critical unmet need.

Additional requests from respondents included more accessible, targeted information about gender-specific autism presentation, standardized diagnostic testing pathways, and early recognition of autism signs and symptoms. Beyond service gaps, the survey data also underscored the broad range of life stages that autism caregiving spans in Antigua and Barbuda. Caregivers who participated in the study reported supporting autistic people from early infancy through adolescence, as well as autistic adults navigating adulthood. The majority of respondents were parents of autistic children, with the remainder consisting of formal and informal caregivers supporting autistic children and adults across the islands.

In an official statement accompanying the release of the survey findings, event and research organizers emphasized that the responses point to a rapidly growing need for expanded community support and national awareness around autism in Antigua and Barbuda. “Autism impacts families across all life stages — from infancy to adulthood — and caregivers are seeking community, education, and support now more than ever,” the statement read. Organizers frame the upcoming May 17 retreat as a critical first step to address these documented needs, designed to foster stronger cross-sector collaboration between autistic families, clinical professionals, educators, service providers, and government policymakers.

The free public event will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, May 17. While pre-registration for the retreat has officially closed, organizers confirmed that remaining limited seating will be open to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis for community members who wish to attend.

A quiet residential neighborhood in Villa was shaken this Tuesday by a grim discovery that has left local residents reeling: the remains of Henry Waterman, a long-time community member, were found inside his private home after days of growing concern from neighbors.

Waterman, originally from Barbados, built a decades-long career as an educator at Antigua and Barbuda’s Mary E. Pigott Primary School, and had resided in the country for multiple years before his passing. According to accounts from people living nearby, the retired educator had been navigating a series of debilitating health and personal struggles in recent years, which gradually pushed him to withdraw from regular social interactions within the community.

The chain of events that led to the discovery began on Monday, when a close relative left a delivery of food at Waterman’s door. When the untouched package was still in place the next afternoon, neighbors’ vague worry shifted to urgent alarm. Compounding their concern was a putrid, unusual odor that began wafting from the property, paired with a sudden, abnormal surge in flies swarming around the home’s exterior.

Local residents organized a welfare check of the residence soon after these red flags emerged. Inside the home, searchers found Waterman’s body, which had already reached an advanced state of decomposition. Emergency responders and investigating officers were dispatched to the scene immediately: a team from the local police force and the district’s medical official arrived to process the site, where Waterman was officially pronounced dead. Authorities have since opened a formal investigation to determine the exact cause and circumstances of his death, leaving the Villa community processing the shock of losing one of their long-time members.