标签： Antigua and Barbuda

In a remarkable display of artistic excellence, three students from St Nicholas Primary School dominated the 2025 Halo Christmas Art Competition, with siblings Savannah and Jordan Holborough both claiming top awards alongside fellow student Amélie Hall.

The competition underwent significant format changes this year, abandoning traditional age-based categories in favor of recognizing the top three overall winners across all age groups. Savannah Holborough emerged as the Overall Winner, while Amélie Hall secured first place and Jordan Holborough claimed second position.

The awards ceremony featured a significant announcement from Her Excellency Lady Williams, who revealed expanded plans for the Foundation’s annual art development training program. In partnership with the Royal Drawing School, this year’s initiative will break from tradition by welcoming participants of all ages beyond just school children, culminating in a national art competition honoring CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting).

St Nicholas Primary School received special recognition for maintaining an unbroken record of participation in the Halo Christmas Card Competition since its inception, along with achieving the highest number of wins throughout the competition’s history.

Prize packages for the winners included framed artwork reproductions, professional artist kits, and the distinction of having their designs featured on official Christmas cards. The sibling success story particularly highlighted the exceptional creative talent developing among the nation’s youth population.

Residents of Hatton have welcomed swift infrastructure repairs on Union Road, initiated by the Ministry of Works following damage caused by heavy-duty equipment. While the restoration of safer conditions for daily commuters and pedestrians is a positive development, it has simultaneously intensified a broader community debate. The central issue now revolves around the persistent and controversial use of residential routes, notably Federation Road, by heavy machinery. This practice subjects local roadways to excessive strain, leading to accelerated deterioration and raising significant public health and safety alarms for adjacent neighborhoods. Officials and community representatives are advocating for a strategic shift, emphasizing that the Perry Bay Main Road presents a far more structurally robust and designated alternative for such traffic. This route is engineered to withstand heavy loads, thereby offering a dual benefit: it safeguards residential infrastructure from recurring damage and ensures the safer, more efficient transit of industrial equipment. Senator Michael Joseph, ABLP Caretaker for St. John’s Rural West, has publicly condemned the current pattern, stating, ‘The sustained use of community roads by heavy-duty vehicles is not sustainable and puts residents at unnecessary risk. Using more structurally appropriate routes like the Perry Bay Main Road is critical to preventing repeated damage and ensuring public safety.’ This stance highlights a growing consensus that long-term planning and stricter adherence to designated trucking routes are essential for community well-being and infrastructure longevity.

A pressing legal challenge is unfolding as defense attorney Wendel Alexander prepares an urgent High Court application seeking bail for a detained young mother, arguing her incarceration poses critical welfare concerns for her breastfed infant. The case centers on Shanyea Crump, 20, and Terry Williams, 21, both from Nut Grove, who face serious firearm charges currently non-bailable in lower courts.

According to legal representatives, the core of the defense strategy hinges on compelling humanitarian grounds. Alexander emphasizes that Crump’s continued detention at His Majesty’s Prison directly jeopardizes the health and nourishment of her baby, who remains dependent on her breast milk. This biological necessity forms the foundation of the emergency bail petition being prepared for superior court review.

The prosecution’s position remains cautious, with the Director of Public Prosecutions indicating need for comprehensive case review and additional consultation with investigators. This development occurs despite the defendant’s boyfriend allegedly admitting ownership of the contested firearm and ammunition.

Court documents reveal the charges stem from Monday’s execution of a search warrant in All Saints, where police reportedly seized a Ruger 9mm pistol and seven rounds of ammunition. Both defendants were subsequently remanded after initial proceedings before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, where bail was statutorily unavailable for such firearms offenses.

The legal team is currently preparing thorough bail documents, including a sworn affidavit from Crump herself, to demonstrate both the urgency of the maternal situation and the strength of their humanitarian argument. The case highlights the complex intersection of rigid legal statutes and compelling human circumstances within the judicial system.

In a significant achievement for Caribbean law enforcement, Constable Anestine Massicot of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has earned exceptional recognition in an elite international police training program conducted in Abu Dhabi. The intensive program, hosted by the UAE Ministry of Interior Police Academy in collaboration with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), concluded in January 2026 with Massicot standing out as the sole representative from her nation.

Selected for the prestigious IACP/UAE Ministry of Interior Police Academy Exchange Programme, Constable Massicot demonstrated outstanding capabilities throughout the rigorous four-to-five-month curriculum. Training assessments highlighted her superior analytical skills, meticulous attention to detail, and proficient application of policing theories during both classroom instruction and practical scenario-based exercises. Instructors particularly noted her unwavering professionalism, discipline, and adaptability in navigating the challenges of the structured academy environment, which encompassed physical conditioning, drills, academic studies, and realistic policing operations.

Her conduct throughout the program exemplified the highest standards of law enforcement professionalism, characterized by punctuality, respect, accountability, and composure in all interactions with international colleagues and trainers. This achievement continues a tradition of excellence from Antigua and Barbuda, following the successful completion of the same program by Constables Theona Pascal, Jahmesha Daniel, and Shawn Silston in January 2025.

The program, fully funded by the UAE Ministry of Interior to include travel, accommodation, meals, training materials, and medical insurance, represents a substantial investment in international law enforcement cooperation and capacity building. This initiative underscores the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s dedicated commitment to continuous professional development and strengthening collaborative ties with global policing partners.

Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers extended heartfelt congratulations to Constable Massicot on behalf of the entire force, simultaneously expressing profound gratitude to the IACP and the UAE Ministry of Interior for their invaluable partnership and commitment to advancing professional policing standards worldwide.

Employees of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) are raising serious health and safety concerns regarding extensive mold contamination at the Roberts Building in APUA Gardens, which they share with the Aviation Department. The large blue facility adjacent to the racetrack has been plagued by unresolved mold issues for over two years, creating hazardous working conditions that management has failed to adequately address.

Investigations reveal that the Aviation Department, recognizing the severity of the environmental hazards, implemented protective measures for its staff including early dismissal at noon daily due to documented poor ventilation and unsafe air quality. The department further commissioned independent professional air quality testing that scientifically confirmed the building’s unsafe working environment.

Despite these findings, APUA employees continue to work normal hours in the same contaminated environment without comparable protective measures. This discrepancy in treatment has created a significant health equity issue within the shared workspace, with APUA staff expressing frustration over the apparent disregard for their wellbeing.

Visible mold panels are currently present in the main lobby area where all employees must pass through daily to use the time clock system. This contaminated space additionally functions as a waiting area for customers accessing internet services, potentially exposing both staff and the public to health risks. Photographic evidence confirms the severity of mold growth in this high-traffic zone, with reports indicating multiple other affected areas throughout the facility.

The employees emphasize they are not seeking superficial repairs but rather demand comprehensive environmental and health assessments followed by meaningful corrective action. There is growing concern that management has failed to prioritize this urgent health matter, prompting formal requests for immediate intervention to address the unsafe working conditions before further harm occurs to personnel and visitors alike.