标签： Barbados

The Barbados Postal Service (BPS) has issued a public announcement outlining a planned three-week pause on all international mail services bound for Argentina, set to take effect from Friday, October 23, and run through Wednesday, November 11. The root cause of this temporary service adjustment is scheduled large-scale infrastructure improvement work taking place at Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Argentina’s primary air gateway for international cargo and mail. According to BPS, the construction activities will fully halt all air-based incoming international mail processing at the airport for the duration of the project, making it impossible to deliver items sent from Barbados during this window in a timely manner.

To help customers plan ahead and avoid unnecessary disruptions, the national postal agency confirmed that Monday, October 19, will be the final cutoff date for patrons to drop off mail destined for Argentina before the suspension goes into effect. BPS has also issued an advisory for residents who plan to send items around the cutoff period: any parcels or letters posted after the final date, or even in the days immediately leading up to the suspension, may face extended delivery delays even if they are accepted for shipment, as backlogs will build during the airport construction period. The agency noted that service will automatically resume to normal operations on November 12 once the infrastructure work is completed and Argentina’s airport resumes full international mail processing. The photo accompanying this announcement was provided by the Barbados Postal Service.

Law enforcement authorities in Barbados are turning to the public for help in tracking down a man identified as Akeem Deshawn Carter, who also goes by the alias ‘Ogre’. Carter is currently wanted by the force for questioning linked to several serious criminal incidents under active investigation.

According to official statements from The Barbados Police Service (TBPS), investigators have released detailed descriptive information to help members of the public identify the suspect. Carter’s last confirmed residential address is recorded as Bartlett Tenantry in Sargeant Village, Christ Church. He stands roughly five feet nine inches tall, has a stocky physical build, and a dark complexion. Distinctive tattoos mark both of his hands: the word ‘Loyalty’ is inked on his left hand, while the initials ‘QTF’ appear on his right hand.

Police have issued a formal advisory to Carter, noting that he may voluntarily surrender to the Criminal Investigations Department based at the Oistins Police Station in Oistins, Christ Church. Under protocol, he is permitted to be accompanied by a legal representative of his own choosing during the processing of his surrender.

For members of the public who may have information about Carter’s current location, law enforcement has provided multiple contact channels to submit tips. Individuals can reach the Criminal Investigations Department at Oistins Police Station directly via the telephone lines 418-2608 or 418-2612. Alternately, tips can be filed through the national police emergency line at 211, the independent Crime Stoppers hotline at 1 800-8477, or by visiting any nearby local police station to speak with an officer in person.

In addition to the call for information, TBPS has reminded the general public that knowingly hiding or providing aid to a person wanted by law enforcement is considered a severe criminal offense in Barbados. Any individual found to have aided Carter in evading police capture will face prosecution under relevant local laws.

Law enforcement authorities in Barbados are reaching out to the general public for help in tracing the next of kin, primary caregiver, legal guardian or close associates of a disoriented man who identifies himself only as Davonte.

The unnamed man was discovered wandering in the vicinity of the Rubis Service Station located in Fontabelle, parish of St Michael, on Sunday, October 18. Local law enforcement has released a physical description of the man to help members of the public identify him: he stands roughly five feet six inches tall, has a slim build and a dark complexion. At the time he was found, Davonte was not wearing a shirt, only dressed in brown trousers and a pair of black slippers.

According to an official statement from the police force, Davonte has been displaying erratic behavior since he was taken into custody, and he is unable to communicate his full legal name, exact age, or any permanent place of residence. Without this critical identifying information, police have been unable to independently locate any of his family members or connections.

Authorities are urging anyone who may have information that could assist this investigation to reach out directly to the Central Police Station by telephone at 430-7676, or contact the Assessment Unit at the local Psychiatric Hospital. Any small piece of information could help reunite Davonte with his loved ones, and the police department stresses that all tips will be handled confidentially.

For former professional basketball player John Jones, the most memorable flavor he has ever encountered does not come from a five-star restaurant or a famous street food stall—it comes from a deep purple salad tomato he grew on his Barbadian farm years ago, a taste so vivid it has outshone every meal he has eaten since. Known widely as ‘The Bajan Farmer,’ Jones traded a life of traveling for overseas basketball for the quiet rhythm of working the land, and today, his homegrown produce sits at the heart of this year’s highly anticipated Barbados Food and Rum Festival, where local chefs have already placed pre-orders for his fresh crops.

Jones’ connection to farming stretches back far earlier than his athletic career. As a teenager growing up at Sterling Children’s Home, growing food became a meaningful way to build connections with the people around him. That early love never faded, even as he earned a spot playing college basketball at Illinois State University after representing Barbados at the CARIFTA Games. Following his graduation, he made the unconventional choice to switch his major from International Business to Agricultural Business, returning to the passion he calls his ‘first love.’ A volunteer stint working on farms in South Australia further deepened his expertise, exposing him to diverse agricultural practices that shaped his approach to growing.

Today, Jones operates Thirteen Acre Farms, where he brings the same discipline and dedication that defined his athletic career to every seed he plants. For Jones, farming is less a career than a source of fundamental joy: ‘It comes down to the fundamental joy of putting your hands in the soil and bringing seeds to life. There’s truly nothing better than eating something you grew.’ His favorite crop remains salad tomatoes, a plant he tends with meticulous care months before any fruit is ready to harvest. ‘Every single plant requires dedicated care. No detail can be overlooked,’ he explains—a mindset that echoes the work ethic of any elite athlete, where the visible end result depends on hundreds of hours of unseen preparation. That attention to detail is why that purple tomato variety has stayed with him; he treasures the memory of nurturing it as much as he remembers eating it.

Beyond tomatoes, Jones grows a diverse range of native Caribbean crops, from sweet potatoes, cassava and yams to watermelons, purple sweet peppers and cauliflower. One of his most exciting recent varieties is the Golden Lady melon, a large, exceptionally sweet cultivar with a texture similar to honeydew that Jones dreams will one day be turned into a signature Golden Lady Martini by a creative mixologist. While the cocktail remains a personal vision rather than a confirmed festival offering, the idea itself speaks to Jones’ approach: he knows every ingredient through its full lifecycle, and he loves imagining the unique flavors it can bring to the table or the bar.

For this year’s food and rum festival, Jones sees far more than an opportunity to sell his produce. The event brings a tangible farm-to-table vision to life, he explains: when chefs source from local Barbadian farmers, fresh, seasonal island produce makes its way to guests’ plates, and every dollar spent on ingredients directly supports the local agricultural sector. For small-scale growers like Jones, these orders not only generate immediate income but also build long-term connections with chefs, restaurants and hotels that last long after the festival wraps up. ‘Anyone who supports local farmers and wants to build a lasting relationship will always have my support,’ he says.

Jones’ ambitions extend well beyond the festival menu, rooted in a broader mission to make fresh, local food accessible to all Barbadians. One of the biggest challenges small-scale local farmers face, he notes, is making their produce easily available to consumers outside of traditional supermarket channels. Drawing a comparison to the beloved Sunday ice cream truck that makes its way through residential neighborhoods, he asks why fresh local produce can’t be delivered with the same convenience across the island. ‘My purpose has always been making fresh food accessible to everyone islandwide,’ he says.

That commitment to community and accessible food has earned Jones national and international recognition: he was recently awarded the 2026 Champions of Change Award by the organizers of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, honoring his work in sustainable farming and food education. Yet when asked what he is most proud of, Jones does not name his award or his popular crops—he points to his ‘Wall of Love,’ a display covered in the handprints of children who have visited his farm for educational programs. ‘Every time I walk past it, my heart warms knowing I’ve sown seeds of joy in everyone who has spent time here,’ he says.

One memory in particular stands out to Jones: after giving a young visitor a pepper plant to take home, the boy called nine weeks later to invite Jones to see his first harvest. That moment drove home the real impact of his work, he says: the same joy that first drew him to farming is now being passed on to a new generation. ‘You never fully realise how impactful your work can be until you step out and inspire growth in someone else.’

For festival guests this year, Jones’ story offers a gentle reminder to pause and appreciate the story behind every ingredient on the plate. For the children who visit his farm, it offers a hands-on lesson in growing and the joy of nurturing something from seed to harvest. Years later, that little boy who grew his own pepper will likely still remember that first harvest—just as Jones still thinks about that purple tomato that started it all.

Two residents of Barbados’ St Philip parish have walked out of a District ‘A’ Criminal Court hearing granted bail after entering guilty pleas for a series of major cannabis-related offenses. The pair, 61-year-old Rupert Orlando Crawford and 33-year-old Victoria Paulette Alleyne, both residents of Work Hall in St Philip, appeared before acting Magistrate Shakieda Sealy for a Saturday hearing, where they admitted guilt on four combined charges: illegal importation of cannabis, possession of the controlled substance, trafficking, and possession with intent to supply.

According to official statements from the Barbados Police Service, the alleged offenses were carried out on October 15 this year. During law enforcement intervention, officers seized a total of 19.3 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis across the two suspects, with an estimated combined street value of BDS $154 400. Crawford was found in possession of 9.6 kilogrammes of the drug, which authorities value at approximately BDS $76 800. Alleyne was carrying a slightly larger 9.7 kilogramme shipment, valued at BDS $77 600.

Following their guilty pleas, the magistrate granted bail set at BDS $12 000 for each defendant. Both are required to return to court for their next scheduled appearance on October 24, as the legal process moves forward to final sentencing and case disposition.