Carib Scope

标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op helps students gear up for new term

    Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op helps students gear up for new term

    After a multi-year pause triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, a key Barbadian transport cooperative has revived its signature community giving program, rolling out targeted back-to-school support for hundreds of vulnerable primary school students across two parishes.

    The Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-op Society Ltd officially extended its assistance to three institutions this week: St Lawrence Primary in Christ Church, St Mark’s Primary, and St Stephen’s Primary in St Michael. School leaders, including principals and senior teaching staff, accepted the donations on Tuesday on behalf of low-income families preparing for the new academic year. While the organization opted not to release the exact monetary value of the support, co-op president Adrian “Smiley” Bailey framed the initiative as a core expression of the group’s longstanding commitment to lifting local communities.

    Bailey explained that this outreach effort has been a staple of the co-op’s community work for nearly three years, but pandemic-related disruptions forced the group to suspend the program. When planning this year’s restart, the co-op’s board selected the three participating schools, but delegated all decisions about which students would receive aid to school administrators. Bailey noted that school leaders in Barbados have an unmatched understanding of student needs, especially given the scope of the national primary education system: the island counts 64 primary schools serving more than 15,000 young students, leaving no shortage of families struggling to cover back-to-school costs.

    Pointing to the particularly heavy burden placed on households with multiple school-aged children, Bailey called on other private and community organizations across Barbados to step up with similar support. He also pushed back against implicit criticism of parents who took time to enjoy the island’s iconic Crop Over festival in the weeks leading up to the new school term.

    “A year consists of 52 weeks,” Bailey argued. “If some of these parents have parented these children for 52 weeks of the year and they take a chance and enjoy Crop Over when school is around the corner just for two weeks, we have to understand that these are parents who are looking after children for 52 weeks of the year and they need to enjoy themselves at some time.”

    Looking ahead, the co-op plans to continue and expand the program in 2025, with a goal of increasing the number of participating schools from three to as many as ten. Bailey also publicly thanked key partners that made this year’s initiative possible, including the Bridgetown Port authority, local businessman Eddy Abed, and Copacabana. He added that the co-op’s current outreach is also a gesture of gratitude for the critical support the government provided to taxi operators during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when global travel shutdowns decimated the island’s taxi industry.

    “If today, on the 25th of August, we can be given back something to assist children in Barbados, this gesture, I hope it can go a very long way,” Bailey said.

    The official donation presentations were attended by St Lawrence Primary Principal Lorraine Gittens, acting St Mark’s Primary Principal Tamara Whittaker-Massiah, and St Stephen’s Primary senior teacher Wendy Archer, who accepted the contributions on behalf of their respective schools. Two elected representatives also participated in the events: Neil Rowe, Member of Parliament for St Michael North West, and Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, MP for Christ Church South and Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture. Both politicians praised the co-op’s work, with Munro-Knight highlighting the special importance of this support in the lead-up to every new school year.

    “We all know that there are certain vulnerable families within our society and therefore again this assistance, I believe, will go a long way in helping them,” she said. Munro-Knight also commended the co-op for choosing to direct its resources toward supporting children, noting that the organization’s current outreach serves as a thoughtful reflection of the government’s pandemic support for taxi operators.

    “You could have done several things with the resources that you are giving back, but the fact that you’ve chosen to do this is important as well, and that you acknowledge the fact that government would have during that COVID period, also provided some assistance, and therefore doing this is just a little bit of that recognition as well,” she added.

  • US$175m health facilities targeted for 2029 opening

    US$175m health facilities targeted for 2029 opening

    Barbados is advancing a transformative $175 million national Health Services Resilience Programme that will deliver four major new and upgraded healthcare infrastructure projects, all scheduled to be fully operational by 2029, senior health officials confirmed during the first public consultation held this week. The event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Inter-American Development Bank at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Monday evening, laid out the full scope of the initiative, which addresses both growing healthcare demand and emerging climate risks facing the island nation.

    The four core infrastructure projects under the programme are a new Geriatric Hospital in Waterford, St Michael; the Roseville Halfway House in St Peter; a major expansion of the island’s primary tertiary care facility, Queen Elizabeth Hospital; and the Odle’s Glenn Senior Village in St George. Beyond physical infrastructure, the initiative also includes a full upgrade of Barbados’ digital health ecosystem, with the rollout of a new integrated health information system designed to streamline access to patient medical records and connect primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across the country.

    Speaking at the consultation, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Wellness Francine Blackman outlined the multi-lateral funding partnership backing the programme, which brings together the Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, World Bank, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF). Blackman emphasized that the programme is a strategic investment in the long-term development of Barbados’ healthcare system, designed to expand care capacity to meet the evolving needs of the island’s population, with a specific focus on unmet needs in chronic non-communicable disease care, mental health support, disability services, and geriatric care.

    “A core goal of this programme is to make high-quality healthcare more accessible to all local communities, while shifting the system toward a stronger emphasis on prevention, early detection of disease, and uninterrupted continuity of care for patients,” Blackman said. She added that the project is part of a broader national effort to reimagine Barbados’ entire healthcare continuum from primary care through to specialized tertiary treatment, noting that a healthier population will deliver significant spillover economic benefits for the island.

    “If we can build and maintain a healthier population, we will directly boost national productivity, because local businesses will see lower rates of employee absenteeism linked to preventable poor health,” Blackman explained.

    Currently, the entire programme is in the pre-construction planning and design phase, with mandatory environmental and social impact assessments ongoing ahead of the launch of procurement and on-ground project mobilization. Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Arthur Phillips told attendees that the public consultation phase will run through the third quarter of 2026, after which full implementation will get underway. “We will stand up the dedicated implementation team first, and by the second quarter of 2027, we will move into full implementation, with detailed planning, construction work, and eventually the commissioning of all new facilities,” Phillips said.

    Leisa Perch, a leading consultant on the project, noted that construction activities are scheduled to take place between 2027 and 2028, though individual projects will not all break ground simultaneously due to regulatory and logistical requirements. “There are a number of regulatory and procedural steps we have to complete first, but our target remains to have all four facilities fully operational and open to patients by 2029,” Perch confirmed.

    A key distinguishing feature of the programme is its explicit focus on building climate and disaster resilience into all new and upgraded facilities, a critical priority for small island developing states like Barbados that face growing climate hazards. Perch explained that the environmental impact assessment evaluated a full range of potential risks to the facilities, including hurricane force winds, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, drought, extreme heat, seismic activity, and seasonal incursions of Saharan dust. Of these risks, hurricane winds, storm surge, coastal flooding, and extreme heat were rated as high-priority risks across all project sites.

    To address these threats, planning includes provisions for backup power systems to ensure care can continue during service disruptions, as well as dedicated infrastructure to guarantee reliable access to clean water and other essential services. Heat-health protocols will be integrated into the design of all elderly care facilities, while upgraded drainage and wastewater systems are being included to boost flood resilience. The assessment also evaluated broader systemic pressures facing the healthcare system, including population ageing, the growing burden of chronic disease, labour compliance risks, digital health cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the cumulative impact of multiple construction projects across the island. For sites involving rehabilitation of existing buildings, planners are also proactively addressing potential hazards including asbestos, lead paint, mould, and demolition debris.

    A full set of environmental and social management measures will be implemented throughout the project, covering disaster and climate risk reduction, traffic management around construction sites, sustainable waste management, and ongoing engagement with local stakeholders. Perch stressed that public input will not end with the initial consultation round; outreach and feedback mechanisms will be in place throughout the planning, construction, and operational phases of the programme. Proposed engagement methods include community town halls, targeted focus groups, mobile outreach to underserved areas, and quarterly public reporting, with all feedback incorporated into project design and construction adjustments as needed.

    Monday’s inaugural consultation focused specifically on the Roseville Halfway House project, with four additional public consultations scheduled over the next two weeks to cover the remaining initiatives. Multiple government agencies are collaborating on the broader programme: the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Project Execution Unit is supporting overall delivery, the Ministry of People Empowerment will lead collaboration on the Odle’s Glenn Senior Village, and the Ministry of Education will partner to strengthen the national school nutrition programme as part of the initiative’s public health focus.

  • St Lucy water relief extended as filtration project delayed

    St Lucy water relief extended as filtration project delayed

    Barbados’ government has formally announced an extension of basic water rate relief for residents of the northern parish of St. Lucy, responding to unexpected production holdups and global supply chain disruptions that have pushed back the completion of a critical water infrastructure upgrade. The relief program, which was originally scheduled to conclude in September, will remain in place until a new permanent water filtration system is fully installed and operational at the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) Alleynedale treatment facility, Prime Minister Mia Mottley confirmed during an on-site project update Tuesday.

    The multi-phase upgrade project was launched to resolve longstanding issues of water discoloration across St. Lucy, and it has already delivered major progress, according to BWA engineering leadership. The core component of the initiative – the replacement of more than 42 kilometers of aging water mains across the parish – has been fully completed. Charles Leslie, BWA’s director of engineering, noted that crews worked around the clock in many areas to finish the mains replacement in just one year, a milestone that has already improved water quality for the vast majority of local households. The old corroded mains were a primary contributor to the discoloration that plagued the area’s water supply for years.

    However, the project’s final and most transformative component – the installation of a new plant-side filtration system – has hit significant snags. Initially, BWA engineers installed a cartridge-based filtration system after preliminary testing, but the technology failed to deliver the crystal-clear water quality the project targeted. To correct this, the authority sourced an alternative, more effective filtration system from a manufacturing firm based in California, United States. That new system is being built as a containerized unit, but global supply chain bottlenecks have delayed its delivery to the island.

    Prime Minister Mottley explained that two key factors have shifted the project timeline: production capacity constraints at the U.S.-based manufacturer and widespread disruptions to global shipping. Two of the five containers holding the filtration system are now expected to arrive in Barbados in September, with the remaining three scheduled to arrive by the end of October. Mottley specifically named two high-profile global disruptions as contributing factors: ongoing shipping chaos in the Red Sea and reduced transit capacity through the Panama Canal, both of which have rippled through supply chains worldwide in recent months. The project also hit a local setback when site geotechnical challenges forced engineers to relocate the plant’s foundation to a stable rock outcrop less than 200 meters from the original planned site. This adjustment was made to keep the project within its approved budget, Mottley added.

    While the original project roadmap targeted completion by the end of February, Mottley said she has directed BWA to accelerate construction work once the filtration components arrive, with a new goal of full completion before the end of December. To uphold the government’s commitment to St. Lucy residents who have endured ongoing water quality issues, the prime minister confirmed that the finance ministry has formally reversed its original plan to end basic water rate relief in September. The relief will remain in effect until the new filtration system is fully installed and operational.

    “It is not yet where we want it, but it is significantly better than it was,” Mottley said of the project’s current status. She emphasized that the government would keep its promise to residents, noting: “a deal is a deal is a deal.” The prime minister also called for public patience, noting that many of the factors delaying the project are outside of the government’s control. “I want citizens to understand that there are some things that are within our control and there are some things that are simply not within our control,” she said. “Where those things are outside of our control and they are legitimately impacting what we are doing here, we will share as we are doing today, but we will also keep our faith with you with respect to asking you to bear with us.”

    Even with the delays, Mottley stressed that water conditions have already improved dramatically for most St. Lucy residents, and the extended rate relief ensures that residents will not face additional costs while the final upgrades are put in place.

  • BWA: Discoloured St Lucy water safe to drink

    BWA: Discoloured St Lucy water safe to drink

    Residents of Barbados’ St Lucy parish have received formal reassurance from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) that their tap water remains safe for human consumption and fully compliant with World Health Organization (WHO) health standards, even as persistent discolouration affects portions of the region. During an on-site press briefing at the Alleynedale Pumping Station Tuesday, BWA Water Resources Manager Alex Ifill clarified that the only regulatory threshold being violated relates to aesthetic guidelines for water clarity, not any safety metric that poses a risk to public health.

    “The only standard this breaches is the colour limit,” Ifill explained. “Is it safe? It is absolutely safe to drink… Colour itself is not a health-related standard for drinking water; it is simply an aesthetic standard to ensure consumer comfort.”

    Ifill noted that the water discolouration issue has already improved dramatically thanks to a dual-pronged mitigation strategy rolled out by the BWA. In addition to systematically corroded outdated water mains across the parish, the authority has temporarily re-routed water production for affected zones to the Villa Maria treatment facility in St Joseph. This shift has already delivered clearer water to multiple impacted communities, including sections of Six Mens and Checker Hall.

    The ongoing infrastructure overhaul to resolve St Lucy’s long-running water quality issues has required hundreds of millions of dollars in public investment. BWA Engineering Director Charles Leslie revealed that the authority has already spent roughly $43 million to replace 43 kilometers of aging water mains, working out to an average cost of $1 million per kilometer of pipe. A further $5 million is being invested in a new purpose-built water treatment facility at Alleynedale, designed to permanently resolve the discolouration problem.

    “Just about $5 million covers all the different components, getting the facility set up and integrated into the existing distribution system,” Leslie said.

    As of mid-progress updates, the new custom filtration system for the facility has not yet been fully installed. All equipment for the project is being transported to Barbados in five shipping containers, but global logistical disruptions have pushed back the facility’s launch timeline. Prime Minister Mia Mottley explained that the delays stem from multiple factors: widespread global supply chain holdups affecting shipping, plus an unplanned need to relocate the equipment’s proposed site at the Alleynedale facility. International shipping challenges, including congestion at the Panama Canal and ongoing trade disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East, have not driven up the contracted cost of the treatment equipment, Leslie confirmed.

    Officials now target commissioning the new treatment facility between late December 2024 and the end of February 2025. To support affected residents during the extended construction period, Prime Minister Mottley announced the government will continue covering basic water rates for all St Lucy households until the filtration project is fully operational. The subsidy was originally scheduled to expire in September, but the extended relief will cost the Ministry of Finance approximately $150,000 each month.

    “Logistical shipping issues, combined with having to move the equipment between locations on site, have led us to decide we will continue carrying the subsidy until this project is finished,” Mottley stated.

    Across St Lucy, there are roughly 4,700 registered residential and commercial water connections. Officials report that a large share of these households are already receiving clear water as incremental upgrades progress, with full resolution expected once the new treatment facility comes online.

  • Probe launched after oil dumped in sensitive water zone

    Probe launched after oil dumped in sensitive water zone

    Barbados authorities have launched a full criminal investigation after dozens of oil-filled barrels were discovered dumped in tall grass in the Belle area, prompting the activation of the country’s national oil spill response protocol over severe threats to the island nation’s drinking water supply. The incident was first publicly revealed by Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning Marsha Caddle during a regularly scheduled site update from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) this Tuesday, where she condemned the unauthorized dumping as a reckless, dangerous act that puts the entire public at risk.

    “What we actually uncovered is that unidentified actors dumped multiple barrels of crude oil in the Belle region,” Caddle told reporters during the update. “This was a deliberate act: the barrels were hidden in dense high grass, out of public sight, which suggests malicious intent. Everyone needs to understand that this type of action harms every single one of us. It endangers the drinking water our children rely on at school, and it compromises a critical public resource. This is completely irresponsible behavior.”

    Caddle called on anyone engaging in illegal waste dumping in environmentally sensitive areas to stop immediately, noting that law enforcement and environmental agencies are fully committed to identifying and holding those responsible accountable. “We need to put a stop to this kind of reckless activity, and we are confident that the ongoing investigation will deliver answers,” she added.

    Alex Ifill, the BWA’s Manager of Water Resources, confirmed that the national spill protocol was put into effect immediately after the dumped barrels were reported to authorities. “As soon as the incident was confirmed, we activated all provisions of the national oil spill response framework,” Ifill stated. He explained that the island’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is leading the investigative phase of the response, with priorities including tracing the origin of the barrels, identifying the parties responsible, and determining whether criminal prosecution will be pursued once the investigation concludes.

    “This incident was far from a minor offense: it could have caused catastrophic, long-lasting damage to Barbados’ entire freshwater supply,” Ifill emphasized. “That is why identifying those responsible and holding them accountable is a top priority for all agencies involved.”

    Following the discovery, the BWA has moved quickly to upgrade security and surveillance across all of its production and pumping facilities, as the dumped barrels were found in an area closely connected to the island’s water distribution network. BWA Chief Executive Officer Peter Thompson told reporters that while the authority already had camera surveillance at most key facilities, additional monitoring equipment has been rolled out across at-risk areas in the wake of the dumping. Not all remote sites have camera coverage yet, but the authority is actively expanding its surveillance footprint.

    Beyond fixed camera systems, Thompson revealed that the BWA is currently evaluating drone surveillance as a low-cost solution to monitor large, remote areas that are hard to cover with ground-based equipment. “Drone technology would allow us to patrol these sensitive areas far more efficiently and at a lower cost than traditional security patrols,” he explained. “It’s an option we’re seriously considering to fill gaps in our current monitoring.”

    Thompson expressed deep frustration with the illegal dumping, stressing that any harm to the island’s water resources affects every resident of Barbados, regardless of where they live. “I want every person in this country to stop and think about what they’re doing when they choose to dump waste illegally. This isn’t dumping in another country that doesn’t affect us—any contamination of our water resources comes right back to our own homes, our own families, and our own friends,” he said. “It was incredibly disheartening to see that instead of using official, regulated waste disposal channels, people chose to dump this hazardous material in an area that is so critical to our water supply.”

    Moving forward, the BWA will implement more frequent patrols of all sensitive facilities and introduce stronger layered security measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. “We have clear concerns about what happened here, but we’re taking action: more frequent monitoring, better security, and a renewed focus on protecting our most vital natural resource,” Thompson confirmed. As of Tuesday, investigations into the identity of those responsible for the dumping are ongoing.

  • Straughn: Customs on guard against drugs, guns

    Straughn: Customs on guard against drugs, guns

    Barbados is stepping up its efforts to counter increasingly advanced smuggling operations targeting its borders, as the country’s Customs Service works to block the entry of illegal firearms, narcotics and other contraband that threaten public safety and economic order. Finance Minister Ryan Straughn outlined the government’s priorities during a Tuesday press briefing held at the Barbados Customs and Excise Department to mark the agency’s 121 years of operation. During his address, Straughn emphasized that border protection stands as one of the three core mandates of the Customs Service, alongside collecting critical state revenue and enabling the smooth flow of legally authorized cross-border trade. The minister acknowledged that the agency is facing growing, more complex challenges, as smuggling networks continuously develop new, undetectable methods to move prohibited goods into the country. “While we have already rolled out the most advanced detection technology currently available and will continue investing in new tools to upgrade our capabilities, human expertise remains irreplaceable in the fight against smuggling,” Straughn told attendees. “That is why we are pairing ongoing technology investments with continuous skills training for our frontline officers, to strike the right balance between tightening border security and keeping legitimate trade moving efficiently.” Straughn also clarified the strict legal framework governing firearm imports into Barbados, noting that no weapons are produced domestically in the country, nor are any manufactured across the wider Caribbean region. All firearms entering the country require official authorization, he added, which is exclusively issued by the Commissioner of Police. Any unlicensed firearm import is automatically classified as an illegal act, on par with smuggling controlled narcotics including cocaine and crystal meth—substances that have seen a dramatic surge in trafficking across the Americas in recent years. The Finance Minister’s remarks came just one day after newly appointed Comptroller of Customs Lynette Padmore announced the agency’s latest major contraband seizure: 12 unlicensed firearms, 15 ammunition magazines, approximately 900 rounds of ammunition, plus large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and other banned items. Straughn also warned that smuggling activities impose broad collateral costs on legitimate business, particularly at the country’s commercial port facilities. He used a hypothetical example to illustrate the disruption: if an illicit weapons shipment is hidden inside a legal cargo consignment at a port shed, law enforcement must halt all adjacent operations to respond, delaying clearances for hundreds of law-abiding traders waiting to process their goods. “This is why these enforcement efforts matter so much,” Straughn explained. “All law enforcement agencies, from Customs to police, must carry out their full duties to ensure every shipment adheres to national regulations, and that protects the vast majority of actors who follow the rules.” The minister also highlighted the critical need for full compliance with import declaration rules, stressing that inaccurate or intentionally misleading filings carry consequences that go far beyond lost government revenue. For example, he noted, hiding crystal meth inside a shipment declared as over-the-counter vitamins creates cascading harms: it risks bringing dangerous illicit substances into local communities, fueling addiction rates, and creating urgent public health crises across the island. “Compliance is non-negotiable, because we refuse to see our communities face a growing addiction crisis driven by illegal drug trafficking. This is a top priority for our country, and proper declaration protocols are the first line of defense against these threats,” he said. In closing, Straughn reaffirmed that the Barbados Customs Service will maintain its balanced approach, continuing to invest in both technology and officer training to improve contraband detection while working to keep regulatory burdens low for legitimate traders moving goods across the border. The agency will also continue its close partnership with other law enforcement bodies to coordinate counter-smuggling operations and stem the flow of banned goods into the country.

  • Nine months behind bars for repeat offender

    Nine months behind bars for repeat offender

    A chaotic scene unfolded at a Bridgetown magistrates court in Barbados shortly after a 35-year-old homeless man with a lengthy criminal record received a nine-month Dodds Prison sentence for stealing more than BDS$5,000 worth of cash and personal goods from an American tourist. James Jonah Josiah Sandiford, who pleaded guilty to three separate offences connected to the August 19 incident, launched an immediate public protest of the sentence, attempting to break free from escorting officers before being quickly moved to the courthouse cells.

    Court documents confirm Sandiford confessed to stealing a collection of items totaling BDS$5,020 from tourist Caleb Applewhaite, including a BDS$500 beach bag, a US passport valued at US$150, a Barbados driver’s license, BDS$1,200 in local cash, US$850 in American currency, 12 keys, three lip balms, and a pair of earphones. He also admitted to taking a BDS$1,000 key fob owned by local car rental firm Go Car Investment Limited, and to physically assaulting Applewhaite during the theft encounter. A day after the incident, he was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine paraphernalia found during his booking.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Victoria Leacock laid out the full sequence of events for the court, detailing that Applewhaite and his girlfriend had visited the popular Hot Pot leisure spot, bringing a beach bag from their car which they left resting on a pallet near the pool area. Sandiford was one of three other people already at the pool when the pair arrived. When Applewhaite entered the water to swim, Sandiford left his poolside spot, walked over to the pallet, and pretended to retrieve his own belongings before knocking over the tourist’s bag, slipping the stolen items into a black plastic garbage bag, and leaving the area. When Applewhaite noticed his bag had been moved and checked its contents, he discovered the theft and followed Sandiford to confront him. Leacock told the court that Sandiford responded to the confrontation by threatening Applewhaite with a pair of scissors, leaving the visitor fearing for his safety.

    Applewhaite immediately reported the crime to local police, providing a full description of the perpetrator. Law enforcement located Sandiford the following day in the Black Rock area of the island and took him into custody. Officers discovered the cocaine misuse apparatus in his trouser pocket during a routine search. In custody, Sandiford cooperated enough to lead police to a wooded area in Goodland where he had discarded the black plastic bag holding most of the stolen property, including Applewhaite’s passport and bank cards. None of the stolen cash was recovered.

    Sandiford, who has a criminal record stretching back to 47 prior convictions with the most recent coming in August 2025, told the court that his long-standing cocaine addiction drove him to commit the theft, and he offered a formal apology for his actions. Framing himself as an outpatient of Barbados’ Psychiatric Hospital, Sandiford told the court “I get real prickle and I real sorry. I did want money to smoke. I carry de police to get back de bag wid de passport and the other things. I asking for little help to go to Psychiatric Hospital or Verdun House,” referring to local substance abuse treatment facilities.

    However, Acting Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick rejected the request for court-ordered treatment outside of prison, noting that the Dodds Prison system already offers evidence-based drug treatment programming for incarcerated people. “You can get professional help at the prison. There is a drug treatment programme up there,” Frederick told the defendant, before handing down the nine-month sentence for the main theft charge. He urged Sandiford to engage with the available treatment programming: “Whatever is necessary up there, take part in and make sure you make yourself a better person.” Following the sentencing for theft, Sandiford was convicted, reprimanded, and discharged on the separate assault and cocaine possession charges, leading to the immediate emotional outburst and physical struggle with correctional officers inside the courthouse.

  • Mottley admits error in circus approval, defends water zoning safeguards

    Mottley admits error in circus approval, defends water zoning safeguards

    In a public update delivered Tuesday from the Alleynedale Pumping Station, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has openly acknowledged a critical misstep by the nation’s Ministry of Environment: granting approval for the Suarez Brothers Circus to host operations at the protected International Botanical Gardens without mandatory consultation with the Barbados Water Authority (BWA). In plain terms, Mottley did not mince words about the mistake, stating, “I am not going to fool you and tell you that the botanical garden was wrong when they gave permission, because they were wrong.”

    She went on to emphasize that the agency in charge of the site had a clear obligation to coordinate with the BWA before signing off on any activity at the location, given its status in the country’s drinking water protection network. “They should have known that they should not have given permission for anything to operate on the site there without talking to the water authority,” Mottley added.

    While the Prime Minister conceded that an error had occurred, she moved quickly to defend Barbados’ broader regulatory system designed to safeguard the nation’s critical water supply. Mottley argued that the BWA’s timely intervention to reverse the incorrect approval demonstrated that the system of checks and balances built into the framework functioned exactly as intended. “We want to find out where the mistake was made and what it is. I cannot tell you where the mistakes were made just so without telling you that the system worked,” she explained. “We have checks and balances in our regulatory system in this country, and when one or two of them do not function, the others must still be able to function, and this is exactly what happened here.”

    Mottley also revealed new details about the timeline of the miscommunication that preceded the planned circus opening. Four full days before the circus was scheduled to open its gates, the BWA sent a formal email to organizers explicitly stating that permission to operate at the site had not been granted, with the rejection written in all capital letters for emphasis. This official rejection came just two hours after organizers had received preliminary informal approval to move forward, Mottley said. When the BWA recognized the earlier misstep, it moved immediately to correct the record, even notifying organizers that the organization would not supply water service to the site. At the time of that notification, the BWA was not yet aware that the circus planned to have staff and performers sleep on the property, a detail that Mottley said only worsened the violation of site rules.

    Against this backdrop, Mottley questioned the judgment of circus organizers, who ultimately moved forward with opening the attraction despite the clear rejection from the water authority. “Why they would have opened on a Saturday when the Barbados Water Authority made it absolutely clear four days before that they could not get water is beyond my comprehension or understanding,” she said.

    Beyond addressing the circus controversy, Mottley used the briefing to push back against widespread public speculation and misinformation surrounding two other high-profile government projects: the new Geriatric Hospital and a development in the Vineyard area of St. Philip. Responding to claims that the Geriatric Hospital had been sited in the nation’s most restricted water protection zone, Mottley rejected the claims as factually incorrect, noting that the facility has always been located in Zone C, not the fully restricted Zone A. Technical officials in attendance at the briefing confirmed this assertion, noting that the zoning classification for the hospital site has remained consistent under both past and current government zoning frameworks.

    Mottley also addressed unfounded claims about the Vineyard development in St. Philip, noting that the vast majority of the parish falls within the less restricted Zone D classification. Dismissing the claims as deliberate misinformation meant to sow public confusion, she said, “For those who want to create mischief, I can only say that they may feel that they have reasons to want to create mischief. I do not know what they are, but I will stick to the facts. The government is not bad, and the government would never have chosen a Zone A area to build a hospital.”

    To clear up lingering public confusion about the country’s water protection zoning system, Mottley walked through the classification structure in detail. She explained that Zone A is a strict exclusion zone that prohibits all high-impact development, while Zone B functions as a pathogen exclusion zone and critical groundwater recharge area. Zone C is designated as a chemical exclusion zone, Zone E covers non-contributing recharge areas, and Zone F applies to desalination facility zones. Mottley noted that carefully controlled development is allowed in zones B and C as long as projects meet strict environmental criteria, but no non-conservation activities are permitted in Zone A.

    She tied this explanation back to the circus controversy, noting that the government specifically designated the International Botanical Gardens site as a protected green space precisely because of its strict water protection restrictions, which rule out most commercial activities. “Am I clear that there could have been no circus activity or any type of that activity at the belt? That is why this government chose to make that the International Botanical Gardens, because we know that we cannot put certain things there,” Mottley said. “That is why for the last 18 months we have been keeping it clean and flat so that it does not become a public nuisance.”

    Closing out her remarks, Mottley dismissed the claims swirling around the Vineyard development as nothing more than political posturing, noting that baseless speculation tends to spike ahead of party conferences and general election cycles. “I am not sure where that rumour came from, but I suppose there are certain times of the year that we see politics, one before annual conferences and one before an election,” she said. “I am not going to get into the silly season or the miniature silly seasons that take place on an annual basis.”

  • New Roseville to expand community mental health care

    New Roseville to expand community mental health care

    Barbados is moving forward with an ambitious, full-scale reimagining of the former Roseville Halfway House, replacing the shuttered legacy facility with a modern, community-focused mental health program designed to smooth the transition from long-term institutional care to independent living. Health officials detailed the transformative plan during a public consultation held Monday evening at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, emphasizing that the new St Peter-based facility is far more than a simple reopening of a closed site.

    “This is not a rebuilding and just a reopening of something that has been closed, but it is a reimagining, a redesign, and a new programme that will be in a new facility,” explained Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Arthur Phillips, noting that while the project occupies the original Roseville location, every aspect of the facility and its programming has been rethought from the ground up. The original Roseville halfway house closed its doors in 2015, leaving a critical gap in Barbados’ mental healthcare system that officials have long prioritized filling. Currently, a quarter-way house operates on the grounds of the country’s Psychiatric Hospital, but no fully functional halfway facility has been available for years.

    Permanent Secretary Francine Blackman of the Ministry of Health and Wellness framed the initiative as a cornerstone of the government’s push to update Barbados’ approach to mental healthcare, shifting away from centralized institutional care toward a model that centers patient dignity, autonomy, and lasting recovery. The new Roseville facility will act as what Blackman called a “safe, structured bridge” for people living with addiction and other mental health challenges, supporting their reintegration into broader society while helping them build the skills needed for self-sufficiency.

    Beyond core clinical care, the program will create practical opportunities for residents, including training and access to subsistence farming, formal employment, and self-employment. “The construction and operationalisation of this facility is therefore not solely an infrastructure project. It represents an investment in people, recovery, inclusion, and human dignity,” Blackman added.

    Dr Phillips explained that the transitional support provided by a halfway house fills an unmet need for people who have spent years in institutional care. For many, jumping directly from 24/7 institutional care to full independent living is an overwhelming leap, and the structured support of a halfway house dramatically improves outcomes for long-term recovery. While basic treatment, life skills training, and occupational therapy are already available through existing services, Roseville will add the critical intermediate step that has been missing from the care continuum.

    Rehabilitative care will sit at the heart of the new facility’s service model, according to mental health professional Dr Joy Sue. The program will offer a range of evidence-based therapies including occupational therapy, recreational therapy, and psychotherapy, all delivered in a community setting rather than a closed institutional campus — an approach that aligns with the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ long-term vision for mental healthcare reform. Dr Sue did note one key challenge the project must address: current staffing levels are insufficient to support the expanded slate of services, so workforce expansion will be a core priority as the project moves forward.

    To break down isolation and foster connection between residents and the surrounding community, planners are integrating community-facing amenities and activities. Proposed additions include a public basketball court and small-scale livestock rearing projects such as chicken raising, which will not only provide practical work experience for residents but also create natural opportunities for interaction with local neighbors.

    Despite the widespread support for the initiative among health leaders, the project still must navigate two key sets of challenges: social concerns and environmental risks. Consultant Lisa Perch, who is leading social and environmental impact assessments for the project, noted that persistent stigma around mental illness remains a significant social risk that must be proactively addressed throughout development and operation. Perch acknowledged that early community engagement has been limited due to tight project timelines, but outlined plans to ramp up outreach as planning advances. A dedicated community liaison officer will be appointed during construction to maintain open lines of communication between contractors, project leaders, and nearby residents.

    The facility’s coastal location near Six Men’s also brings a unique set of environmental considerations that planners must address. The site is located close to sensitive ecosystems that support turtle nesting, wild land and marine species, and nearby fishing grounds, alongside a local gully system that requires protection. The existing abandoned building on the property is in a state of severe disrepair, with potential hazards including mould and asbestos that will require full assessment and safe remediation before construction can begin. Planners are also accounting for climate-related risks including hurricane-force winds, storm surge, coastal flooding, and wastewater management, as well as the cumulative impact of other recent development activity in the area.

    Currently, the full environmental and social impact assessment remains in draft form, with project leaders soliciting feedback from stakeholders and local community members to refine plans and address outstanding concerns before moving into the construction phase.

  • Greaves caps junior career with top-10 world finish

    Greaves caps junior career with top-10 world finish

    After years of dominating the global junior cycling circuit, 17-year-old Barbadian racer Arielle Greaves is preparing to close one chapter of her athletic journey and open a new one, bringing her relentless drive and proven talent to the senior competitive ranks next year.

    Based in Trinidad due to a lack of dedicated cycling infrastructure in her home country, Greaves wrapped up her junior career on a high note at the recent UCI Junior Track World Championships, held in Belgium from August 19 to 23. Against a stacked field of the world’s top young riders, the Barbadian talent turned in a pair of stellar results: she claimed 10th place in the keirin event and 12th in the sprint, falling just short of qualifying for the final round in the kilo.

    In an interview with Barbados TODAY from the championship venue, Greaves gave her own performance a perfect 10 out of 10, noting the significant resource gap between her and competitors from major European cycling powerhouses like Germany and France. Unlike many of her rivals, who benefit from world-class training facilities, consistent high-level race exposure, and full national program support, Greaves has had to build her career against structural challenges. Even so, the teen rider said she held her own against the best in the world. “The level of competition was quite high because obviously those would have been people from Europe, countries where they would be exposed to higher quality of racing and performance and training. Based off my training and how well I did, I would say that I was quite up to their level however,” she explained.

    Greaves’ path to the world championships has required major personal sacrifice from the young athlete. With no velodrome available for track training in Barbados, she has had to relocate to Trinidad to pursue her elite cycling goals, living away from her family to access the facilities she needs to compete at the highest level. Acknowledging that the separation is difficult at times, Greaves framed the choice as a necessary step toward achieving her big-picture dreams. “That challenge is a little bit hard, but in life you have to make certain sacrifices to get to certain places. So it’s just a sacrifice that I have to make to be as great as being in the top 10 in the world,” she said.

    That sacrifice has already paid dividends, with her top-12 and top-10 finishes at the world championships cementing her status as one of the most promising young track cyclists in the Americas. When the competition wrapped up in Belgium, Greaves planned to return to her home country of Barbados for a well-deserved short break before heading back to Trinidad to resume her rigorous training schedule.

    With her junior career now complete, the ambitious Barbadian is already setting her sights on the next milestone: making her mark on senior cycling when she moves up to the division in 2025. Her first major senior test is already on the calendar: she is scheduled to compete at the upcoming Pan American Games, which will run from July 23 to August 8 in Lima, Peru.

    Off the track, Greaves is using her success to inspire a new generation of young Barbadian athletes, encouraging fellow aspiring riders not to let structural or personal obstacles derail their pursuit of competitive success. She shared a simple but powerful mantra for young competitors facing setbacks: “I would say that consistency is key. If you really love doing something, just stick to it and just follow the process. Not every day will be a good day and not every day will be a bad day, but at the end of the day, we all have small goals and we all get there.”