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  • Enhanced Games athletes under scrutiny as health fears swirl

    Enhanced Games athletes under scrutiny as health fears swirl

    LAS VEGAS – The inaugural Enhanced Games, a controversial multi-sport competition held this weekend in Las Vegas that permits and even facilitates performance-enhancing drug use among competitors, has sparked fierce backlash from public health experts and sports officials. Critics have launched intense scrutiny of participating athletes, questioning why they have chosen to compete in an event that flouts global anti-doping rules while posing documented and unknown long-term health risks to participants, as well as dangerous risks of encouraging risky substance use among impressionable young audiences.

    Interviews with competing athletes ahead of the event revealed a wide range of perspectives on the unorthodox competition, spanning unapologetic defiance, straightforward financial motivation, and quiet concerns about the event’s public health impact.

    Retired Australian Olympic swimmer James Magnussen, one of the highest-profile participants, has publicly confirmed he has already taken five banned performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone, growth peptides, and anabolic steroids. He downplayed personal risk, joking that unregulated use of such substances is already widespread among his athletic friends in Australia, where he says he often encourages peers to reduce their unsupervised intake of performance-enhancing products. When pressed about the risk that young fans could see his heavily muscled physique shared on social media platforms or event coverage and seek to replicate his drug use, Magnussen pushed back, arguing that the criticism is hypocritical. He pointed to the widespread legal advertising of pharmaceuticals, gambling, and alcohol on American television – all products prohibited to minors – arguing that responsibility for regulating youth access falls to parents and guardians, not athletes or event organizers.

    For former 100-meter world champion Fred Kerley, who is competing in the event without using performance-enhancing drugs, the question of athlete responsibility for promoting experimental drug use to the public is straightforward. Framing the competition as a commercial venture first and foremost, Kerley told Agence France-Presse that at the end of the day, any business needs customers to succeed. The sprinter, who holds an equity stake in the Enhanced Games organization, added that he fully supports the event’s model.

    The high-profile competition is backed by a roster of wealthy and influential backers, including tech billionaire Peter Thiel, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr., and members of the Saudi royal family, among other high-net-worth investors.

    Not all participating athletes share the defiant stance of Magnussen and Kerley. British swimmer Ben Proud, who earned a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games earlier this year, openly shared his concerns about the impact of the event’s content on young fans, saying he worries impressionable young athletes will be inspired to start using performance-enhancing drugs after watching the competition. Proud said he wishes he could block all users under the age of 21 from accessing his social media content related to the event, but noted that such strict age-gating is impossible to implement on mainstream platforms. The 31-year-old, who chose to participate after already securing his Olympic success, emphasized that younger athletes should “no way” attempt to use performance-enhancing drugs, saying he hopes adult stakeholders will work to protect young fans and developing athletes from harmful exposure.

    Organizers of the Enhanced Games have pushed back against safety criticisms, noting that all substances provided to competing athletes are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for legal clinical use. However, leading sports scientists and medical researchers have warned that the long-term health impacts of using these substances at the extremely high doses required to challenge world records remain completely unstudied. A recent analysis from the University of Birmingham warns that chronic use of high-dose performance-enhancing drugs can lead to severe damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys, with life-threatening complications potentially emerging decades after first use.

    When asked about these long-term risks, Magnussen drew a parallel to the widespread global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, noting that long-term impacts of those injections were also unknown when they were first deployed to the public. Pressed on whether he opposed COVID-19 vaccines while supporting the Enhanced Games’ unprecedented open doping regime, Magnussen clarified that he was only drawing a comparison between the two situations’ unknown long-term effects, not taking an explicit anti-vaccine stance.

    Other participating athletes have said they are comfortable deferring to the medical experts employed by the Enhanced Games to assess safety. Proud said he has accepted the event’s medical team’s assurance that the substances he is taking are safe for his use. Former Greek Olympic swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev echoed that perspective, saying he relies entirely on the guidance of the event’s doctors rather than unvetted information from social media influencers, and that he had little prior knowledge of the substances before joining the competition.

  • Peaceful protest fine, roadblocks no

    Peaceful protest fine, roadblocks no

    In the tense community of Granville, St James, Jamaica, a standoff has emerged between local law enforcement and residents following a string of controversial fatal shootings involving security forces. Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, the commanding officer for the St James Police Constabulary, has drawn a hard line: while peaceful demonstrations, including a planned march this Sunday, remain permitted, no community event approvals will be issued until residents end their widespread road blockades.

    Unrest has roiled Granville for weeks, sparked by back-to-back fatal police shootings that have left the community reeling. The most recent death came on May 17, 2026, when Latoya “Buju” Bulgin was shot and killed by a police officer while she was transporting people protesting an earlier killing. Seven days prior, 17-year-old Tjey Edwards—Bulgin’s cousin’s son—was shot dead by an officer during the wrap-up of a police operation in the area. These deaths come on top of three other fatal police shootings on New Year’s Day, which claimed the life of four-year-old Romaine Bowman and two adult men, leaving cumulative grief and anger simmering across the neighborhood.

    In response to the killings, residents have erected repeated blockades on key access roads leading into and out of Granville. Last Monday’s demonstration was the most intense to date, forcing police and firefighters to spend days clearing barricades and extinguishing burning debris left by protesters. Speaking at a community meeting held Thursday evening at Granville Primary School, Samuels made his position clear to assembled residents: roadblocks are a non-negotiable red line that puts all event permits on hold.

    “Blocking roads benefits no one, and that’s why I can’t approve any event permits right now,” Samuels told the crowd. He explained that ongoing blockades create a public safety hazard that makes hosting and attending community events unacceptably risky. “If roads are blocked anywhere in the area, all planned events get canceled immediately. The tension that comes with blockades means the space isn’t safe for organizers or attendees.”

    Since blockades began, Samuels confirmed he has already been forced to reject permit applications for four upcoming community events. He stressed that residents cannot simultaneously maintain road blockades and expect approval for public gatherings: “You can’t have it both ways. Our priority is safety and security. Right now, our patrol resources are tied up responding to roadblocks instead of patrolling the neighborhood, monitoring public events, and keeping residents safe as they go about their daily lives. If we’re stuck playing cat-and-mouse with blockaders, we can’t do the work that supports the community.”

    When pressed by residents about the string of recent fatal shootings, Samuels noted that all cases are currently active under investigation, and he is barred from commenting on ongoing probes. Still, he acknowledged the pain the community is feeling: “Any loss of life hurts everyone, on both sides. No one wants to see unnecessary death. We believe everyone should live out their full lives.”

    Samuels also warned that blockades put ordinary residents at disproportionate risk, pointing to the community’s population of between 13,000 and 15,000 people. “If even one person needs emergency police or medical help and can’t get it because the road is blocked, that person could die,” he said. “A woman in labor might not get to the hospital in time, people can’t get to their jobs to earn a living. More harm comes from this action—it only makes a bad situation worse.”

    The senior superintendent stressed that he is ready and willing to approve the planned Sunday peaceful march and upcoming funeral events honoring Bulgin, as long as residents commit to ending road blockades permanently. During the meeting, residents voiced sharp criticism of security forces’ conduct in the shootings. Bulgin’s own son spoke up to condemn police for failing to reach out to his family in the wake of her death, saying: “Everyone knows where Buju lives if they wanted to talk to us.”

    For Samuels, a key priority right now is protecting the hard-won progress Granville has made over the past several years to reduce violence and stabilize the once-volatile neighborhood. “What we need to do now is rebuild the trust and relationship we had between police and this community,” he said. The Thursday meeting was also attended by prominent community activist O Dave Allen and Dwight Crawford, Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay.

  • Capleton generates buzz with ‘Prayers Up’

    Capleton generates buzz with ‘Prayers Up’

    Three decades into his iconic career shaping the global reggae-dancehall landscape, legendary artist Capleton is drawing overwhelming affection and attention from fans across the world, as excitement grows around his latest collaborative single “Prayers Up” featuring producer Derrick Sound.

    Crafted as a spiritually charged anthem by production label Evidence Music, the track is currently available for streaming on every major digital music platform. It marks the second advance single from Capleton’s hotly anticipated forthcoming full-length studio album, *Heights Of Fire*, slated for official release on June 26, 2026.

    A pioneer long celebrated for his searing, conscious lyrical style and unwavering commitment to sharing Rastafarian values, Capleton shared that “Prayers Up” embodies the deep spiritual foundation of Jamaican culture and advances his long-standing mission to speak out against systemic inequality and injustice. “Jamaica is a spiritual nation so we just continue to burn the fire,” the artist explained. “We will always defend equal rights and justice, and wherever there is corruption, we are going to stamp it out.”

    The new single has already built significant international momentum, earning placement on a number of high-profile curated playlists across leading streaming services. These include YouTube Music’s official reggae collections and multiple Apple Music lineups: Crucial Roots, WorldWide Riddim, and NMD.

    The upcoming *Heights Of Fire* album features a star-studded roster of collaborators, bringing together some of the biggest names in modern reggae and global creative partners. Featured artists include Damian Marley, Stephen Marley and Eesah, while production credits go to industry heavyweights Derrick Sound, Little Lion Sound, Mista Savona, Mixing Finga and L’Entourloop.

    Derrick Maître, CEO of Evidence Music and producer on the project, noted that early audience and industry response to the album rollout has been overwhelmingly positive. “The momentum is clearly building and the response from audiences has been extremely encouraging,” Maître said.

    A full slate of additional advance singles will roll out in the lead-up to the album’s launch, with a clear release schedule mapped out: *Jah Shine His Light* will drop on May 22, *Behave Yourself* on June 5, *Highway Robbers* on June 19, and *Babylon So Evil* — a high-profile collaboration with Damian and Stephen Marley — scheduled to launch alongside the full album on June 26.

    Since breaking into the music scene in the late 1980s, Capleton has built an unparalleled legacy as one of reggae’s most consistent and influential voices. Across more than 30 years in the industry, he has released over 15 full-length studio albums, including beloved fan favorites *Prophecy* and *More Fire*, which spawned enduring reggae classics like *Jah Jah City* and *Who Dem?*. The artist earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Reggae Album in 2002 for his project *Still Blazin*.

    With *Heights Of Fire*, Capleton is positioned to reconnect and reignite passion among his global fanbase once again. The album stays true to the artist’s core themes of spirituality, resistance against injustice, and moral righteousness, blending classic roots reggae foundations with modern production techniques and subtle hip-hop influences to push his signature sound into a new era.

  • Sifting through the little-known dynamics of race day, Saturday, May 16, 2026

    Sifting through the little-known dynamics of race day, Saturday, May 16, 2026

    Every race meet at Jamaica’s iconic Caymanas Park transforms the sprawling turf venue into a living stage, where split-second decisions and equine power produce a constant rotation of elation and disappointment. The roar of the crowd, the thunder of hooves down the homestretch, and the unpredictable turns of fortune are what keep racing fans coming back week after week, turning a simple day of competition into a collection of memorable stories that last long after the final finish line is crossed. No two race cards are ever the same, and this particular 10-race meet delivered a series of rare and joyful milestones no scriptwriter could have planned.

    The first race of the day set the tone for an afternoon of breakthroughs. It was Life Is Life, a starter under jockey Dane Dawkins, who crossed the wire first for veteran trainer Gresford Smith. For Smith, the victory was far more than a notch on his season stats: entering the race, he had only entered five runners all year and had yet to secure a single win. This long-awaited breakthrough stood as a powerful testament to his persistence through a slow start to the season. Life Is Life delivered such a dominant performance that immediately after the win, racing officials received an extraordinary 20 formal claims for the young horse, a clear sign of how impressed industry insiders were with the performance.

    If the opening race brought a veteran trainer his long-awaited win, it was young apprentice jockey Tajay Suckoo who delivered the day’s most remarkable and rare quirk of racing fate. Suckoo not notched two victories on the same 10-race card – he won aboard two horses that share a stunning set of coincidences. His first win came on Native Alliance, conditioned by trainer Paul Swaby, followed by a second win on Native Flyer, trained by Steven Todd. What makes the pair of wins extraordinary goes far beyond the matching “Native” prefix in both horses’ names.

    Digging into the bloodlines reveals an even rarer connection: both horses are sired by the same stallion, Successful Native. Native Alliance, a five-year-old bay, is out of the dam Water Wave, while Native Flyer hails from dam Polly Flyer. The result is what racing fans are calling a “Native four-timer”: two horses with Native in their names, both from the sire Successful Native, both winning on the same card under the same jockey. This extraordinary confluence of bloodline, naming and timing is an outcome that racing experts note almost never occurs, making Suckoo’s double win one for the Caymanas Park history books.

    When the dust settled on the 10th and final race of the day, another legendary milestone was added to the card. The finale went to Awesome Kitty, a three-year-old chestnut filly trained by Winchester McIntosh, with veteran jockey Paul Francis guiding the filly to a determined victory. For Francis, the win marked his fifth victory of the 2026 racing season – but it also reinforced his status as one of the greatest jockeys in Jamaican racing history. With more than 800 career wins to his name, Francis has secured a permanent spot among the sport’s elite in the country. His decades-long career of consistent excellence remains unmatched across Jamaican Thoroughbred racing, capping off an already unforgettable day of competition with a reminder of the sport’s enduring legends.

  • Dutch hospital admits patient with ‘low suspicion’ of Ebola

    Dutch hospital admits patient with ‘low suspicion’ of Ebola

    In a development that comes hours after the World Health Organization raised the global risk level of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to its highest tier, a Netherlands hospital confirmed Friday that it has admitted a patient for what it describes as “low suspicion” of the deadly virus.

    Officials at Radboud University Medical Center, based in the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen, announced that the patient has already been transferred to a purpose-built specialized isolation ward, where medical teams will conduct ongoing observation, diagnostic testing and targeted precautionary treatment. As of Friday’s public announcement, the hospital has not released any additional identifying information about the patient, nor has it shared details about whether the individual has any recent travel history to Ebola-affected regions.

    This is not the first time the Nijmegen-based medical facility has found itself at the center of a public infectious disease safety conversation. Just months earlier on May 11, the hospital made international headlines when a dozen of its clinical staff members were placed into mandatory preventive quarantine. The quarantine was triggered after procedural mistakes occurred while the team was caring for an evacuee from the cruise ship MV Hondius who tested positive for hantavirus. The errors were made during the handling of the patient’s blood samples and the disposal of the individual’s urine, prompting public scrutiny of the facility’s infection control protocols at the time.

    Earlier on the same Friday this potential Ebola case was announced, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the global health body was upgrading its official risk assessment for the DR Congo outbreak to the top red level, amid a steady rise in confirmed and suspected fatalities from the virus. Tedros described the unfolding public health crisis in the central African nation as “deeply worrisome”, noting that official counts now stand at nearly 750 suspected Ebola cases across the country, with 177 suspected deaths tied to the outbreak.

  • Wolmer’s celebrates 297 years with bold vision for future

    Wolmer’s celebrates 297 years with bold vision for future

    One of the Caribbean’s most storied educational institutions marked a major milestone this week, as Wolmer’s Schools celebrated its 297th anniversary on Thursday with the launch of a transformative infrastructure initiative designed to cement its status as a regional leader in educational technology by its tricentennial in 2029.

    The announcement was delivered to hundreds of assembled students inside Kingston’s Douglas Orane Auditorium at Wolmer’s Boys’ School by Courtney Wynter, chairman of the institution’s joint board of management, during the annual Founder’s Day celebration. Wynter framed the multi-year expansion as a proactive response to shifting global workforce demands, driven by rapid technological advancement and the growing mainstream integration of artificial intelligence across every sector of the modern economy.

    “Positioning Wolmer’s for the next 300 years requires us to equip our students — both young men and women — with the tools and training they need to meet the challenges of a fast-changing future,” Wynter told the audience. The phased development programme, set to kick off in June 2025 and run through to the 300th anniversary celebrations in 2029, will overhaul the school’s tech and multimedia infrastructure to support next-generation learning.

    Construction work will get underway next month with the addition of a new floor to the institution’s sixth-form block. Over the first three years of the project, the school will add a minimum of 16 new purpose-built spaces, including a state-of-the-art lecture hall, expanded information and communications technology (ICT) laboratories, a full-scale professional multimedia production studio, and a centralized multimedia center designed to support cross-curricular tech-focused learning.

    Wynter emphasized that all new facilities will be fitted with cutting-edge, future-forward learning tools built to scale with emerging technological developments over coming decades. He confirmed the initiative represents the largest single infrastructure investment in Wolmer’s nearly 300-year history, a commitment that will firmly establish the school as the Caribbean’s premiere hub for technology talent development once completed.

    To deliver on the ambitious vision, Wynter called for full collaboration across all of Wolmer’s stakeholder groups, highlighting the critical need for financial contributions to the school’s expansion fund and ongoing professional upskilling programmes for teaching staff to ensure they can leverage the new facilities effectively.

    The Founder’s Day event also reflected on Wolmer’s remarkable 297-year legacy of resilience and educational excellence. Wynter noted that through centuries of economic, social, and political upheaval, the institution has never merged, been absorbed into another body, or divested, retaining its independent identity as Jamaica and the Caribbean’s oldest continuously operating co-educational secondary school system.

    “Today we stand proudly as the oldest, and without question, the most well-rounded educational institution in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,” Wynter said. “For 297 years, our core identity has been defined by two enduring attributes: a culture of resilience and an unbroken tradition of excellence.”

    Responding to common public narratives that often frame Wolmer’s reputation around its dominant performance in national inter-school athletic competitions such as the Manning Cup football tournament and the Inter-Secondary Schools Association Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), Wynter reaffirmed the institution’s standing as the region’s top academic provider. “Wolmer’s is unquestionably the crème de la crème of Caribbean educational institutions,” he said. “No other high school in the country can claim consecutive top excellence ratings from the National Educational Institute Inspectorate — that distinction belongs to Wolmer’s alone. We pause today to thank the generations of leaders, educators, and alumni who laid this foundation of excellence that we build on today.”

    Thursday’s celebration included special devotions attended by students from both Wolmer’s Boys’ School and Wolmer’s High School for Girls, as well as a symbolic torch ceremony to mark the official countdown to the 2029 tricentennial, led by Wolmer’s Boys’ School Principal Dwight Pennycooke and senior teacher Princess Hemmings.

  • Senate president says Parliament will not ‘bow to intimidation’ over delayed FLA report

    Senate president says Parliament will not ‘bow to intimidation’ over delayed FLA report

    Political friction has intensified in Jamaica over the withholding of a sensitive Integrity Commission report tied to the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), as top parliamentary leaders have pushed back against growing condemnation from the country’s opposition bloc. Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson has issued a staunch defense of the decision to keep the controversial document off the parliamentary table, rejecting opposition claims that House Speaker Juliet Holness acted alone to delay its release and emphasizing that Parliament will not yield to outside pressure.

    During a Friday Senate sitting, opposition lawmaker Lambert Brown raised questions about whether other Integrity Commission submissions had been received but left untabled by parliamentary leadership. In response, Tavares-Finson confirmed that the FLA-focused report had been delivered to Parliament on March 30, 2026, but remains undisclosed to the public.

    For days following the revelation, the issue has roiled Jamaican politics and sparked widespread public debate. Opposition figures have accused the governing faction of intentionally delaying a report that is widely rumored to include damning findings of mismanagement and alleged improper conduct at the FLA. Much of the opposition’s criticism has centered directly on House Speaker Juliet Holness, with Opposition Leader Mark Golding arguing earlier this week that the failure to table the report promptly violates the core intent of the Integrity Commission Act.

    Tavares-Finson flatly rejected all claims that Holness made the call to withhold the report unilaterally or inappropriately. In a forceful address to the Senate, he clarified that the choice was a joint one made by the body’s top presiding officers — himself as Senate President and Holness as Speaker — after formal consultation with Parliament’s clerk and in-house legal advisors. He went on to accuse critics of deliberately singling out Holness in a coordinated effort to undermine her public credibility.

    “What is abundantly clear is that actors with full knowledge of the joint decision have falsely pinned the entire responsibility on the Speaker, all in a bid to besmirch her authority and tarnish her reputation,” Tavares-Finson said. “I am not shocked by these attacks. Jamaica has a long, well-documented history of segments of our society targeting and attacking women in powerful leadership positions.”

    Beyond defending the process that led to the decision, Tavares-Finson also justified its legality, noting that the Integrity Commission Act does not mandate that presiding officers table received reports within any set deadline. He explained that while the commission is tasked with submitting reports to Parliament for tabling, the ultimate authority to decide if and when a report is released publicly rests with the body’s presiding leadership.

    A core pillar of the government’s defense is the existence of active court proceedings tied to the report’s release. Tavares-Finson confirmed that Parliament opted to delay tabling to allow ongoing litigation to move forward, explaining that officials wanted clarity on the court’s position before making the document public. “There is currently an active court case seeking to block the disclosure of this report,” he said. “We took the position that we should let these proceedings advance to understand the court’s direction, and we agreed the report should not be tabled until the legal issues are fully aired in court.”

    The Senate President also made a new disclosure during the sitting: he and Holness have received formal correspondence from Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who threatened to pursue legal action if the report is not tabled at Parliament’s next sitting. Tavares-Finson called the threat an unprecedented challenge to parliamentary governance, and said the move falls far below the standard of dignity expected from the leader of the opposition.

    “Without going into excessive detail, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: the presiding officers of this Parliament will not bow to any form of intimidation or threat,” he added. “We will manage the affairs of this institution in full accordance with established protocols, our standing orders, and the Constitution of Jamaica.”

  • Clampdown on roadside garages in Trelawny

    Clampdown on roadside garages in Trelawny

    FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Local municipal authorities in Jamaica’s Trelawny parish have stepped up enforcement against unregulated roadside garage operators that encroach on public roadways with vehicles under repair, with Falmouth’s mayor issuing a stark warning that non-compliant operators could have their abandoned or improperly parked vehicles hauled away by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

    C Junior Gager, mayor of Falmouth, singled out a high-profile problematic operator based along Foreshore Road, a key entry corridor to the historic port town that has drawn consistent complaints from residents, business owners and visitors alike. Gager confirmed that the operator has already received two formal official notices to clear the road of parked service vehicles.

    The good news, Gager noted, is that the operator has begun to take steps toward compliance, with one side of the two-lane roadway now fully cleared of the parked vehicles that previously blocked through traffic and public parking spaces. Municipal works staff have been assigned to conduct constant monitoring of the site to prevent the encroachment from reoccurring, the mayor added, with regular on-site checks already underway to ensure full compliance is maintained.

    “We have tasked the superintendent of works with ongoing oversight of this area. As of this morning, he was on location confirming progress, because if full compliance is not achieved, we will be forced to implement direct enforcement action,” Gager explained in an interview.

    For local officials, the pileup of service vehicles along Foreshore Road is more than just an inconvenience: it is a public safety hazard and a major blight on the image of one of Jamaica’s most important historic tourist towns. Right after visitors pass the large “Welcome to Falmouth” sign marking the entrance to the town, they are immediately confronted by the line of partially disassembled vehicles lining both sides of the road, Gager said.

    Beyond the aesthetic damage to the town’s image, the encroachment has created a critical parking shortage for local residents and nearby business operators, who have flooded the municipal corporation with repeated complaints about the issue. The corporation’s current enforcement push will see officials continue issuing formal notices to all roadside operators that are illegally occupying public roadways, Gager confirmed.

    “To any operator that is storing vehicles on public roads: be on notice. The Trelawny Municipal Corporation is cracking down. We will be issuing formal notices, this illegal activity will not be tolerated. If you fail to comply with our requests, we will bring NSWMA trucks to remove your vehicles and take them directly to the municipal dump,” Gager warned.

    The mayor emphasized that the municipal government holds a core responsibility to keep public roadways safe for all users, including motorists and pedestrians. When vehicles are parked along the side of travel lanes, he explained, drivers are forced to swerve into oncoming traffic to pass, creating a high risk of head-on collisions and other serious accidents.

    Gager’s latest warning comes on the heels of a broader enforcement sweep recently carried out by the TMC in the upscale gated community of Florence Hall. During that operation, officials served notices to multiple property owners for violating local building codes, including one property owner who was storing several old, derelict vehicles on their residential land.

    In that Florence Hall case, Gager said officials are preparing to issue a second formal notice, and have ordered the property owner to clear the land and bring the site into compliance with local property maintenance regulations.

    The current crackdown is part of a broader municipal push to clean up Falmouth, improve public safety, and preserve the town’s historic character as it attracts increasing numbers of tourists and new business investment.

  • Brownskin Rae taps into faith and self-reflection with upcoming single ‘Father’

    Brownskin Rae taps into faith and self-reflection with upcoming single ‘Father’

    Dancehall performer Brownskin Rae is charting a new creative course, trading in her signature genre blend of melodic singing and gritty deejaying for a deeply personal, spiritually rooted direction with her upcoming lead single *Father*, set to drop on May 22. Centered on themes of faith, personal development, emotional resilience, and divine grace, the track marks the most intentional shift yet for the artist, who has built her fanbase on a dynamic, genre-bending take on traditional dancehall.

    In recent months, Brownskin Rae has felt a growing pull toward creating conscious, uplifting music that reflects her evolving personal journey. While she remains open to her earlier style of secular work and still enjoys the genre, her creative impulse has increasingly turned toward work that carries meaningful, encouraging messages for listeners navigating life’s hardships. “I have been yearning to write more conscious songs,” she shared in an interview about the new release. “I still have the talent to create secular music and I still listen to it, but my desire to make those type of songs is slowly dissipating.”

    The core mission of *Father* is to inspire audiences to stay grounded in their faith, remain true to their authentic selves, and hold onto prayer during life’s most challenging seasons, she explained. Brownskin Rae noted that for many people, personal struggles often feel too vulnerable to share with others, but turning to a higher power offers consistent comfort and guidance. “When you’re going through things, sometimes we don’t feel comfortable discussing them with anybody, but you can always call on God,” she said.

    True to her creative process, *Father* draws directly from Brownskin Rae’s own life experiences and emotional journey, weaving in themes of personal accountability, divine grace, and inner healing. The artist has long rooted her discography in personal truth, and this track is no exception. “I’m not perfect, but I ask God for grace and mercy,” she shared. “Most of my songs are based on personal experiences.”

    Musically, *Father* retains the artist’s iconic fusion of singing and deejaying, layered over an emotionally resonant production that balances raw vulnerability with empowering energy. Interestingly, the track’s origins came from an unexpected everyday encounter: Brownskin Rae was shopping for a new refrigerator for her mother’s home when she met a man named Odane, who connected her via phone to producer Gargon. After listening to a collection of instrumentals co-created by Gargon and Cucudon, one beat immediately stood out and stuck with her. “I let the beat sit for about a week, then one day I woke up and wrote the song,” she recalled.

    The track went through multiple stages of production before reaching its final form: it was first recorded with producer Supreme, before Brownskin Rae partnered with Feel Good Boss, who championed the project and connected her with audio engineer G1 to finalize the track. Full production credits for *Father* include Gargon, Cucudon, Supreme, Feel Good Boss, and G1.

    While the single marks a clear evolution in Brownskin Rae’s public artistry, she emphasizes that spirituality has long been a core part of who she is, not a new persona adopted for this release. “This side of me isn’t new. I’ve always been a strong, prayerful person,” she explained. “Life lessons and wisdom are steering me more now than before.”

    As an independent dancehall artist, Brownskin Rae reflected that her career path has been marked by unexpected challenges, setbacks, and changes of direction, all of which she now credits for her personal and creative growth. She has never sought to conform to industry expectations or copy the brand of other artists, instead trusting that closed doors are a form of divine timing and protection. “I’ve never tried to portray myself as another artiste or fit into a mold,” she said. “I believe if a door didn’t open, it was divine protection and timing.”

    Looking ahead, *Father* will serve as the lead single for Brownskin Rae’s upcoming three-track EP, which will also include the tracks *Sunrize* and *Cyah Give Up*. The full extended play is scheduled to launch before July this year.

  • Super David given edge in Monday Morning Trophy

    Super David given edge in Monday Morning Trophy

    One of Jamaica’s most anticipated annual thoroughbred racing events, the 10th edition of the $1.1-million Monday Morning Trophy, is set to take center stage tomorrow as the headline attraction of a nine-race program at the iconic Caymanas Park.

    The feature race is structured as a Restricted Allowance II contest, open exclusively to native-bred three-year-old horses that have not claimed two career wins to date. A competitive field of eight contenders has been confirmed for the 7-furlong (1,400-meter) sprint, with racing analysts from The Supreme Racing Guide breaking down each runner’s potential to claim the top prize.

    First up is Minneha, a three-year-old bay filly sired by Savoy Stomp out of Red Gold. Analysts do not project her to be a competitive factor in tomorrow’s outing.

    In contrast, Charming Chaterbox, a three-year-old bay filly by Successful Native out of Morning Glory, turned heads with a stunning debut victory on February 21. She dominated that 5½-furlong contest, crossing the finish line 9¼ lengths ahead of the pack with a fast time of 1:08.3. With expected natural improvement from her first outing, analysts rank her as a serious contender for the trophy.

    Third in the field is Darwin, a three-year-old bay colt by Casual Trick out of Cape. The Supreme Racing Guide notes he has not displayed enough form to indicate he is prepared to secure a win in this race.

    Fourth is Super David, a three-year-old bay gelding sired by Patton Proud out of Storm Girl. He delivered a similarly dominant performance in his most recent start on May 2, romping to an 8¼-length win over 6½ furlongs with a time of 1:20.2. Analysts say the extra half-furlong for tomorrow’s race should not pose a problem for the colt, who is being pointed toward the 2000 Guineas later in the season. As such, he is widely considered a strong candidate to notch his second consecutive win.

    London Spirit, a three-year-old bay colt by Bern Identity out of Bluefield, does not appear to have the top-tier class needed to take home the victory, per analyst assessments.

    Sixth in the field is Tia Maria, a three-year-old chestnut filly by Bold Conquest out of Zacapa, who is making her return to the track after a 148-day layoff. Her last race was on December 26, 2025, where she finished seventh in the competitive Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes. Training reports indicate she has posted strong workout times in preparation for her seasonal debut. While there is some question over whether she will need this outing to shake off race rust, analysts agree she has the inherent class and talent to pull off a win.
    \nSeventh is Strong Aveenu, a three-year-old bay colt by Aveenu Malcainu out of Ruby Rose. While he claimed a win in his most recent start, analysts do not expect him to repeat that performance in this higher-stakes contest.

    Rounding out the field is Fidelity, a three-year-old bay gelding by Bern Identity out of Hush My Darling, who analysts project will be outpaced by the rest of the competitive field. The race is set to run tomorrow as part of Caymanas Park’s full racing card, with fans already anticipating a showdown between the event’s top contenders.