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  • Hip Strip development will fall under NaRRA, says TEF head

    Hip Strip development will fall under NaRRA, says TEF head

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — One of Jamaica’s most high-profile tourist destinations, the Hip Strip — formally named Jimmy Cliff Boulevard — in Montego Bay may soon see its long-delayed revitalization accelerated through the country’s newly established post-disaster development body, the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), according to Dr Carey Wallace, executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

    Wallace shared the latest project update in an interview with Jamaica Observer on Tuesday, just hours before legislation formally creating NaRRA was approved by Jamaica’s House of Representatives. The executive director explained that the long-awaited infrastructure upgrade is eligible for inclusion in NaRRA’s project portfolio because the Hip Strip sits at the core of a larger coastal corridor marked for large-scale regional redevelopment.

    “The entire corridor stretching from Montego Bay’s port, along Bottom Road through the Hip Strip, and extending all the way to Trelawny is earmarked for major transformation under the NaRRA programme,” Wallace noted. He added that TEF has already completed critical preliminary work, including detailed designs and comprehensive underground infrastructure mapping, which will be shared to support seamless coordinated development between the two entities.

    Plans for the Hip Strip upgrade were first unveiled back in 2021 by TEF chairman Godfrey Dyer, with an initial projected budget of roughly $1 billion Jamaican dollars. The proposed upgrades are designed to dramatically improve the popular tourist corridor’s look and functionality: key planned works include burying unsightly overhead utility lines underground and constructing new purpose-built parking garages to ease chronic congestion in the area. To date, the project has advanced to the detailed design phase, with TEF holding ongoing consultations with local businesses and stakeholders along the boulevard to incorporate community input.

    The update came during an on-the-side conversation at a pep rally hosted by the TUI Care Foundation for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises across Jamaica. Wallace said that the project was among many across the country that faced minor delays after Hurricane Melissa hit, as the government shifted priority to immediate disaster relief and sector recovery, efforts that are still ongoing today.

    But he remains optimistic that NaRRA’s involvement will not only get the project back on track but deliver a more ambitious, impactful outcome than originally planned. “I know the government is moving quickly to get NaRRA operational, and this new body is designed to advance large-scale infrastructure projects like this much faster than existing frameworks. In the end, I’m expecting an even better result for Montego Bay and for Jamaica as a whole,” Wallace said.

    While he could not share a revised final budget for the revitalization, Wallace emphasized that the project will gain major benefits from NaRRA’s dedicated funding pool for post-disaster recovery and long-term climate resilience. “NaRRA has its own dedicated budget focused on recovery and building resilience. From where I stand, that means this project will end up being far more impactful than it would have been otherwise,” he explained. “With NaRRA on board, a whole host of delayed projects will not only be restarted but likely expanded. I’m confident we will deliver massive progress across the corridor within just a few years.”

  • G Cole salutes Ernie Smith on new track, ‘There Goes That Man’

    G Cole salutes Ernie Smith on new track, ‘There Goes That Man’

    For two decades, emerging Jamaican singer-songwriters have looked to one iconic figure as the gold standard of the craft: Ernie Smith, who passed away on April 16 at the age of 80 at Miami’s University of Miami Hospital, leaving behind an enduring mark on reggae and Caribbean music. The legendary performer, who defined Jamaican singer-songwriter culture in the 1970s as Federal Records’ leading artist in Kingston, had been admitted to the hospital two weeks prior for surgery, and his death has prompted an outpouring of respect from peers and the next generation of musical talent he inspired.

    Smith’s decades-long catalog features some of reggae’s most beloved tracks, including chart-topping hits like *Pitta Patta*, Life is Just For Living, and *I For Jesus*, alongside fan favorites such as Sunday Morning Coming Down and *Duppy Gunman*. His signature folksy style carved out a unique space for him during the golden age of roots-reggae, earning him a broad, loyal cross-regional following that endures to this day. For newer artists like Jamaican performer G Cole, who also grew up in St Ann alongside Smith, the late legend was more than an icon — he was a close friend and lifelong inspiration.

    Within days of Smith’s passing, G Cole teamed up with producer Ed Robinson to release *There Goes That Man*, a heartfelt tribute honoring Smith’s unparalleled talent and influence. The track dropped on April 28, and it comes on the heels of a years-long friendship between the two St Ann-born musicians. “I first met Ernie in 2023, and you’d swear we’ve known each other for years. That was one of his great attributes,” G Cole shared in an interview, reflecting on their instant bond.

    The pair shared the stage most recently last December, performing together at a fundraising concert in Riviera Beach, located in southeastern Florida. G Cole was able to connect with Smith one final time before his death: he spoke to the legend by phone after the December show, and visited him just 24 hours before he passed at the Miami hospital. During that final visit, G Cole fulfilled an unmet promise to Smith: the late singer was a fan of G Cole’s track *Old Days*, which G Cole was supposed to perform at Smith’s birthday party before the event was canceled. Sitting by Smith’s hospital bed, G Cole sang the song for him one last time.

    Beyond music, G Cole’s admiration for Smith extended to his character and lifelong dedication to his craft. “As an artiste, he was an enigma. Big voice, awesome storyteller, his smile was as big as his voice, and he lived for that stage. No doctor, no management could keep him off it,” G Cole recalled. “A true showman, and he loved his fans as much as they loved him.”

    A longtime resident of South Florida, G Cole has already dropped three full-length albums, with his fourth collection scheduled to hit streaming services and record shelves this summer. For fans of Ernie Smith, a public thanksgiving service to honor his life and legacy will be held on May 16 at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Davie, South Florida, bringing together loved ones, fans, and fellow artists to celebrate the decades of joy and music he brought to the world.

  • Jamaican influencers call out pressure for immediate ROI from brands

    Jamaican influencers call out pressure for immediate ROI from brands

    The global influencer marketing space has long prioritized speed and viral performance, but a group of top Jamaican content creators and industry professionals are challenging the dominant expectation of immediate return on investment (ROI) from brand collaborations. At a recent major regional marketing conference, they called on local and international brands working with Caribbean creators to shift from quick, one-off campaigns to relationship-driven, long-term partnership strategies.

    Speaking during a panel discussion at the IMPACT x Mystique marketing conference held Thursday at Kingston’s AC Hotel, prominent Jamaican lifestyle creator Rushane “RushCam” Campbell drew a sharp analogy to criticize brands’ rushed expectations. He compared the pressure to deliver instant sales to being asked to carry water in a basket, noting that the common demand to move dozens of product units immediately after a single post does not align with how influencer marketing actually works.

    Campbell’s perspective was echoed by Khadine “Miss Kitty” Wilkinson, a veteran media personality with more than 20 years of experience partnering with leading brands. Wilkinson pushed back against the idea that one-size-fits-all metrics should be the only benchmark to determine whether a campaign delivers value for money. She emphasized that organic influence builds gradually, noting that audience trust and purchasing decisions often take months or even years to mature, rather than delivering instant results like a microwave meal. Too many brands write off a campaign as a failure if they do not see a massive immediate sales jump, she argued, ignoring the slower, more sustainable impact of consistent influencer alignment.

    Singer-turned-content creator Tami Chin Mitchell reinforced the panel’s shared stance by referencing the well-known Marketing Rule of 7, which holds that potential customers need an average of seven interactions with a brand before making a purchase. Quipping that for Jamaican consumers the number is closer to 17, she drew laughter from the audience while underscoring the need for extended brand exposure to drive conversions.

    Panel moderator Naomi Garrick, a personal branding coach and the head of Garrick Communications, added that local Jamaican brands regularly come to her seeking quick marketing fixes, often requesting one-off posts or two-week short campaigns. Garrick said she consistently warns these brands that such rushed strategies are ultimately a waste of money. While short campaigns may generate temporary buzz, they fail to deliver sustained results, she explained. Meaningful impact and accurate performance measurement only come from longer-term collaborations that allow influence to develop over a broader time frame, rather than quick, superficial hits, she added.

    Campbell shared a concrete example of how long-term collaboration delivers results, pointing to his multi-year partnership with organizers of Barbados’ popular Crop Over festival. After hosting Campbell and other influencers in 2022 and inviting the group back again in 2023, the festival sold out completely in 2024, with attendance drawing visitors from across the Caribbean, Europe, North America and beyond. The multi-year investment in influencer relationships directly drove that sell-out outcome, he noted.

    “Trust time, work with people over a period of time, people who have access to great communities, build deeper roots and trust, and know that, with collaboration, it will in fact work out; don’t expect it to work in one go… things just nah fly off the shelf,” Campbell said, stressing that patience is key to unlocking meaningful, long-term returns.

    The two-day IMPACT x Mystique marketing conference, hosted by Mystique Integrated in partnership with Main Event Entertainment Group, iPrint Group and M-One Productions, concludes Friday. The event has drawn hundreds of senior marketers, content creators, C-suite executives, startup founders and media decision-makers from across the region to discuss emerging trends in marketing and influencer collaboration.

  • Utilities providers say regulators slowing progress

    Utilities providers say regulators slowing progress

    CORAL SPRING, Trelawny — Senior leaders of Jamaica’s major utility companies used a high-profile industry conference this week to shine a spotlight on a persistent, costly problem: glacial regulatory approval processes that are undermining operational efficiency, delaying critical infrastructure projects, and ultimately passing higher costs on to consumers. The conversation unfolded Tuesday during a utility provider round table hosted as part of the 2026 conference of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), held at Jamaica’s Ocean Coral Spring resort, bringing together top executives from across the region’s energy and telecommunications sectors to compare challenges and share actionable insights.

    Opening the discussion on regulatory bottlenecks, Hugh Grant, president of Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) — the island nation’s primary electricity provider — explained that extended waiting periods for regulatory decisions and delayed project approvals create cascading challenges for energy sector operators. While Grant acknowledged that regulators operate under their own set of resource and procedural constraints, he emphasized that holding up infrastructure projects amid steadily rising consumer demand inevitably inflates long-term costs. When final approval is finally granted, post-decision implementation comes at a far higher price point than initially projected, pushing that extra financial burden directly onto everyday households and businesses.

    Grant called for deeper cross-sector collaboration between utility providers and regulators to cut red tape and accelerate the delivery of critical energy infrastructure, a shift he said is necessary to keep Jamaica’s energy network safe, reliable, resilient, and affordable for all users. “We have to become far more nimble and agile in how we approach our work, especially at a moment when our industry is undergoing rapid transformation right in front of us,” Grant said. He added a warning drawn from global trends: when regulated utilities cannot move fast enough to meet growing demand for energy and connectivity, large global technology firms such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have increasingly stepped in to build their own independent energy infrastructure to fill the gap.

    The critique of slow approval processes was echoed by Stephen Price, vice-president and general manager of Flow Jamaica, one of the country’s leading telecommunications providers. Price told the round table that Jamaica is falling behind in rolling out next-generation wireless technologies, including 5G and future 6G networks, all because overly complex, multi-step approval timelines are holding up tower infrastructure deployment. To put the scale of the problem in perspective, Price noted that building a single new cell tower in Jamaica takes an average of 14 months, as providers must navigate overlapping approval processes with the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Ministry of Health, local municipal authorities, and additional community survey requirements — even after the industry has repeatedly addressed public concerns over radiation safety and other common misconceptions.

    Rather than calling for a complete overhaul that creates an entirely new standalone regulatory body, Price pushed for improved inter-agency coordination to streamline the approval pipeline. He emphasized that faster network expansion is not just a corporate priority: broader, more reliable connectivity is a core driver of national economic growth. Price also noted that many Caribbean nations rely too heavily on spectrum auctions to generate short-term government revenue, arguing that policymakers should instead prioritize expanding spectrum access and improving efficiency to extend connectivity benefits across all segments of regional populations. While he welcomed recent narrow legislative reforms in Jamaica aimed at speeding up large project approvals, Price added that such targeted fixes should not be necessary in a well-functioning regulatory system.

    Stephen Murad, chief executive officer of Digicel Jamaica, another major telecommunications provider, echoed Price’s concerns and added another pressing challenge facing local utilities: widespread infrastructure theft and vandalism. Murad told the panel that outside of damage caused by severe hurricanes, these criminal acts are the most disruptive issue facing his company. He called on regulators to apply greater pressure on policymakers and the judiciary to create stronger criminal deterrents, including harsher sentencing for convicted offenders. Murad noted that theft and vandalism drain massive amounts of time, energy, and capital — both for upfront infrastructure investment and ongoing operational costs — and create daily, unnecessary hurdles for utility teams trying to deliver consistent service.

    Despite the litany of challenges, the round table also highlighted a successful example of agile, collaborative regulation that delivered tangible results for consumers. Grant pointed to JPS’s post-hurricane restoration efforts following Hurricane Melissa, where regulators showed impressive flexibility and speed to cut through red tape. In a first for Jamaica, JPS deployed emergency mobile generators to restore power to hard-to-reach remote communities. By working quickly with regulators to establish a clear operational framework and cost-recovery plan, the company restored power in a fraction of the time originally projected.

    Grant framed the successful restoration as proof that the collaborative, agile model works, demonstrating what can be achieved when regulators and utilities work together toward the shared goal of serving consumers. “It tells us that we have the muscle to do it,” Grant said.

    The round table, held under the official theme “Utility Perspectives on Regulation: Challenges, Opportunities, and Learnings,” was moderated by David Morton, chair of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators. The panel was completed by Christopher Mapp, acting chief executive officer of the Barbados Water Authority, who joined fellow utility leaders from across the Caribbean in the discussion.

  • 30+ Fashion Show and Expo 2026 delivers style, empowerment and vision for the future

    30+ Fashion Show and Expo 2026 delivers style, empowerment and vision for the future

    On April 25, 2026, Portmore, Jamaica played host to a dynamic, sold-out celebration of style, empowerment and community at the 30+ Fashion Show and Expo, held this year at Club ALIV in Naggo Head. The multi-faceted event, which merged runway fashion, industry networking, motivational speaking and live entertainment, drew rave reviews from attendees, designers and participants alike, marking a major milestone for its founder and cementing its place as a signature cultural gathering for the Jamaican municipality.

    Stephanie Elliott-Gunning, the creative mind and promoter behind the 30+ concept, opened up about her excitement surrounding the 2026 staging, which marked the third iteration of her event. After hosting the first two editions in other Portmore venues, she said the team has finally found their permanent home at Club ALIV, pointing to the space’s energy and accessibility as a perfect fit for the event’s growing audience.

    A core mission of the 30+ Fashion Show and Expo has always been centred on celebrating body diversity, a value that shaped every element of the 2026 programming. Elliott-Gunning explained that Portmore was selected as the long-term base for the event as part of a larger vision to support the municipality’s goal of becoming the “Miami of the Caribbean” — a vibrant regional hub for tourism, culture and commerce. “You cannot build a world-class city without a thriving fashion scene,” she noted, hinting at the organizers’ next ambitious step: launching the first-ever Portmore Fashion Week, a regional gathering that will bring together designers from across the Caribbean. Early planning and discussions with regional design talent are already underway, she confirmed.

    This year’s event raised the bar with a star-studded lineup of emerging and established Caribbean designers, including Bebie Powell Designs, Yanique Designs, Kool Klothes, Vashmar’s, and Tweedle Teews. Attendees got an exclusive first look at Bebie Powell’s upcoming summer bikini collection, while Tweedle Teews’ handcrafted swimwear designs stole the show, earning enthusiastic applause from the crowd for their unique craftsmanship and bold aesthetic. The runway also featured a roster of experienced, high-profile models, including current and former titleholders and contestants from major pageantry circuits such as Mrs Universe, Miss Universe and Miss Cosmos, bringing professional polish and diverse representation to the event.

    Beyond the runway, the expo offered attendees meaningful programming that blended inspiration and entertainment. Renowned motivational speaker Patrice “Big and Boasty” Pinkney took the stage to deliver an empowering talk centered on “Becoming the Modern, Mature Woman”, resonating with the event’s focus on uplifting women over 30. Guests were also treated to show-stopping live performances from recording artist Delano McFarlane and beloved Jamaican reggae artist Lady Jo, keeping the energy high throughout the evening.

    Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with both first-time and returning designers highlighting the event’s supportive community and unmatched exposure opportunities. Nadine Pennicooke, founder of Montego Bay-based Rocking Kool Klothes, described her first experience at the 30+ show as transformative: “I was nervous at first, as this was my first fashion show, but I’m good now. 30+ was a hit. The exposure has been tremendous. I’ll be back and look forward to working again with these amazing designers and models.” Tashalee Richards Cooper, of Old Harbour-based Vashmar’s Designs, echoed that praise, noting that the event’s organized structure and professional, friendly models made for a seamless, rewarding experience. “I thank Mrs Elliott-Gunning for the opportunity and will definitely return,” she said. One attendee, Jody, summed up the guest experience, saying she left the event with a new perspective on maturity, a deeper appreciation for Caribbean fashion, and was already planning to share the word about the show with friends and colleagues.

    As the 30+ Fashion Show and Expo continues to grow in profile and influence, it has secured key corporate backing to support its expansion plans. Elliott-Gunning announced that JN Small Business, Compass Communication, and FESCO have already committed to partnering with the event moving forward, with all three organizations prioritizing support for local and regional female entrepreneurs. With solid community support and growing industry backing, organizers are optimistic about the event’s future as a cornerstone of Portmore’s cultural calendar and a launchpad for Caribbean fashion talent.

  • Container pile-up

    Container pile-up

    Half a year after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, a persistent buildup of cargo continues to clog port operations and warehouse spaces in Montego Bay, St. James, with consolidated containers that arrived on the island as early as February still waiting to be unpacked. This backlog was revealed this Wednesday by Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) President Professor Gordon Shirley during his appearance before the national Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), where he was scheduled to deliver a progress update on post-hurricane recovery for island port and storage infrastructure.

    Shirley made the disclosure while responding to questioning from PAAC Chair Peter Bunting, confirming that many consolidated shipments that would have been cleared under standard operational procedures are still being held at the Montego Bay facilities. “We are acutely aware that customers have personal and commercial goods waiting in these containers, and our top priority is working through the backlog as quickly as possible to allow cargo owners to retrieve their items,” Shirley told the committee.

    When asked whether cargo owners were facing unexpected extra costs from demurrage fees, Shirley clarified that the Jamaican government has waived all statutory fees related to the backlogged cargo, and terminal operators have also waived their storage charges. PAJ has additionally held ongoing discussions with major shipping lines to negotiate similar concessions for ocean freight charges.

    Shirley emphasized that the congestion is not linked to full container load import or export operations, which have continued to run smoothly throughout the post-hurricane period. The backlog is concentrated exclusively in less-than-container load consolidated cargo, which typically consists of mixed pallets, household goods, and personal barrels that are deconsolidated at on- and off-terminal warehouses before being released to importers after customs clearance.

    The PAJ president outlined a confluence of overlapping factors that created the current backlog, starting with the direct physical damage Hurricane Melissa inflicted when it hit Jamaica on October 28. During his presentation, Shirley shared photographic evidence showing extensive damage to terminal and warehouse structures in Montego Bay: one major warehouse building was so severely damaged that it requires full reconstruction, while the off-terminal Seaboard Warehouse — a critical facility for cargo deconsolidation and clearance — also suffered major structural harm that limited its operational capacity.

    A sudden surge in relief shipments compounded the capacity shortage, and this influx coincided with Jamaica’s annual pre-Christmas peak cargo season. Shirley explained that Jamaican communities traditionally see a sharp rise in personal barrel shipments from overseas relatives between October and January, as families prepare for holiday gatherings. On top of this normal seasonal peak, relief organizations and private individuals rushed additional hurricane relief supplies into the country immediately after the storm, stacking an unexpected volume of cargo on top of already elevated seasonal shipments.

    Misunderstanding around government relief cargo waivers created further delays. Shirley explained that after the government announced duty waivers for approved hurricane relief supplies, many cargo owners assumed any barrel containing even a small amount of relief goods would qualify for full exemption. When Customs clarified that only dedicated relief shipments qualified for the waiver, many cargo owners opted not to pay the required duties to clear their barrels, creating a processing logjam.

    Compounding this issue, Shirley noted that the rate at which cargo owners have come forward to clear barrels since the start of 2024 has been far slower than historical averages, in both Montego Bay and the capital Kingston. Bunting echoed this observation, suggesting that many of the unclaimed barrels were abandoned by owners who expected full duty exemption and chose not to retrieve their cargo once they learned they would still be required to pay fees. Bunting warned that these abandoned barrels will continue to block critical storage space unless authorities implement a formal process to identify and dispose of unclaimed cargo after a set waiting period.

    In response, Shirley outlined the multiple intervention measures PAJ and national authorities have rolled out to cut into the backlog. Extending terminal operating hours and securing additional temporary storage space have been core early steps, as authorities cannot yet distinguish between intentionally abandoned cargo and shipments that owners still plan to retrieve. In addition to the fee waivers and ongoing negotiations for discounted demurrage, these measures have already succeeded in significantly reducing backlogs in Kingston, Shirley reported.

    Moving forward, authorities are planning to transfer a portion of the Montego Bay backlogged cargo to King’s Warehouse (previously named Queen’s Warehouse) in Kingston to free up limited local storage space. Officials are also preparing to follow statutory procedures to auction off any cargo that has remained unclaimed beyond the maximum waiting period permitted under Jamaican law, as a long-term solution to clear excess storage capacity.

  • Keywee tackles the vicious cycle of ‘9 to 5’

    Keywee tackles the vicious cycle of ‘9 to 5’

    Rising Jamaican dancehall creative Keywee has tapped into universal working-class frustration with his latest infectious release, 9 to 5 — a track that pulls back the curtain on the exhausting, repetitive grind that defines traditional full-time employment for millions around the world.

    In discussing the creative inspiration behind the single, Keywee explained that the concept grew directly from observing the inherent contradictions of modern conventional work. In his view, the existing employment system is structured to trap working people in an unforgiving loop: the more hours and effort they put into their jobs, the more taxes they are required to pay, leaving them with less take-home pay even as household costs and bills continue to climb steadily. For many ambitious people chasing personal and financial dreams, this endless cycle acts as an unexpected dream killer, turning daily work into a soul-draining routine rather than a path to progress. The track’s core refrain — “9 to 5 ah kill we, ah beat we / man affi work so hard to make ends meet” — distills this widespread exhaustion into a memorable, relatable hook that resonates with listeners across demographic lines.

    Far from landing with a thud, the single has already generated a groundswell of positive organic engagement on social media. Keywee confirmed that user-generated videos featuring the track have racked up thousands of likes and shares across platforms, with TikTok users in particular quickly embracing the song’s catchy beat and on-the-nose lyrics. This outpouring of fan enthusiasm has moved up the timeline for the project’s next step: Keywee and his team are now fast-tracking plans to film an official music video for 9 to 5 to capitalize on its growing momentum.

    9 to 5 is featured as part of the new Jamtor riddim compilation, a collective project that also includes contributions from a roster of fellow dancehall talent: Semojrah Naki (a collaborative duo made up of Nature Ellis and Keywee himself), Empress Leh Leh, Planky Don, Izrel Di Cotton Pikka, and Kae Music.

    This latest release marks another milestone in Keywee’s steady decade-plus career building his brand and refining his craft. He dropped his debut single, Blessings a Pour, back in 2010, and spent the next nine years honing his signature raw, hard-hitting dancehall sound that often centers themes of love, women, and everyday life. In 2019, he locked in a production and management deal with Canadian-based independent label Seven Gate Record, which has supported his output in the years since. Some of his most well-received previous tracks include 2020’s Melanin Pop and Clean Like Skeleton, as well as 2021’s Nuh Use to Gyal, all of which have helped grow his global fanbase ahead of 9 to 5’s breakout success.

  • All ‘Hansle’ on deck

    All ‘Hansle’ on deck

    At 35, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist and one of Jamaica’s most decorated sprint hurdlers Hansle Parchment is not ready to step aside for the sport’s rising generation, even after a underwhelming 2025 campaign that marked one of the most challenging seasons of his professional career. The veteran athlete is confident he still has the competitive edge to go head-to-head with Jamaica’s deep pool of established and emerging 110m hurdles talent, and is targeting a career resurgence in the 2026 season.

    Parchment kicked off his 2026 campaign earlier than he has in half a decade, making his seasonal debut in the 200m at March’s Velocity Fest hosted at Kingston’s National Stadium, where he clocked 21.81 seconds to finish sixth. This opening marks his earliest seasonal start since March 2020, and only the third time in the past 10 years he has launched his campaign with a race outside his signature 110m hurdles. Though he has yet to compete in his primary event this year, Parchment says his training progression is already outpacing where he stood at this point in 2025, setting the stage for a stronger overall season.

    “I feel like this year is a better year for me compared to last year in terms of preparation,” Parchment shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “I feel like I’m a bit ahead of where I was last year. I’m really looking forward to making this season one of my best.”

    The 2025 season was a quiet one for Parchment, who had been a consistent fixture at global championships for nearly a decade. Fresh off a silver medal finish at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he hit a career rough patch: he finished sixth at Jamaica’s National Senior Championships in June 2025, failing to qualify for the September World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. This break marked the first time since 2019 that Parchment missed out on a major global championship, ending a streak that included his historic Olympic gold in 2021, a final appearance at the 2022 Eugene World Championships, and an eighth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Across nine 110m hurdles races in 2025, his fastest time of 13.24 seconds, clocked at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary last August, was his slowest seasonal best since 2019, and tied for the third-slowest of his entire professional career.

    While Parchment sat out the 2025 World Championships, Jamaica’s next generation of hurdlers stepped up to claim the spotlight: Orlando Bennett took silver, Tyler Mason earned bronze, and 21-year-old Demario Prince advanced to the semi-finals just months after running 13.12 seconds — a time that cemented his place as the seventh-fastest 110m hurdler in Jamaican history. The talented field also includes Olympic bronze medalist Rasheed Broadbell, who missed 2025 competition due to injury but is set to return this season, targeting an improvement on his personal best of 12.94 seconds.

    As the seasoned veteran of this deep competitive field, Parchment has no plans to quietly fade into retirement. Instead, he intends to push for new personal bests and test the up-and-coming athletes every step of the way. “I know what the goals are and what I’m trying to achieve,” he said. “Even though I’m older now, I’m trying to push myself just how I pushed myself years ago. I’m trying to aim for personal bests, personal records, and challenge the youngsters, let them know that I’m still here. The numbers and my age might look like a lot, but I’m young in spirit, young in mind and I’m raring to go. So I want to put up a very good challenge and make it exciting.”

    Beyond competition, Parchment sees his role this season as more than just a contender: he wants to continue serving as a mentor to Jamaica’s new wave of hurdlers, cementing a legacy that lifts the entire national program. “It’s always one of my goals to bring the youngsters in to continue the tradition, because I’m almost on my way out,” he explained. “So I want to leave a great legacy for other people to join in and build up Jamaica even further.”

    Parchment’s legacy in Jamaican hurdling is already secure: he is widely regarded as the country’s most successful sprint hurdler in history, with multiple Olympic and World Championships medals to his name. His personal best of 12.94 seconds makes him Jamaica’s second-fastest all-time in the event, and the 15th-fastest hurdler in world history.

    While 2026 does not host a full traditional World Championships or Olympic Games, two high-profile competitions are on the calendar: the Commonwealth Games in July and the newly launched World Athletics Ultimate Championships in September, an event that brings together the top 16 ranked athletes in each discipline. Parchment is approaching the season with the same championship-level focus he brings to any Olympic or Worlds year, and remains motivated to add more honors to his already impressive collection.

    “My aim is to run a healthy season — chase times, of course, trying to see how close I am or if I can beat my personal best time. There’s the national record. There’s so much to gun for,” he said. “They have the ultimate championship this year, which is basically top 16 in the world, so that’s something to look forward to as well. There’s a lot of things going on this year. It’s no different than a championship year, at least I don’t approach it any differently.”

  • Man accused of fatally stabbing woman over ‘ice’ killed by cops

    Man accused of fatally stabbing woman over ‘ice’ killed by cops

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — What began as a trivial disagreement over a block of ice devolved into a double fatal tragedy on the streets of downtown Kingston this Wednesday, leaving one woman dead at the hands of her accused attacker, who was himself shot and killed by police hours later.

    Local law enforcement has identified the suspect as 35-year-old Davar Dacres, who went by the street name “Davy” and maintained a residence on King Street in central Kingston. His alleged victim was 50-year-old Katherine Wallace, widely known as “Kathy” from the nearby Fleet Street neighborhood. Surveillance camera footage from the area captured the entire stabbing incident, according to initial police reports.

    Authorities have reconstructed the timeline of the confrontation: shortly after 5:20 p.m., Dacres and Wallace were both drinking at a small, unlicensed corner bar near Love Lane, where the argument over ice first broke out. What started as a verbal shouting match quickly escalated into a violent physical clash, during which Dacres pulled a 6-inch ratchet knife and stabbed Wallace multiple times in her chest and upper torso. Bystanders rushed the injured woman to the nearest public hospital, but medical teams were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead less than an hour after arrival.

    By 11:25 p.m. the same evening, law enforcement had tracked Dacres to Hanover Street, just a 10-minute walk from the scene of the stabbing, and moved to intercept him. Police accounts confirm that Dacres, still carrying the same ratchet knife used in the attack, charged at responding officers when they ordered him to surrender and drop the weapon. After repeated warnings went unheeded, officers opened fire, striking Dacres multiple times. He was transported to the same hospital where Wallace had been pronounced dead, and he also succumbed to his injuries before emergency treatment could begin.

    Superintendent Mischka Forbes, head of the Kingston Central Police Division, told reporters that the incident underscores a worrying shift in violent crime patterns across central Kingston this year. So far in 2025, this killing marks the third homicide recorded in the division, and the second to involve a knife as the murder weapon.

    Forbes voiced growing concern over the changing face of violence in the area. “What we are seeing is a reduction in gang-related conflicts and a rise in domestic and interpersonal disputes since 2025,” she explained. While long-standing gang violence has dropped thanks to targeted enforcement operations, petty disagreements that turn deadly now account for a growing share of homicides, a trend police say they are working to counter.

    In response to the uptick in knife-related violence, the Kingston Central Police Division has ramped up “Operation Blade”, a aggressive zero-tolerance initiative focused on rooting out illegal possession and use of offensive weapons across the district. “We will continue this operation alongside our community engagement efforts in partnership with key stakeholders aimed at promoting conflict resolution and discouraging violence,” Forbes said. The division is working with local churches, community groups, and mediation nonprofits to host public workshops on de-escalation and peaceful dispute resolution.

    Forbes is urging all local residents to avoid resorting to violence when disagreements arise, and to reach out to trained community mediators or police to resolve conflicts before they turn deadly. In line with standard protocol for police-involved fatalities, the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) and the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) have launched independent probes into the shooting of Dacres to determine whether the use of force complied with national policing guidelines.

  • 20 changes for NaRRA

    20 changes for NaRRA

    After a marathon legislative sitting that extended into the early hours of Wednesday, Jamaica’s House of Representatives passed 20 amendments to the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, a landmark piece of legislation created to guide recovery from Hurricane Melissa — the most powerful storm to make landfall in the country’s recorded history. The bill formalizes NaRRA as a centralized coordinating body for post-disaster reconstruction and long-term climate resilience projects, with a core mandate to speed up public and private investment critical to reversing the hurricane’s economic damage and strengthening the nation’s ability to withstand future extreme weather events.

    The most high-profile of the approved amendments updates consultation requirements for communities impacted by reconstruction projects. The change came in direct response to sustained concerns raised by civil society organizations and opposition lawmakers, who criticized the original bill for failing to explicitly outline NaRRA’s obligation to engage affected populations. Under the revised Clause 17, NaRRA is now legally required to hold consultations with any people who are currently, or may in the future be, impacted by projects the authority oversees.

    However, the final approved version was significantly narrowed from an earlier draft that won cross-stakeholder support. That initial iteration explicitly named vulnerable groups — including women, people with disabilities, the elderly, children, youth, local communities, and non-governmental organizations — that must be included in consultations, and required mandatory feedback meetings every six months. Opposition Leader Mark Golding slammed the truncated final language, arguing that the removal of specific group protections leaves the rule vague and toothless.

    “The original draft outlined a far more comprehensive obligation. This shortened version only says the authority must hold consultations during project development and monitoring, but it gives no detail on which stakeholders must be included,” Golding told parliament during debate.

    Government leaders pushed back against the criticism, defending the broad, open wording as a deliberate choice to avoid limiting participation rather than an effort to weaken accountability. Leader of Government Business Floyd Green argued that explicitly listing specific demographic or organizational groups would inadvertently narrow the scope of eligible stakeholders and create unnecessary bureaucratic delays that would slow reconstruction.

    “This wording gives NaRRA far broader flexibility for consultation, because it includes every potential affected group without requiring an explicit, limited list. This is a far better approach that allows for wider engagement under the new framework,” Green explained. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness echoed this position, emphasizing that the administration’s policy has always centered on inclusive community engagement, and the generalized wording actually creates a wider scope for participation than a rigid list of categories that could miss marginalized groups.

    While the government made concessions on consultation and reporting rules, it rejected all opposition attempts to revise the bill’s most controversial governance provisions. The biggest point of contention centered on Clause 7, which the legislature left unchanged despite opposition calls to create an independent governing board to oversee NaRRA and hold its chief executive officer (CEO) accountable for operational and financial decisions. Golding argued that given NaRRA will manage billions of dollars in public spending, much of it borrowed from international creditors with interest, an independent oversight board is non-negotiable, especially in Jamaica’s current environment of low public trust in government institutions.

    The government rejected the proposal, noting that NaRRA was intentionally structured as a streamlined executive agency focused on rapid reconstruction, rather than a traditional board-governed public body. Holness argued that adding a board would introduce unnecessary layers of bureaucracy that would slow critical decision-making during an urgent national recovery effort. “This entity has a very specific, time-bound task to execute. A board would bring discretionary policy interpretation and day-to-day management debates that are unnecessary here — our mandate is clear, we just need to deliver results quickly,” the prime minister said.

    Several other contentious clauses also remained unamended after debate. Clause 5, which grants the prime minister sole power to appoint NaRRA’s CEO via written instrument, stayed intact despite opposition concerns over excessive concentration of executive power. Clause 6, which allows the authority and its CEO to delegate functions to “any person” with only ministerial approval, also survived unchanged, even after ruling party MP Marlene Malahoo Forte (St James West Central) raised concerns that the open wording lacked safeguards for competence and transparency.

    “All I am saying is that the phrase ‘any person’ needs a qualifier. These are technical, specialized functions, so we need to ensure the person given authority is duly competent to carry them out,” Malahoo Forte noted during committee discussions. The government also retained the bill’s broad powers to expedite project approvals: Clauses 21 through 24, which let NaRRA issue directives to approval agencies and allow the responsible minister to issue “step-in orders” that override bureaucratic delays, went untouched. Clause 25, which empowers Cabinet to label projects worth $15 million USD or more as “strategic investment projects” across sectors from tourism and agriculture to healthcare, housing, and mining, also remained unchanged.

    Among the more broadly supported amendments was a revision to auditing rules. The original bill let the CEO appoint NaRRA’s auditor with only cabinet secretary approval; the revised amendment moves the appointment power fully to the cabinet secretary, subject to final sign-off by the entire Cabinet. Lawmakers also approved an amendment requiring the CEO to submit progress reports to the responsible minister every six months, with copies tabled publicly in both houses of parliament. Another update expands NaRRA’s public project register to include private-sector strategic investment projects alongside government-led reconstruction efforts, and requires the register to name each project’s promoter, increasing public transparency over who is leading development work under the law. A final new amendment exempts approved projects from certain public investment management requirements under Jamaica’s Financial Administration and Audit Act, a change expected to cut red tape and speed up the approval process for critical recovery work.