标签： Jamaica

As Jamaica counts down to the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, with the devastating scars of October 2025’s Category 5 Hurricane Melissa still unhealed for thousands of residents, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has issued a clear mandate for climate resilience at the groundbreaking of one of the island’s largest new residential developments in recent years.

The $9-billion Rozelle Estate scheme, a partnership between private developer New Rozelle Properties and the state-run National Housing Trust (NHT), will bring more than 800 new homes to the coastal parish of St. Thomas. Speaking at Friday’s ceremony, Holness stressed that resilience against extreme weather must be baked into every phase of the project’s design and construction, rather than treated as an afterthought.

“Sea breezes that cool this area can turn deadly violent during a major hurricane,” Holness told attendees, which included NHT chairman Linval Freeman, NHT managing director Martin Miller, and New Rozelle Properties chairman John Sinclair. “We require these homes to be engineered to withstand a Category 5 storm. That is the core priority of this administration: building resilience into every part of our national infrastructure.”

The government’s intensified focus on climate-resilient construction comes in direct response to the destruction caused by Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, which tore through Jamaica’s south-western and north-western regions six months prior. While restoration work has progressed steadily, thousands of Jamaicans are yet to fully rebuild their lives and homes, with the 2026 hurricane season set to officially open on June 1.

Holness pointed to a key lesson from Melissa’s destruction: not all structures failed. Many homes, even those with relatively modest hip and timber roof designs, emerged unscathed thanks to intentional, robust construction practices. He urged the Rozelle Estate developer to exceed minimum building code requirements, so that even after a Category 5 storm, homeowners would only need to clear debris rather than rebuild their entire lives.

“Instead of meeting just the threshold design standard, go above it,” Holness said. “That way, when a storm passes, all a homeowner has to do is sweep away fallen leaves and trees, and they are back to normal life.”

The project is being delivered under the NHT’s innovative guaranteed purchase programme, a policy designed to de-risk residential development for private builders. Under the framework, the state housing agency will purchase 660 of the 800-plus units at a pre-agreed price, providing developers with upfront capital to launch construction and guaranteed demand to reduce sales risk once the project is complete. The remaining units will be sold at the developer’s discretion. Holness called the programme a major success and urged other developers eyeing projects in St Thomas to take advantage of the scheme.

Holness also used the groundbreaking ceremony to promote the newly established National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), a government body created in response to Hurricane Melissa to coordinate post-disaster recovery and streamline resilience-focused development across Jamaica. Parliament approved the legislation establishing NaRRA just two weeks prior, with a mandate to not only organize disaster rebuilding but also speed up approval for large public and private projects that align with national economic recovery and resilience goals.

At the heart of NaRRA’s mandate is the Facilitated Acceleration of Strategic Transformation (FAST) Programme, a fast-track approval pathway for qualifying projects. Holness noted that the Rozelle Estate application was first submitted three years ago, an unnecessarily long wait that delayed the project’s launch. The FAST Programme is designed to eliminate such delays for resilience-aligned projects, he explained, cutting through bureaucratic red tape so developments do not spend years stuck in the approval pipeline.

To qualify for fast-track consideration through FAST, projects must meet a minimum investment threshold of US$15 million – a requirement Rozelle Estate easily meets with its $9-billion price tag. Holness invited all eligible developers and investors working on resilience-focused strategic projects to apply to NaRRA for accelerated approval.

Looking beyond the Rozelle Estate development, Holness outlined an ambitious vision for expanded housing growth across St Thomas, which benefits from its close proximity to the Kingston Metropolitan Area, improved road access, available vacant land, and recently completed water infrastructure upgrades. While local Member of Parliament James Robertson projected 5,000 new homes would be built in the parish over the next three years, Holness said that number could double to 10,000, driven by growing interest from private landowners and developers partnering with the NHT.

“As we break ground here today, we are not just laying foundations for new houses and new communities,” Holness said. “We are planting opportunities that will bear fruit for Jamaican families for generations. Most importantly, we are delivering dignified housing: every Jamaican deserves their own piece of ‘The Rock’, no matter how big or small.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica — On a sunny Tuesday in Jamaica, two primary school campuses in the parish of St Catherine buzzed with unscripted energy, as Pizza Hut Jamaica partnered with local education communities to mark Read Across Jamaica Day with immersive, student-centered reading activities that turned ordinary lessons into memorable shared experiences.

Held under the umbrella of Jamaica’s 2026 Child Month observance, this year’s Read Across Jamaica Day programming aligns with the national theme “Prioritise Our Children’s Mental Health: Safer Minds, Safer Future” — a framework that centers joyful, low-pressure social learning as a key pillar of youth wellbeing.

Levene Sheriff, Marketing Officer for Pizza Hut Jamaica, joined a team of staff from the brand’s Braeton location to lead reading sessions for students across both lower and upper grade levels at Southborough Primary and Independence City Primary. Rather than sticking to traditional lecture-style reading, the team structured activities around open discussion, peer participation, and playful engagement to draw out every student’s interest.

Young learners jumped at the chance to volunteer for read-aloud segments and respond to discussion prompts, with many taking home commemoratory giveaways including new storybooks, branded reusable water bottles, branded pencil cases and custom tote bags to encourage continued reading outside of the classroom.

Standing in after a full day of activities, Sheriff reflected on the tangible impact of community-focused school engagement. “We can see how much students enjoy moments like these where they get to interact, express themselves, and simply have fun while learning,” she said. “Beyond encouraging reading, moments like these also allow students to connect and enjoy a break from their normal classroom routine.”

Carlyle Thompson, Principal of Southborough Primary, praised the initiative and highlighted the far-reaching benefits of ongoing partnerships between local businesses and education institutions. Thompson noted that the student response to the visit was overwhelmingly positive, adding, “I could see that the students were excited and fully engaged. It was a meaningful experience for them beyond the regular classroom schedule. There should be more days like this within the school year where students can interact with positive role models and community partners.”

Over at Independence City Primary, the energy remained high through the afternoon, where learners in grades 4, 5 and 6 took part in themed reading and discussion activities that kept classrooms lively and participatory from start to finish. Principal Anne Geddes-Spence echoed Thompson’s enthusiasm, saying, “We truly appreciate you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here with us today. The students were very happy to have you, and we only wish you could have visited all the classes. It was a wonderful experience for them.”

In addition to the interactive reading sessions, both campuses received Pizza Hut meal vouchers to support their upcoming Children’s Month celebration activities, while participating classroom teachers were given early gifts in honor of the upcoming Teacher’s Day observance.

This St Catherine school visit is just one component of Pizza Hut Jamaica’s broader island-wide outreach for Child Month and Teacher’s Month 2026. Across five additional parishes — St James, St Ann, Manchester, and Clarendon — the brand is distributing gift bags filled with meal vouchers, personal care items, and essential school supplies to teachers and school administrators, to recognize and thank them for their relentless dedication to supporting Jamaica’s young people.

An annual literacy-focused initiative, Read Across Jamaica Day, received meaningful participation this year from the National Housing Trust (NHT), one of the island’s leading public housing institutions. As part of the trust’s engagement with the campaign, Neil Miller, Senior General Manager for Corporate Services at the NHT, stepped into the classroom of Amy Bailey Basic School to connect with early learners through the power of the written word.

During his visit, Miller shared the children’s book *Zachary The Parakeet*, a work created by Jamaican author Shana Darien, with the assembled students. The interactive reading session was far more than a simple recreational activity: organizers framed the event as a purpose-driven effort to highlight the transformative impact of storytelling on childhood development. Through engaging narratives, young participants have their innate creativity sparked, helping them explore new worlds and ideas beyond their daily surroundings. Beyond imagination, regular storytelling and read-aloud activities also help nurture greater confidence in young children, giving them space to build comfort with language and communication. Most importantly, these experiences encourage early learners to recognize the power of their own ideas, showing them how far their unique voices can take them as they grow and develop.

A fatal security breach at Denver International Airport (DEN) has left one person dead and several passengers injured after a trespasser climbed onto an active runway and was struck by an outbound commercial flight late Friday. Airport officials confirmed the incident in a public statement released Saturday, laying out the timeline of the unprecedented event.

According to DEN authorities, the unnamed individual successfully scaled a perimeter security fence at approximately 11:17 p.m. local time, and crossed onto a active runway just two minutes later. That same moment, Frontier Airlines Flight 432, a regularly scheduled Airbus A321 service bound for Los Angeles International Airport, was in the early stages of its takeoff roll. The aircraft struck the pedestrian, prompting the flight crew to immediately abort takeoff and bring the plane to a safe stop on the runway.

Airport communications confirmed the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have confirmed the deceased individual is not an airport employee, and no formal identification has been released to the public as of Saturday. Unnamed law enforcement sources cited by ABC News reported that the person was at least partially ingested by one of the aircraft’s jet engines following the collision.

Audio recordings of air traffic control communications released by ATC.com capture the immediate panic of the flight crew after the collision. “We’re stopping on the runway, we just hit somebody, we have an engine fire… There was an individual walking across the runway,” the lead pilot told controllers in the urgent transmission.

Denver Fire Department crews responded rapidly to the scene and confirmed that a small engine fire sparked by the collision was fully extinguished within minutes. All 224 passengers and seven crew members on board were immediately evacuated via emergency slides to the runway surface. Airport officials confirmed 12 passengers sustained minor injuries related to the evacuation, with five patients transported to nearby Denver-area medical facilities for observation and treatment.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released an official statement via social media platform X Saturday addressing the breach, emphasizing the danger of unauthorized access to airport airside areas. “Late last night, a trespasser breached airport security at Denver Int’l Airport, deliberately scaled a perimeter fence, and ran out onto a runway” and was struck by the plane “during takeoff at a high speed,” Duffy wrote. “No one should EVER trespass on an airport.”

DEN inspectors completed an immediate examination of the perimeter fence line following the breach and confirmed the barrier remained structurally intact with no pre-existing damage that facilitated the trespasser’s entry. Local law enforcement is leading the primary investigation into the incident, with the National Transportation Safety Board notified and assisting with the probe. Runway 17L, where the collision occurred, will remain closed to air traffic for the duration of the on-scene investigation.

Frontier Airlines released a formal statement Saturday expressing condolences over the fatal event. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities,” the carrier said. “We are deeply saddened by this event.”

ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary — Across this quiet coastal Jamaican community, one uniformed officer is far more than a law enforcement official to local residents. For more than seven years, Constable Marlon Garriques has embedded himself into the fabric of daily life in Annotto Bay, earning a reputation as a trusted mediator, mentor, and friend to people across all generations. His commitment to bridging gaps between police and residents has recently earned him a well-deserved promotion within Zone Two of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB).

Raised in St Catherine, Garriques grew up following in the footsteps of his father, who also served as a police officer. That upbringing shaped his core philosophy of policing: that officers do not just police a community—they become part of it. Armed with a degree from the Jamaica Theological Seminary, Garriques brought a unique, empathetic perspective to his role when he joined the JCF 14 years ago, and he still carries the same enthusiasm for his work today with no regrets about his career choice.

His career path began with a one-year posting to the traffic department in Port Maria, followed by a four-year tenure at Prospect Police Station. In 2016, he was transferred to Annotto Bay Police Station, where his signature community-centered approach began to flourish. Unlike traditional policing models that rely primarily on response to crime, Garriques built his practice on proactive connection: he walks neighborhood streets regularly, learns every resident’s name, and intervenes to defuse minor disputes before they can escalate into violence.

Local residents say this hands-on approach has transformed how they experience safety in Annotto Bay. “If there’s a disagreement between neighbors, he’s the first person we call,” explained local shopkeeper Beryl, who has known Garriques for years. “If the local school is hosting a sports day or a community event, he’s there volunteering. Just knowing we have an officer we can reach out to any time makes us feel far safer than any patrol car ever could.”

For the young people of Annotto Bay, many of whom grew up surrounded by gang activity and limited economic opportunity, Garriques has served as a stabilizing “big brother” in uniform. Through regular check-ins and targeted mentorship, he has guided dozens of at-risk youth away from criminal pathways and into vocational skills training that helps them build stable careers. A 22-year-old local resident, who requested anonymity to speak freely, called Garriques the reason he is now employed and on the right track. “He didn’t just talk at us about avoiding trouble,” the young man explained. “He helped us get into training, checked in on us regularly, and showed us there was another way forward.”

Garriques’ work is part of a broader shift in Jamaican policing led by the CSSB, which prioritizes community engagement to reduce violence in historically high-crime areas. Local business leaders have praised the branch’s approach, crediting the model with turning once violence-plagued neighborhoods into safer, more connected spaces for work and life.

Reflecting on his recent promotion, Garriques called his posting to Annotto Bay nothing short of divine intervention. “These communities don’t just need enforcement—they need presence,” he said. “We’ve made real progress, but our work isn’t done. We’re going to keep pushing for more intervention, more prevention, and more opportunities to build trust that makes every resident safer.”

Today, Garriques continues his work across southeast St Mary, leading outreach sessions in local schools and showing up for the community that has come to see him as one of their own.

PORT MARIA, Jamaica — What shaped up to be a low-key, uneventful Teachers’ Day for staff at Port Maria Infant School transformed into a lifelong memory after an unexpected invitation from the Sandals Foundation landed in their inbox.

The Port Maria team joined more than 150 fellow educators pulled from 49 different primary, infant, and basic schools across Jamaica’s St Ann and St Mary parishes for a day on the open water. The fully complimentary boat cruise treated attending teachers to a full day of lively music, freshly prepared local cuisine, and casual connection with peers who understand the unique demands of the education profession.

For Port Maria Infant School, no official Teachers’ Day activities had been arranged ahead of the celebration, making the surprise invitation even more meaningful. “We had nothing planned,” shared Doraine Murphy, the school’s guidance counsellor. “So, when Sandals called we were overjoyed to be a part of the celebration. We are grateful to Sandals Ocho Rios for making our day really special.”

Organizers noted that venue capacity limitations prevented every interested educator from claiming a spot on the cruise, but attendees agreed the outing was a welcome, long-overdue respite from the daily pressures of teaching.

“It was beautiful. For once we weren’t thinking about lesson plans. We danced, we laughed, we felt appreciated. That matters,” said Hyeillia Clarke-Coke, a veteran educator who attended the event.

Lyndsay Isaacs, regional public relations manager for Sandals Ocho Rios, emphasized that the event grew from the organization’s long-standing commitment to recognizing the contributions of local education workers. In comments to the Jamaica Observer, Isaacs explained the core motivation behind the gesture: “Teachers are amazing. We see the work that they are doing in the classroom every day. If there is a little thing that we can do for them to show appreciation then we are happy to do it.”

Alongside Port Maria Infant School, a wide range of regional institutions had representatives in attendance. The full list of participating schools includes New Orange Hill Primary, Bamboo Basic, Union Basic, Golden Grove Basic, Lewisburgh Primary, Bethany Primary, Albion Mountain Primary, Mount Zion Primary, Ocho Rios High, Pineapple Basic, Stewart Town Basic, Wellington Four Square Basic, Village Primary, Parry Town Primary and Infant, Zoe Care Bear, Boscobel Primary, and Gibraltar Primary.