Decades of distress Courtney Anderson would have been relieved when an assault case against him was dismissed in 1996, but little did he know that 30 years later he would still be experiencing the recurring nightmare of trying to get his police record cleared so he can move forward with his life unencumbered by the case. Jamaica’s expungement law allows eligible individuals to have certain criminal charges and/or convictions removed from their records, providing them with an opportunity for a fresh start.
Importer blames storage gap for leaving onion farmers in tears Onion importers are pushing back against suggestions that their business is killing local farmers, now experiencing a glut. Since the first round of reaping began following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa, local farmers have been howling about their inability to sell their produce, resulting in hundreds of pounds rotting in the field. From St Elizabeth to St Thomas, they have pointed the finger of blame at importers of foreign-produced onions.
The expungement process The Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Amendment Act, 2026 was passed in the Senate in January and signed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on February 20. In addition to the reform is the automatic expungement in certain older, non-custodial matters, where the sentence was imposed and completed prior to January 1, 2005, and the individual has not been convicted of another offence. Such individuals automatically benefits from expungement without being required to undergo the application process.
Inspectors on deck Future leaders in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are being warned to rethink the popular view that “knowledge is power”, as approaching leadership in this way can be dangerous and risk failing those they are meant to serve. Instead, drawing on the wisdom of his father, a former policeman, Professor Densil Williams said knowledge should be seen as freedom.
Burnt out mom of 6 gets more than a Bible WESTERN BUREAU: Days after a devastating fire left Hanover mother Natalee Watson homeless and clinging only to her faith, the outpouring of support has begun to transform despair into hope. Watson, whose story of loss and her plea for a Bible, moved readers across the island, is now set to have her modest two-bedroom board house rebuilt through a coordinated effort involving Hanover Charities, her member of parliament, and private-sector support.
Mom of three renews appeal for help fighting colorectal cancer WESTERN BUREAU: Nickeisha Black, the 34-year-old mother of three children who is battling Stage-3 colorectal cancer, says she is placing her fate in the hands of God and the prospective kindness of others, as she continues to seek help amid mounting medical and financial challenges
Girlfriends Foundation comes good for Sav Hospital’s maternity department Western Bureau: A simple act of care, which was sparked by a newborn baby wrapped in a worn towel, has blossomed into a meaningful donation for mothers and babies at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland. On Friday morning, the hospital’s maternity department received more than 200 receiving blankets from the United States (US)-based Support Your Girlfriends Foundation, an initiative led locally by returning resident Vanessa Moore. Moore said the effort began after witnessing a close friend struggle during an emergency delivery.
KSAMC enlists JCF support ahead of signage regularisation enforcement The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is preparing to transition into the second phase of its signage regularisation campaign, which will focus on enforcement measures to significantly improve compliance among business operators. This follows the conclusion of a three-month incentive-driven push.
Anderson bats for regional security, defence cooperation Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson, last Tuesday reinforced a commitment to the Caribbean’s regional defence and security cooperation, as he addressed defence and security professionals from 16 nations at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington DC.
Jamaica-born church leader and wife killed in 6 car pile-up in New York An elderly Jamaica-born couple were killed in a six car pile-up on the Southern State Parkway in Long Island, New York, caused by a drunken driver last Sunday night. Dead are 82-year-old Bishop Donald Maxwell, general overseer of the Pentecostal City Mission Church in Far Rockaway, Queens, also in New York, and his 88-year-old wife Liscent B. Maxwell, a minister in the church. Maxwell, who migrated from Jamaica in his teens, and his wife lived in Westbury, Long Island.