GARDNER'S DAD WANTS DEATH PENALTY - Father of slain woman says hanging is deserved punishment for convicted Ruddock as defence vows appeal Septimus Gardner never doubted that Andre Ruddock would be found guilty of murdering his daughter, Taneka, but said he wished hanging was still an option, as he believes death is the punishment the convicted killer deserved. “A life sentence is the right way, but mi only sorry say dem caa resume back hanging,” he said, when asked what sentence he was hoping for his daughter’s killer.
Merl Grove teachers revolt over principal’s leadership style Merl Grove High School Chairman David Hall is warning that prolonged tensions at the St Andrew institution could undermine students’ success, as he calls on the Ministry of Education to urgently intervene following Monday’s teachers’ protest over the leadership of Principal Dr Marjorie Fullerton. “It is urgent, and we want the best for our girls, ... but we cannot get the best if the teacher staff is not happy,” Hall told The Gleaner.
JACSI moves to rein in school chairmen overstepping roles Some school board chairmen are crossing the line from governance into the day-to-day management of schools, Jamaica Association of Chairmen for Secondary Institutions (JACSI) President Courtney Wynter has admitted, as the association moves to rein in the practice and strengthen board leadership. School boards are statutory bodies appointed by the minister of education and act as the regulatory bridge between national education policies and daily school-level practices with a strict governance-focussed framework.
Jamaica too blessed not to be a developed country, says TEF boss WESTERN BUREAU: The potential earnings from Jamaica’s tourism sector by 2036 must translate into wealth for all Jamaicans, not just those directly involved in the sector, says Dr Carey Wallace, executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). Speaking with The Gleaner on Saturday during the Rondel Village Resort and Spa’s 40th anniversary celebration in Negril, Westmoreland, Wallace said that the Ministry of Tourism’s ongoing Tourism 3.0 programme is geared toward building wealth across all of Jamaica’s industries.
Fight for survival continues as J’can iguana recovery reaches 1,000 International conservation experts and local partners will gather in Hellshire Hills, St Catherine, on Saturday to release the 1,000th Jamaican rock iguana raised at Hope Zoo to be returned to the wild. The iguanas are cared for at the zoo until they grow large enough to protect themselves from predators, before being released into their natural habitat. The milestone marks a major achievement in the effort to save a species once feared extinct.
Insurance shortfalls, financial losses crippling St Bess business recovery WESTERN BUREAU: Crippling financial losses, inadequate insurance coverage and mounting borrowing costs are threatening the survival of several businesses across St Elizabeth, leaving some operators contemplating permanent closure as they continue to reel from Hurricane Melissa’s devastating 2025 blow.
Family searches for mental health patient Rushelle Gordon WESTERN BUREAU: The family of 36-year-old Rushelle Gordon, of Hendon, Norwood, in St James, is seeking the public’s assistance to find her after she went missing in Montego Bay last Thursday. Joycelin Gordon, the missing woman’s mother, said that the matter is especially urgent because her daughter, affectionately called ‘Neeky,’ is a schizophrenia patient who is unable to speak.
Sink or swim? - Schools take the plunge to build water confidence, literacy, as more J’cans urged to embrace skill Despite being surrounded by water, most Jamaicans cannot swim – a national reality that swim teacher Georgina Boland sees reflected yearly in the intake of students at The Queen’s School in St Andrew, many of whom arrive with little to no water confidence. To combat this gap in basic survival skills, the all-girls institution is among a handful of schools to have incorporated swimming into its curriculum and requires every student from first to third form to complete a term of lessons as part of their physical education instruction.
Schools tread water as swimming costs rise Although it would be ideal for every school to have a pool, Major Desmon Brown, president of the Calabar Old Boys’ Association, believes the undertaking would be far too expensive. “I am also the manager of the Independence Park Stadium complex, and the pool is the most expensive facility to operate. The schools just can’t afford it,” he said.
Western swimmers making waves despite limited pools, coaching gaps WESTERN BUREAU: A shortage of qualified coaches and limited access to competition-standard facilities have not diminished the ambitions of western Jamaica’s swimming fraternity, which is determined to strengthen the region’s competitive programme and develop athletes capable of excelling at the highest levels of the sport. The swimming fraternity says that while western Jamaica has made strides in competitive swimming, improving coaching resources and access to suitable facilities will be critical to taking the sport to the next level.