Guided to greatness It was the guidance of a mentor that led Dorrette Rhoden Henry into the teaching profession and, 30 years later, that influence continues to shape her approach to teaching and learning. After graduating from the Mary Mount High School in St Mary, Rhoden Henry said she was invited by the former principal of Preston Land Primary School, in the parish, to join the teaching staff there. It was here that she discovered her “calling” for teaching and, despite challenges, has diligently stayed the course.
Blood spills on KPH doorstep What should have been a routine trip to the doctor with his children ended in bloodshed just steps away from the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), where tragedy unfolded on a strip of land long whispered about for fear and turf control. Yesterday afternoon, 30-year-old Damion ‘Danger’ Henry was gunned down in the unofficial parking area adjacent to the hospital — a space meant to serve the sick, but one now stained by years of violence. Henry had come for one reason, his relatives said: to seek medical attention for his ailing children.
PM: ‘Grave error’ to think civilisation can occur without nature WESTERN BUREAU: Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is urging Jamaicans to embrace environmental stewardship and resilience as the country embarks on the Restoration, Ecological Enhancement and Landscape Framework (RE-LEAF) National Programme, an initiative aimed at restoring forests devastated by Hurricane Melissa. Speaking at the launch in Lowe River, Trelawny, yesterday, Holness recalled the destruction he witnessed immediately after the storm.
11th Biennial Diaspora Conference to be most impactful, says Terrelonge The upcoming 11th Biennial Diaspora Conference is being touted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade as potentially the most impactful since the first was held in 2004, with a number of changes implemented to achieve this. Alando Terrelonge, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, addressing a town hall meeting to launch the conference in New York on Monday evening, said he was excited about the prospects of the upcoming event, to be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from June 14 to June 18.
Advertisement, building amnesty to take effect in Hanover WESTERN BUREAU: For the next three months, the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) will be putting into effect an advertisement and building amnesty, which will become effective on April 1 and run until June 30. Mayor of Lucea and Chairman of the HMC, Sheridan Samuels, told The Gleaner that the amnesty was not just an income-earning exercise but was aimed at strengthening compliance, improving community development, and strengthening orderly growth across the parish.
Jamaica seeks lessons from Peru in disaster recovery, resilient reconstruction As Jamaica sharpens its approach to post-disaster recovery, the South American nation of Peru is emerging as a key model, offering lessons in resilient reconstruction, institutional design, and faster infrastructure delivery. It is against this backdrop that Works Minister Robert Morgan is leading a nine-member Jamaican government delegation to Peru for high-level talks on infrastructure delivery, reconstruction, resilience, and institutional reform.
Eight Jamaicans earn spots in 2026 YLAI Fellowship Programme Eight young Jamaicans have been selected for the 2026 cohort of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Programme, the United States Embassy in Kingston has announced. The fellowship, a flagship exchange programme, promotes entrepreneurship and economic growth across the Western Hemisphere by equipping emerging leaders with the tools, networks, and mentorship needed to expand their businesses and strengthen their communities.
PNP demands probe into JLP councillor’s allegations against party colleague MP The opposition People’s National Party (PNP) says it has written formal complaints to Jamaica’s main anti-corruption bodies following leaked voice notes highlighting allegations against Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston Central Donovan Williams. In a news release to the media yesterday, the PNP said the complaints were lodged with the Integrity Commission, the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), and the Auditor General’s Department. The party said it requested an “immediate and full investigation into [the] alarming allegations”.
Tax tweak The Government has adjusted its tax policy in relation to the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on non-alcoholic sweetened beverages and the Environmental Protection Levy on domestic goods, but the measures will remain revenue neutral. In closing the 2026-2027 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, Finance and the Public Service Minister Fayval Williams said the SCT on non-alcoholic sweetened beverages would now be levied at a rate of 22 cents per gram of added sugar rather than on the volume of the beverage as previously announced.
‘Tell them fi sue’ Rae Town Division Councillor Rosalie Hamilton is daring Member of Parliament for Kingston Central Donovan Williams to proceed with his promised lawsuit as the now-public feud between the two Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representatives intensifies. The division falls within the Kingston Central constituency. Yesterday, Hamilton, who has served the division as councillor for 19 years over separate periods, dismissed the legal threat issued by an attorney for Williams, which stemmed from a series of explosive allegations she levelled against him.