COVENANT CLASH Residents of a quiet Kingston 6 community are threatening court action to block Porter Centre for Knowledge from launching school operations on Tucker Avenue, citing traffic concerns, fears of commercialisation, and a change in the pace of life in the community. The pushback comes as founding principal Barbara Kerr-Thompson seeks to protect her $78-million investment at 21 Tucker Avenue, describing the venture as a low-impact prep school.
Drought drains 107 water systems With more than 100 water systems impacted by the ongoing drought, the National Water Commission (NWC) is making a renewed call for customers to conserve water. The appeal was made by Dr Phillippa Campbell-Francis, acting vice-president of operations at the NWC, during an Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) webinar on Jamaica’s water-sector challenges.
Church leaders challenge BOJ cheque phase-out Two church leaders are taking the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) to court, accusing the central bank of overstepping its legal authority and breaching Jamaicans’ constitutional right to equitable treatment in its push to phase out cheques. “The policy of the respondents to eliminate the use of cheques as outlined represents a direct assault on our right to effect transactions via the chequing system, which is integral to everyday life in Jamaica,” said Pastor Jeffrey Shuttleworth, one of the applicants.
Harrison: Stop normalising broken schools WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison is urging the Government to fast-track the rehabilitation and restoration of schools that have still not been repaired almost one year after Hurricane Melissa struck the island last October. Harrison made the call yesterday while addressing a press conference at the SeaGarden Hotel in Montego Bay, St James, during the JTA’s campaign strategy retreat and central executive training meeting.
Aiken: No Jamaican man needs to die from prostate cancer One of the most dangerous things about prostate cancer is how quietly it can begin. A man can feel well, move through his days without alarm and have little reason to suspect that anything is wrong. Yet, according to Professor William Aiken, that quiet period is precisely when medicine may have its greatest advantage. By the time symptoms give him a reason to worry, that advantage may already be slipping away.
Samuda warns tougher water curbs coming Water Minister Matthew Samuda is warning that tougher water restrictions are coming as Jamaica continues to grapple with a crippling drought, signalling an escalation in the Government’s response to the prolonged dry spell. The minister gave the dire update during yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew. The National Water Commission (NWC) imposed water prohibition orders on August 17, restricting the use of NWC-supplied water for non-essential activities such as watering lawns, washing vehicles and refilling pools across seven parishes.
Detective denies lying about Pathways murder accused giving false name The defence yesterday accused a Pathways murder investigator of lying about Andre Ruddock giving police a false name following Taneka Gardner’s killing. Attorney Anthony Williams, during cross-examination yesterday, suggested that his client never gave the detective sergeant a wrong name. However, the witness, who testified at the murder trial in which Ruddock is accused of Gardner’s alleged sacrificial killing, said he was “wrong”.
ULTIMATUM Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said the ministry is on high alert for any potential disruptions to the healthcare system by doctors. “To the extent that it disrupts the health system, we have to put contingency in place, and I’ve advised the team to begin to put that preparation in place,” Tufton told The Gleaner yesterday.
Robinson wants virtual assets law to go beyond containing risk The Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act, 2026, which provides for the regulation of virtual assets in Jamaica was passed in the Lower House on Tuesday with three amendments. A virtual asset is a digital representation of value that can be traded, transferred, or used for payment and investment.
JCC: Gov’ts must help close price gap on Caribbean goods WESTERN BUREAU: The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) is pushing back against concerns raised by Rodwell Ferguson, Belize’s Minister of Agriculture, about the reluctance of some businesses to purchase regionally produced goods, arguing that companies cannot reasonably be expected to sacrifice profitability simply to support Caribbean products. In an interview with The Gleaner on the sidelines of the ongoing CARICOM’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) event in Trelawny, JCC President Emile Leiba said the issue was more nuanced than Ferguson was suggesting.