Lead Stories

Inside the damaged Howie’s ‘100 Pot’ restaurant.
December 9, 2025 by Tanesha Mundle

ECONOMY IN SHAMBLES

From roadside eateries to boutique beachfront guesthouses and attractions, small business operators across St Elizabeth are counting millions in losses following the passage of Hurricane Melissa…
What is left of Debbie-Ann Dixon’s plantain farm in Elderslie, St Elizabeth, after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
December 9, 2025 by Livern Barrett

BATTERED, WIPED OUT

With Hurricane Melissa bearing down on Jamaica, Debbie-Ann Dixon devised a plan to save over 500 pounds of “fit” plantains on her sizeable farm in Elderslie, a community located in northwestern St…
A single rod used to ground the establishment is all that is left of Eggy’s on the Beach in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
December 9, 2025 by Andre Williams

‘Mi seven youth broke mi heart’

Two seniors who once had thriving culinary establishments at separate locations in the Hurricane Melissa-ravaged parish of St Elizabeth ponder their next move, living a reality that is as…
Former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
December 9, 2025 by Erica Virtue

Patterson: Vulnerable countries must demand climate justice

Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson says small island states like Jamaica, which are highly vulnerable to climate change despite contributing little to global emissions, must use every international…
Gerald Miller (right), health promotion and education officer for Westmoreland, educating residents on the risks of contracting leptospirosis and other diseases from the nearby Ancho River.
December 9, 2025 by Mickalia Kington

DEADLY RISK

WESTERN BUREAU: Days before a leptospirosis outbreak was officially declared across several Jamaican parishes, including Westmoreland, public health officials were already warning residents in…
A screengrab from the video showing thousands of tadpoles swimming in the groundwater in Content, Manchester.
December 9, 2025 by Livern Barrett

NO NEED FOR FROG FRIGHT

Thousands of tadpoles or “baby frogs” that were captured in a viral video in floodwaters in Manchester are “not cause for concern”, the country’s environment regulator has indicated. The social media…
Rising groundwater in Content, Manchester. The health ministry the outbreak is directly linked to environmental conditions created by Hurricane Melissa, which increased exposure to contaminated water and soil. It has not said Content is an area of concen.
December 9, 2025 by Sashana Small

LEPTO OUTBREAK DECLARED

Jamaica is now facing an outbreak of leptospirosis in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, with Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton confirming six suspected deaths to date. Speaking at a press…
News
December 9, 2025 by Tanesha Mundle

Wright gets 10 years at hard labour for INSPORTS fraud

Former INSPORTS financial controller and party promoter Andrew Wright was on Friday sentenced to 10 years and seven months at hard labour for his role in the multimillion-dollar fraud scheme at the…
Jamar Grant, who started having classes at Godfrey Stewart High in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, for children sheltering at the school.
December 9, 2025 by Erica Virtue

‘Shelter school’ springs to life at Godfrey Stewart High

Excited chatter filled Godfrey Stewart High School in Westmoreland last Wednesday as children’s voices echoed across the compound. From the main office, teachers could be heard giving instructions to…