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THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
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GREEN REPORTS 500 VOLUNTEERS TRAINED TO FIND MISSING CHILDREN
Floyd Green, Jamaica’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, announced that 500 volunteers received training in 2016 to help with searches and rescues of missing children. According to Green, the government is committed to the protection of Jamaica’s youth. He called for all Jamaicans to do their part as well. Between the years of 2009 and 2016, 15,523 children were reported missing in the country, an average of 1,941 children each year. Seventy-eight percent of the missing were girls, while 22 percent were boys. The volunteer rescuers, who came from all over the island, were also trained in first aid techniques.
GOVERNMENT PLANS TO REDEFINE JCF AS PROTECTION, SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Jamaican’s government is creating a policy structure that will redefine the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) as an organization focused on protection and service. According to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the changes will be implemented by November of 2017. Holness is hoping that the policy change will alter the public’s perceptions about the JCF. Once people understand that the force is there to serve, its job and the job of the Commissioner will be “much easier,” said Holness, because the entire community will be focused on supporting the rule of law.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
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TAMPA, CUBA PARTNER TO GROW CORAL UNDERWATER
In an historic partnership, The Florida Aquarium is working with Cuba’s National Aquarium to install PVC pipes underwater to create “coral nursery trees,” which are designed to grow coral. According to Margo McKnight, senior vice president for conservation, research and science at the Florida Aquarium, coral reefs cover just two percent of the ocean’s floor, but they are responsible for 25 percent of all life in the ocean. Creating conditions favorable for coral growth offers a good return on investment for ocean conservation efforts. The project partnership represents the first time the Cuban aquarium has agreed to work with an aquarium in the United States.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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STEERING COMMITTEE FOR JAMAICA 55 UK LAUNCHES
The Jamaican High Commissioner in the United Kingdom will host the UK launch of Jamaica 55 celebrations and the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference on June 1, 2017, in London. Seth George Ramocan, the High Commissioner, announced that the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference will be held July 23-26, 2017, in Kingston. The steering committee co-chairs will be Rudi Page, business consultant and member of the Economic Growth Council, and Janelle Raeburn, events planner. They will be responsible for coordinate activities to encourage Jamaican-UK citizens to expand on their parents’ legacies to uplift their communities in the UK and in Jamaica. Ramocan expressed his delight at launching the Steering Committee as it begins its work under the them of ”Celebrating Jamaicans at Home and Abroad.”
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THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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MONTEGO BAY TO SEE 1,000 NEW JOBS
Montego Bay’s Business Process Outsourcing workforce will expand by 1,000 workers as the city experiences growth in number of investors. Conrad Robinson, regional manager at Jamaica Productions Corporation (JAMPRO), reported a steady increase in the number of individuals working in the sector, with 17,000 in 2016 to about 22,000 in 2017. According to Robinson, the increase results from new companies setting up shop in Montego Bay and from the use of Montego Bay Free Zone’s Business Process Industry/Association incubator. This has made it easier for investors to “test the field” before actually making any investment. At least two companies working in the incubator plan to open businesses soon.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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MUSGRAVE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The 2017 winners of the Musgrave Awards were honored at the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston. Among the winners were Frederick “Freddie” McGregor, OD , who received a Silver medal in the art and music category; Tanya Shirley, who received a silver in literature; Professor Herbert Ho Ping Kong, OD, who received a gold medal in science; Professor Daniel Coore, who received a silver medal in science; Dr. Basil K. Bryan, OD, receive a bonze medal in literature; and Eleanor Jones, who received a bronze medal in science. The Musgrave Medals are given yearly by the Institute of Jamaica to recognize achievements in the arts, sciences, and literature. They have been awarded since 1889 and are named for Sir Anthony Musgrave, former Governor of Jamaica and founder of the Institute.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
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SUNSHINE GIRLS COACH ADMITS MORE WORK NEEDED
Jermaine Allison-McCracken, head coach of the Sunshine Girls netball team, understood when she took the job that she had work to do. The 1-to-1 draw the team obtained in the three-Test series against the Barbados Gems was the coach’s first global assignment with the team, which is ranked at Number 4. In the series, both teams played out a 44 to 44 stalemate in the first game, followed by a victory for the Sunshine Girls of 40 to 34. In the final, the Number 12-ranked Gems upset the Jamaican team 43-41, the first time Barbados has beaten Jamaica at the senior level since 1984. Allison-McCracken is ready to take action now that she has seen the Girls in competition. She noted that inexperience was one of the factors contributing to their defeat in Game Three. She said she and the players were disappointed, but that it is early in the season, and the team can learn from its defeat.
