THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER MAKES THIRD EMERGENCY DECLARATION
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issues a third emergency declaration for the areas of Clarendon and St. Catherine. He stated that he was promoted to take the drastic action following an increase in crime in these parishes. The State of Emergency (SOE) will be in effect for a period of time ranging from two weeks to three months. Holness said his action should come as no surprise as he stated during his last visit to the area that he would impose the SOEs. The goal of the SOEs is to maintain a low level of violence and to disrupt gang activity.
THIRD OFFSHORE OIL SEEP DISCOVERED IN JAMAICA
The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) discovered via testing by two independent labs that an oil seep found in Jamaica in 2018 is the third offshore oil seep in the country. In making its announcement, the PCJ noted that the seep has no commercial potential, but its discovery provides strong indications that Jamaica has a “working petroleum system” that generates and expels hydrocarbons to the surface. With this discovery, the number of hydrocarbon seeps is raised to five. Oil and gas seeps have been found on and offshore in 2019. A well-known gas seep, the Windsor Gas Seep, has been bubbling since the 1900s.
THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
BAHAMAS SUSTAIN DEVASTATING DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE DORIAN
Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm with winds up to 185 miles per hour, and torrential rains bringing devastating flooding and desperation to the nation’s people. It was the most powerful storm to strike the Bahamas in recorded history and remained stationary over Abaco and Grand Bahama islands for several days. Thousands of homes were destroyed on severely damaged, and people were trapped in their attics for the duration. Despite the damage, Bahamian authorities say the nation is open for business as rescue efforts continue. Joy Jibrilu, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, reported that Nassau, where most of the nation’s major resorts are located, is still operating as are other islands, including Eleuthera and The Exumas.
THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
HERMINE RICKETTS, JAMAICAN WHO FOUGHT MIAMI AUTHORITIES TO RETAIN GARDEN, DIES
Hermine Ricketts, who fought City Hall in Miami, Florida, over her desire to keep her vegetable garden, has died at age 63. She and her partner Tom Carroll, waged a legal battle that resulted in the creation of a new state law. A commemorative replanting of their garden was held on July 1, 2019, in Miami Shores. Ricketts was a Jamaican gardening expert, architect, and artist, and her legal fight to keep her garden made significant waves in the Florida State Senate. The controversy involved where the couple could plant their garden and went on for years. A bill was finally signed in 2019 to ban local governments from creating ordinances such as those that restricted Ricketts’ gardening plans. Ricketts was born in a village outside of Kingston, Jamaica, as the youngest of five brothers and sisters. She is survived by her Ricketts is survived by her husband, Tom Carroll, with whom she owned her Miami Shores home for the last 26 years; her siblings Donald, Ronald, Shirley and Pam; her nieces and nephews, Douglas, Kirk, Omar, Trudy-Ann; and her grand-nieces, Ashley and Haleigh. Her mother, Gloria, passed away in 2018
THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS
JAMAICA LOOKING TO MAKE STRONGER LNIKS BETWEEN ITS GANJA DEALERS AND BANKS IN THE UNITED STATES
According to Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the government wants to create improved relationships between the local cannabis industry and U.S. banks. He said that one of the limitations on more rapid growth of the ganja industry for Jamaica is the relationship between the industry and banks in the U.S> The government plans to be more aggressive in its lobbying of the U.S. government to establish a correspondent banking system for legal and legitimate cannabis and medicinal cannabis operators in Jamaica.
THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAIINMENT NEWS
MULTIPLE EXHIBITIONS SET TO CELEBRATE CENTENARY OF “MISS LOU”
The Jamaica Cultural Development Corporation (JCDC) plans to launch multiple exhibitions to mark the 100th anniversary celebration of the birth of Jamaica’s cultural icon, Louise Bennett Coverley, better known as “Miss Lou.” The exhibits will begin at the parish offices of the JCDC and in the island’s parish libraries. In September 7, 2019. The anniversary celebration will last all month to give the public a chance to participate and reflect on the contributions of Miss Lou, who was an educator, folklorist, poet, and promotor of the patois language throughout her life.
THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
JAMAICAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM WON’T PLAY UNTIL PAID WHAT IS OWED
The members of Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz women’s national team have informed the Jamaica Federation that they will not play until the Federation pays them what they are owed. The players include Khadija [Bunny] Shaw, Toriana Patterson, Allyson Swaby and Lauren Silver. The players made their position known via social media, posting a “No Pay No Play” banner that stated “Pay Our Reggae Girlz.” In 2019, the team became the first Caribbean team to play in the Women’s World Cup competition. The players say that they have won respect in their sport and proud of their accomplishments, yet they are “literally fighting” just to get paid through legal agreements. The dispute is not only about money, they say, but about change in how women’s football is perceived, particularly in Jamaica. They believe they deserve more and will not participate in any future competitions until they receive the pay they are owed.
