Top Stories:
Bartlett Demands Continued Meetings Regarding Strikes
Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett has broken his silence on the matter that’s been dominating the news in recent weeks across several resorts. Bartlett says the wave of protests will be addressed in a multi-stakeholder manner.
Reporter: Neika Lewis.
Billionaire Eyes Assistance for UTech Students
The University of Technology (UTech) continues to have conversations with Jamaican-born billionaire Dr. Trish Bailey, who is looking forward to helping students in various ways to achieve their truest potential.
Adrian Williams tells us about the move to help in this initiative.
KSAMC Cleans Up Beckford Street
The city of downtown Kingston continues to see shifts in the organization and cleanliness of the city space. Today, the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) continued its cleaner city initiative in a bid to allow for a freer flow of traffic on the thoroughfare.
Reporter: Adrian Williams.
Helmet Wearing Boosted at Crash Hotspot in Mandeville
The National Helmet Wearing Coalition acknowledged today with a 'ride out' to the crash hotspot in Mandeville, Manchester. This ride out, comprising members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in conjunction with the coalition, aimed to raise awareness about road safety and helmet distribution.
Reporter: Adrian Williams.
Golding Angry Warnings Went Unheeded, Demands Intervention Amid Incident
Torrington Park in South St. Andrew was rocked today when a section of the government-owned high-rise residential buildings’ staircase collapsed, with one level falling onto another below. One individual, who was on the staircase at the time, was injured, and the residents of the sixteen apartments served by the staircase were unable to access their homes.
The PNP, in a statement, reasons that the dangerous incident could and should have been avoided. It notes that since 2018, its president, Mark Golding, has been calling attention to the deteriorating state of the building and repeatedly reached out to key officials, including then Permanent Secretary Audrey Sewell, former Minister of Housing Pearnel Charles in 2021, and even Prime Minister Andrew Holness in both 2022 and 2023.
Golding shares that for nearly five years, there has been no effective action taken to ensure the necessary repairs were done, despite meetings, inspections, and assurances that the repairs had been approved, only for the work to be deferred, with nothing done to address this avoidable risk.
He says the lack of response is not just a matter of bureaucracy, but allegedly reflects a shameful disregard for the lives of the residents of Torrington Park. He’s also calling for urgent intervention from the Government of Jamaica.
