IRIE FM

Former World 100 meters record holder Asafa Powell has confirmed he will be taking up an offer to lend his expertise in assisting athletes in Ghana.

This arose out of the recent visit to the island by Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama who extended the invitation during his four-day state visit to Jamaica.

Powell is expected to attend a major national youth sports festival as a special guest to share his professional expertise, encourage young talent, and promote sporting excellence.

The connection is supported by Asafa Powell’s family ties; his wife, Alyshia Miller-Powell, is of Ghanaian heritage.

The diplomatic and sporting exchange is slated to be coordinated with assistance from Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.Broader Impact:

The visit falls under wider governmental efforts to strengthen cultural, diplomatic, and sporting ties between Jamaica and Ghana.

Over one million dollars in cash and prizes will be up for grabs in the inaugural St Mary Futsal tournament kicks off this Sunday August 30, with the opening in Highgate at the Highgate Community Center.

The four week tournament will also have stops in Port Maria on September 5, Annotto Bay September 12 and Oracabessa September 19, with the final day of competition on September 26 in Port Maria.

Main organiser of the event is Lacksdean Anderson who tells us more.

The Cubans who entered Jamaica illegally on Monday have been charged.  

The six  arrived by boat at Harvey Beach in Coral Gardens, Montego bay, St. James.

The police were alerted and took them into custody.

They were subsequently handed over to immigration authorities.

Director of Communication at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) Kauna McKenzie says the Cubans are scheduled to appear in court soon.  

With the new academic year to begin next month, schools in drought affected communities are making preparations to ensure they have adequate water supply.

Yesterday, Water Minister Matthew Samuda expressed that no school should have to close because of water challenges and the national water commission has been tasked with trucking water to schools where necessary.

IRIE FM News spoke with school administrators in St. Ann today to find out how prepared their institutions are or the return of students amid the ongoing drought.

Principal of St. Ann Preparatory School, Beverly Edwards says private schools face greater challenges in accessing government assistance.

She says her school would welcome support to ensure there is enough water particularly if the situation worsens.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ocho Rios Primary School, Michael Belnavis says it should be business as usual when classes resume.

He says while the school has sufficient water storage capacity, contingency measures are being put in place to ensure the commodity can be accessed alternatively if challenges arise. 

The Education Ministry has implored contractors carrying out repair works on schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa to expedite the process.

Several schools suffered varying impacts from the storm and are at different stages of reconstruction.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Senator Marlon Morgan, visited the schools on Monday to assess the progress of the works.

Morgan said some schools are nearing completion while others require additional work before they can return fully to normal operation.

He added that the damage caused by the hurricane has reinforced the need for Jamaica to adopt more resilient and climate-smart approaches to construction, particularly in the education sector.

The Water Ministry will be allocating additional funds towards the trucking of water to communities severely impacted by the ongoing drought.

Portfolio Minister Matthew Samuda gave the update yesterday, but did not state an amount.

Last month, the Ministry allocated $86 million towards the initiative, with the funds channelled through members of Parliament.

Mr. Samuda said this time around, divisional parish councillors will be involved.

The Minister noted that no school should have to close due to water challenges when the new academic year begins next month.

As such, the National Water Commission has been tasked with supplying institutions with trucked water, where necessary.

Mr. Samuda said his Ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to implement a water tank programme, targeting early childhood institutions that have insufficient water storage.

Samuda was speaking at the commissioning ceremony for the Bunkers Hill water supply project in Clarendon yesterday.

Approximately 1,000 residents across Bunkers Hill and neighbouring communities in Clarendon are to benefit from improved access to potable water, following the commissioning of the $91.6 million Bunkers Hill Water Supply Project.

The project was implemented by Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) and handed over to the National Water Commission (NWC) for ongoing operation and maintenance.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony today, Water Minister Matthew Samuda said while the Bunkers Hill project represents a significant investment in the community, it must also be viewed within the context of the much larger investment required to achieve water resilience nationally.

He said the project includes approximately 9.3 kilometres of new transmission and distribution pipelines, as well as a solar-powered pumping system that is intended to reduce operating costs.

Makeshift classrooms are being erected at the Ocho Rios Primary School in St. Ann to ensure the institution maintains single-shift operation when classes resume next month for the new academic year.

The school officially transitioned from the shift system to a traditional all-day schedule in September 2024.

A recent fire impacted the school’s infrastructure.

Repair works are being carried out at the school.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Senator Marlon Morgan, visited the school yesterday to assess the progress of the works.

He noted that the school will be ready for September.

He added that a contractor will soon be tasked with replacing the facilities damaged by the fire in June.

Gussie Clarke, the ace producer behind several reggae hits, including Gregory Isaacs’ “Rumours,” The Mighty Diamonds’ “Pass the Koutchie,” J.C. Lodge’s “Telephone Love,” and Shabba Ranks’ “Mr. Loverman,” is building a state-of-the-art recording studio for the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

The project is now at an advanced stage and will be powered by solar energy. Clarke says he will also donate equipment, provide two years of free training, and offer continued support for up to two years after the studio’s completion.

The prolific hitmaker describes the Edna Manley College project as his final and biggest hit yet.

Clarke was speaking with DJ Sunshine on today’s edition of The Wake-Up Call on IRIE FM.

The Government is assessing community mediation practices in Singapore to see how best some can be implemented in Jamaica’s justice system.

The assessment is among several activities to be undertaken in the south-east Asian country by Justice Minister Delroy Chuck and members of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF).

The delegation is participating in the Singapore Convention Week, which started yesterday and will continue until Friday, August 28.

Mr. Chuck says Jamaica’s participation is in support of the Government’s push towards strengthening the nation’s mediation framework.

He emphasises that the Convention establishes a critical international enforcement framework for mediated settlements, much like the New York Convention does for the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitration awards.

He adds that the delegation’s presence in Singapore is part of plans to expand the use of  Alternative Dispute Resolution as an efficient, accessible and cost-effective complement to litigation.