Abeng — Jamaica news

$8m in 4 days
Montego BAY, St James — St James Municipal Corporation has raked in a little over $8 million in overdue advertising fees over the last few days as an aggressive enforcement drive pays off. “Payments were received over a four-day period, beginning Friday evening and continuing through today,” chairman of the corporation and Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday

Morgan vows SPARK 2 will deliver remaining roads promised under island-wide programme
Works Minister Robert Morgan says the Government will roll out a second phase of the SPARK road rehabilitation programme to complete the 10 roads per constituency pledged in the JLP manifesto, with planning already under way at the NWA.

I-T Rockaz steps out solo with new reggae single 'Thankful'
Spanish Town reggae artiste I-T Rockaz, a core member of Rockaz Elements, has launched a solo career with the release of 'Thankful', a gratitude-driven single inspired by his survival of a serious crash.

Image plus targets growth after flat year
Image Plus Consultants Limited (IPCL) has agreed to acquire the only private MRI and bone densitometry provider in central Jamaica, while simultaneously removing its largest north coast competitor — a double move the Junior Market-listed imaging company is betting will finally translate years of heavy investment into stronger earnings. The company has reached an agreement to acquire the assets and brand of Island Radiology, which has branches in Mandeville and Ocho Rios and an agency in Santa Cruz

Young stars align
Shanoya Douglas, the World Under-20 leader in the women’s 100m and 200m, is set to contest the double at the fifth staging of the Puma East Coast International Showcase inside Hughes Memorial Stadium at Morgan State University in Maryland, United States, on Saturday. The East Coast International Showcase, which is the brainchild of Jamaican Olympian Sanjay Ayre, is expected to feature more than 1,200 elite high school athletes from across the United States and the Caribbean competing in sprints, relays and field events, say organisers

Porsche Cayenneback in black
Porsche Jamaica unveiled the latest flavour of their top-selling SUV, the Cayenne, at an exclusive preview event held on Tuesday, April 28, at AC Hotel Kingston. “The Porsche Cayenne Coupé Black Edition is bold, refined, and unmistakably confident

Barnaby back to best with dominant Legal Light Trophy romp
Three weeks ago, he was chasing shadows. On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Barnaby cast his own

Grange stands firm: Rastafarians enjoy same rights as other faiths under Jamaican law
Culture Minister Olivia Grange has reaffirmed that Rastafarians are fully protected under Jamaica's Charter of Rights, pushing back against the Rastafari Mansions and Organizations, which is demanding a dedicated Rastafari Rights and Justice Act.

Honour Prince Returns to Winning Form with Restricted Stakes Triumph
Bay colt Honour Prince, sidelined for months by injury, captured a Restricted Stakes contest by 2½ lengths on April 25, 2026, lifting his career tally to four wins from seven starts.
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Education ministry touts success of PEP 2026 Grade six exam administered after strategic adjustments in response to Hurricane Melissa
The Ministry of Education has reported that the 2026 Grade 6 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations were successfully implemented over the past two days — Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30. In a media release on Thursday the ministry said the smooth execution of the examinations underscores its commitment to resilience, equity, and student success, even in the aftermath of national disruption

Legacy Isle returns in Reggae Trophy
The $1.75-million Reggae Trophy, a Graded Stakes/Open Allowance for three-year-olds and upward, headlines tomorrow’s 10-race card at Caymanas Park. The 5-furlong (1,000m) dash has drawn six, but the story is the seasonal reappearance of Legacy Isle, the crack American-bred runner who has twice placed in the Mouttet Mile

Attorneys clash in Klansman trial
Tense moments dotted the cross-examination of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in the ongoing trial of 25 alleged members of the so-called Tesha Miller-led faction of the Klansman gang after the lead prosecutor locked horns with defence attorney Paul Gentles on Thursday. These came as the lead prosecutor charged that the senior attorney was not only misquoting the evidence of the senior cop but was also making utterances that could prejudice his own client

Odds-on reality: Time to fix the handicap
Last Saturday, the 2026 World Vet Day was celebrated in some style, when the promoting company, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), in tandem with the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), formally introduced the cohort of new generation operatives, with their personal introductions and brief citations circulated and conveyed over the company’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) system. No doubt, the legacy of the previous generation’s legendary practitioners with the revered pioneering and globally acclaimed Thomas Lecky (1904-94) and figures like Hall-Of-Fame inductees Clifford Grey and Clifford Bradford, as well as long-serving members of the fraternity, including Aston Marsh, St Aubyn Bartlett, and Sophia Ramlal, is well preserved

No longer a pipe dream
Montego BAY, St James — Plans by the Government to significantly reduce the water woes facing several communities in western Jamaica moved a step closer to reality on Wednesday with the arrival from overseas of potable water pipes and fittings in Freeport, St James. The pipes are to be used for the planned Western Water Resilience Improvement Project-Phase 1 (WWRIP-1)

Sandals Dunn's River Backs 2026 Steer Town Community Football League
Sandals Resorts has signed on as title sponsor of the 2026 Steer Town Community Football League in St Ann, an eight-team competition kicking off in July under the Steer Town Community Organization.

April’s twin titans: Pace vs Power
April 2026 will be remembered as a month when Jamaican racing witnessed two contrasting yet equally brilliant displays of equine excellence. Supernatural Power and Rideallday, both trained by Philip Feanny, delivered performances that showcased the diverse tactical dimensions of modern racing

Jamaica ranks 68 of 180 countries on Environmental Performance Index
Despite Jamaica’s strong performances in areas such as climate change, forestry protection, and the protection of marine key biodiversity areas (KBA), Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda is admitting that significantly more work needs to be done to improve the country’s overall ranking on the Environmental Protection Index (EPI). Jamaica was given a 68th-place ranking and a score of 48.5 among 180 countries by Yale University in its 2024 EPI assessment

CPL announces 2026 draft rules as new era begins with seventh franchise
Port OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has officially launched the Player Acquisition and Draft rules for the 2026 season, ushering in a fresh three-year contract cycle (2026-2028) that promises to reshape the landscape of Caribbean cricket. The updated framework, announced Tuesday, introduces a seventh franchise, the Jamaica Kingsmen, alongside a series of strategic changes designed to bolster competitive balance and nurture emerging talent

Greyt Magnum completes quick double In JRC Trophy
Greyt Magnum (He’stherealking – Winningitis), after releasing the tag last time out over 6 furlongs (1,200m), completed a quick double when he won the $700,000 Jamaica Racing Commission Trophy at Caymanas Park on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The four-year-old roan gelding came from off the pace to score, going away by 1¼ lengths over 7½ furlongs (1,500m), clocking 1:36.2

Partnership pays off
Savanna-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — In a major boost to the health-care sector in this parish following the devastation of last October’s Hurricane Melissa, the Issa Trust Foundation has donated $17 million worth of medical equipment and supplies to Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital. Handed over during a ceremony at the hospital on Tuesday, the donation marks the renewal of a long-standing partnership between the hospital and the foundation, which is the charitable arm of Couples Resorts