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Coopers Pen tax tangle - $26-million bill due to TAJ over disputed land

August 24, 2026 | News
New Falmouth Resorts Limited is facing a mounting $26.3-million tax bill on more than 260 acres of prime land, which is now at the centre of a public dispute between Coopers Pen residents and the company. Official Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) records obtained by The Gleaner reveal that the company, which acquired the land in March 2006, has failed to pay property taxes for six consecutive years since 2020, racking up more than $2 million in penalties. Tax on the land, currently valued at $390 million, amounts to $3.4 million annually.
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JCF: Man seeking medical help in video online is not a cop

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is distancing itself from a video circulating on social media featuring a man who is being portrayed as a member of the police force and is said to be in need of medical assistance. In a statement on Monday, the JCF said it is aware of the video, in which the narrator claims that the man requires medical assistance. However, the constabulary informed that the individual is not a member of the JCF.
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St James Petrojam worker allegedly held with over 200 bullets granted $400,000 bail

An employee of the state-owned oil refinery Petrojam who was allegedly held with more than 200 rounds of ammunition for a high-calibre assault rifle during a sting operation in Montego Bay, St James, earlier this month has been granted bail. Vachel Whitter, 40, a terminal technician at Petrojam’s Montego Bay Terminal, was granted $450,000 bail when he appeared in the Western Regional Gun Court on Monday, his attorney, Donnovan Collins, confirmed. He was also ordered not to interfere with witnesses in the case.
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Opposition seeks briefing on Jamaica-US Status of Forces Agreement

The Parliamentary Opposition is seeking a full briefing from the Government on the reported execution of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Jamaica and the United States. Opposition Spokesperson on National Security, Fitz Jackson, has written to National Security and Peace Minister, Dr Horace Chang, requesting details on the agreement at the earliest opportunity.

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A demolished home in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny.
Updated 11 hours ago

Coopers Pen tax tangle - $26-million bill due to TAJ over disputed land

New Falmouth Resorts Limited is facing a mounting $26.3-million tax bill on more than 260 acres of prime land, which is now at the centre of a public dispute between Coopers Pen residents and the company. Official Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) records obtained by The Gleaner reveal that the company, which acquired the land in March 2006, has failed to pay property taxes for six consecutive years since 2020, racking up more than $2 million in penalties. Tax on the land, currently valued at $390 million, amounts to $3.4 million annually.

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Jamaica’s Elias McLaughlin (left) battles with Logan Lee of Haudenosaunee during yesterday’s bronze medal match at the Stadium East field.
Updated 10 hours ago

Lacrosse team targets PALA Sixes Cup

Following Jamaica’s fourth-place finish at the Pan American Men’s Lacrosse Championship yesterday, the Jamaica Lacrosse Association (JLA) will now turn its attention to the PALA Sixes Cup, the first step in Olympic qualification. Jamaica finished fourth at the Pan Am Lacrosse Championships after a close 16-9 defeat at the hands of Haudenosaunee yesterday. Haudenosaunee had taken a slender 6-5 advantage by the end of the first quarter, and held the lead at the half, going into the break 8-7.

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Miss Universe Jamaica 2026 Celene Hall.
Published 6 hours ago

Celene Hall is Miss Universe Jamaica 2026

Miss Universe Jamaica Portland Celene Hall is Miss Universe Jamaica. The 25-year-old businesswoman, artist and philanthropist was crowned on Sunday night at the AC Hotel Kingston by Miss Universe Jamaica 2025 Dr Gabrielle Henry, who made her first public appearance at the pageant following an accident in Thailand last year where she represented Jamaica at the global Miss Universe pageant.

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Contributed Harro Ten Wolde, of Boehringer Ingelheim’s corporate communications division.
August 23, 2026

Jardiance drug searches spike 50% amid Usain Bolt campaign

The makers of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) drug Jardiance say that enlisting retired sprinter Usain Bolt as the face of their latest campaign has raised awareness, amid a spike in online searches. The campaign draws on the contrast between Bolt’s reputation as the world’s fastest man and Jardiance’s message about slowing the progression of kidney disease. The drug is co-owned by German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and American drugmaker Eli Lilly.

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Friends Savannah-Rae Reynolds (left), a law student, and Chelsea Williams, a veterinary medicine student, turn heads in plunging looks. Reynolds wears a white cowl-neck top, while Williams opts for a silky champagne-coloured tie-string top.
Updated 10 hours ago

Something Extra | Monday

Reggae and dancehall artiste D’Yani officially launched his long-awaited album, LLAP — Live Life & Prosper, on Friday at 105 Water Lane in downtown Kingston. The memorable evening drew fans and members of the industry, including Ce’Cile, Ras-I, Sevana and Josef Bogdanovich, who came out to celebrate the artiste and support the latest chapter of his musical journey. Hosted by Jadeen ‘Jade’ McGhie, the event saw fans singing along to their favourite tracks as D’Yani shared personal insights into his musical journey and the inspiration behind the album.

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A demolished home in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny.
Published 15 hours ago

Editorial | The fix for squatting

Coming so quickly after the Coopers Pen incident, last week’s vow by long-term occupiers of the Jacob Taylor Beach in Trelawny to resist their planned eviction by a state agency should concentrate the minds of the Jamaican authorities on the need for accelerated action to address the island’s deep-seated problem of land ownership and squatting.

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