Albert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer

Updated 4 hours ago by Albert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer

Plans afoot to close RIU Palace for major refurbishing

Frank Sondern, the Regional Director for RIU hotels in Jamaica, says the Spanish hotel chain will temporarily close the RIU Palace Hotel, in Negril, for four months to facilitate extensive refurbishing, which should take the exercise to the end of August.

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FLOW Vice-President Stephen Price.
May 1, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

FLOW’s Price backs NaRRA push to cut telecoms rollout delays

WESTERN BUREAU: Stephen Price, vice-president and general manager of FLOW Jamaica, is endorsing the proposed establishment of the National Regulatory Reform Authority (NaRRA), arguing that Jamaica…
Hugh Grant (right), president and chief executive officer of the Jamaica Public Service, and Stephen Price, vice-president and general manager of FLOW Jamaica, speak on a panel during the Utility Service Providers round-table at the OOCUR 20th anniversary
April 30, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Utilities warn regulatory delays are driving up costs

WESTERN BUREAU: Leaders of the country’s main utility firms are calling for a quicker turnaround on regulatory approvals and policy decisions, warning that prolonged delays are undermining investment,…
Chairman of the Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators, Ansford Hewitt (left), shares a light moment with Dr Andrew Wheatley, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for science, technology and special proj
April 29, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Regional energy transition now urgent, says Wheatley

WESTERN BUREAU: Andrew Wheatley, minister without portfolio with responsibility for science, technology, and special projects, has warned that the Caribbean’s energy transition and digital…
Rolston Anglin, minister of finance and economic development and minister of education and training in the Cayman Islands.
April 29, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Cayman minister wants stronger backing for regional regulators

WESTERN BUREAU: A Caymanian government official is urging Caribbean countries to provide stronger support to regulatory bodies, saying that underinvestment in these institutions could undermine the…
Michael Kelly shows two of the four graves that were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa almost six months ago at Parottee in St Elizabeth last Wednesday.
April 28, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

SIX MONTHS IN THE DARK

WESTERN BUREAU: Six months after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, residents of the small coastal community of Parottee in St Elizabeth say their most urgent needs are the restoration of…
Basil Bennett, a resident of Parottee, St Elizabeth.
April 28, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

No plans to relocate after sea took home

WESTERN BUREAU: Seventy-year-old Parotte fisherman Basil Bennett said he stood in stunned disbelief and watched his home collapse under the brutal force of Hurricane Melissa’s Category 5 winds as it…
The ruined remains of the St Elizabeth Parish Court on High Street in Black River, six months after Hurricane Melissa made a destructive landfall in the parish on October 28, 2025.
April 28, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Black River recovery advances, but challenges remain

WESTERN BUREAU: Richard Solomon, chairman of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation and mayor of Black River, says the historic town is steadily recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane…
Denever Forbes, owner of Floyd’s Pelican Bar in Parottee, St Elizabeth.
April 28, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Pelican Bar stands once more amid Parottee’s struggle to recover

WESTERN BUREAU: When Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica’s southern coastline six months ago, the fishing village of Parottee in St Elizabeth was left reeling from heavy losses. Homes were damaged,…
Jason Henzell, chairman, Jakes Hotel Villas & Spa in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
April 28, 2026 by Albert Ferguson

Treasure Beach rises again

WESTERN BUREAU: Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth has mounted a remarkable recovery in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, with residents and tourism stakeholders crediting not only reconstruction efforts but…