The Star (Jamaica)
Victim of child abuse wants age of consent raised
When most children her age were excited about entering seventh grade at high school, 12-yearold Mary* was attending prenatal clinic after she was impregnated by a neighbour who was almost three times her age. Now 41, the mother of three says she...
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Mom completes university assignment while in labour
Kennesha Sangster turned a hospital delivery room into an examination hall in one of the most extraordinary displays of determination imaginable as she completed a university assignment while in labour. The 29-year-oldrefused to let the moment derail...
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Sweet soup lady serves up hot soup
After years working in a call centre, Trudi-Ann Hewitt never imagined her customer service background would one day set her apart as the “polite soup lady.” For Hewitt, taking pride in her appearance is just as important as serving up hot, tasty meal...
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Stroke floors fitness advocate
Dr Sasekea Harris had spent most of her life committed to a healthy lifestyle and, at 44, she never imagined a stroke could be part of her story. “I would go jogging Mondays to Fridays, and I eat healthy,” she said. “I am the one who tell people that...
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Children’s Advocate backs raising age of consent to 18
Jamaica’s Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon-Harrison is backing a proposal to raise the age of consent from 16 to 18, saying the move could strengthen protections for minors amid ongoing concerns about teenage pregnancy and exploitative...
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Mother of two battling brain tumour
Getting ready to head out, Amanda Campbell stood in front of her mirror putting on her makeup when something stopped her cold. “I was doing my eye shadow and when mi close one eye, mi can’t find the other eye fi put it on. A then mi realise seh it...
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Dad manifests son’s track success
Years ago, a Jamaican father, Nicholas Watt, captured what seemed like a simple, encouraging moment with his son Nickoye on video – affirming where the boy would be in five years. Now, those spoken words are coming into being as young speedster...
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Pastors say church killing symbolises societal decay
Last Wednesday’s brazen gun attack inside a Montego Bay churchyard reflects a broader societal decline, according to two clergymen. The attack has left 38-year-old Corra Thompson’s family devastated and the congregation at the New Testament Church of...
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Turns nail passion into thriving business
In 2019, nursing a broken heart after a breakup and heading back home, 26-year-old Shamaya Nelson turned to a bit of retail therapy on Amazon. What began as a way to distract herself soon evolved into something far bigger, eventually pulling her out...
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PET LOVERS GO CRAZY
Trudian Johnson, an engineer and farmer who has been rearing guinea pigs for more than eight years, is expressing surprise at a recent surge in demand for the animals, particularly as pets. “It’s new to me but the popularity is growing. But I just...
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Cycling queen feels heat
For nearly seven years, Shellysha McCarthy-Grandison was a familiar sight in Kingston as she weaved through traffic confidently in stilettos, turning heads while quietly sidestepping the daily grind of gridlock and rising transport costs. What began...
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Former pickpocket now saving youth
Oshane Larmond was once stealing from his own parents, bleaching his skin and partying every day, chasing a version of himself he now says never truly existed. “I was living a purposeless life … stealing, lying, partying, skin bleaching, all because...
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Mongrel gets lavish funeral
After laying one of his fourlegged friends to rest in 2022, Peter Perry, owner of Perry’s Funeral Home, is once again taking special pride in saying goodbye to a beloved pooch. Perry, who has conducted hundreds of burials – but only of the human...
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Artificial Jesus offers salvation
AJamaican pastor is warning that artificial intelligence tools (AI) designed to simulate conversations with Jesus Christ could distort Christian belief and “reduce the living Lord to a digital construct”. The caution from Pastor Shawn S. Wilson, a...
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Lawyer weighs in on Jaii Frais shooting drama
Veteran attorney Christopher Townsend is highlighting a key principle in Jamaican law, arguing that a person may still lawfully act in self-defence even if they are illegally in possession of a firearm. Townsend made the point amid ongoing public...
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Students benefiting from extra classes programme
Hundreds of students who lost classroom time due to Hurricane Melissa are benefiting from an extra classes programme aimed at getting them back on track ahead of upcoming examinations. The $10-million initiative, spearheaded by the Jamaica Public...
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Innocence stolen
Thirteen years ago, when Motanya was just 14, her life was violently altered by someone she knew and trusted within her own community. The young teen said she was subjected to trauma that not only shadowed her adolescence, but shaped many of the...
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Dust choking Campbell Town
Adust nuisance in Campbell Town in the Corporate Area has disrupted the livelihood of the residents and small business operators within the space. The dust is caused by road repairs being carried out in the community. Among those affected are...
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Two Tel Avivs, two realities
There was a time, not so long ago, when Tel Aviv in downtown Kingston echoed with fear. A bitter gang feud in the Central Kingston community had people fleeing the streets and many opting to stay inside their yards. For the past two years, however,...
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LOCK-UP HORROR!
ASt Ann-based woman is threatening to take legal action against the State, alleging that she developed a severe case of scabies while in police custody and was subjected to degrading and unsafe conditions. Pansy Henry, 55, said the skin infestation...
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DEAR READERS:
THE STAR will not be published on Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6. Publication will resume on Tuesday, April 7. Have a blessed and peaceful Easter!
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Parents urged to monitor children’s online use
Parents are being warned to take responsibility for what their children are exposed to online, as concerns mount globally about the popular gaming platform Roblox. Launched in 2006, Roblox is an online platform where users, many of them children,...
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Educator lauds benefits of vocational subjects
Technical and vocational education traning (TVET) Teacher of the Year 2025, Gavin DeRizzio, is urging male students to take construction education seriously. The passionate educator, who has been making an impact at Vauxhall High School and other...
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Projects under way to strengthen national water access
The Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change is advancing several major initiatives to ensure universal access to water for all Jamaicans, in keeping with the 2019 National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan. Senior Director in the...
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Little Jayce had a happy spirit
At 1 p.m. on a typical weekday, three-yearold Jayce Pinnock would have been in his classroom at the Edward Seaga Infant School, but instead his body lay in a tiny blue and white casket inside the Pentecostal City Mission Church on Blount Street in...
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Mom’s sacrifices spur educator daughters to excel
As Shaneika Davidson Francis stood anxiously waiting to hear who would be named LASCO Teacher of the Year, one woman in the crowd could not contain her excitement. “I am the mommy!” her mother Cynthia Ellis Tucker shouted proudly. Moments later, her...
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Single father getting new house
Single father Jermaine Bentley says he was granted a miracle after he was offered a threebedroom prefab house, courtesy of a Good Samaritan, US businesswoman Anethan Lothian. But the Jones Town, Kingston resident told THE STAR, while he breathed a...
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Bun company faces heat
The family of the man who tragically died at a bun-eating competition has opened talks with the pastry company that hosted the promotion, seeking answers and support. Kerron Powell, 38, of Litchfield, Trelawny, was reportedly participating in the...
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Ailing farmer refuses to quit
For 64-year-old farmer Albert Faulknor, agriculture is not just a livelihood, it is a calling that continues to anchor him, even from a hospital bed. Though currently admitted, Faulknor remains mentally rooted in the soil he has spent decades...
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CANCER WARRIOR Shaunice Dean preaches positive energy
When THE STAR spoke with colorectal cancer warrior Shaunice Dean earlier this week, she radiated positivity. The past year has been pain-free for the 33-year-old, a blessing she says gives her every reason to smile. “I am not in any pain or anything...
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Woman says God wants Kartel to be a prophet
ASerbian woman says she has been divinely instructed to deliver a message to dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel, urging him to use his influence for good and step into his true calling as a prophet. “The Lord wants him to become a preacher. I love him...
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Crippling illness leaves Manchester woman struggling
After living for more than 10 years with a neurological condition that has left her struggling to walk and care for herself, 60-year-old Minnette Powell says her greatest fear is being placed in an infirmary. “Mi nuh wah leave mi cat dem … mi nuh want...
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Jamaica-born US soldier learns harsh lessons from Middle East
According to a Jamaica-born US Army Specialist, war has a way of stripping things down to their most basic truth. “People talk about war like it’s strategy or politics,” she said. “But when you’re the one standing there in the middle of it, you...
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Mother of three fighting to save her sight
Shanice Laird’s life went black, figuratively and somewhat literally, overnight on February 22. “I went to my bed the Sunday night and did my regular routine, ate my dinner, prayed, went to my bed. I was okay when I went to sleep. The Monday I woke up...
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FAYVAL BATS FOR WOMEN
Jamaica’s first female finance minister, Fayval Williams, has urged women and girls across the island to speak out against abuse or harassment and never allow gender to limit their dreams. In opening the 2025/2026 Budget Debate in Parliament...
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Noel Maitland feels strongly about innocence
Convicted policeman Noel Maitland is already setting his sights on the next legal battleground. His attorney, Christopher Townsend, says Maitland strongly maintains his innocence and is prepared to take the fight to the Court of Appeal — and possibly...
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Grinding for success
At 39 years old, Nickie says every minute she steps onto the dance floor or in a brothel room is driven by her singular goal of ensuring her daughter finishes university. The mother of three has spent years navigating a life many judge harshly,...
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PROMISE SHATTERED
Kevaughn Goldson’s life was a bright, blazing promise to his family, his downtown Kingston community, and himself. At just 23 years old, the Jamaican sprinter had the world ahead of him, and a heart full of ambition to lift everyone he loved out of...
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ETCHED IN PAIN
At the far end of a quiet, disorganised row of marble headstones, beneath the generous shade of a plum tree in the cemetery at St Andrew Parish Church, lies the final resting place of Melissa Silvera. But unlike the graves that flank it, Melissa’s is...
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Silvera faces 15 years to life
Convicted wife killer Jolyan Silvera could be handed a prison term of no less than 15 years when he returns to court on Friday for sentencing before Chief Justice Brian Sykes. Silvera, 52, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and to using a firearm to...
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Narrow escape!
Israel-based Jamaican striker Javon East said he and his family narrowly escaped danger after leaving the country just before Iranian missiles struck a section of it where he was based on Saturday afternoon. Iran retaliated strongly following a joint...
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Boxing for a better future
The hum of punching bags and the rhythmic shuffle of feet filled Fun Robics Fitness in Greater Portmore, St Catherine, last Friday. Among the watchers was Taneica McLean. Her eyes were fixed on her 16-year-old son, Demarco Smith, as he practised his...
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Premature baby needs million-dollar surgery
Three-month-old D’Shawn Fulconer has never felt sunlight on his skin. Since arriving 12 weeks early, the Santoy, Hanover, infant has known only the steady hum of machines inside the neonatal unit at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay. Now, his...
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Help save a life
With her daughter behind bars accused of setting a woman ablaze, Erica Cope is making an emotional plea — not for sympathy for her child, but for help to save the very woman police say her daughter burnt. “I sympathise with the girl that got hurt. It...
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Churches urged to help protect seniors from tech fraud
Founder of the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons Jean Lowrie Chin is calling on the church community to assist with protecting the elderly against fraudsters who target them via technology. Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, Chin said the elderly...
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Shante Sinclair makes creative comeback
Securing first place for photography in the 2025 Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Competition meant far more to Shante Sinclair than adding another accolade to her résumé. The victory signalled a powerful comeback to the creative world she...
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Ice-cream mom killed in horror crash
Grief has gripped the community of King’s Street in downtown Kingston as relatives and residents struggle to process the sudden and shocking death of 46-year-old Tamara Manning. An ice-cream shop operator, Manning died on February 15 after a motor...
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‘Short’ man avoids Valentine’s Day out of shame
While many men look forward to getting some action around the Valentine’s season, one man says he makes sure he is gone long before that, in part because he doesn’t think he ‘measures up’. “Man haffi go through too much pressure when it come round to...
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IN TELL ME PASTOR THE HELPER TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE LOVE
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Jamaicans want more love than just on
To some Jamaicans, Valentine’s Day has become less a celebration of love and more a spotlight on low effort, revealing relationships that rely on one day of romance to mask a year of emotional neglect. For Marcus, February 14 is not symbolic – it is...
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Jamaican women embrace Soft Girl Era
Aquiet revolution is taking place across Jamaica as women embrace the so-called ‘Soft Girl Era’, a lifestyle focused on ease, self-care, and embracing femininity. Across the island, women are gently pushing back against the relentless “rough life”...
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Bride loses leg after wedding
Five days before her wedding, Yaniki Davis’s life took a devastating turn when a screw pierced the sole of her slippers, puncturing her foot. Living with diabetes, she recognised the danger of even a minor injury and sought medical attention...
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Small tattoo, BIG meaning
To strangers, the modest tattoo on Cindy’s* left shoulder may appear meaningless, but to her it’s a quiet monument to survival. The tattoo is nothing more than a simple date — no design, no decoration — yet it carries a lifetime of meaning. Now 31,...
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Manchester centenarian looks to another milestone
On February 12, Millicent Smith will celebrate her 103rd birthday but she told her family that she doesn’t want a fancy party, so as not to ‘attract her ancestors’. “I just want a little get-together and no big TV station and dem tings deh because...
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Twins who are former State wards ready for next chapter
When their mother, who was a foster child, got pregnant at just 13, Crystal and Crystel Thomas were practically born into State care. The twins, who consider themselves fortunate that they were never separated, say that they learnt early to lean on...
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No freaky things in church
As churches grapple with controversy over sexuality and moral boundaries, a wider debate has emerged. Some are questioning whether silence and treating sex as taboo have left faith communities ill-equipped to address intimacy, desire and vulnerability...
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Car part stuck on penis
Arisky attempt to enhance sexual performance recently left one man facing a frightening medical emergency after he reportedly slipped a metal car component over his penis to maintain an erection — only for it to become dangerously stuck. The incident,...
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Child who walked into State care cops 10 CSEC subjects
When her mother died in 2019, Melissa* was only 12 years old; her father had passed five years prior. After bouncing around living with relatives, one day she walked to the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) office, hoping to save her...
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Postal service moving with the times
Handwritten love letters that were once sealed with perfume and promise, that took weeks to reach their destinations, are no longer a regular sight at Jamaica’s post offices. The lost art has been replaced by WhatsApp messages, emails and online...
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Hidden lives of female friends
Women leading double lives are coming clean, exposing passionate relationships and forbidden romances with other females. For Kim*, 36, a devoted wife and high school teacher, the rules of love have never been black and white. Married for more than a...
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Teacher without GCE math shaped generations
When Sandra Rowe first left high school, mathematics was not part of her life plan. In fact, the newly retired teacher never acquired a General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (similar to CSEC) mathematics qualification, and once firmly...
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Plus-size mom stands firm after online attacks on her child
There was a time when Devodean Green barely stepped beyond her front door. Fresh out of high school and acutely aware of her plus size, the St Mary native said the weight of public judgement felt heavier than the extra pounds she carried. As a...
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Asylum seeker on edge
Every day, Jane* wakes up with a knot in her stomach. In just a few weeks, she faces an immigration court hearing that could change her life, for better, for worse. Two years ago, Jane left Jamaica illegally, seeking a new life in the United States....
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Loveinink
The buzz of tattoos machine echoed over the chatter inside Popin Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio in Kingston as customers sat patiently awaiting their turn in the chair. Almost without prompting, a familiar question snuck into the conversation. Would...
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