News Briefs

Adam Stewart, Orlando Patterson to receive UWI honorary degrees

Businessman Adam Stewart and Professor Orlando Patterson are among 16 persons who will be awarded honorary degrees during this year’s graduation ceremonies across the five campuses of The University of the West Indies (UWI).

In making the disclosure in a media statement Tuesday, The UWI also announced it will be holding in-person graduation ceremonies for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stewart will be honoured by the Mona Campus for entrepreneurship and philanthropy, while Patterson will be recognised for his work as a historical and cultural sociologist.

Meanwhile, two other persons will be conferred with honorary doctorates by the Mona campus: Dr Rosemary Moodie for paediatric medicine and philanthropy, and Diane Jaffee of the USA for her work in finance.

The UWI’s 2022 graduation ceremonies take place between October 8 and November 5.

This year’s honorary graduands join the ranks of a list of almost 500 persons who have been awarded since 1985.

Samuda pitches garbage collection contest between JLP, PNP

De facto Environment Minister Matthew Samuda is proposing a plastic collection competition between the country’s two main political parties.

Samuda, who made the proposal on Tuesday, said once Parliament legislates the deposit refund scheme, the competition can get under way between the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Under the scheme, a deposit fee will be charged at the point of purchase and refunded to the purchaser when the bottle is returned via a specifically designed system.

“JLP versus PNP plastic collection. There is nothing more competitive than politics anywhere in the world. I propose that as a mechanism to help collect the significant plastic waste in the environment, that we mobilise the political base of both parties and we compete to see who can collect the most,” said Samuda.

He was addressing a forum on plastics hosted by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation,

Samuda said that the competition would demonstrate political maturity.

“That, I believe, will send the right signal,” he said.

Cane cutter charged with murder of common-law wife

Cane cutter Sherwayne ‘Billy’ Collins has been charged with the stabbing murder of his common-law wife in St Catherine on August 21.

He was charged on Monday by the St Catherine police.

The deceased is 24-year-old hairdresser Aliesha Patience of Lluidas Vale in St Catherine.

It’s alleged that about 6:30 p.m. on August 21, the two had a disagreement, which escalated.

During the dispute, the woman was stabbed in the neck.

She later succumbed to her injuries.