Landrith Isaac, Assistant Water Engineer at the St. Kitts Water Department, is attending a two-week program in India to enhance his knowledge and expertise in water sewage treatment. The program provides a comprehensive understanding of crafting innovative and environmentally friendly water and sewage treatment solutions. It will equip Isaac with the necessary skills and knowledge to find creative ways to address the local water shortage.
Isaac has been with the St. Kitts Water Services Department for six months, but in that short time, he has found a community of supporters. His superiors supported his decision to attend the certificate course Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited offers in Mumbai, India, with the support of the Indian government.
The course is open to applicants from 160 countries in junior or middle-level positions focusing on water conservation or sewage treatment techniques and allied sectors. Applicants are also required to have a bachelor’s degree. Isaac, who earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, felt honoured to be among the 25 successful applicants.
Water sewage treatment has emerged as a critical issue worldwide as the demand for freshwater continues to rise and the impact of climate change becomes increasingly palpable. Speaking to the Communications Office in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure et al. on February 6, 2024, Mr. Isaac said water sewage treatment methods might initially benefit the agricultural sector of St. Kitts and Nevis given the nation’s renewed focus on agriculture and its thrust to reduce its food import bill by 25% by 2025.
As a native of Cayon, St. Kitts, Isaac has first-hand knowledge of how scarcity of potable water can affect households and communities. He also intricately understands the nature of the work that engineers like him must do to ensure that communities like his have steady fresh water supplies.
As Isaac immerses himself in this transformative experience, he is learning about the fundamentals of water treatment, sewage treatment methods, sludge management, water pollutants, and their environmental effects. He participates in interactive lectures, group exercises, case studies, and visits to factories, research institutes, and city municipal corporations.
He shares ideas, experiences, and best practices with colleagues, lecturers, and professionals from multiple countries and cultures while considering how best to implement them here in St. Kitts and Nevis. After the course ends on February 10, 2024, he will return to St. Kitts and Nevis, where he plans to share his knowledge with colleagues at the St. Kitts Water Services Department.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is appealing with motorists and pedestrians traveling to and from the South East Peninsula to exercise extreme caution due to reports of rockfall in the area.
In a press release issued on Thursday, NEMA also stated that given the amount of rainfall received, and still expected, due to the trough system currently passing through the area, persons are also asked to refrain from parking in waterways (ghauts).
Additionally, the St. Kitts Met Office is also appealing to the public to be vigilant; informing that drier weather is expected Friday morning.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, Jan 30, 2024 (ZIZ Newsroom): The annual register of voters will be posted on Wednesday(January 31, 2024).
This is according to Supervisor of Elections, Oaklyn Peets who was speaking during a recorded statement.
He said, “The annual register of voters, which includes the names of persons who are registered as voters as of November 2023, will be posted at two conspicuous places in each polling division on Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, in accordance with the provisions of Section 43. 1 of the National Assembly Election Act.”
He encouraged persons to check for their name, address and occupation, and if there are any changes, they are to fill out a notice of claim form #7 and submit it to the registration officer at the electoral office no later than Wednesday Feb 14, 2024.
Mr. Peets also outlined the procedure for persons who object to a name that is included on the register.
“Any person whose name appears on the register of voters for an electoral district may object to the registration of any person whose name is included in the said register. Persons who wish to make objection to names appearing on the register should complete a notice of objection, form number eight, and submit it to the registration officer not later than Wednesday, February 14, 2024.”
He also mentioned that notice of claim and notice of objection forms can be collected at the electoral offices in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Charlestown, Nevis.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, Jan 29, 2024 (ZIZ Newsroom): The Nevis Cultural Development Foundation (NCDF) will be carrying out repairs to the Nevis Performing Arts Centre (NePAC) to have it ready to host Culturama 50 events.
“For C50, we have decided to spruce up the property and currently the property is closed. Some work will be done on the roof, inside the theatre itself, we’ll be replacing the entire air conditioning system and the idea is to have it in top-notch for the visitors who are coming for Culturama 50,” said Mr. Jerome Rawlins, Chief Executive Officer of NCDF in an interview with ZIZ on Thursday (Jan. 25).
According to Mr. Rawlins, NePAC has already planned activities for Culturama 50.
“We’ve gotten quite a few tentative bookings for Culturama. We have people coming from Europe, the United States and Canada and they have already called and asked for particular dates.”
Mr. Rawlins also stated that tenders had been submitted to carry out repairs at NePAC, expected to begin as early as mid-February.
“We have received a number of tenders for the different pieces of work that we have to do at NePAC; the electrical work, the roofing work, we are improving the sewer system. Those tenders will be taken to Cabinet and then we’ll start rolling. The anticipated start is by mid-February and we are expected to finish in a couple of months.”
According to the Nevis Island Administration’s Department of Information, NePAC is the 40-year-old vision of the Nevis Dramatic and Cultural Society (NEDACS), the group responsible for the creation of Culturama the island’s premier annual cultural exposition. The Nevis Performing Arts Centre was opened on April 28, 2012.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, Nov 13, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023 was ushered in with an address by Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Hon. Samal Duggins on Monday.
He said the ministry is guided by the slogan building businesses, fuelling innovation stands as a beacon of its commitment in today’s global environment.
Minister Duggins said the week will focus on several aspects that will offer assistance to entrepreneurs.
“The objective of the week of activities is to galvanize and support the entrepreneurial spirit within St. Kitts and Nevis by providing platforms for networking, learning, and collaboration, thereby fostering innovation and facilitating the growth of small businesses and startups,” he said. “The benefits of these week long activities will lead to a heightened sense of community among entrepreneurs, equipping them with the valuable insights and resources. This will not only bolster the growth and potential of existing businesses, but also inspire and pave the way for the next generation of entrepreneurial ventures, thereby contributing to sustained economic development and job creation within St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The week began on Monday with the Creative Economy Panel Discussion and will wrap up on Friday.
Minister Duggins outlined the activities slated to be held this week.
“November 14 features a GEW summit where the spotlight will be on Mr. Wendell Lawrence. On November 15, our team will engage with the next generation by launching an essay writing competition amongst our primary schools on the topic. My dream Business November 16 will see us at the heart of our communities with the Community Business meeting. This isn’t about speeches or monologues, it’s a dialogue. And as we approach the grand Finale, November 17 will witness the historic Independence Square transform into a bustling hub of commerce and innovation with the small Biz Showcase Trade Fair. This collaboration with the Ministry responsible for Energy stands as a testament to what can be achieved when different sectors with diverse expertise unite with a shared purpose.”
Minister Duggins thanked the nation’s business owners for being “the beating heart of the nation’s economy” and pledged the ministry’s support to entrepreneurs to “erect businesses that are not just successful but are the torch bearers of innovation”.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 10 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom):The police are investigating the shooting death of Ibal Tyson of Lowe Street, Nevis.
According to a notice, police from the Charlestown Police Station responded to a report of a shooting incident at Craddock Road on Tuesday.
Pictures of the scene show a blue car with a motionless body inside.
More details will be provided as they become available.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 25, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): The St. Kitts Nevis National Co-operative League Limited is this week hosting the 47th meeting of the Caribbean Credit Union Development Education Program or CaribeDE at the St. Kitts Marriot Resort.
An opening ceremony was held on Monday Morning at the Antigua Room under the theme “Trust The Process”.
CaribDE is a full immersion Leadership Development training, covering International Principles, Good Governance Practices, Current Financial Climate and their impact on the Caribbean Credit Unions.
In his presentation to the attendees President of First Federal Cooperative Credit Union, Howard McEachrane noted that the public’s trust in Credit Unions has grown over the years.
He encouraged the participants to take advantage of the technical knowledge they would receive at CaribDE as it would be beneficial to their careers.
Programme Director of CaribDE, Melvin Edwards said as the Credit Union representatives come together to chart the way forward they need assistance from the respective governments to develop supportive legislation.
The CaribDE 47 programme runs until the 29th of September. According to a CaribDE official There are several training programs held annually throughout the Caribbean and further afield, bringing together Credit Unions executives, managers, staff, volunteers and regulators.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, Sept 11, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): Ambassador for the Eastern Caribbean States to the Kingdom of Morocco, His Excellency Ian Queeley says he and the federation’s students located in Morocco are all safe following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the country on Friday.
In an exclusive interview with ZIZ News on Monday Ambassador Queeley gave an update on their status.
“The ambassador, staff, and all the students of St. Kitts and Nevis and the other OECS territories that are studying here in the Kingdom of Morocco are marked as being safe after the passage of such a terrible earthquake,” he said.
He said he is stationed quite far from the epicenter so they didn’t feel the full brunt of the quake.
“Most of us are located in the north of the country, which is around 200 miles away from the epicenter, but the earthquake was felt very strongly here in Rabat, where we were as well,” he said. “And so there are no damages that were reported in and around the Rabat area. The concentration of devastation is down in the south, particularly in the Berber villages that are located just above Marrakesh in the Atlas Mountains.”
Ambassador Queeley called on all members of the OECS to offer their prayers to the people of Morocco who are dealing with the aftermath of the quake.
At least 2,681 people have been killed in the quake and just over 2,500 have been injured, state media said on Monday.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, 21st August 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom):The Institution Based Health Services, including hospitals and health centres will be taking part in a series of activities leading up to the 40th Anniversary of Independence in September.
The endeavor is called 40 Days to the 40th Anniversary of Independence and it began on the 11th of August with the official launch.
Clinical Instructor at the In-Service Education Department of Institution Based Health Services, Mary Caines said the activities are a combination of events from Independence Activities, SKN Moves and Caribbean Wellness calendar.
She said events include a Healthy Eating Week where persons were encouraged to not eat fast food during work and a 5-week weight loss challenge
On the 18th of August the Hospitals launched their Department Independence Decorating Competition.
Monday the 21st of August kicked of their Water Challenge Week.
Upcoming activities include a Tree Planting on the 25th, a Full Moon Walk and Scavenger Hunt on the 30th, a National Socasize day on the 15th of September and an awards ceremony and Fashion Show on the 18th.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 3, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): The President of the Association of Persons with Disabilities Joseph Bergan has offered commendations to the Government on establishing a ministry to advocate for persons with disabilities.
Speaking with ZIZ News ahead of his participation at the Busan World Conference 2023 in South Korea, Mr. Bergan said the federation is moving in the right direction noting, “We have done a lot of work here on the ground as to where persons with disabilities are concerned. I am now happy that there is a ministry that speak for persons of disabilities and aging, and I think we are heading in the right direction.”
President Bergan said the establishment of the Ministry of Aging and Disabilities has been met positively by colleagues across the region.
“We would network from time to time. And some of our regional partners and association, they are quite happy. They are intrigued that we have a ministry of such.”
He also made mention of the ratification of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in 2018, noting that they are now awaiting legislation.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 13, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom):Fire fighting technology has improved tremendously.
That’s according to Fire Sub-Station Officer (FSO), Timothy Martin during his appearance on ZIZ radio’s programme “Fire Talk” on Tuesday(June 13, 2023).
He was speaking about advancements in technology that has enhanced the tools used to execute the duties of the Fire and Rescue Services Officers.
FSO Martin spoke of the modernization of the fire trucks used noting that they are now more computer based.
He stated, “Our fire trucks, they’re more modernized, they are more computer based and is no longer just the normal stick shift that you engage once ago. It’s more computerized. So that’s one aspect.”
He added that they have also seen technological improvements in their breathing apparatus (BA Set).
“You could also look at our BA sets (breathing apparatus). They’re not as simple as they were back then with just the high-pressure, low-pressure hose and a bell and it sounds off whenever the air is depleting. Now you have within the face mask, headlights display where you see an indicator giving you the various levels as to the air in your oxygen tank.”
FSO Martin also mentioned how the enhancement of the BA Set can save a fire fighters life.
“If a firefighter goes into a structure and let’s say for some reason he collapses and no one recognized that he’s down, he would’ve just stayed there until, you know, whether someone says, hey, I haven’t seen Mr. Martin or someone happened to pass by and see him. Now, in this day and age, our BA sets are equipped with an alarm device that if the firefighter does not move within a certain timeframe, it sends off an alarm, and that is one of the most annoying alarms that you could hear. So, if any firefighter hears that noise, you know definitely something is wrong with one of my coworkers. I need to go and check on him.”
“Fire Talk” airs every Tuesday on ZIZ radio at 9:30am during the “Morning Show” with GCue.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 28, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom/Press Release): The police have released the results of an autopsy performed on the body of 15-year-old Lashley Orlando Weekes, Jr of Saddlers Village.
The autopsy was done on Wednesday, by Resident Pathologist, Dr. Adrian Nunez.
Dr. Nunez concluded that death was a result of craniocervical trauma due to a motor vehicle accident.
According to police, On May 19th, Mr Weekes, Jr. was the victim of a vehicular accident in Halfway Tree of St. Kitts.
The incident occurred on Friday at around 8:15PM .
Preliminary reports indicate that motor truck PA-2893, owned and driven by Morgan Wyatt of The Alley, Sandy Point, ran off the island main road and collided with a house owned by Desmond Morton, located on the seaside of the road. Mr Wyatt was travelling in the direction of Sandy Point with three passengers, namely Lashley Weekes, Tijay Matthew, and ‘Stachie’ of Saddlers. Mr Wyatt overtook two (2) parked vehicles and rapidly swerved back to the seaside lane to avoid oncoming traffic.
This resulted in his truck veering off the road and colliding with Mr Morton’s house. Mr. Matthew and ‘Stachie’, being the passengers in the truck’s bed, fell off upon impact.
Mr Weekes was the passenger inside the truck. Regrettably, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement and Emergency Services responded to the scene and Mr’s Wyatt, Matthew, and ‘Stachie’ were transported to the Joseph N. France General for treatment of minor injuries indicative of an accident of this nature.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 3, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): Minister of Environment, The Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke has commended the workers of the Parks & Beaches Unit for their efforts in keeping the environment clean.
In a post to her official Facebook page Dr. Clarke specifically referred to the unit’s work on Friday 31st March, the workers disposed of several garbage bags filled with plastic bottles that were scattered across the rock barrier along the Newtown waterfront.
She also reminded the general public to do its part as well saying “Just a reminder that our environment not only consists of the land but the ocean as well. Consider this, when fishes ingest or eat the plastic, we in turn eat the very fish. It’s all a cycle…an unnecessary and unhealthy cycle.”
Over the past few months The Ministry of Environment has been spearheading several initiatives to positively impact the environment including a Christmas Community Cleanup Campaign and a Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project, held in conjunction with the embassy of the Republic of China Taiwan.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, 22nd March, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom): The Department of Creative Economy, and the ICH Secretariat launched the ‘Safeguarding St. Kitts and Nevis Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH): developing a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy’ on Wednesday 22nd March.
According to the department, the primary objective of the project is to develop a National ICH Policy for the purpose of safeguarding ICH, recognizing cultural traditions, protecting Tradition/knowledge Bearers and Practitioners and their corresponding intellectual property rights, by establishing ICH safeguarding guidelines, practices and procedures.
ICH Focal Point in Nevis Patrick Howell explained what Intangible Cultural Heritage refers to.
“Intangible cultural heritage, as opposed to tangible cultural heritage such as monuments, artifacts, buildings, is intangible and includes elements such as language, oral traditions, music, dance, festivals and traditional crafts,” he said. “In recent years, efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage has grown in importance, with UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization playing a key role. UNESCO has created a framework for identifying, safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage around the world, with a goal of preserving these valuable cultural traditions for future generations.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Creative Economy Valencia Syder spoke of the importance of safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.
“A firm understanding of our unique intangible cultural heritage would enhance a sense of national pride and amplify a sense of identity and respect for ourselves. An understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of other communities also goes a long way with progressing into a cultural dialogue and encouraging mutual respect for other ways of life. This practice of transmitting valuable cultural knowledge to generations has enormous sorry social and economic value for our community. Countless persons, whether they be visitors, locals, consumers, they pay absorbent amounts to experience our authentic elements of what is unique to St. Kitts and Nevis’s culture. Just as they value our culture, so too should we value our culture; capitalize on the authenticity of that.”
Secretary General to the St. Kitts & Nevis National Commission for UNESCO Dorothy Warner encouraged citizens to protect and preserve the federation’s ICH.
“Basically, the project is really to develop an ICH policy for St. Kitts and Nevis. We heard talk about the items that were identified and documented. Some things like the calabash, local calabash, the broom making, the vernacular houses, and the clay pottery in Nevis. Those are some of the items that we wish and we hope to eventually have inscribed in on UNESCO’s ICH list. That is our ultimate goal to safeguard ICH items and eventually to nominate some of them for ICH heritage on that list.”
“On a local level, though, I must remark that and I challenge every one of us to ensure that we begin to show respect, to preserve and to protect, and to give these items the prominence that they deserve. If we want to have these internationally recognized, we must, first of all, practice these things in our backyard to make sure that we know what they are about and that we safeguard them because we want international attention and the due regard that is associated with our federation.”
The ICH Policy will also seek to raise awareness and foster appreciation for St. Kitts and Nevis Intangible culture and heritage and the creative and cultural industries.
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]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, 14th March, 2023– The St. Kitts Tourism Authority is bringing awareness to its new campaign “Summer of Fun” with interviews at various media houses in Barbados.
On Monday Tourism Authority CEO Ellison Thompson and Deputy CEO Melnecia Marshall participated in interviews with national media houses Mornin’ Barbados, 98.1 The One, and Slam 101.1 FM Barbados.
During the interviews they marketed the St. Kitts Music Festival, intra-regional travel with the easy accessibility to St. Kitts via InterCaribbean Airways and activities offered to persons visiting the destination.
In the interview with Good Mornin’ Barbados presenter Pearson Bowen, Mrs. Marshall explained the concept of the “Summer of Fun”.
“It starts with the St. Kitts Music Festival on the 22nd June and it ends early September with the end of CPL Cricket,” Mrs. Marshall said.
“So in St. Kitts, we are going to be launching the “Summer of Fun” for St Kitts and Nevis and basically the campaign looks at all that is happening within the two islands over the space of June to maybe the beginning of September and of course it kicks off at the St. Kitts Music Festival from the 22nd to the 24th June.”
She outlined some of the adventures the destination has to offer visitors.
I would say to any potential traveler first start by going on the beach, because you need to relax on the way before you take it all out. From the time you arrive in St. Kitts and you descend the stairs, it’s just beauty all around you.”
“And so once you’ve done that and you’ve had some time to recuperate from your travel, then I encourage you to take an island tour. Visit some of the historical sites. As you know St. Kitts is the mother colony of the West Indies. We were first colonized by the British and the French… and so we encourage persons to take an island to visit some of the sites. So we have the Brimstone Hill fortress as we’ve seen a while ago and we also have the Wingfield Estate and Romney Manner with the Botanical Gardens and you can drive around and visit some of the sites black walks, bloody points and so forth.”
According to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, it is working hard to ensure that the Caribbean market regains its number two position as a source market for the destination.
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