News

MoHSS Dominators Win Exciting Rounders Competition

The Department of the Community, Youth and Sports Services Rounders finals came to an end Sunday, 31st August 2025.  At the formal closing Ceremony, the event was chaired by Ms Claris Yearwood with remarks by the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth Affairs and Sports, John P Osborne and the Director of the Department of Community, Youth and Sports Services – Mrs Anne Thomas. The main aim of the venture was to get persons becoming more physically active, while fostering greater camaraderie and promoting joint recreational events. This is in keeping with the Department’s mission to facilitate the development and growth of a dynamic and resilient society by exposure of our people to a wider range of sports and establishing the nexus of sports to health and wellness. The Rounders game initially began as a Departmental activity, spearheaded by Ms Claris Yearwood, the Community and Development Worker and Mr Kenton Weekes, Sports Therapist.  As a result of the great interest shown by the public, the Department opened up to having competitive games, starting with nine (9) teams in January 2020.   For the 2025 competition, four (4) registered teams participated – MPA Warriors, MSO Titans, MoHSS Dominators and Interact Spartarz All-Stars to compete for the championship.  The games are played at the Salem Park.  The finals on Sunday August 31st saw MoHSS Dominators winning the competition after a keenly fought match with MSO Titans.   Second place went to MSO Titans and third place to Interact Spartaz All Stars. The following results: Prize Description Awardee Team Stats Best Fielder Appiland Destouche MoHSS Dominators   Best Keeper Denoy Campbell MoHSS Dominators   Most Catches Appiland Destouche and Mark McPhoy MoHSS dominators and MSO Titans 3 catches each Most Rounders Nehemiah Younge MSO Titans 5 rounders Most ½ Rounders Tequan Roach MSO Titans 9 rounders Best Bowler Tassia Roberts MSO Titans 80% Good Balls/20% no balls Most Points Females Tassia Roberts and Elise Gerald MSO Titans and Interact Spartaz All Stars   0.5 point Most Stumps Miguel McPherson Interact Spartz All Stars 12 stumps

MoHSS Dominators Win Exciting Rounders Competition Read More »

Montserrat Gets State-of-the-art Tissue Culture and Greenhouse Facility

Montserrat is set to construct a state-of-the-art Tissue Culture and Greenhouse facility as part of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States’ (OECS’) Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) initiative. This major agricultural development forms part of the OECS’ mission to drive sustainable development through regional integration, collective action, and development cooperation. The project, undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Housing, Environment and Youth and Sports (MALHEYS), is expected to take approximately five months to complete. Once operational, the facility will provide a reliable source of disease-free planting material, preserve genetic material for both agricultural and environmental purposes, and strengthen the Ministry’s capacity and efficiency. It will also allow for the production of food crops and native plant species, supporting Montserrat’s push for food security, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem preservation. In a press release, the Ministry stated that the initiative will also broaden opportunities in the agricultural and environmental sectors. It is expected to create alternative career paths for young people with strong backgrounds in science, particularly chemistry and biology. Additionally, the facility will foster closer collaboration with conservation specialists through the propagation and preservation of rare or endangered species. By enabling the consistent and reliable production of preferred crop varieties, the project will promote sustainable agro-business while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides by controlling and eliminating plant viruses in a controlled environment. Funding for the facility comes from the “Integrated Landscape Approaches and Investments in Sustainable Land Management in the OECS” (ILM project), supported by the European Union under its Global Public Goods and Challenges Programme.

Montserrat Gets State-of-the-art Tissue Culture and Greenhouse Facility Read More »

Montserrat Secondary School Reports Improved CSEC Results

The Montserrat Secondary School (MSS) has recorded a notable improvement in its overall performance in the May/June 2025 CSEC Examinations. Preliminary results show that of the 406 subject entries written by 57 students, 318 were awarded passes in Grades I to III, producing a pass rate of 78.3 percent. This marks a significant increase from the 69.7 percent achieved in 2024. Students excelled in several subject areas. Of the 23 subject proficiencies taken, nine recorded a perfect 100 percent pass rate. These included Agricultural Science, Caribbean History, Technical Drawing, Principles of Accounts, Office Administration, Principles of Business, Food Nutrition and Health, Physical Education and Sport, and Industrial Technology (Building). Biology and Information Technology also performed strongly, with pass rates ranging between 90 and 93 percent. Physics recorded an 88.2 percent pass rate, while Integrated Science followed with 83.3 percent. One of the most encouraging improvements came in English A, where students attained a pass rate of 80.7 percent, a significant rise from the 63.8 percent recorded in 2024. Mathematics, however, continued to be a challenge for students, with the pass rate falling to 41 percent compared to 52.7 percent in the previous year. The Business subjects, Physical Education and Sport, Agriculture, Food Nutrition and Health, and other technical areas once again stood out with consistently strong results. The final analysis of student performance will be conducted when the official results are released later this year. Passes in eight subject areas were obtained by students: Shekinah Persaud – 7 Grade 1s 1 Grade 2 Shemariah Irish – 6 Grade 1s 2 Grade 2s Arrisa Dyett-White – 6 Grade 1s 2 Grade 2s Kaylee Greenaway – 6 Grade 1s 2 Grade 2s Muskaan Jeswani 5 Grade 1s 3 Grade 2s Demi White 4 Grade 2s 4 Grade 2s Alana Kassie 4 Grade 1s 2 Grade 2s 2 Grade 3s Juanique Roach 5 Grade 1s 2 Grade 2s 1 Grade 3 Neron Wilson 1 Grade 1 1 Grade 2 6 Grade 3s Xhanna – Lee Abdul Aiyanna Destouche Alyssa Duberry Jasmine Gilford Gessella Louis-Charles Maha Ryner-Graham Natasha Weekes Jeveena Williams, all obtained passes in seven subject areas Fourteen students recorded passes in 6 subject areas, while 11 students recorded passes in 5 subject areas. Forty-two of the fifty-seven students (73.7%) who wrote the exams obtained passes in 5 or more subject areas. Seven Form 4 students wrote a total of 8 subject entries in the areas of Information Technology, Technical Drawing, Spanish and Food Nutrition and Health. A pass rate of 100% was obtained with 62.5% at the Grade 1 level. At CCSLC Level, twenty-three (23) students from the Form Five cohort wrote thirty (36) subject entries. Competent and Master levels were achieved for 26 of them yielding a pass rate of 70.2%. The better performing subject areas were Integrated Science and Social Studies which returned pass rates of 100%. Math returned a pass rate of 75% while for English it was 50%. A key indicator for education is the percentage of students in the year five cohort who obtain 5 or more CSEC passes including English and Math. This year 35.8% the year five cohort obtained 5 or more CSEC passes including Math and English. This performance is comparable to the 36.1% obtained in 2024. The school extends congratulations to the students who were successful, to their parents for their support and to the teachers for their hard work and dedication. The school also extends sincerest gratitude to the members of the community who assisted by tutoring our students in the absence of their substantive teachers.

Montserrat Secondary School Reports Improved CSEC Results Read More »

Local Educator Promotes the Concept of a Human Library on Montserrat

The Head of the University of the West Indies Open Campus, Gracelyn Cassell is promoting the concept of a human library on Montserrat. Cassell says the concept, although not a new one, will be launched at the Alliougana Festival of the Word in November. She explains how it focuses on sharing stories about the island. Radio Montserrat (ZJB) · Gracelyn Cassell – Concept of Human Library

Local Educator Promotes the Concept of a Human Library on Montserrat Read More »

Montserrat Leading in Ocean Exploration with ‘Project Deepwater’

A local environmental advocate is promoting ocean exploration with the introduction of “Project Deepwater.” Owner of Fish and Fins, Veta Wade, is leading the project, using Maka Niu—an affordable, open-source deep-sea camera to add underwater images to the world’s ocean dataset. According to Wade, “Project Deepwater” is Montserrat’s answer to the call for more inclusive, data-driven ocean conservation. She says that for Montserrat, the barriers to participation in marine research have been daunting, and historically, local perspectives were left out. Wade adds that by co-designing and testing Maka Niu they are proactively changing that equation. Radio Montserrat (ZJB) · Veta Wade – Work of Fish N’ Fins on Maka Niu Deep Sea Camera Montserrat’s waters have been explored before by major oceanographic expeditions, such as those led by EV Nautilus, but the Deepwater project is the first to be powered by local efforts. While earlier expeditions mapped Montserrat’s ocean’s shape, this project brings real-time biodiversity monitoring and local stewardship to the heart of the process. Wade says this marks an historic shift from being subjects of external research, to leaders and narrators of Montserrat’s own ocean story.

Montserrat Leading in Ocean Exploration with ‘Project Deepwater’ Read More »

Rounders Competition Applauded for Tackling Lifestyle Diseases

A medical practitioner here is applauding the Department of Community, Youth and Sports Services (DCYSS) for organizing competitions such as the ongoing rounders tournament. Dr. Kevin Amsterdam says such activity promotes healthy lifestyles and community spirit. He says it is helping to encourage physical activity at a time when a number of persons on Montserrat face non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Radio Montserrat (ZJB) · Dr. Kevin Amsterdam – Benefits of Rounders Tournament

Rounders Competition Applauded for Tackling Lifestyle Diseases Read More »

Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme Marks Major Milestone

The Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme (MCRP) has marked a major milestone with the successful arrival of 24 mountain chickens to Montserrat from Nordens Ark in Sweden. The frogs – once part of a bio-secure international breeding programme, were carefully checked upon arrival, including weighing, swabbing, and rehydration under veterinary protocols. The group includes 10 adult males, 10 adult females, and 4 juveniles, creating a strong base for the next stage of the recovery effort. This phase will focus on breeding the critically endangered amphibians in a semi-wild environment on the island. Programme officials say the move is not only vital for the survival of the mountain chicken on Montserrat but also supports global amphibian conservation and the wider restoration of fragile ecosystems. The MCRP extended thanks to all partners who helped make the translocation a reality.

Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme Marks Major Milestone Read More »

Montserrat To Miss CARIFESTA XV

Montserrat will not be participating in the Caribbean’s premier festival of arts and culture, scheduled to take place in Barbados later this month. The Montserrat Arts Council, in a statement, has confirmed Montserrat’s absence from CARIFESTA 15, citing the decision was made after careful consideration and in consultation with the Office of the Premier. The statement said it was determined that Montserrat’s immediate focus must remain on the effective delivery of this year’s December Festival and the 2026 St. Patrick’s Week of Activities, which are central to the island’s cultural calendar. It continues that given the timing and level of preparation required, participation in CARIFESTA 15 would have placed undue strain on both logistical and financial resources. Instead, MAC is turning its attention to the early planning and preparation for CARIFESTA 2027. The MAC says work will begin this year to develop a comprehensive plan and budget to ensure that Montserrat is well-positioned to make a strong, high-quality showing at the next regional festival. The Council says it remains committed to promoting Montserrat’s vibrant culture at home and abroad, and believes that quality representation, rather than rushed participation, best serves the island’s long-term interests. CARIFESTA, which brings together artists, performers, and cultural practitioners from across the region, offers a platform to showcase national talent and heritage. This year’s festival will celebrate the vibrancy, creativity, and innovation of Caribbean culture while addressing global challenges such as sustainability, resilience, and peace-building. CARIFESTA 15 will be held under the theme “Caribbean Roots…Global Excellence” and aims to position the Caribbean as a global leader in cultural diplomacy and creative excellence.

Montserrat To Miss CARIFESTA XV Read More »

Oxford Scientist Conducts Research on Geothermal Energy on Montserrat

Geothermal energy on Montserrat is the subject of a research by an anthropologist from Oxford University. Dr. Julio Rodriguez-Stimson, is currently on island doing research on residents’ responses to geothermal energy on Montserrat, as part of the ReSET programme.  In an interview with ZJB, he explained the purpose of the programme. Dr. Rodriguez-Stimson discussed his data collection process as well as the responses he has gathered. He went on to share his biggest challenge in conducting this research, adding that he intends to involve more non-Montserratians in his research during the next month. Dr. Rodriguez-Stimson has been on Montserrat gathering data since May 2025. For more information about this research as well as the ReSET project, persons can contact Dr. Rodriguez-Stimson at 1-664-496-5250.

Oxford Scientist Conducts Research on Geothermal Energy on Montserrat Read More »

Minister for Lands Provides Clarity in Intent of Crown Title Act

The intent of the Crown Title Act is not to take lands away from individuals. The assurance has come from Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment honourable John Patrick Osborne. He was responding to questions about the December 31st 2030 deadline for persons to submit claims for unregistered lands. Mr. Osborne says persons have been invited to submit their claims, which is widely circulated on the ministry’s website and on Radio Montserrat. The previous deadline was December 31st 2020. Lands that remain remain unclaimed will be forfieted that right and the land shall vest in the crown. Mr. Osborne says several persons have already inquiries on the matter.

Minister for Lands Provides Clarity in Intent of Crown Title Act Read More »