Jamaica News Today May 14, 2026 | Wild Monkeys Loose in Jamaica - NEPA Issues Public Alert

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:10]Good afternoon, my Real News Media TV family. Welcome back to the channel for another news update for Thursday, May 14, 2026.

[00:00:21]And in the news this afternoon, gang trial judge urges lawyers to agree on undisputed matters to save time.

[00:00:31]Justice Dale Palmer, who is presiding over the gang trial of Tesa Miller and his 24 accused, is urging defense attorneys to be more issues driven.

[00:00:42]Justice Palmer made the call on Tuesday afternoon as he questioned whether the crown and the defense could agree on some matters. The prosecution has so far covered 50 of the more than 100 witnesses it intends to call. Justice Palmer said he was encouraged by indications that we have made it through a number of witnesses. However, he said that while the number of witnesses gave some comfort, the length of time spent on testimony suggested the proceedings could be further along. The judge said where there is no dispute that someone is deceased, both parties should not spend days leading evidence to establish that fact or that ballistic items were taken to a lab. He questioned whether it was the best use of the court's time.

[00:01:31]Justice Bmer said he could not see how it benefits anyone for a case to last a year and a half when it could be completed in 7 months, 5 months or half a year. He noted that even half a year is a significant period, especially given the quarterback luck. The judge said he was wondering whether the crown and the defense could come to an agreement on certain matters to shorten the proceedings and focus on the real disputed issues in the case. Justice Palmer called for a meeting of the minds on undisputed matters. He said he was not diminishing the seriousness of the matter but maintained that the proceedings could be concluded in a shorter time. Commending the parties for previous agreement, Justice Palmer said that having heard some of the witnesses, he truly did not see why some could not have been agreed given the limited questioning and the challenges raised during testimony. He added that some facts could also be agreed. The oneonone gang trial, which concluded in October 2023, is regarded as the largest in the Caribbean region. It spanned over two years and involved 33 defendants.

[00:02:50]NEPA seeks a public help to locate the non-native monkeys in St. Elizabeth.

[00:02:57]The National Environment and the Planning Agency in collaboration with the partner agencies is continuing efforts to locate and capture the non-native whitefaced the copin monkeys recently reported in sections of St. Elizabeth. Despite the several coordinated attempts involving technical personnel and the community support, the animals have not yet been safely captured. In a release, NEPA urged the members of the public to assist them by identifying the most recent locations where the monkeys were cited. The agency said this information is critical in assessing movement patterns, determining possible locations, and coordinating targeted tracking and capture operations with the support of community stakeholders. Members of the public are strongly advised not to approach, feed, handle, chase, or attempted to capture the monkeys under any circumstances. The animals may become aggressive when threatened or stressed, and may also carry pathogens that pose a risk to humans, livestock, pets, and wildlife.

[00:04:07]The introduction of non-native species such as monkeys poses a serious threat to Jamaica's fragile ecosystems and the biodiversity. Monkeys may prey on or compete with native wildlife for food and habitat, damaging agricultural crops, raid a bird nest, and disrupt the ecological balance. They may also negatively affect endemic species found only in Jamaica, including native birds, reptiles, and other wildlife that have evolved without a natural defenses against the primates. NEPA is also seeking the public's assistance in identifying individuals and locations involved in the illegal importation, possession, and the trade of exotic animals. The agency said it remains concerned that the green interest in exotic pets could contribute to the illicit wildlife trade and the introduction of invasive species into Jamaica. As part of its ongoing response, NEPA intends to undertake a targeted stakeholder sensitization and the public awareness activities to educate people about the environmental, legal, and the public health risk associated with the illegal importation and the keeping of exotic animals.

[00:05:28]Get your facts straight. Porn more council rejects the Morris Dixon's red tape claim on school fencing.

[00:05:37]The Portmore Municipal Council has sharply rebuked Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, the Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, accusing her of misleading the public with the claims that bureaucracy caused an 18-month delay in building approvals for a perimeter fence at the Naga Head Primary School in St. Katherine.

[00:06:00]Speaking in last Friday's debate on the bill to establish the national reconstruction and resilience authority, Morris Dixon cited the alleged delay as evidence as how red tape can stem a critical project, arguing that such a cases underscore Jamaica's urgent need for the authority. She displayed the building permit during her contribution in the Senate, using it to illustrate the bureaucratic obstacles the government says the legislation is designed to tackle. However, Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas has taken a dim view on that account. Addressing the municipal corporation's general meeting yesterday, he called for the minister to apologize to both the council and the people of Portmore. Get your facts straight," Thomas said. He insisted that nothing had prevented the school from proceeding with a construction, noting that it had been given the go-ahad more than a month ago after a no objection letter from the National Environment and Planning Agency was received. He explained that the holdup stemmed not from bureaucracy, but from a dispute over an access point between the school and the church occupied part of the property under a lease from the National Land Agency. That a dispute, he said, has since been amicably resolved, clearing the way for approval. It is now a settlement with the church at the Ministry of Education for the church to be an access point. The disagreement traces back to concerns raised by Pentecostal City Mission Church, which in a news article accused the school of trying to box it in and ultimately evict it. The South Borista Church said in February last year that the school's administration had began constructing a perimeter wall without a consultation, effectively enclosing the church without a providing access. Deputy Mayor Alri Campbell, who chaired the meeting that issued a stop order after a breach was identified in the partially constructed fence, said the council's intervention had helped to bring about a resolution well before the 18-month period cited by the minister. "We were able to assist in this settlement. At the end of the day, the school will have its perimeter fence and the church will have a lease," he declared. He added that the Ministry of Education would also benefit from a 100% waiver granted by the municipal authority. Councelor for the water for the division, Finley Douglas, weighing in on the matter, said it was regrettable that more than a week had passed without the minister correcting what he described as a falsehood aired during the narrow debate. The school started out on the wrong footing by starting the construction of the wall without the council's approval. Setting out a timeline, Douglas said the first no objection letter from Nepo was issued in November 2024. The municipal authority followed with its letter on March 31, 2025 and the Ministry of Education did so on May 1, 2025.

[00:09:15]The 18month time frame cited by the minister is factually inaccurate and it is prudent that she retracted this misleading statement, Douglas said.

[00:09:31]Guys, thank you for watching. See you this evening at 6 p.m. for another news update.

[00:09:52]Heat. Heat.