Category: National

Bequia All Stars Return to Basketball Stage After a Decade

The Bequia Basketball Association (BBA) is pleased to announce the return of the Bequia All Stars team to the local basketball stage for the first time in more than a decade, marking an exciting new chapter for basketball in Bequia.

In previous years, the Bequia All Stars were a prominent feature of basketball in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, representing the island in local competitions and tournaments. Their reinstatement signals a renewed commitment to showcasing Bequia’s basketball talent and providing opportunities for the next generation of players.

The revamped team features a blend of experience and emerging talent, led by senior men’s national team player Jermaine John, who takes on the role of captain. The squad includes players from the Association’s newly established Elite Athlete Program, with athletes ranging in age from 17 to 22.

The All Stars made their return on Sunday, November 8, at the Open Court Invitational Basketball Tournament at the Sion Hill Hard Court, opening their campaign with an impressive 87–32 victory over the College Basketball Team. Captain Jermaine John led the scoring with 22 points, closely followed by Elroy Joseph with 21 points.

The team is guided by returning head coach Cornelius Farrell, alongside assistant coaches Colson Peters and Jemuel Hutchins, with Sabrina Mitchell serving as team manager and director of the Elite Athletes Program.

While the return of the All Stars brings a familiar name back to the local basketball scene, another Bequia team has remained an active participant in local competitions throughout their absence. Bequia United has proudly carried the island’s representation over the years, establishing itself as a regular competitor and maintaining Bequia’s presence in the sport. Bequia United are also the reigning champions of last year’s Invitational Tournament and are participating in this year’s competition.

Bequia United faced Sion Hill Pacers on Sunday, November 8, in a closely contested encounter, narrowly falling 51–50.

With both teams now representing Bequia in the tournament, supporters can look forward to several exciting matchups in the coming days.

Upcoming Fixtures

• Friday, November 13: Bequia All Stars vs. Bequia United
• Saturday, November 14: Bequia All Stars vs. Sion Hill Pacers; Bequia United vs. Heat Seekers
• Sunday, November 15: Bequia All Stars vs. Mavrix; Bequia United vs. College Basketball Team

The Bequia Basketball Association looks forward to the continued participation of both teams and encourages the Bequia community and basketball supporters across St. Vincent and the Grenadines to come out and support the teams throughout the competition in Sion Hill.

 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that missed the initial registration deadline for the Reengineering MSMEs for Growth Through Digital Adoption Programme now have another opportunity to participate, as the programme has officially reopened its call for applications for an additional week.

The one-week extension comes in response to the significant interest expressed by MSMEs across the five participating Caribbean countries, including businesses that were unable to complete the registration process before the initial deadline. The reopening provides these enterprises with a renewed opportunity to benefit from an initiative designed to strengthen the digital capabilities of Caribbean MSMEs, improve business resilience and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Local business owners are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this additional registration period and ensure that they do not miss this second opportunity.

The programme focuses on four key areas: assessing digital readiness, building knowledge and skills, adopting digital solutions, and expanding into regional and international markets.

National Focal Point and Officer-in-Charge of the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED), Keisha Phillips, is urging local entrepreneurs, particularly those who expressed interest but did not complete their registration, to act now.

“The reopening is particularly important for businesses that expressed interest in the programme but did not complete the registration process, as well as those that missed the initial deadline altogether. Whether a business is looking to establish an online presence, introduce e-commerce, improve its digital operations or reach customers beyond the local market, this programme is intended to help businesses take meaningful steps towards digital transformation,” Phillips stated.

Phillips noted that more than forty (40) businesses from St. Vincent and the Grenadines submitted registration during the initial application period, demonstrating local interest in the initiative.

“With the level of interest expressed by MSMEs across the participating countries, we want to ensure that businesses that missed the first opportunity are given another chance to come on board. The message to local entrepreneurs is simple: If you missed the first deadline, you have another chance. Do not miss it again. Register your interest today and take the next step towards building a more digitally enabled and growth-oriented business,” she added.

The new registration deadline is Thursday, 19 November 2026.

To register, interested business owners should scan the QR code featured on the programme flyer shared across CED’s social media platforms using their smartphone camera. They will then be directed to the online registration link, where they must complete and submit the Expression of Interest form before the deadline.

The programme is being implemented across five Caribbean countries: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), with participating agencies supporting implementation across the respective territories.

The initiative recognises that digital adoption is no longer simply an option for businesses seeking to remain competitive. It is increasingly essential for improving operational efficiency, reaching new customers, strengthening business resilience and positioning enterprises to take advantage of emerging market opportunities.

MSMEs that missed the initial registration period are therefore encouraged to act immediately and take advantage of this additional week to submit their Expression of Interest.

Rotary District 7030 Governor Maurice Saad Concludes Official Visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Rotary District 7030 Governor Maurice Saad concluded his official visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 8 to 11 November 2026, during which he engaged with local Rotary, Rotaract and Interact Clubs, visited community projects and interacted with young leaders.

The visit commenced on Sunday, 8 November, with Governor Saad attending the Rotary Club of St. Vincent’s 30th Anniversary staging of its Rotary Village Doctor programme at the Brighton Methodist School, an initiative aimed at improving access to healthcare across communities at no cost to residents.

On Monday, 9 November, Governor Saad paid a courtesy call to His Excellency Sir Stanley John, KC, Governor General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, accompanied by local Rotary Club Presidents LaTeisha Marks and Bantu Campbell, Past District Governor Brian Glasgow and Assistant Governor Janelle Allen. He also visited the Interact Club of St. Vincent Girls’ High School, where he met with Interactors, Deputy Headmistress Ms. Sylvia Sealey and Teacher Advisor Mrs. Charmaine McLean.

The Governor subsequently visited the School for Children with Special Needs, which was constructed by the Rotary Club of St. Vincent and continues to be collaboratively administered through its School Board. The Club recently completed upgrades to the school’s playground to make it more inclusive, with support from Republic Bank EC Ltd.’s Power to Make a Difference (PMAD) programme.

On Tuesday, 10 November, Governor Saad toured several Rotary District 7030-funded projects, including a playground, recreational space and backyard garden at the Pamelus Burke Government School in Byera, and a poultry unit constructed for Agriculture Science students at the Sandy Bay Secondary School, a welcomed resource to facilitate the successful completion of School Based Assessments (SBAs) for external examinations.

He also visited the recently developed Occupational Therapy Unit at the Mental Health Centre in Glen, a District-funded project spearheaded by the Rotary Club of St. Vincent South, and engaged with members of the Interact Club of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, led by President Mya Cumberbatch.

The District Governor’s official visit is an important annual feature of the Rotary calendar, providing an opportunity to observe firsthand the impact of Rotary-supported initiatives, strengthen engagement with local Clubs and explore opportunities for future projects that address community needs. Guided by the Rotary International’s 2026 – 2027
theme, “Create Lasting Impact,” the visit reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to service, collaboration and sustainable community development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

POLICE INVESTIGATE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN BELAIR

Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) is investigating a fatal traffic accident that occurred in Belair on Wednesday November 11, 2026.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 8:55 a.m, there was a motor vehicle collision resulting in a pedestrian being struck in the vicinity of the Spa in Belair.

The pedestrian, who was later identified as 68-year-old, Lydia Grecia of Belair, was transported to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital for medical attention, where she subsequently succumbed to her injuries.

Police attended and processed the scene. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident are ongoing.

The RSVGPF extends condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross has initiated a major safety drive across mainland primary and secondary schools, launching a comprehensive series of First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training workshops for local educators. Supported by The Regional Intervention Platform of the Americas-Caribbean (PIRAC), the initiative is being carried out under the banner of the Ready 360 project to significantly strengthen emergency response capabilities within educational institutions across the island.

Rolled out from Kingstown, the specialized program targets seventy-eight teachers and school personnel from primary and secondary facilities. Participants are undergoing intensive, hands-on instruction designed to build practical competencies in first aid administration, CPR execution, and rapid crisis management. By equipping school staff with immediate life-saving techniques, the SVG Red Cross aims to foster safer, more resilient learning environments for students, faculty, and visiting members of the public alike.

The initiative aligns with the broader mission of the SVG Red Cross to make essential first-aid education widely accessible throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Organization leaders emphasize that embedding these critical skills within the teaching workforce ensures that emergency preparedness extends well beyond classroom walls, cascading into surrounding households and local communities.

Highlighting the pivotal role of educators during health crises, Mrs. Dora James, President of the SVG Red Cross, emphasized that teachers serve as frontline anchors in times of need.

She noted that educators are trusted leaders in their communities and are often among the first people able to respond when an emergency occurs, adding that the training provides them with the confidence and practical skills to act quickly, protect lives, and cultivate a lasting culture of preparedness across schools in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Centre for Enterprise Development (CED), through its Youth Business and Entrepreneurship Training (YOUBET) programme, will host a half-day Youth Business Forum on Thursday, 19 November, under the theme “From Idea to Reality”, aimed at encouraging and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue entrepreneurship.

The forum will take place at the Methodist Wesley Hall in Kingstown from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It will bring together thirty (30) students from five Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with each institution represented by six students.

The initiative forms part of CED’s ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of youth entrepreneurship and nurturing the next generation of Vincentian business leaders. Through the forum, students will be introduced to key aspects of entrepreneurship, including business planning, market validation and the process of transforming their ideas, talents and competencies into viable and sustainable business ventures.

Officer in Charge at CED, Ms. Keisha Phillips, underscored the organisation’s commitment to creating opportunities for young people to explore entrepreneurship and develop their business potential.

“CED remains committed to fostering a culture of youth entrepreneurship in St. Vincent and the Grenadines by encouraging young people to recognise the business potential in their ideas, talents and skills. Over the years, we have maintained a strong collaborative relationship with TVET institutions, recognising that technical and vocational training provides an important foundation for entrepreneurship. Through this partnership, we continue to support students who are interested in taking their skills beyond the classroom and turning them into business opportunities. This forum is another step in strengthening that relationship and empowering our young people to see entrepreneurship as a viable pathway for their future,” Ms. Phillips stated.

The forum will officially commence with an opening ceremony featuring remarks from Ms. Phillips and Mrs. Pearlette Primus-Hannaway, Senior Education Officer responsible for TVET in the Ministry of Education.

By connecting technical and vocational competencies with entrepreneurial knowledge and practical business guidance, CED hopes to inspire students to explore self-employment, innovation and enterprise creation as pathways to economic participation and personal development.

The selected students are encouraged to take full advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable insights into starting and developing a business.

Police on Monday confirmed to the St Vincent Times that the body of a male was found in a farm shed off the main road in Calder.

The deceased has been identified as Darren Abbey of Victoria Village. According to police no foul play is suspected at this time.

Abbey body was discovered on Sunday morning.

The Rotary Club of St. Vincent is proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Village Doctor Programme, an initiative that brings quality healthcare services directly to communities across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This year’s programme will serve residents of Diamond and Brighton.

On Sunday, November 8, 2026, volunteer doctors and other healthcare professionals, with support from a team from the Ministry of Health, will provide free services at Brighton Methodist School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Services will include general medical consultations, basic health screenings, dental and vision care, and ear, nose and throat services. Free medication will also be available, and patients will be referred for further care where needed.

The programme supports Rotary International’s commitment to disease prevention and treatment, one of its key areas of focus.

The Rotary Club of St. Vincent thanks its sponsors for helping make this year’s programme possible: Trinity School of Medicine, Facey Trading, Eyes R Us Beachmont Eye Institute, Dental Arts Clinic and Spectacle Shoppe (a division of OSV Group).

Residents of Diamond, Brighton and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend and share the event details with their families and neighbours.

Creative practitioners, cultural advocates, and top government officials gathered at the historic Peace Memorial Hall for a high-stakes symposium examining the untapped potential and persistent bottlenecks facing St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ creative and cultural industries (CCI).

Convened under the banner of navigating the challenges of advancing the “Orange Economy,” the panel discussion sought to chart a viable pathway for local artists to tap into a global creative sector estimated by UNESCO and international financial bodies at between .25 trillion and .5 trillion annually.

Moderated by veteran creative Bomani, the panel brought together educator and policy advocate Nisha Hope, seasoned calypsonian and music educator Gary “Icon” John, and visual artist and entrepreneur Junard Ford. In attendance were key policymakers, including Director of Culture Maxine Browne and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary.

Throughout the morning, panelists argued that while St. Vincent possesses extraordinary innate talent across music, literature, visual arts, fashion, and theater, the country’s institutional and regulatory framework lags severely behind. Panelist Nisha Hope highlighted that local creative ambition is constantly redirected because practitioners are forced to single-handedly construct the infrastructure required to sustain their craft—acting simultaneously as producers, marketers, shipping agents, and administrators.

Gary “Icon” John stressed that St. Vincent must understand its unique niche in the global market, noting recent growth in global music earnings to 1.7 billion and pointing to spin-off sectors like styling, catering, and event production that could thrive if properly integrated into the school curriculum. Meanwhile, Junard Ford called for an urgent cultural shift, demanding the same professional respect and remuneration for creatives as that accorded to doctors and lawyers.

Despite historical strides made in music copyright and royalty collection, the panel conceded that subsectors like publishing, visual arts, and fashion remain highly vulnerable to intellectual property theft and lack formal representation. The discussion culminated in an open floor session where members of the audience voiced raw, impassioned grievances regarding government neglect, commercial exploitation, and institutional paralysis.

In one of the most poignant moments of the Peace Memorial Hall forum, celebrated Vincentian playwright and theater director Kevin Rodriguez laid bare the desperate logistical realities confronting local stage artists, revealing that cast members rehearsed their off-Broadway production under municipal streetlights due to the absence of dedicated rehearsal facilities.

Rodriguez, CEO of Axe Enterprise and Managing Director of Agapi Performing Arts Theatre, recently returned from staging his acclaimed theatrical piece, Number 7, in New York. While celebrating the international achievement and praising fellow Vincentian collaborators who contributed choreography and technical direction, Rodriguez emphasized the stark deprivation back home.

“We were practicing to go and present a world-class presentation on a big stage in New York under streetlights,” Rodriguez declared to a stunned room. “Could you imagine that if we were given the resources that are required, what we can do?”

Rodriguez drew sharp contrasts between today’s fragmented landscape and the thriving theater ecosystem of 25 years ago led by pioneer Martin Quashie (Prince Yogi). During that era, theater companies collaborated closely to fill Peace Memorial Hall to overflowing capacity, sustained by mutual mentorship and institutional support.

Today, Rodriguez argued, the lack of a permanent, functional home for the arts severely curtails creative development and limits school outreach, with academic institutions frequently rationing arts instruction to half-hour fragments.

Responding from the floor, Director of Culture Maxine Browne sought to reassure the audience, affirming that efforts to establish a dedicated home for Vincentian creatives remain active and ongoing under her administration.

Primary school student Kamar Gregg has been named the recipient of the prestigious National Top Saver Award at the annual National Schools Cooperative Awards.

Gregg, who attends the Bequia Anglican Primary School, accumulated savings totaling $11,430 XCD through the school cooperative initiative. The achievement highlights outstanding personal discipline, financial responsibility, and the cultivation of smart money-management habits from an early age.

Organizers commended Gregg’s commitment, noting that his accomplishment serves as an inspiration to young savers and students across St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Top Participating Schools Recognized

In addition to individual student honors, the National Schools Cooperative recognized the leading educational institutions participating in the savings initiative across the nation:

• Georgetown Government School
• Girls’ High School
• St. Vincent Boys Grammar School
• Dickson Methodist School
• Kingstown Government School
• Lauders Government School
• Fairhall Primary School
• Richland Park Government School
• Sandy Bay Government School

The cooperative program continues to foster financial literacy and long-term saving habits among primary and secondary school students throughout the country.

Ten teams heading to the Finals following iCode784 Robotics Preliminaries

The NTRC has successfully completed the Zone 1 and Zone 2 preliminary rounds of its iCode784 Robotics Competition, showcasing the talent and innovation of secondary school students across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Eleven teams competed in the Zone 1 preliminaries on October 13, 2026, demonstrating their skills in robotics, programming, engineering design, and problem-solving. Following judging, six teams advanced to the finals:

• Troumaca Secondary School
• West St. George Secondary School
• Union Island Secondary School
• Georgetown Secondary School
• St. Vincent Girls’ High School
• Canouan Secondary School

The competition continued November 3, 2026 at the Girl Guides Headquarters, where seven teams competed in the Zone 2 preliminaries for the remaining four places in the finals. The following schools secured advancement:

• Troumaca Secondary School
• West St. George Secondary School
• Petit Bordel Secondary School
• St. Martin’s Secondary School

The NTRC commends all participating students, teachers, and schools for their dedication and enthusiasm. The iCode784 Competition continues to promote STEM education by providing students with valuable opportunities to develop technical, creative, and problem-solving skills.

The finalists will now prepare to compete for cash prizes of up to $15,000 in the final round on January 19, 2027.