September 19, 2026 No comments
MP Ottley Opposes Disciplinary Action Against Officer Hodge Following School Bus Incident
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley has expressed his disagreement with any disciplinary action being taken against Officer Hodge in connection with the recent school bus incident involving a student who allegedly made an obscene hand gesture toward police officers. Ottley said that while established police protocols must be respected and any concerns regarding procedure should be reviewed objectively, the wider circumstances surrounding the incident cannot be ignored. “We cannot continue to sound the alarm about youth violence, youth crime, fighting in our schools and the growing lack of discipline among some of our young people, while at the same time creating an environment where blatant disrespect for authority is treated as acceptable behavior,” Ottley stated. According to...
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September 18, 2026 No comments
Perpetual Plastics & Freegan Food Fd. proud 2nd place winners of National Volunteer Awards in Netherlands
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Perpetual Plastics by EPIC Team and Freegan Food Foundation are proud 2nd place winners of the National Volunteer Awards hosted by the Association for Volunteerism in the Netherlands. The Perpetual Plastics Team won second place in the category ‘Nature and Environment’, covering SDGs 13, 14, and 15. While the Freegan Food Foundation earned second place for the category ‘Livelihood Security’, under SDGs 1 & 10. There were 5 second place categories to be won, with 66 nominees vying for the prizes, from a total of 322 entries. The second-place prize came with a €3.000 prize. The other 60 nominees received a €1.000 third place prize. Two organisations winning 2nd place hailing from Sint Maarten is a testament...
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September 18, 2026 No comments
Amid global trade uncertainty and an expected decline in foreign exchange reserves CBCS adjusts monetary policy measures
SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - On September 17, 2026, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) decided to increase the pledging rate (The pledging rate is the interest rate commercial banks pay when borrowing from the central bank.) to 4.50%, while maintaining the reserve requirement unchanged at 18.50%. The decision was taken against the backdrop of an expected decline in the monetary union’s foreign exchange reserves in 2026, continued uncertainty surrounding international trade policies, and ongoing geopolitical tensions. It also follows the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision in September to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points. The CBCS also adjusted its Certificates of Deposit (CD) program. The changes are aimed at reducing the costs of absorbing excess liquidity in the banking...
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September 18, 2026 No comments
WYCCF Marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month with Week of Community Activities
SINT MAARTEN (ST. JOHN’S ESTATE) - The White & Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) will mark Alzheimer’s Awareness Month with a week of activities focused on dementia awareness, education, and support for people living with dementia, their families, and caregivers. As part of the week, WYCCF healthcare professionals will participate in specialized training on person-centered communication and dementia care. Informal caregivers from the community are also invited to attend one free workshop, which is offered twice: on Monday, September 21, and Wednesday, September 23, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at WYCCF. This workshop will provide practical tools to communicate with confidence, understand challenging behaviors, and respond calmly and compassionately to someone living with dementia. Registration is free through the QR code...
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September 18, 2026 No comments
Three Books Promote Reading, Restoration and Empowerment
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Restoration can begin with something as simple as a book ; a moment to pause, reflect, create, or discover a new way to understand ourselves and others. This message was reflected in three books generously donated by author and facilitator Amy Arrindell to the Sint Maarten Library during the Early Learners BookStart Campaign 2026. The donated titles are Your Little Recharge: Small Steps of Self-Empowerment, Confidence, and Emotional Regulation; My Compassion Superpower: Pause. Think. Choose Kindness: An Interactive Book About Empathy and Better Choices for Children and for the Adults for Them to Restore; and Restored in Color: A Therapeutic & Manifestation Coloring Book. Your Little Recharge will be included in the Early Learners BookStart gift for the...
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