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Sportsperson of the Year

Rene Leveret

Professional baseball player Rene Leveret of South Reward is The Daily Herald’s Sportsman of the Year for 2014.  Leveret is not only an athlete; he is an unofficial ambassador for the Friendly Island, a role model and a true competitor. The first baseman who also can play left field signed a five-year deal with the Twins just a few months before his 18th birthday in 2003.
  His pro career started that year in the Dominican Republic summer league. Leveret played in 66 games Read more

Prisons officers threaten shutdown

PORT OF SPAIN--Prisons officers are threatening to shut down operations at the country's penal institutions in protest over Government's failure to implement additional security measures, promised after the murder of one of their colleagues last year.

Speaking at a press conference outside the Frederick Street entrance of the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Wednesday president of the Prisons Officers' Association Ceron Richards described the proposed action, which crippled operations at the prisons for several weeks last year, as a last resort by prisons officers to have their concerns addressed Read more

Editorial: Not Helpful (Vague Press Statement From Minister Lake)

Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake is apparently not aware of the finer details of the articles of incorporation that regulate the St. Maarten Housing Foundation. That leads to public statements that are at odds with reality – and nobody stands to benefit from that.

The foundation’s board should have five – not seven, as the minister claims in a press statement – members and as long as there is at least one member left, that board is legal.

Another point is of course that the board should take action without delay (meaning: immediately) once there are fewer than five board members Read more

Minister Cornelius De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

St. Maarten —Minister Cornelius de Weever yesterday officially severed ties with the Democratic Party by officially informing the leader of that party and care taker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams that he is resigning from the party.

Minister De Weever ran on the DP’s ticket in the August 2014 elections but secretly formed a coalition with the UP party shortly after the elections while the DP had publicly announced that it has signed an agreement and was forming a coalition with the US and NA Read more

De Weever severs ties with Democratic Party

PHILIPSBURG--New Member of Parliament (MP) Cornelius de Weever has severed ties with the Democratic Party (DP), under whose slate he contested the August 29 parliamentary elections and secured a seat.

De Weever said in a press statement issued by his Cabinet on Thursday that he had notified DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams that he “has now officially resigned from the party.” De Weever, who also functions as caretaker Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs, said he informed Wescot-Williams “that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby resign my affiliation with the Democratic Party.

“I campaigned as a new democrat with a new Democratic Party, but it is readily apparent to many that it is the same old political strategy of trying to shame and blame,” he said Read more

>GREAT BAY:--- Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius de Weever has notified the leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams that he has now officially resigned from the party.
Minister De Weever informed the leader that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby RESIGN my affiliation with the Democratic Party Read more

Minister De Weever Resigns From The Democratic Party

GREAT BAY, St. Martin - Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius de Weever has notified the leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot-Williams that he has now officially resigned from the party.

Minister De Weever informed the leader that due to the manner in which she and/or the DP publicly tried to portray me in a negative light, I have decided to reconsider my future with the DP and hereby RESIGN my affiliation with the Democratic Party.

I campaigned as a New Democrat with a "new" Democratic Party but it is readily apparent to many that it is the same old political strategy of trying to shame and blame.

Minister De Weever further stated that he expected an internal "issue" to be handled internally, professionally and avoid giving others more ammunition against St Read more

Editorial - As much about quality

Government’s personnel cost has increased more than foreseen, Finance Minister Martin Hassink told Parliament on Tuesday, and is fast becoming “unaffordable.” He gave no clear indication as to why, but a perceived lack of efficiency in certain cases resulting from sheer incompetence may well have something to do with it.

For example, in the US persons have to take a special exam to enter the civil service, where the rank and pay for those who pass it are determined at least in part by the result Read more

Renovation Golden Rock Homes cancelled!

Dear Editor,

The working relationship with the Dutch housing corporation Woonlinie and St. Eustatius is again in jeopardy. Free advice and financial aid has been turned down by government, which makes the future of decent low-income housing for Statia's citizens dimmer than ever before. Particularly, the apparent reason behind all of this is baffling.

The agreed upon interim director, supplied by Woonlinie, who had as his mission the reorganisation and strengthening of the housing foundation has left the island after Commissioner Zaandam told him that his skin colour was not suitable to lead the foundation Read more

Editorial - Best for now

"Only in St. Maarten," some people no doubt were saying after another news-filled Saturday, with word that four candidate minsters did not pass the screening and a –thankfully false – bomb alert that caused chaos at SXM Princess Juliana International Airport precisely during its busiest day and hours of the week.

Regarding the latter one can keep it short. Authorities need to take the incident very seriously and treat it like a major crime, because that's exactly what it was, with the entire island and its tourism economy as the ultimate victims.

If the call made to the police is in any way traceable no time should be lost in trying to find out who is responsible Read more

Mexico says evidence now proves missing students were burned up

MEXICO CITY--Mexican authorities on Sunday said that mounting evidence and initial DNA tests confirmed that 43 trainee teachers who were abducted by corrupt police 10 weeks ago were incinerated at a garbage dump by drug gang members.
  Attorney General Jesus Murillo told reporters that one of the students had been identified by experts in Austria from a bone fragment in a bag of ash and bits of burned tire found in a river where drug gang members said they tossed the students remains.
  "This scientific proof confirms that the remains found at the scene coincide with the evidence of the investigation," Murillo said Read more

Four minister candidates reportedly fail screening

PHILIPSBURG--It appears that efforts to put together a new cabinet have come up a few ministers short. Four of the minister candidates reportedly have failed the extensive screening to take up a post in what has been billed as the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet.

Those said to have failed the security and integrity screenings are finance minister candidate Richard Gibson Sr., health minister candidate Leroy de Weever, infrastructure minister candidate Peggy-Ann Brandon and deputy minister plenipotentiary candidate Lucas Berman.

According to people close to the issue, attorney and former minister in the Netherlands Antilles Gibson Sr Read more