SXMElections.com

 PHILIPSBURG: ---The victim Michael Flanders who accused police of Police brutality is yet to file an official complaint with the Internal Affairs of the Police Department of St. Maarten or the National Detectives so said the Chief of Police Carl John at a press conference called by the Minister of Justice Anna Richardson on Tuesday.
John did not divulge details of the ongoing investigation but stated that KPSM has been busy investigating the allegations and the missing element to proceed with the investigation is the complaint that must be filed by the alleged victim Read more

14-Year-Old Allegedly Molested At Foster Care Home.

~ Parents of the victim informed one month after the incident, the Minister of Justice now investigating. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Information reaching SMN News states that a 14-year child who is a resident at the SJIS Home in Dutch Quarter has been molested and kept under the rug for over a month. Sources say that the victim was allegedly molested by an employee of the establishment.
SMN News further understands that the mother of the victim has moved to court since the child was removed from her custody by the courts and placed in an institution where she is molested and hidden from the parents Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice, under the leadership of Minister Anna E. Richardson, marked a groundbreaking milestone in event planning efficiency with an insightful seminar aimed at enhancing the event permit application process. On August 3rd, 2023, Minister Richardson spearheaded a comprehensive session designed to foster transparency, regulatory compliance, and harmonious collaboration between event organizers and government authorities.
The seminar addressed a pressing concern within the event-organizing community, where events were frequently conceptualized and marketed prior to obtaining the necessary permits Read more

DATE ISSUED: Tuesday, August 08, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) August 09, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 27C / 81F 

Sunset Today: 6:44 P.M Read more

~ Internal protocols discussed ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- "I am truly surprised by the recent public remarks made by a member of the Teaching fraternity of St.Maarten. Even more surprising is these remarks are from an educational assistant, Ms. Glenda Mussen who also is the General Secretary of WITU," said Stuart Johnson President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Read more

Students Return To School With Excitement And Anticipation For The New Academic Year

Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School pupils listen attentively to the founder of the school during the school's welcome programme on Monday.

PHILIPSBURG--After a long summer break, students in St. Maarten returned to school on Monday for the first day of the new academic year.

Read more

DATE ISSUED: Monday, August 07, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Tuesday midday (12:00 LST) August 08, 2023

WEATHER:    

This afternoon through Tuesday midday: Partly cloudy to cloudy and breezy with isolated showers and possible isolated thunderstorms.

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 27C / 81F

Sunset Today: 6:44 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:53 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Tuesday midday: Easterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 10 to 16 mph.

SYNOPSIS:

Lingering moisture and instability will account for cloudy periods and isolated showers during this forecast period Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley continues exercise classes through Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor.

In accordance with its mandate, CDFHA explored various avenues of collaboration with senior organizations to gain a better understanding of their circumstances; assessed the senior organizations registered with the department.

Deriving from the assessment, CDFHA executed a three-month exercise pilot program, facilitated by Fitness Attitude for the senior organizations Read more

Mp Heyliger-Marten Government Seems Asleep At The Wheel, While The Outside World Moves On

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Sunday afternoon, MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten again questioned if the Government of St. Maarten is aware of the developments on an international level, and if it is capable of representing the paramount interest of the people St. Maarten.

As a people, we continue to face major challenges. These range from our legal system being based on the Dutch language to concerns about food security, and inequality and injustice when it comes to our (financial) relationship with Holland, the so-called democratic deficit, Heyliger-Marten said.

Since the beginning of my tenure, I have maintained that all these problems lead back to one main issue, and that is the fact that the constitutional structure of the Kingdom is not in compliance with international law.

A few months ago, Dr Read more

Foresee Secures Funding For Its 3Rd Season Of Soualichi Stories

Part of the Soualichi Stories season three team, from left: Claudette Forsythe-Labega, Ralph Cantave, Jose Sommers, Kevin Suppa Petrona and Julia Grigg during one of their planning sessions.

PHILIPSBURG--Foresee Foundation announced on Sunday that it has secured funding for its third season of Soualichi Stories, which has the subtitle, Keeping Oral History Alive.

The money for Foresees project comes from the two million euros in funding that the Dutch government granted to the Dutch Cultural Participation Fund for the Memorial Year of Slavery, which runs from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024 Read more

Emotional Farewell As 28 Local Students Head To Netherlands

ECYS Minister Rodolphe Samuel addressing students prior to boarding their flight.

 

SIMPSON BAY--Twenty-eight St. Maarten students left St. Maarten on Sunday afternoon to pursue higher education in the Netherlands.

Read more

 

DATE ISSUED: Friday, August 04, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)  

VALID UNTIL: Saturday midday (12:00 LST) August 05, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon: Partly cloudy with brief local showers possible. 

Tonight through Saturday midday: Partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times with isolated showers. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             

Forecast Low: 27C / 81F 

   

Sunset Today: 6:45 P.M Read more

~ Says confidential information regarding teachers and students is leaked by DPE to WITU President and Vise Versa.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Local Teacher Glenda Mussen who has been teaching at the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWAS) decided to speak out on Friday after she was informed that she will be transferred to the Marie Genevieve de Weever School as of Monday, August 7th, 2023.
Mussen said that she has been working at PWAS for the past four years and that a number of teachers filed complaints against the School Manager Norma Barry, these complaints she said has gone on deaf ears, she explained that the Department of Public Education had a mediator intervene in issues the teachers are having at PWAS and instead of DPE or the mediator contacting her and informing her of the outcome of the mediation, she only got word on Thursday that she would no longer be teaching at PWAS but instead be moved to Marie Genevieve de Weever School.
Mussen maintained that she will not be going over to the school she has been assigned as the manager of the Department of Education did not inform her in a timely manner Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of the SMILE Jobseeker Course Program in the run-up to the St. Maarten Innovations, Initiatives and Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE), St. Maarten-born entrepreneur John A.M. Sandiford presented his "Personal Finance" Masterclass, 6-INGS. The masterclass is intended to coach financial literacy & planning on the often-tough road toward a dream job, taking into account the need for saving, investing, and personal growth development.

Based on his own previous struggles to make amends as a student in the Netherlands as well as his first steps as an entrepreneur, Sandiford created a personal finance framework that grew into a course that has helped out many students and young professionals in both the Caribbean as well as the Netherlands Read more

 

DATE ISSUED: Thursday, August 03, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)  

VALID UNTIL: Friday midday (12:00 LST) August 04, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Friday midday: Partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times with isolated showers and possible isolated thunder. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             

Forecast Low: 27C / 81F 

   

Sunset Today: 6:46 P.M Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of Sint Maarten is taking its Tier III Trafficking in Persons ranking, received from the United States Department of State, in June 2023, seriously. Based on the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of 2019, enacted by all the countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the stage for instrumenting a collaborative effort in combatting the crimes of human trafficking and human smuggling on each territory is organized. This policy invites the opportunity for mutual cooperation on the topic of human trafficking and migrant smuggling on both repressive and administrative sides of execution Read more

Mp Grisha Heyliger-Marten Reminds Ministers Of Growing Backlog Of Responses

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — During a joint press briefing with her colleague MP Sarah-Wescot Williams on July 18th, MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten, expressed her concerns about numerous pending meetings and the lack of timely responses from letters to Government within the legal timeframes set out in the Rules of Order of Parliament.

Just last week alone, my office sent out reminders to three individual Ministers, Heyliger-Marten stated in a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Heyliger-Marten, the Hon Read more

DATE ISSUED: Wednesday, August 02, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) August 03, 2023

WEATHER:

This afternoon through Thursday midday: Partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times with isolated showers.

Forecast High: 33C / 91F             Forecast Low: 27C / 81F

Sunset Today: 6:46 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:51 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Thursday midday: East northeasterly to east southeasterly with a light to gentle breeze of 04 to 09 mph, becoming lighter and variable at times.

SYNOPSIS:

Moisture and instability associated with an approaching surface trough will account for isolated showers and possible thunderstorms, particularly during the latter part of this forecast period Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- We did not stumble into the present, and are not stumbling into our future, said Prof. Hillary Beckles to the CARICOM and African Union (AU) representatives at one session of the Reparations and Racial Healing Study Tour in Barbados, July 24 28, 2023.
The CARICOM-AU conference brought together perspectives from government and civil society leaders and Reparations advocates from the Caribbean, Africa, and African Diaspora communities on developing a unified front on Reparations from historical crimes Read more

Dr. Mercelina: Another Health Survey Will Not Alleviate The Suffering Of The People.

The people of Sint Maarten are going through some challenging times, especially if you focus on topics in our community like housing, education, health, health care, unemployment and poverty. Our sitting government had in the past 4 years one agenda point in their governing program and that was to make sure that this government will stay alive for 4 years.

Unfortunately this government is and was completely disconnected from the reality of our people and society. As a doctor having daily contact on a one on one base with my patients I can inform you that the deterioration of our society in all its dimensions has now reached to a level of directly affecting the health of our individual citizens Read more

DATE ISSUED: Tuesday, August 01, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) August 02, 2023

WEATHER:

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Partly cloudy with isolated showers possible.

Forecast High: 33C / 91F             Forecast Low: 28C / 82F

Sunset Today: 6:47 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:51 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Southeasterly to easterly with a light to gentle breeze of 04 to 10 mph, becoming lighter and variable at times.

SYNOPSIS:

A loose surface pressure gradient will maintain light to gentle winds across the local area Read more

Dr. Mercelina: Another Health Survey Will Not Alleviate The Suffering Of The People.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The people of Sint Maarten are going through some challenging times, especially if you focus on topics in our community like housing, education, health, health care, unemployment, and poverty. Our sitting government had in the past 4 years one agenda point in their governing program and that was to make sure that this government will stay alive for 4 years.

Unfortunately, this government is and was completely disconnected from the reality of our people and society. As a doctor having daily contact on a one on one base with my patients, I can inform you that the deterioration of our society in all its dimensions has now reached to a level of directly affecting the health of our individual citizens Read more

Julian Rollocks Jr. Hosts Successful Back To School Event

SUCKER GARDEN, Sint Maarten — On Sunday, July 30th, URSM candidate Julian Rollocks Jr. hosted a successful Back To School Event at the Belvedere Playground. Understanding the importance and value of education, Mr. Rollocks Jr Read more

St. Louis Stars Football Association Dominates Local & Regional Championships.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Louis Stars Football Association emerged victoriously as the champions of several football tournaments organized by the Saint Martin Football Association.

Those victories include First Place in the St. Martin Football League's 'Coupe de Noel Under 15' competition, which paved the way for a series of ensuing victories.

During this Annual French championship, the St. Louis Stars triumphed over competing teams to capture the following trophies:

- First Place in the Coupe de League, Under 13
- First Place in the Championship Under 15
- First Place in the Championship Under 17
- Second Place in the Championship Under 20

The coaches who were instrumental in leading their teams to these successful wins include U13 Coach Jean-Marc HON and Kelvin EDWARD; U15 Coach Joseph MENDY and Joshua BRIAN; U17 Coach Henri CONNER and Fabrice HANSON; and U20 Coach Alex BALY and Romo CHILIN.

With the powerful representation of the team name, the "Stars" were also triumphant in conquering other trophies, including U15 Best Player and Goal Scorer - Jaheem Joe; U17 Most Goals - Jaiyel Jack and Jayden Oberle Arnell; U20 Most Goals - Adrien Jeremie.

Additionally, the St Read more