Dean Peart mourned as NHT widens housing access and Black River recovery lags

Tributes are flowing for former Member of Parliament and cabinet minister Dean Peart, who died on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the age of 77. The People's National Party hailed him as a dedicated public servant whose long tenure helped shape Manchester Northwestern and national affairs. The party said he carried forward the political legacy of his father, former parliamentarian Ernest Peart, and served alongside his brother, former House Speaker Michael Peart. Peart held Manchester Northwestern for 22 years, winning five straight general elections, and served as Minister of Local Government, Environment and Lands, and Works, as well as a parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Sports.

New National Housing Trust policies intended to make ownership more affordable took effect on July 1, with stronger support for young contributors, essential public-sector workers, and homeowners seeking renovation funds. Shara Cooper, manager of the Administrative Support Unit, said at least 20% of NHT solutions will be set aside for contributors aged 20 to 35, who can also tap up to $2 million of their entitlement as a deposit on open-market purchases. Assistant Communications Manager Dwayne Berbick said the Trust is also extending interest-rate concessions to first responders and teachers and has helped some apply for post-Hurricane Melissa benefits.

Deputy Mayor of the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation Michael McCloud, councillor for the Dalvey division, urged amendment of the Vestry Act at the corporation's latest meeting. Under the current law, property of persons admitted to infirmaries must pass to the municipal corporation; he argued the rules should be enforced so those assets can help cover care costs when relatives later seek to reclaim them.

The 11th biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference met at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James under the theme "Diaspora Partnerships: Rebuilding a More Climate Resilient Jamaica," drawing government, private-sector, and overseas Jamaican attendees. The National Land Agency assisted diaspora clients with title checks and regularisation; e-Learning Jamaica outlined laptop kits, charging carts, and interactive panels for every primary school, plus plans for another 150 satellite broadband links after more than 150 already delivered; and VM Group said more overseas Jamaicans now chase rental and mixed-use wealth, pointing to its newly launched VM Diaspora Hub.

In Black River, St. Elizabeth, Chamber of Commerce president Kadian Myers-Brown said only 15 to 20% of businesses hit by Hurricane Melissa have reopened, and about 5% of chamber members. A St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation survey found employment and income among firms with 10 or fewer staff fell 87% after the storm. She called for stronger Development Bank of Jamaica support, noting many operators were uninsured or underinsured.

The Financial Services Commission reported approved individual retirement scheme membership rose from just under 8,000 in 2010 to more than 90,000 last year, managing $90.7 billion in assets, while pension funds held $755 billion.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told a US Embassy Independence Day reception marking America's 250th anniversary that cooperation with the United States is deepening in security, health care, technology, and investment, and that agreements were signed that day with three US companies for data-centre and steel-industry projects. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said cost-of-living measures remain in place, including a $100 monthly allowance for pensioners and a 30% rise in welfare rates.

Jamaica Football Federation president Michael Ricketts said interim Reggae Boyz coach Rudolph Speid will stay through the rest of 2026 after the board extended the permanent coaching search by five months, with an appointment expected by January 2027. Speid has led the senior men since December after Steve McClaren left. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, France, Spain, England, and Argentina reached the semifinals after quarterfinal wins between July 10 and 11; France faces Spain on July 14 and England meets Argentina on July 15. In cricket, the West Indies women completed their highest successful ODI chase, beating Ireland by nine wickets for 270 as captain Hayley Matthews scored 159 and Reliana Grimmond 91 in a record 256-run stand.