Local News
DFDS recruitment event attracts ‘a lot of interest‘ from Islanders
A RECRUITMENT drive by DFDS aimed at Islanders has generated “a lot of interest”, according to the Danish shipping giant. In an update from the company, DFDS route director Chris Parker said they had 20 to 30 open positions, and that two recent jobs fairs saw 70 to 80 Islanders attend. “There...
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‘Urgent’ call to raise £1.5m for more upgrades to Opera House
THE company slated to run the newly refurbished Jersey Opera House says it needs to raise another £1.5 million from the public after negotiations with the government over extra work on the building broke down. In a statement, Jersey Opera House Ltd said that even after the £12.7m restoration of th...
Public ‘should keep sharing’ concerns over care
THE Jersey Care Commission has encouraged Islanders to “continue sharing” their concerns about healthcare treatment with care managers to help ensure regulated providers are “held accountable”. JCC chief inspector Becky Sherrington also acknowledged the “dedication” shown by Islander Tru...
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Latest homelessness report sparks calls for investment in mental-health support
MORE Islanders sought help from homeless accommodation and service providers between the start of July and the end of September last year than in the previous quarter, according to newly released data, which has led to renewed calls to tackle addiction and mental-health problems. Housing Minister Sa...
Government sells former care unit to development firm for £1.3m
A FORMER care facility for Islanders with complex needs in St Martin has been sold by the government to the Jersey Development Company for £1.3 million – less than half its previous asking price. Aviemore, a former five-unit specialist accommodation facility operated by the Special Needs Service,...
Carbon cost of café’s food to be put on labels in ‘world first’
A “WORLD-FIRST” pilot scheme allowing Islanders to see the carbon footprint of their lunch has been announced by the government. The initiative will see items at Café Ubé, which has two sites in central St Helier plus outlets at Jersey Airport and Elizabeth Harbour, bearing labels detailing th...
Deputy opts to postpone language debate
A DEBATE over whether studying a second language should be compulsory for those aged 14 to 16 has been postponed. Deputy Montfort Tadier’s proposition to require all pupils to study at least one language – as well as English – to GCSE level was due to have been debated at the sitting of the St...
Advocate suspended for three months after drunken assault
A LAWYER who attacked a taxi driver while drunk has been suspended from practising for three months for “bringing the profession into disrepute”. Advocate David Steenson, who regularly represents defendants in the Royal Court, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on 17 December, pleading guilty ...
Airline offers direct flights to three European destinations
BLUE Islands has announced new flights to three European destinations. Islanders will be able to fly directly to Bilbao, Verona and Munich later this year. Munich flights are timed to coincide with the Bavarian city’s world-famous Oktoberfest. The new destinations follow the airline’s announceme...
Dementia care: ‘Ongoing improvement needed’
DEMENTIA care will need ongoing improvement to meet the needs of the Island’s ageing population, according to the Health Minister. In an amended statement, Deputy Tom Binet spoke about the government’s dementia strategy, which was published in partnership with Dementia Jersey in June last year...
Investigation launched after body found in Jersey waters
A POLICE investigation has been launched after a body was recovered by a trawler in Jersey waters. The States police confirmed it was investigating whether the body of a man in his 40s, found on Wednesday 15 January, is that of a British national who went missing on a ferry from Portsmouth to St Mal...
‘This is a tax on the vulnerable to profit the wealthy owners’
ISLANDERS who want to continue to receive paper bills from Island Energy will face a £2.50 charge per month unless they can prove to the company that they do not have access to email or the internet. The new charge, announced by the utility company this month, will amount to more than £30 per year...
Occupation VIPs invited to take part in this year’s Jersey Royal potato-growing contest
OCCUPATION “VIPs” are being invited to take part in this year’s Jersey Royal potato-growing competition as the Island marks 80 years since the Liberation. The Constables’ Committee said this year would “regrettably” be the last that the Occupation VIP category was offered. The category i...
Man spared prison after head-butting his father
A 24-YEAR-OLD man who head-butted his father during an argument has been spared jail. The Magistrate’s Court heard that Samuel Paul Smith’s assault on his father, which left him with a cut on his nose, on 13 December was the fourth time he had attacked his parents. Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecu...
Charity: Dementia funding and care qualifications are essential
DEMENTIA care in Jersey needs to be properly funded and professional care qualifications are a must for those looking after people with the disease in homes, the chief executive of Dementia Jersey argues in today’s Monday Essay. The article follows the publication last week of an interview with Tr...
Backing for abortion law change to help people on work permits
POLITICIANS responsible for scrutinising health policy have backed a proposed update to Jersey’s abortion law which would remove the current residency requirement to ensure that “potentially vulnerable or isolated” people in the Island on work permits can access pregnancy terminations. The Hea...
Pop-up clinics to offer jabs
POP-UP vaccination clinics are being held this week amid a rise in winter illness. Eligible Islanders will be able to get flu and Covid vaccines at a number of locations across the Island, with Public Health encouraging those who have not had a vaccine to attend. Both vaccines are also available at ...
‘Deeply concerning’ increase in drink driving, police say
THE police have highlighted a “deeply concerning” increase in Islanders driving while over the legal alcohol limit in 2024 compared to 2023. Chief officer Robin Smith stressed that drink-driving can have a “devastating impact”, citing the loss of father and son Dean and Charlie Lowe in a hit...
Temps Passé: Alderney farmers facing ruin
“NOT since the dark days of June 1940 when the whole of the population of Alderney left their island home to seek refuge in England from the advancing Nazis, has this three-square-mile Channel Island been the scene of such misfortune as has now befallen it through the foot-and-mouth epidemic.” S...
Public meetings arranged to discuss return of Senators
PARISH meetings have been scheduled as part of a renewed bid to bring back the role of Senator to the States Assembly. Treasury Minister Elaine Millar will be visiting all 12 parishes over the next three weeks ahead of a debate on her proposition to restore the Islandwide mandate in time for next ye...