BEST OF THE BEST THE MOST WIDELY CIRCUL ATED CARIBBEAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN FLORIDA
CNWEEKLYNE WS.COM
THURSDAY MAY 14, 2026
19th annual Best of the Best Music Fest Reggae giants isTheexpected to deliver a major boost to Miami’s tourism and hospitality sector this and dancehall Memorial Day weekend, with thousands of visitors from across the Caribbean diaspora and beyond set to descend on the city for stars set to one of North America’s most prominent Caribbean music celebrations. ignite Miami continues on B4 – Best of the Best
Jamaica audit finds only 1.8% of Hurricane Melissa donations spent months after storm Jamaica’s disaster response system is under scrutiny after an audit revealed that only a small portion of the billions donated for Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts had been spent nearly four months after the storm struck the island. A real-time audit report from the Auditor General’s Department, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, found that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had received JMD$1.44 billion in donations by February 23, 2026, but spent just $26.2 million — or 1.8 percent — by that date. The audit examined financial manage-
ment and procurement under the Government’s Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative and Roof Restoration Program. Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis said the findings exposed weaknesses in financial oversight, governance, procurement monitoring, and beneficiary verification. “This audit found that weaknesses in financial management, governance, and program accountability limited transparency over Hurricane Melissa relief resources,” Monroe Ellis said in the report’s foreword. “Of $1.44 billion in cash donations received, only $26.2 million (1.8 percent) had
been spent as at February 23, 2026, alongside unreported and unspent Hurricane Beryl balances,” she added. The report noted that ODPEM still held approximately JMD$569.6 million and US$5.9 million in hurricane donation accounts as of February 23, including leftover funds from Hurricane Beryl relief efforts in 2024. According to the audit, ODPEM failed to provide information showing the total amount collected and spent after Hurricane Beryl, making it difficult to determine whether the remaining balances reflected ongoing projects
or weaknesses in program execution. “The presence of significant unutilized balances from Hurricane Beryl prior to the commencement of Hurricane Melissa fundraising further indicates weaknesses in the planning, monitoring, and utilization of donated funds across disaster response cycles,” Monroe Ellis stated. The report also raised concerns about donations processed through the Government’s Support Jamaica platform. Auditors found that a private financial continues on B2 – Hurricane Melissa Audit
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
NEWSMAKER Caribbean-American Justice Dena Douglas named KCCBA ‘Judge of the Year’ a3
CARIBBEAN Police investigate murder of US citizen found dead in Jamaica during birthday trip A4
WOMEN IN FOCUS Tashni Dubroy appointed senior executive at UNCF B1
SPORTS Bunny Shaw’s late heroics send ManCity roaring into FA Cup nal B7