Yard Brief on The Tradewinds Brief

Man Says 'Mi Soon Come,' Accidentally Disappears For Entire Afternoon

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0500

KINGSTON — Local resident Delroy Campbell, 34, confirmed at approximately 11:47 a.m. Tuesday that he was ‘just soon come,’ a statement that witnesses now acknowledge marked the beginning of a six-hour absence from which he has yet to fully return.

The situation continues to develop.

Government Announces Bold New Plan To Eventually Consider Fixing Roads

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:53:00 -0500

GORDON HOUSE — In a press briefing held Monday, officials unveiled an ambitious framework to, at some undetermined point, begin preliminary conversations about possibly forming a committee to review road conditions nationwide.

The situation continues to develop.

Cousin Leroy Explains Jamaica to His Coworkers at the Annual Performance Review

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Cousin Leroy, a management consultant in the Bronx who has not visited Jamaica since 2019, is asked at his annual performance review whether he has any 'cultural perspective' to share about recent Caribbean news. Everyone regrets this.

Jamaica's Real Early Warning System Is Your Cousin's WhatsApp Group at 3 A.M.

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A sardonic look at where Jamaicans actually go for weather updates, disaster alerts, and news that matters. Spoiler: it's not the Met Service.

Taxi Driver Confirms Car Can Comfortably Fit Four More Passengers Somehow

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:46:00 -0500

HALF-WAY TREE — Despite the 1998 Toyota Corolla already holding nine adults, two schoolchildren, and a basket of yam, driver Winston ‘Smallie’ Brown assured waiting commuters there was ’nuff space’ and to ‘just squeeze up.’

The situation continues to develop.

The Remittance Corridor Breaks First: Why Sending Money to Jamaica During Disaster Season Doesn't Work the Way You Think

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

An evergreen look at the Jamaica remittance economy through the lens of what breaks during disaster season — and what that says about the diaspora-to-island money pipeline the rest of the year.

Aenon Town Cut Off as Clarendon Flooding Worsens, MP Calls for Emergency Drainage Audit

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Residents stranded across multiple routes as Aenon Town floods for the second consecutive day. MP Wavel Hinds is pressing for a full drainage audit, and the backdrop is a post-Melissa infrastructure system that still hasn't recovered.

Woman Orders Small Fry, Receives Enough Food To Feed Extended Family

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:39:00 -0500

SPANISH TOWN — Patron Marcia Thompson, who ordered what she described as ‘just a likkle small’ portion of fried chicken, left the restaurant Sunday with a container that fed her, three children, two nephews, and her mother-in-law with enough remaining to send to Canada.

The situation continues to develop.

Local Man Spends 45 Minutes Explaining Why This Time He Actually Leaving Now

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:32:00 -0500

MANDEVILLE — Standing in the doorway with keys in hand, Kevin Morrison delivered a detailed 45-minute monologue outlining the specific reasons his departure on this occasion would, unlike all seven previous declarations, be final.

The situation continues to develop.

Dancehall Artist Releases Song About Same Woman, Insists This One Completely Different

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:25:00 -0500

KINGSTON — Dancehall artist Laxxy Platinum released his fourteenth consecutive single about ex-girlfriend Tasha Bennett this week, defending the track as ‘completely different vibe’ from the previous thirteen.

The situation continues to develop.

Jamaican Mother Detects Disrespect From Across Three Rooms Instantly

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:18:00 -0500

PORTMORE — Without turning from the pot of rice and peas she was stirring, mother of four Beverley Clarke identified an act of disrespect occurring two rooms and one hallway away, sources confirmed Saturday.

The situation continues to develop.

Man Goes Shop For Bread, Returns With Full Grocery Bag And No Explanation

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:11:00 -0500

OCHO RIOS — Dispatched at 9 a.m. to purchase a single loaf of hardo bread, husband Anthony Wilson returned three hours later with condensed milk, two tins of mackerel, a pack of crix, and no bread.

The situation continues to develop.

Government Assures Citizens Everything Under Control Despite Visible Evidence

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:04:00 -0500

KINGSTON — Addressing a press conference held in front of a visibly collapsing public works project, the spokesperson confirmed that the situation was ‘fully managed’ and that citizens should ‘remain calm and continue about their business.’

The situation continues to develop.

Neighbour Stands At Gate For Two Hours, Calls It 'Quick Talk'

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:57:00 -0500

MAY PEN — Gripping the gate with both hands for what he described as ‘just a two minute thing,’ neighbour Errol Johnson delivered a comprehensive review of the community, three extended families, and the post office for approximately 127 minutes.

The situation continues to develop.

Entire Country Briefly Unites After Reggae Boyz Almost Win Something

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:50:00 -0500

NATIONWIDE — For a period of roughly 73 minutes Saturday, all political, class, and parish differences were suspended as the national football team came within one goal of a result, before returning to baseline immediately afterward.

The situation continues to develop.

Local Runner Clocked As Faster Than Traffic Leaving Half-Way Tree

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:43:00 -0500

KINGSTON — Track athlete Jerome Burke, 19, was officially recorded moving at speeds exceeding the average rush-hour velocity on Constant Spring Road, a finding researchers called ‘statistically inevitable.’

The situation continues to develop.

Dancehall Crowd Agrees Song Was Good Before It Even Started

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:36:00 -0500

MONTEGO BAY — Within the first two beats of the intro, attendees at a sound system event collectively determined the track was ‘a murderation,’ a verdict issued well before any lyrics were delivered.

The situation continues to develop.

Selector Promises 'Last Song,' Immediately Plays Seven More

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:29:00 -0500

NEGRIL — Selector DJ Bossman announced at 3:47 a.m. that the following track would be the ‘very last one,’ a declaration he repeated seven additional times before sunrise.

The situation continues to develop.

Man Calculates Budget, Immediately Decides Not To Check Again

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:22:00 -0500

KINGSTON — After tallying his monthly expenses against his income for approximately four minutes, accountant Leroy Davis reportedly closed the notebook, turned off the calculator, and resolved never to attempt the exercise again.

The situation continues to develop.

Vendor Raises Prices Slightly, Blames 'Everything'

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:15:00 -0500

CORONATION MARKET — Local vendor Miss Pearl adjusted the price of scallion upward by fifty dollars this week, citing a list of contributing factors that included ’the government, the dollar, the rain, the Chinese, and general vibes.'

The situation continues to develop.

Group Of Friends Say They Leaving Party, Remain For Additional Three Hours

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:08:00 -0500

PORTMORE — A group of six adults announced their imminent departure from a house party at 11:14 p.m. Friday, a declaration that preceded their actual exit by a confirmed three hours and forty-two minutes.

The situation continues to develop.

Man Watches Same Argument On WhatsApp Group For Third Day Straight

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:01:00 -0500

SPANISH TOWN — Refusing to eat, sleep, or respond to his wife, 42-year-old Derrick Powell has spent the last 72 hours monitoring an ongoing argument between two distant relatives about a matter from 2019.

The situation continues to develop.

Cousin Leroy - Monday, April 20, 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:15:00 -0400

Cousin Leroy reading the news from his apartment in the Bronx, where everything Jamaica is doing sounds, frankly, amazing — the recovery is going great, the casinos are happening, the Prime Minister flew to New York, and there's a $6.7 billion package coming, which Leroy is fairly sure is going to him personally.

Yard Report - Monday, April 20, 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Kingston view: ROOFS Programme is going at the speed of a man who has no banking app, the casino regulations finally arrived sixteen years after the law that needed them, and the Prime Minister explains that the unbanked are the bottleneck — which, accurate, but interesting choice of framing.

Family Member Says 'No Food Left,' Reveals Hidden Pot Ten Minutes Later

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:54:00 -0500

CLARENDON — After informing her nephew that ’no food nuh deh yah,’ Aunt Ivy produced a fully loaded dutch pot of oxtail and butter beans from the back of the stove approximately ten minutes later, once he had left.

The situation continues to develop.

Community Fully Invested In Situation That Is None Of Their Business

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:47:00 -0500

LINSTEAD — An entire neighbourhood has reportedly put normal activities on hold to follow a developing dispute between two households, despite having no factual relationship to either party.

The situation continues to develop.

Cousin Leroy: Jamaica Pension Ting, Howard Lau Waste Bin Issue, and Why I Can't Even Believe What Is Going On Down There

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:30:00 -0400

Greetings from the Bronx. Cousin Leroy here. I have to tell you, I was on the phone with Cousin Pearl this morning — she still in Kingston, she don’t come to America, she say America too cold — and she read me the Gleaner front page, and I am sitting here in my apartment on 233rd Street and I cannot believe what I am hearing.

The pension ting

So Pearl tell me that retired police officers in Jamaica — people who serve thirty years — cannot pay their light bill because the pension system is not paying them out properly. Thirty years! Thirty years in the JCF! These men, some of them my age, some of them younger, they walking into retirement expecting to live on their pension, and the pension office telling them “late July 2026.”

Yard Report: The Pension Office Says 'Late July 2026,' Howard Lau Says 'Not My Bill,' and the Reggae Girlz Say 'Guyana, Hold My Coffee'

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Kingston morning. Another Sunday of the Gleaner delivering exactly the news we knew was coming but hoped would not. Let us walk through it.

The pension scandal finally gets its Sunday front page

The Gleaner’s lead today is the story they have been building to for months. Retired police officers who served three decades cannot pay their light bills because the JCF pension system is broken. “Marlon Campbell” (pseudonym, smart) retired after over two decades in the force, left almost a decade ago, and is still waiting for his final pension letter. He is receiving an interim monthly pension of J$100,000 — the figure that precedes the final amount, the one you get while the paperwork grinds.

Cousin Leroy: Yo Dem REALLY Charge Jaii Frais??? And Somebody Stole De HURRICANE RELIEF?? From CANADA?? Yo WHAT

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Yooooo wah gwaan fam. Leroy here calling from the BX on my 15-minute break at Logan, I am literally eating a bodega sandwich as I type this, and I have to put DOWN the sandwich because I JUST SAW THE JAMAICA NEWS.

Listen. LISTEN.

THEY CHARGED JAII FRAIS. THEY ACTUALLY CHARGED HIM.

Yo.

YO.

Remember yesterday when I told y’all they were holding Jaii Frais in custody and the judge had to tell them to charge or release him by 6PM? Well — THEY CHARGED HIM. Three charges. Wounding with intent. Shooting with intent. Possession of a prohibited weapon.

Yard Report: Dem Charge Jaii Frais, MSMEs in Triple Threat, Second Sibling Gone in Spanish Town, and a Canadian Man Steals De Hurricane Relief

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:30:00 -0400

Morning, Jamrock. Yard Report here on a Saturday morning, working through coffee and trying to reconcile the week’s news with the limited supply of patience I woke up with.

Let me walk you through what we have.

Jaii Frais Charged: “Survival” on Trial

Popular vlogger Jhaedee Richards — known to his large audience as Jaii Frais — has been charged. Wounding with intent. Shooting with intent. Possession of a prohibited weapon. The charges come six days after the shooting at the Big Wall carnival afterparty in St Andrew, during which Frais and two other men were injured.

Cousin Leroy: Yow, Dem Lock Up Jaii Frais? Wha' Gwaan Wid Dat! And Mi Nah Cosign Dem Find Oil in Yard

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:30:00 -0400

Yooooo wah gwaan fam it’s your cousin Leroy calling from the BX, 174th and Morris Avenue, shoutout to everybody at the spot on White Plains Road, and I just saw the news from yard and I had to hop on here before my shift at Logan start.

Listen.

THEY LOCK UP JAII FRAIS?????

I’m sorry — THEY WHAT?

Yo I been watching Jaii Frais content for LIKE two years now. The man is a VLOGGER. A VLOGGER. He go to parties, he put out content, he’s a MEDIA personality. How you gonna lock him up since Sunday because there was a SHOOTING at the party HE WAS A GUEST AT?

Yard Report: The Vlogger, the Mayor-Chopper, the Oil We Shouldn't Want, and the Trench Town Birthday Party That Turned Into a Crime Scene

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Morning, Jamrock. Yard Report here from Kingston, processing the week the only way I know how — slowly, with black coffee, and with the grim understanding that the news will somehow get worse before I finish typing.

Let’s see what we’re working with today.

Jaii Frais: The Custody Clock Ticks Down

Popular vlogger Jaii Frais — real name Jhaedee Richards — has been in custody since Sunday following a shooting at the carnival after-party Big Wall. This morning, a Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court judge ruled that the police must either charge him or release him by 6 p.m. today.

Cousin Leroy Reports Back — Thursday, April 16, 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:30:00 -0500

Leroy has been following the Westmoreland situation from the Bronx and has thoughts.

Yard Report — Thursday, April 16, 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Six months after Melissa, Westmoreland still dark. UHWI owes $40 billion in taxes. Carnival was nice though.

Jamaica Brief – Cousin Leroy: Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:30:00 -0400

Cousin Leroy flew in for carnival, somehow did not know about the Big Wall shooting until Tuesday, and has questions about Negril's ambulance situation.

Jamaica Brief – Yard Report: Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Carnival ended with gunshots, a boy got shot by a cop on a rooftop, the justice minister told JPs to stop profiling, and Domino's has a new owner. Tuesday's Kingston dispatch.

Cousin Leroy Report — Sunday, April 12, 2026

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:05:00 -0500

Cousin Leroy is watching Road March from the Bronx on his phone, upset about the Negril ambulance situation, and has opinions about the oil price and the budget.

Yard Report — Sunday, April 12, 2026

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Road March Sunday in Kingston, Negril still has no ambulance, a Jamaican referee is going to the World Cup, and the budget's oil price assumption is looking embarrassing.

Cousin Leroy Report — Saturday, April 11, 2026

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:05:00 -0500

Cousin Leroy, calling in from the Bronx, has thoughts on Bunny Shaw's hat-trick, the Maryland plaque ceremony, and why he hasn't been back to Spanish Town in a while.

Yard Report — Saturday, April 11, 2026

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Spanish Town mourns a teenager lost in a house fire, 71 dead on the roads already this year, and Bunny Shaw scores a hat-trick while the government hands out plaques in Maryland.

Jamaica Brief — Cousin Leroy, April 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Leroy in the Bronx has thoughts about Shanoya, the soldier situation, gas station robberies, and why Jamaica keep making him proud and worried at the same time.

Jamaica Brief — Yard Report, April 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

JDF soldier charged with girlfriend's murder, bartender shot in St. Elizabeth, Shanoya Douglas has world leads, and an MP has been summoned. Another Friday in Jamaica.

Cousin Leroy's Jamaica Update – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cousin Leroy in the Bronx reads the Jamaica news and has some thoughts.

The Yard Report – Thursday, April 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dispatches from Kingston — gas going up, hurricane victims still in schools, and Jamaica not in the World Cup. A normal week.

Cousin Leroy Seh — Jamaica, Monday April 6, 2026

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:30:00 -0500

Cousin Leroy, calling from the Bronx, is very proud of January's crime numbers and not worried about the fuel price.

The Yard Report — Jamaica Brief, Monday April 6, 2026

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jamaica's weekly news with the bark left on. JACDEN scandal, fuel prices up 20%, and Jamaica still cleaning up after Melissa.