Small dump fire today (from @everythin345) (CNS): A small surface fire detected at the north side of the George Town Landfill on Wednesday afternoon was quickly contained and extinguished during routine monitoring activities. The DEH responded immediately and notified the fire service in accordance with standard operating procedures, but the team had put out the blaze before fire crews arrived. The fire was contained before it could spread, and landfill operations have continued as normal. DEH said its staff are conducting ongoing assessments and monitoring as part of established fire prevention and mitigation protocols. Environmental Health Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said that robust monitoring and response measures remain in place at the landfill. “I want to reassure the public that this incident was identified and addressed quickly through routine monitoring conducted by the Department of Environmental Health. The DEH team will continue to take all necessary steps to mitigate risks and...

(CNS): A 32-year-old George Town resident was arrested following a manhunt in the Crewe Road area of George Town on Tuesday. The RCIPS said that just after noon on 2 June, police officers and Public Lands Commission (PLC) personnel were conducting a joint operation in the Seven Mile Public Beach area. The police saw a man in the parking lot at the location who they suspected of committing offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act. As they approached the man, he became aggressive and began to violently resist their instructions. He fled from the scene in a vehicle, but as he did so, he knocked down and injured one of the police officers. The RCIPS said that one of the PLC officers was also injured as a result of this incident. The two injured officers were transported to hospital for treatment and have since been released. The police immediately began...

(CNS): Local attorneys who feel they have the experience, skills and talents to become a member of the inner bar and take the title of King’s Counsel are being offered an opportunity to apply for membership of this elite legal club themselves instead of waiting to be nominated. In a press release, officials explained that as the local legal bar grows, the chief justice and the rest of the bench are no longer in a position to know all the nearly 700 members well enough to be sure they have considered everyone. As a result, those who think they could qualify are being asked to submit an application. Silks, as they are also known, are generally appointed in the British Overseas Territories after the chief justice, on behalf of the judiciary, nominates suitable candidates for consideration, which then goes to a panel of judges. But this assumes that the senior...

David Cranston (CNS): The RCIPS is appealing for information to help locate David Cranston (47), who lives in George Town. He is about 5’10” with a light brown skin tone and low-cut hair. Cranston, a serial offender over several years, is wanted for breach of bail in relation to multiple burglaries and for tampering with an electronic monitor. If anyone sees Cranston, they are advised not to approach him, but to note his location and appearance at the time of the sighting and call 911 immediately. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts or relevant information on his recent activities is asked to contact the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via the RCIPS website. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Cayman Crime Stoppers website or by downloading the Cayman Crime Stoppers...

Cubans migrants (file photo) (CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has set aside CI$5.6 million in this year’s budget to establish a dedicated migrant detention and processing site for multi-agency operations. The site, which is located on Crown land in the Fairbanks area of George Town, is home to the women’s prison, the regular detention centre and the old immigration unit. With the threat of a surge in irregular migrants from Cuba, the CIG is adopting a phased and flexible delivery approach that will include modular units and enable the site to be used for other national emergencies, according to Home Affairs Minister Nickolas DaCosta. Answering a parliamentary question asked by opposition MP Roy Tatum (RED) last month, DaCosta gave a lengthy answer about plans for a migrant camp, which was first revealed in a press release in February. The minister said the project is in active development. Preliminary site preparation...

Photo credit: Jason Dunion NOAA/HRD (CNS): The plume of Sahara dust working its way across our region can cause serious respiratory problems, especially for those with existing health conditions, as it can irritate the lungs and make breathing more difficult, public health officials have warned. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service has issued an alert about elevated dust levels, which are expected to be at their worst tomorrow. “Coughing, wheezing, sore throat and shortness of breath may be experienced while the dust cloud is over us,” Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said, adding that people with asthma or other respiratory conditions should take additional precautions during this period. This is not a new phenomenon in the Caribbean, as clouds affect our region every year. The plumes, a mixture of dust and sand from the African desert, travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic, undermining local air quality. Chief Medical...

(CNS): The RCIPS has opened yet another robbery investigation following a mugging on a residential street in George Town very early Monday morning. The police said the victim was walking near Ryan Road, off Crewe Road, at about 1:00am on 1 June when two masked men approached and stole a bag containing personal items and cash before running off. No weapons were involved, and no injuries were reported to the police as a result of the incident. The suspects were both of slim build and dressed in dark clothing, including black face coverings. Given the spike in muggings and other robberies this year, the RCIPS urged members of the public to remain vigilant, stay in well-lit areas where possible when travelling during late-night and early-morning hours, and report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity along Crewe Road or around Ryan Road between...

(CNS): A cyclist was taken to hospital on Wednesday night following a collision with a vehicle in Bodden Town. The RCIPS said that around 7:30pm, officers from the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit responded to a report about the crash, which happened at the junction of Shamrock Road and Condor Road. The cyclist was transported to the HSA hospital and treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle and the bike received minor damage. No other details were revealed. The collision remains under investigation by the traffic unit and anyone with information is asked to call the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via the RCIPS website. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Cayman Crime Stoppers website or by downloading the Cayman Crime Stoppers app.

(CNS): Drivers should begin to see a drop in the price of gas at the pumps this week and next, as the government’s temporary duty relief programme kicks in. From 1 June until 30 September 2026, duty will be cut on all gasoline and diesel imports as part of a larger effort to provide vital cost-of-living relief to Caymanian families. The aim of the Fuel Relief Programme is to offset expected increases in international fuel prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Under the existing customs tariff structure, the duty on gasoline imports is 75 cents per imperial gallon, 85 cents per imperial gallon for diesel sold at service stations, and 25 cents per imperial gallon for diesel imported for electricity generation. All of these duties will be removed for the period. Finance Minister Rolston Anglin said the government cannot control the international price that fuel importers pay,...

(CNS): A local customs officer and four other people have all denied being involved in a gun and ganja smuggling conspiracy. CBC officer Shamar Gordon-Cummings also faces charges of misconduct in a public office, as the Crown says he used his position to enable his co-conspirators to smuggle the contraband into the Cayman Islands. In Grand Court on Friday, he and Zulecia Aurora Dilone Mambru, Douglas Omar Hurston, Jorge Escobar-Murillo and Jeffrey Seymour Fernandez pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which the Crown says took place between 1 February and mid-March 2025. A jury trial, which is expected to last up to five weeks, was set for 5 October. All five defendants have been bailed.