SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG:--- The board, leader and members of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten hereby extend their congratulations and best wishes to Team Gibbs 2017 and its leader, Mr. Daniel Gibbs on their victory at the polls this past Sunday.
Mr. Gibbs and his team have received the undisputed mandate to govern the Collectivity of St. Martin (our next half) for the coming 5 years.
We wish this team much success as they face, like we do in the South, the many challenges that confront our people and governments.
The leader of the DP: "While our uniqueness as a shared island continues to also offer opportunities, no opportunity is greater than living and enacting the "one island, one people" mantra in everything we do Read more

Mp Meyers Fires Several Questions To Minister Of Vsa On Vamed Agreement And Working Conditions At Smmc

Leonard wants to know what Minister did to Inspectorate for releasing information to SMN News.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers fired a number of questions to Minister of VSA Emil Lee on Friday morning during a meeting of parliament.
MP Meyers said since last year February 2016 he requested information from the Minister and again earlier in February 2017 he resubmitted those questions but only few days ago after the meeting was requested by the UPP members that he received some of the answers from the Minister Read more

Home Repair Program Finally Operational

PHILIPSBURG – “I am so happy to see this program finally become operational. It has been heartbreaking to have people come to my office looking for assistance to make their homes habitable and not have a mechanism in place to help our elderly in desperate need of assistance. With this program, we have allocated some limited resources to help elderly and disabled that need some minor repairs to their homes to make their homes decent and livable,” stated Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Emil Lee.

“I would like to commend the Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CFDHA) for making this initiative possible Read more

Airport: --- Minister of Health Emil Lee returned to St. Maarten on Tuesday with the marketing director of Health City Cayman Islands Shomari Scot after USZV and Health City has reached a short-term agreement to treat a backlog of patients.
At the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIEA) Prime Minister William Marlin and Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr also welcomed the Minister of Health and Scott to St Read more

Up Board And Leader Congratulates Team Gibbs On Election Win 

PHILIPSBURG – The United People’s (UP) Party Board and Leader the Honorable Member of Parliament (MP) Theodore Heyliger, extends their congratulations to Mr. Daniel Gibbs and the entire Team Gibbs on their election victory on Sunday.

“The people have clearly spoken and we extend our congratulations to everyone that expressed their opinion by voting during this second round last Sunday,” the UP Board and Leadership expressed.

“Cooperation between both sides is vital especially in the areas of tourism and economy.  Much can be accomplished by working closer together Read more

Minister Jacobs Travels To Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs along with the St. Maarten delegation comprised of the Secretary General of ECYS Jorien Wuite, Policy Advisor Fabiana Vanterpool-Arnell, and Head of the Department of Education Ruth Linger, travelled to Cuba on Sunday, March 26, to attend the Kingdom Higher Education mission.

The Minister will be met by the Ministers of Education from the Netherlands, Aruba and Curaçao Read more

St. Martin marks history with two political parties in opposition.

MARIGOT:--- The voter's turnout in the second round of the territorial council election remained low on Sunday even though the three political parties that contested the elections pleaded with voters to go out and cast their votes. Of the 20285 voters that are registered to vote only 9,166 persons voted a mere 45.2%. Of that amount, 8857 were valid votes, with 166 blank votes and 183 invalid votes.
Team Daniel Gibbs 2017 captured 5,696 votes Read more

Lions Health Fair Set For Saturday

Philipsburg– All is set for the St. Maarten Lions Club 9th annual “Lion Rudy Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair 2K17” which is scheduled for this coming Saturday March 25th from 9am to 4pm at the Festival Village.   Twenty five (25) stakeholders involved in health care, health care prevention and wellness on the St. Maarten have signed up with the St. Maarten Lions Club to provide the general public with several health tests, examinations, presentations, lectures and general health care and wellness information.   Diabetes Foundation has been with the Lions Health and Wellness Fair from the very beginning and will again be carrying out free Blood Pressure, Glucose, Cholesterol tests, and all other test related to diabetes Read more

Welcome Baby Launched With Smmc And Rotary Mid Isle

CAY HILL – On Tuesday, March 21, nurses of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) collaborated with the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle to officially launch the baby bags in their “Welcome Baby” project.

The launch included a presentation by Rotarians Denise Antrobus, Anjali Manek, and Nurse St. Cyr of the OB/GYN ward, who started the “Welcome Baby” initiative to support new mothers in need, as part of her objectives for this year.

The presentation informed the invited guests about the project in detail, and also allowed both organizations to present a “Welcome Baby” bag to the first official new mom in the project Read more

CAYHILL:--- On Tuesday, March 21st, 2017 nurses of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) collaborated with Rotarians of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle to officially launch the baby bags in their “Welcome Baby” project.

The launch included a presentation by Rotarian Denise Antrobus, Rotarian Anjali Manek, and Nurse St. Cyr of the OB/GYN ward, who started the “Welcome Baby” initiative to support new mothers in need, as part of her objectives for this year. The presentation informed the invited guests about the project in detail and also allowed both organizations to present a “Welcome Baby” bag to the first official new mom in the project Read more

Mussington And Charville Unite In Bid To Topple Team Gibbs In Second Round

MARIGOT--In a development widely expected following last Sunday’s result in the first round of the Territorial Council Election, Louis Mussington’s Movement for Justice and Prosperity (MJP) and J Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Through its work, Transparency International (TI), a global organization, hopes to realize a world in which government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people will be free of corruption. Upon a country’s request, TI assesses its weaknesses and strengths with regard to integrity and good governance. Assessments were conducted in the Netherlands in 2012, for Curaçao in 2013 and for Sint Maarten in 2015.

To be able to assess a country’s integrity, TI looks at several pillars such as the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, the public sector, law enforcement agencies, etc Read more

MARIGOT: --- The Leader of MJP Loui Mussington has changed his party name to Alliance for Hope, Prosperity, and Justice as he formed a new list with the leader of HOPE Jules Charville. Mussington told SMN News late Tuesday afternoon that he did everything possible to form a list based on the way the people voted and he also wanted to include MVP since they were the third highest vote getter but the leader of MVP did not go along with his proposal because he is leading the list Read more

Minister Gibson: Let’S Keep Up This Trend

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Finance Richard Gibson in Wednesday’s, March 15, Council of Ministers Press Briefing gave a short update on his Ministry’s activities.

This week he was paid a visit by Minister of Finance of Curaçao Kenneth Gijsbertha, where in an extensive meeting, common issues were addressed, amongst which the Central Bank Read more

Sarah: D66 ‘Will Push For Improved Relations’

PHILIPSBURG--The Democrats 66, led by Alexander Pechtold, “will push for improved and respectful relations in the Dutch Kingdom, that is my fervent hope, in any case,” said Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Wil Read more

Major Steps For International Protection Of Caribbean Sharks Following Dutch Proposal

CAYENNE, French Guiana - Great news for shark conservation in the Caribbean. On March 13th, 2017 it was officially decided to protect eight shark species under the international Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol following a proposal by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs in cooperation with a team of shark experts. The SPAW protocol is the only cross-border legislative instrument for nature conservation in the Wider Caribbean Region Read more

Minister Jacobs: Give A Helping Hand

PHILIPSBURG – In Wednesday’s, March 8, Council of Minister’s Press Briefing Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Silveria Jacobs updated on the following:

This weekend the SXM DOET will be happening all over the Dutch Kingdom. She commended the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School management and staff for initiating the painting of their school, as well as their benches.

As a result of the initiative of the Ministry, three public schools will have murals done Read more

Minister Of Finance: It System Held Together With Hanger Wires And Tape

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Finance Richard Gibson addressed the Press in Wednesday’s, March 8, Council of Minister’s press briefing.

First, he mentioned the closing of the Receiver’s and Census Offices “because of a smell that was detected this morning in the building. It has not been discovered yet where that smell is coming from, what’s the source of the smell or the nature of the smell, whether it is sewage, electrical, or another.”

“The Fire Department came and aired out the building, and hopefully by lunchtime there is a plan that the Receiver of taxes, the Census office will again open,” he said.

“We’ve been experiencing breach in terms of a virus attack again Read more

Temporary Replacement Of Cpo

Due to the temporary appointment by the Honorable Minister of Justice Rafael A. Boasman of CPO Steven Carty who is assisting the management team of the Pointe Blanch Prison to restore order and  improve the situation at the prison, left the Philipsburg, Guana Bay, Hope Estate and Point Blanch areas temporarily without a Community Police Officer.

The police management team has therefore appointed CPO, Inspector Rensley V Read more

Boasman’S ‘Lizzy Lizard’ Most Checked-Out At Library

PHILIPSBURG – “Exciting reading happens in March and February for International Women’s Day and Black History Month. Early in the year I’m also very curious about the performance of books published in St. Maarten,” by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), said Jacqueline Sample, president of HNP.

Libraries, book distributors, and bookstores may provide some objective information about the performance of books. Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) has a list of HNP books checked out by library customers from 2014 to 2016.

“Lizzy Lizard was checked out the most among the 12 HNP titles that were borrowed a number of times from PJL in 2016,” said Sample.

Lizzy Lizard by Robin Boasman was taken out 20 times in 2016, outperforming other HNP books by at least 10 points Read more

GREAT BAY:---“Exciting reading happens in March and February for International Women’s Day and Black History Month. Early in the year I’m also very curious about the performance of books published in St. Martin” by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), said Jacqueline Sample, president of HNP.
Libraries, book distributors, and bookstores may provide some objective information about the performance of books. Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) has a list of HNP books checked out by library customers from 2014 to 2016 Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Due to the temporary appointment by the Honorable Minister of Justice Rafael A. Boasman of CPO Steven Carty who is assisting the management team of the Pointe Blanch Prison to restore order and improve the situation at the prison, left the Philipsburg, Guana Bay, Hope Estate and Point Blanch areas temporarily without a Community Police Officer.
The police management team has therefore appointed CPO, Inspector Rensley V Read more

Caribbean Awaits Trump Moves On Climate Funding, Paris Deal

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Caribbean leaders worry that with climate change sceptic Donald Trump in the White House, it will be more difficult for small island developing states facing the brunt of climate change to secure the financing necessary to adapt to and mitigate against it.

Mere days after Trump’s inauguration, the White House ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to delete a page about climate change from its website Read more

Minister Jacobs: Not Just A Marketing Issue, Not Just A Culture Issue, It’S A St. Maarten Issue

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs in Wednesday’s, March 1, Council of Ministers Press Briefing, updated on issues within Division of Public Education.

After having received a list of grievances last year 2016, from the various public schools, meetings were held with both management and teachers, and those grievances were brought forward to the ministry, Minister Jacobs informed.

Areas of complaint covered, lack of a discipline policy; serious issues with discipline within schools; children with learning disabilities; adherents to the school curriculum; lack of parental involvement; day to day maintenance of school premises, among others.

The Department of Education, Department of Youth Affairs, Head of the Division Inspection and Exams Head of the Division Public Education, and the Secretary General hosted a meeting where these concerns were brought forward and brainstorming and action planning took place on how to facilitate solving some of these grievances.

“The plans are currently underway, some of them in the beginning phases, others as they are long-term still need to begin Read more